No one's POV

Myu continue to stare at the newcomer with great interest. Myu wanted to ask if this really was all the whale's doing, but the whale was sitting unresponsive atop her head. It seemed exhausted. Incidentally, Myu had been constantly pestering Sora to tell stories of his adventures, so she had heard the name Meiru before.

Myu: Mrr? Meiru? Meiru Melusine? Mrrr?

Myu cocked her head, trying to remember why that name sounded so familiar. Before she could finish searching her memories though, Meiru squatted down in front of her.

Meiru: So, Myu-chan. Where exactly is this place? The truth is, I'm a little lost.

Meiru furrowed her eyebrows. She explained that she'd been patrolling the waters around Andika, which was a city built on boats, with some friends of hers when suddenly a thick fog had started swirling around them. After that she'd found herself here, separated from all her friends. In other words, the exact same situation Myu and the others had encountered. Once Meiru finished her explanation, Myu looked up and said brightly.

Myu: Meiru-oneechan, I'm lost, too!

Meiru: You don't live here?

Myu: I don't think it's possible for anyone to live here, Meiru-oneechan.

Meiru: I-I suppose that's true... Hm? Come to think of it, you resemble Diene quite a bit... Oh, Diene is my little sister. Being lectured on common sense by someone who looks just like my sister hurts a little, actually.

Meiru's shoulders slumped and Myu thought to herself.

Myu(mind): Onee-chan's amazing, but she's also kind of useless.

Meiru: Umm, so why are you here then, Myu-chan?

Meiru cleared her throat and quickly changed the topic. Just as Myu opened her mouth to answer, the sounds of fighting she heard earlier returned. They were much closer this time, and Myu could see bolts of lightning arcing into the sky a few blocks away. A second later the air around the buildings a short distance away shimmered, then they were all blasted into bits.

Meiru: Myu-chan, don't leave my side.

Myu: O-Okay!

Myu huddled in Meiru's shadow. For some reason, she found Meiru's presence to be extremely reassuring. Even though they'd just met, and Meiru could use magic even though she was a dagon, and she called herself a captain of a pirate crew, Myu wasn't scared of her at all. Her intuition told her Meiru was a good person. She felt the same way about Meiru that she did about the whale resting atop her head.

Meiru(mind): Sh-She's so cute! She's friendly, honest, and she's got a mascot-type thing on her head! She's high-level! In fact, she might even be as cute as Diene! This little girl's an angel!

Her thoughts were quite impure. But then Meiru was the same woman who'd planned to take over an entire city for her sister's sake. It was hardly surprising that she'd be overjoyed when the dagon girl she just saved started clinging to her. Ironically, Myu had gotten closer to knocking Meiru out with happiness than any of her enemies ever had with violence. Fortunately, it didn't look like Meiru would need to fight right now anyway.

A few more buildings were blasted apart, and a horde of giant creature the size of horse carts flew into the square. There were fourteen of them in total, and they looked like giant frogs. Their skin was mottled black and green, and they looked absolutely disgusting. Worse, their tongues were forked, with the forked ends looking strangely like human hands, and the mottled patterns on their skin looked like screaming human faces. Just looking at them gave Myu goosebumps, that was how creepy they were. She reflexively clung to Meiru's thigh for comfort. It was a wonder she managed to keep herself from screaming. Meiru opened her mouth to say something reassuring, but before she could, a person walked out of the ruins of the destroyed buildings.

???: How dare you launch your disgusting spit at the beautiful, amazing Miledi-chan's face!? There's so much of it, too! I'm gonna crush you!

And crush the frogs she did. Black spheres appeared above their heads, flattening them into the ground. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty who'd appeared into the square wiped her cheeks with her sleeve. Though she'd won, there were tears in her eyes. She turned around and wailed.

???: O-kun! I've been sullied!

She leaped toward the bespectacled young man who'd suddenly climbed up the pile of rubble.

???: Uwaaah! Stop Miledi, you're gonna get me all slimy!

The youth dodged out of the way, casing Miledi to faceplant into a wall of rubble.

Miledi: Hey, Oscar... You're supposed to do the nice thing and hug me.

Miledi pulled her head out of the rubble and glared at the young man— Oscar.

???: Oscar, that one was definitely your bad.

Said a tall, taciturn man who walked up behind Oscar.

Miledi: I knew I could count on you, Nacchan! Tell that four-eyed bastard off!

Miledi circled around behind the tall man—Naiz—and tried to push him into Oscar. However, her hands struck only empty air as Naiz adroitly dodged out of the way.

Miledi: Oi, Naiz... Why're you avoiding me?

Naiz: Because you're covered in slime.

Miledi: Damn you booooooooooth!

Miledi screamed in rage. Myu watched from a distance as Miledi chased after Oscar and Naiz, determined to share the pain of being slimed with them.

Myu: Pirates are weird people.

Meiru: I... suppose that's technically true... But please don't assume those three are what all pirates are like.

In the first place, Miledi and co. weren't even pirates. But rather than explain that, Meiru just called forth a stream of water to wash Miledi off. It was only after her torrent swallowed Miledi whole that Oscar and the others realized Meiru was here. Glad to finally be reunited, the three of them ran toward their dagon comrade.

Miledi: Meru-nee! I'm so glad you're sa— Now just one minuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute! We've been here five minutes and you're already kidnapping little girls!?

Meiru: Torrential Burst.

Miledi was once again swallowed whole by a tide of water and spun around over and over. When Meiru finally spat her out, she didn't bother drying her this time, leaving her a sopping mess on the floor.

Myu: U-Umm... are you okay?

Myu poked her head out from behind Meiru and gave poor Miledi a sympathetic look.

Miledi: Y-You're so kind... What an angel!

Oscar: You can just ignore Miledi... Anyway, I'm glad you're alright, Meiru. And it seems that it was just us 4 that got transported here. Also, who's that girl?

Naiz: There seems to be some kind of strange creature... That is a creature, right? The thing resting on her head, I mean.

Meiru: Her name's Myu-chan. Apparently, she's lost just like us. A few moments ago, I decided to make her my little sister.

Miledi and Myu: What!?

Myu hadn't expected Meiru to suddenly adopt her as her little sister. Myu's eyes met Miledi's, who was also something like a little sister to Meiru. The two of them nodded at each other in sympathy. Oscar heaved an exasperated sigh, then knelt down in front of Myu.

Oscar: It's nice to meet you, Myu-chan. I'm Oscar Orcus. We were out at the see when we were suddenly brought here.

Meiru: Yeah, we're still in the middle of creating my Labyrinth.

Myu: Just like me?!

Oscar: Hmm, Myu-chan. Can we ask you a few things?

Myu hesitated before replying. Something about Oscar's name struck a chord within her memories.

Myu: Yes. Oscar-oniisan... Orcus? Mrr? Isn't that...?

Naiz: And I'm Naiz.

Myu: Naiz...oniisan.

The final key Myu needed to link her memories together was Miledi's self-introduction. The leader of the Liberators jumped to her feet, lifted one leg, put her left hand on her hips, and made a peace sign with her right.

Miledi: And I'm the super pretty genius mage, Miledi Reisen!

She finished her introduction with a wink. Suddenly, Myu's eyes widened in recognition. Miledi's over-the-top actions had helped her recall all the stories about the labyrinths Hajime had told her. She pointed at Miledi and said triumphantly.

Myu: The world's most annoying person!

Miledi: Bwagh!?

Being told that with such an innocent smile made the genius mage Miledi drop to her knees. Meanwhile, Oscar and the others burst out laughing. They turned away from Miledi, laughing uproariously. Miledi glared at her comrades, but they didn't stop. Her eyes twitching, she turned back to Myu.

Miledi: Wh-What a strange thing to say. Have we met before, Myu-chan?

Myu: Nope! I've just heard stories about you!

Miledi: I-I see. And who did you hear them from? I need to know who's been telling young children lies about me.

Myu: Papa!

Miledi: Y-Your father?

Myu: Yep! Papa said, 'No one else in existence is as annoying as Miledi Reisen! If there was a contest for most annoying person in the world, she'd win it every single time!'

Oscar, Naiz, Meiru: Bwahaha!

Miledi: Hey, stop laughing O-kun, Nacchan, Meru-nee!

Myu: A-Also...

Miledi: There's more!? How badly does your Papa hate me?!

Myu: He said, 'I'll never forgive that girl for flushing us down a toilet.'

Miledi: Not only does he hate me, but he also holds a grudge!? And what do you mean, flushing you down a toilet!? How does that even work?!

Suddenly, the laughter stopped. Oscar and the others gave Miledi cold stares. "I can't believe you're the kind of person to flush little girls' dads down the toilet, Miledi..." their expressions all seemed to be saying.

Miledi: I-It's not true! This has to be a misunderstanding! I've never flushed anyone down the toilet in my life! How would you even do that!?

Miledi(mind): Who on earth is this kid's dad!? Have we really never met before!?

Miledi thought to herself. Meanwhile, Myu was happily rattling off all the stories that popped into her head. Her eyes glittered with excitement as she talked. She was actually meeting the people she'd heard about in Sora's tales!

Myu: Oh, and you must be 'Oscar the maid-lover,' right, Onii-san?

Oscar: Wha—?

Oscar(mind): How do you know that!?

Oscar thought, his glasses slipping off his face. Before he could recover, Myu turned to Meiru.

Myu: Oh, and you must be the Meiru Melusine that Papa said was a super sadist and really sloppy with housework! He told me never to become a dagon like you!

Meiru: Huh!? I think I need to have a nice, looong talk with your Papa, Myu- chan.

Meiru's veins bulged with barely suppressed rage.

Meiru(mind): I'll show you who's a sadist!

Myu: And you, Onii-san...

Naiz: Hrm? Wh-What about me?

Naiz asked hesitantly. He'd hidden away from the world for decades, so he was pretty sure Myu's father couldn't possibly know anything about him, but he was still worried.

Myu: You must be Naiz Gruen! Papa said you were a lot better than the other three, and that you probably had a really hard time dealing with all of them!

Naiz: Y-You know about the Gruen name?

Naiz was shocked, but for completely different reasons than the other three. Gruen was the name of the village Naiz was born in. The village he'd destroyed with his own two hands. The only living people who should have known that name were his Liberators comrades. Oscar, Meiru, Miledi, Lyutilis, Laus, Van, and Ryu.

It was now that Miledi and the others were beginning to realize there was definitely something strange about Myu. At the same time, Myu was beginning to realize this situation didn't make sense, either. The Liberators who existed only in stories shouldn't be standing right in front of her. But here they were, in the flesh.

Myu(mind): Are they fake? Other people pretending to be them? But they look and sound exactly like Papa said they did... and he said no one else knows about the Liberators...

Confused, Myu took an involuntary step backward. Miledi stepped forward, her expression serious. But before she could say anything, Myu asked.

Myu: Why are you alive?

Miledi: Bwagh!?

Miledi crumpled to the ground again. She thought Myu was implying something like, "Aren't you embarrassed to still be alive after all the horrible things you've done?"

Miledi: I-I'm sorry for living.

Miledi muttered despondently, kneeling on all fours.

Oscar: Whoa, are all dagons super sadists or something?

Naiz: So this pure-looking child is going to end up like Meiru...

Meiru: What exactly is that supposed to mean, Naiz-kun? And Oscar-kun, say that again and I'll smash your glasses.

Watching this exchange Myu realized what she said had somehow hurt Miledi. She hurriedly tried to resolve the misunderstanding, but Oscar said.

Oscar: Nah, just leave her alone. More importantly, we need to know what you know.

Naiz and Meiru nodded in agreement, while Miledi moaned.

Miledi: Be kinder to your leadeeeeeeer! Uwaaaaaa!!! Ryuuuuuuuu, I wish you were here!

Oscar, Meiru, Naiz:...

Just then, a massive earthquake rippled across the ruined city. It was as if something massive was trying to push its way out of the ground. The air trembled. Myu squealed as the shockwave caused her to lose her footing, and Meiru reached over to catch her. But before she could, Myu was enveloped in a warm light. That light slowly carried her up into the air.

Myu: Wawawah! Ah, Mister Whale?

The light whale which had been resting quietly on Myu's head suddenly enlarged back to its two-meter size and placed Myu on its back.

Shadow: Seek out they who can create. Hurry.

The whale repeated its earlier request. Its voice was strained and trembling as if even saying that much was a struggle for it.

Miledi: Wh-What now!?

Miledi screamed in confusion. Looking in the direction of the castle, she saw that dark clouds were starting to gather above it, and the tower was spewing some unknown black miasma. The black mist that covered the city was growing thicker as well. It felt as if the end of the world was approaching. A second later, multiple streaks of blue light shot through the dark clouds. The moment she saw them, Myu's face lit up.

Myu: Papa!

It appeared Myu and the Liberators had been sent to one side of the wall, while Sora and the others had been flung past the other. From the looks of it, they were fighting something while making their way to the castle.

Shadow: Child of the sea. There is... not much time.

Myu: Okay! I'll get Papa right away, don't worry!

Oscar: M-Myu-chan? Who are you talking to?

It appeared only Myu could hear the whale's voice. Though now wasn't the time to explain that to everyone. It was obvious the whale was in a hurry.

Myu: The glowing whale! He's the one who brought you guys here, Oscar-oniisan!

Oscar: That guy?

Oscar shot the glowing whale a suspicious look, but before he could do anything to it, Miledi held out a hand to stop him. She looked nothing like the pitiful wreck she'd been a few seconds ago.

Miledi: Myu-chan. What do we need to do?

She asked only what was necessary, and Myu replied succinctly.

Myu: Go to the castle!

A second later, the square was filled with malevolent creatures. As if reacting to Myu's desire and trying to stop it, countless wolves, frogs, and grim reapers oozed out the cracks in the walls and floor. They filled the square and the streets, a veritable wall of monsters. If they couldn't win in strength, they'd try to win with numbers. To Myu, it seemed like advancing through that overwhelming wall of monsters would be impossible. However —

Miledi: Bring it on!

Miledi just grinned fearlessly and slapped a fist against her open palm. Adversity? Hopeless situations? An overwhelming difference in numbers? That was nothing!

Miledi: Alright, O-kun, Nacchan, Meru-nee! Our little princess needs help! Let's show her what ancient magic can do!

Miledi thrust her hand out and flattened the first wave of flesh-wolves with her gravity magic.

Oscar: Might as well, since it looks like helping her's the best way to find clues for how to get back.

Oscar shrugged his shoulders, then summoned a giant volley of enchanted swords which he flung against the mass of grotesque frogs.

Naiz: What kind of Liberator would refuse a child's plea?

Naiz grinned faintly and shattered the space in front of them.

Meiru: Myu-chan's my precious little sister. There's no way I'd abandon her.

Meiru resurrected the stream of water she'd used earlier and used it to sweep away a bundle of grim reapers. Within seconds, the monsters had been massacred, leaving the way forward clear. Myu's eyes were as wide as saucers. Meanwhile, Miledi and the others confidently stepped forward. They were like knights escorting their young princess.

Miledi: Alright, let's go, Myu-chan.

The leader of the Liberators said, looking back at Myu over her shoulder. Myu was touched by Miledi's kindness.

Miledi: We've got a few things we wanna talk to your daddy about. How dare he call me the world's most annoying person!? Don't you mean the world's most beautiful person!?

And a second later, she was completely disillusioned. The Liberators were clearly motivated by personal grudges. Even Meiru was smiling sadistically at the thought of meeting Sora.

Myu: Th-Thank you.

Though she thanked them, Myu was secretly thinking.

Myu(mind): Maybe these guys are useless after all... Also, I'm sorry for bringing these people to you, Papa.

(Elsewhere)

Sora: Tch... These fuckers are so persistent.

Sora clicked his tongue in irritation. He was sending multiple energy beams mow down the hordes of monsters that kept popping up. But no matter how much he fired, their numbers didn't seem to thin. For each one that fell, another one showed up. Monsters were flooding out of the castle in droves. Sora glanced to the side and saw his comrades, whom he'd rendezvoused with a few minutes earlier, fighting on the nearby rooftops.

Hajime was using his gattling guns. Kaori was a little ways behind the others, maintaining a barrier to protect Remia. Shea was serving as her bodyguard, keeping the enemies away. Meanwhile, Aishia, Yue and Tio were using their vortex serpent, draconic thunder and breath respectively to mow down the hordes of enemies. No one felt very threatened by the oncoming wave. All the monsters had on their side was numbers. Sure, Kaori was half in tears because of how disgusting they looked, but no one was worried they might actually do any harm. However—

Sora: Gah!

One of the grim reaper's scythes grazed Sora's flank, and he was sent flying further away from the group with blood spurted from the wound.

Aishia: Sora!

Hajime: Sora!

Yue: Big Brother!

Hajime's expression grew murderous and he directed his gattling gun to turn the reaper into ash. At the same time, Aishia went after Sora who was sent flying a few building away. Since monsters had started pouring out of the castle, even Hajime had suffered numerous small wounds like this. Normally, he wouldn't even have broken a sweat against enemies of this caliber.

Hajime: Damnit. Myu, where are you...?

However, his worry for Myu was causing him to get impatient. He was controlling twelve different Ornises at once while fighting, which was distracting him. Even using Riftwalk, remotely controlling that many objects was pushing the limits of what Hajime was capable of. Since the bulk of his attention was focused on searching, he wasn't fighting at even close to full strength.

Yue: Get out of my way— Asura.

Yue sent out a pulse of gravity magic that crushed everything in a five- hundred meter radius in front of her. Naturally, that included all the monsters, too. She was pissed now.

Yue: Hajime... get inside Kaori's barrier! Focus on searching for Myu! Big Brother and Big Sister will be fine!

Kaori: These monster hordes are endless! Let Yue and I take care of them while you secure Myu!

Hajime: Fine. I'm counting on you two!

Hajime gave the castle in front of him a hateful glare.

Hajime(mind): I wish I could just blow that thing to pieces.

Unfortunately, he couldn't do that just yet. It was obvious the castle was an integral part of whatever crazy situation they'd found themselves in. If he destroyed it, he might end up destroying their only means back home. Of course, it was possible destroying it was how they got back home, but then what if Myu got left behind? Hajime nodded to Yue and Tio, and the two of them switched from fighting offensively to defensively. He then leaped back to the safety of Kaori's barrier.

Hajime: Kaori. I'm gonna use Limit Break. The moment its effects end, use restoration magic on me.

Kaori: What about Sora and Aishia?

Hajime: Those two will be fine! I know he wants us to prioritize Myu over him!

Kaori: You got it!

Kaori nodded firmly while Remia gave Hajime a scared look.

Remia: Hajime... what if Myu...?

Hajime: Believe in her.

He'd find her, no matter what it took. And when he did, he knew he'd find her safe and sound. It wouldn't do Remia any good to get heartbroken when they still didn't know anything for certain. She understood that was what Hajime was trying to tell her as well. She clasped her hands in front of her chest and replied.

Remia: Alright.

A second later, another earthquake rocked the city. Like the last, it seemed to originate from the castle.

Kaori: Eek!

Kaori screamed and stumbled backward. Her Hallowed Ground was riddled with cracks. Even though it was the strongest barrier spell in existence, the earthquake had been enough to nearly shatter it.

Shea: Ngh. I felt that one.

Shea groaned. She was standing in front of the barrier, her warhammer held in front of her like a shield. It seemed she'd protected Kaori's barrier with her own body. Kaori quickly healed her and her barrier.

Up in the sky, Yue coughed up a lungful of blood while Tio staggered backward. Fortunately, Yue's automatic regeneration kicked in to heal all her injuries, while Tio's naturally high endurance kept her from taking too much damage. But they weren't out of the woods just yet.

Hajime: Holy shit, are you kidding me?

Hajime's expression was stiff as a board. Yue and the others looked just as stunned. The tower that stuck out of the center of the castle was suddenly riddled with cracks. Furthermore, the sky above the tower was beginning to warp. It looked like it was twisting around itself. Or like someone was trying to twist it apart.

A second later, death descended upon the mortal realm. More specifically, a supergiant grim reaper that looked like the amalgamation of all human pain and suffering appeared from the distortion in the sky. After it followed a three-headed flesh wolf who had blood vessels that writhed like tentacles running all over its hairless body. And after that came a giant frog covered in noxious slime. Hundreds of bloodshot human eyes were set into its skin, which was dappled with patterns of screaming human faces. Finally, there came a dragon that had rotting human hands and feet growing out of its scaled body. It was wrapped in a corrosive mist that looked like a dark thundercloud.

All of the creatures looked like they'd been specifically designed to make anyone who looked at them go insane. They were all radiating an overpowering aura of bloodlust as well.

Hajime: So all the guys up till now were small fry? What a joke.

Kaori: Th-Th-Th-This isn't the time to be s-s-s-miling!

Kaori whimpered, her sanity already at its limits. She stood with her legs pressed together, doing her best not to wet herself in front of the boy she loved. Hajime knew the giant creatures had already noticed them. They may not have looked in Hajime's direction, but it was obvious the monsters' bloodlust was directed at him and his friends.

Worse, all of them were powerful enough to make even Hajime, the man who'd crawled out of the depths of the abyss, tremble. Not only that, it looked like they still hadn't reached the peak of their strength, since their presence continued to grow stronger.

Hajime: Yue, Tio! Buy me five, no, three minutes! Please!

Yue: Mmm... Leave it to me!

Tio: I swear by my title as a guardian of the people that I will not let them lay a finger on you!

Hajime: Shea, keep the small fry at bay! Show them what an overpowered rabbit can do!

Shea: Aye aye, sir!

Hajime: Kaori, keep it together!

Kaori: I-I'll do my best!

Hajime smiled fearlessly. As long as the comrades he trusted were still willing to fight, not even the proverbial end of the world could scare him. For her part, Remia didn't even scream when she saw what was coming. She just continued praying for Myu's safety. Hajime grasped her hand, and she squeezed back with more force than he thought dagons had in them. Just as Yue and Tio were about to launch themselves toward the grim reaper, and just as Hajime was about to activate his Limit Break to more effectively control his Ornises—

???: Asura.

A powerful wave of gravity crushed everything around Hajime and the others, while neatly avoiding them. At the same time—

???: Ability nine, Thunderlord's Judgment.

???: Vortex Serpent!

???: Void Fissure!

Powerful bolts of lightning and a swirling vortex of water that looked like an industrial excavator slammed into the grim reaper, while a spatial fissure that looked strong enough to rend the heavens themselves struck the other three giant creatures. Hajime and the others looked on in speechless amazement. Some of those spells had included gravity and spatial magic. Hajime glanced questioningly at Yue, and she dumbly shook her head.

Hajime(mind): That makes sense, it didn't sound like her voice anyway... But then, why does it feel familiar...?

In the midst of his confusion, Hajime heard the voice of the person he'd been searching tirelessly for.

Myu: Mama! Big Brother!

Hajime and Remia: Myu!?

As the miasma was blasted away, Myu came flying from across the other side of the wall. While Hajime had believed she was strong enough to pull through, he'd still been worried she might have gotten hurt or traumatized or something. But it turned out Myu was perfectly fine.

Hajime: What the hell's with that glowing whale!?

Myu: He's my friend!

Hajime: Are you sure you're okay!?

Myu: I'm fine! Oh, and I brought really strong reinforcements!

Hajime(mind): So she's fine AND she brought help?

Hajime's jaw dropped open. The whale shot straight toward Hajime, and once it was close enough, Myu hopped off, knowing that Hajime would catch her for sure. Kaori hurriedly dispelled her barrier, and Hajime caught her. Myu gave Hajime a lovable grin, and his dumbfounded expression turned into a wry smile.

Myu: Big Brother, where is Papa?

Hajime: He's doing fine. And Remia, I think your daughter's gonna grow up into one hell of a woman.

Remia: Good grief! Do you have any idea how worried I was!? Just, good grief!

Hajime handed Myu over to Remia, who was repeating 'good grief' over and over like a broken record. She hugged her daughter with tears in her eyes. But then, a second later, a new wave of bloodlust assailed Hajime and the others. The grim reapers had returned, and it looked like their four bosses had already revived. Donner was enough to take out the smaller reapers, but it lacked the firepower to do any real damage to the supergiant reaper. It bore down on Hajime, swinging its massive scythe.

Kaori had dropped her barrier when Myu had arrived. So instead, Hajime summoned his shield and used it to guard. But it turned out there was no need to guard at all, as Myu's "reinforcements" took care of it.

Oscar: That weapon uses blastrock and electricity to shoot out pellets at high speed, huh? And is that a Treasure Trove? Man, you've got some pretty cool artifacts.

Oscar flung his black coat back as he used his umbrella to block the giant reaper's scythe. He turned back to look at Hajime, who instantly recognized the bespectacled face.

Hajime: Oscar Orcus? No way...

Oscar: I see... So just as Myu-chan said, you really do know about us.

Oscar adjusted his glasses. He gave Hajime a curious look while he muttered.

Oscar: Ability two, Wall Burst.

His umbrella glowed gold, and a second later, the reaper's scythe had been pushed back. Naturally, Hajime didn't let the opening Oscar created go to waste. He stood back-to-back with his fellow Synergist and pulled Schlagen out of his Treasure Trove. He then turned around and blasted the giant reaper with his rifle.

Meanwhile, the revived frog was being slowly shaved to bits by a powerful vortex of water shaped like a giant snake. There was an arch of water a short distance away from the stream, and sitting upon that arch was a familiar dagon woman. Hajime also recognized the grim-looking man who'd just teleported right next to Oscar.

Hajime: Meiru Melusine and Naiz Gruen, too? Wait, please don't tell me that—

Unfortunately, Hajime's prediction was spot-on

Miledi: Whenever the world is in danger, I'll be there to save it!

A girl whose voice Hajime knew all too well fell from the sky right in front of him.

Miledi: The world's beloved, prettiest, most beautiful mage...

Miledi lifted a leg, put her left hand on her hips, and made a peace sign with her right hand. She gave Hajime a perfectly choreographed wink and finished.

Miledi: Miledi-chan is heeeeeeeeere!

She also used magic to create a rainbow of multicolored smoke behind her. This wasn't Miledi the golem. She wasn't wearing a smiley-face mask. This was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Miledi the human. Hajime was completely stunned. He hadn't expected Miledi to actually look so beautiful. Truly, it was an absolute waste of good looks. Of course, the fact that Miledi brought attention to it herself just pissed him off. So, naturally—

Hajime, Yue, and Shea: Die, Milediiiiiiiiiiii!

Miledi: Huh? Nyowaaah!?

Hajime fired at Miledi with Donner, while Shea swung Drucken at her and Yue used gravity magic to try and crush her. Her perfect introduction was ruined by the grudge the three of them held against her after experiencing her labyrinth. Unfortunately, she somehow managed to dodge all of their attacks perfectly.

Oscar: Hey, calm down!

Hajime: Ngh, let me go, Oscar! Do you have any idea how much that woman toyed with us!? Even if this is an illusion or if she's fake or something, I won't be satisfied until I've blown at least one hole into her body!

Oscar: She'll die if you do that! I realize your anger's probably justified but— Hang on, are you breaking through my metamorph chains with just brute strength!? Are you some kinda monster!?

Oscar had instantly restrained Hajime with his prized Metamorph Chains the moment Hajime had attacked Miledi, but he was prying them apart using his bare hands.

Meiru: You calm down too, little bunny. I realize Miledi-chan is possibly the most annoying person in the world, but— Hang on, are you really a rabbitman!? How're you so strong!?

Shea: Do you have any idea how many times she drenched me in that disgusting liquid!? I need to give her at least one good punch!

Meiru: Miledi-chan, what did you do to these people!?

Meiru tried to contain Shea inside a water prison, but Shea smashed through it with one swing of her warhammer. Meanwhile—

Naiz: I-Impossible. You can use spatial magic!? Just who are you!?

Yue: Miledi must die... I won't show her any mercy.

Naiz tried to use spatial magic to lock Yue in place, but she used her own spatial magic to cancel his spell, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. Miledi had no idea what she'd done to these people, but she realized the grudge they held against her ran deep.

Miledi: I don't know what I did, but I'm really sorry!

Miledi went down on all fours while floating in the air. Even when apologizing, she refused to let her head touch the ground. Meanwhile, Tio, Kaori, and Remia were completely out of the loop. They glanced around in confusion, Tio taking care of the swarming monsters while Hajime's group and Miledi's group bickered. When they all heard a voice.

???: Jeez! What are you doing? Hajime, Shea, Yue. This isn't the time to be fighting!

Myu: Papa!

Sora: Myu, I'm glad your okay.

It was Sora whom just return from being healed up by Aishia. He landed in the middle between Miledi and Hajime. He seem somewhat surprise to see Oscar, Meiru, Naiz, and Miledi. But he focus his attention on Hajime that he didn't even hear the Liberators murmur at him.

Oscar: Hey... is my eyes playing tricks on me or am I hallucinating...?

Meiru: N-No way... This has to be a dream...

Naiz: I can't believe it... Even his voice sounds just like him.

Miledi: Eh...?

Oscar, Meiru, and Naiz all stare at Sora with eyes wide open in shock. While Miledi was the only person whom still rubbing her eyes, pinching her own cheeks to see if this was a dream.

Hajime: Hey! Move aside, Sora! Have you forgotten what that bitch did to us?!

Sora: How could I forgot what she did?! But this isn't the time or the place! If you are going to add even more headache to me, I will gladly beat you to pieces right now...

Hajime: Urk... I'm sorry...

Sora then went and did the same to Shea and Yue, bringing them back to their senses as well. He then looked at the Liberators clearly shock as well.

Sora: Okay, first we—

Miledi: RYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sora: Eh?! What the?! Bweh—!!!!!!

Before Sora could even start the conversation. Miledi the worlds most annoying person rushed towards him at blinding speed and tackle him towards the ground, hugging him tightly.

Sora: Ooooowwww...

Shea: Hey what the hell are you doing?!

Just as Hajime and the others were about to attack Miledi for attacking their friend, Oscar, Meiru, and Naiz moved ahead of them first and went towards Sora and Miledi, clearly confusing the rest.

Miledi: Ryu?! Is that you?! Your alive!! You've been here this whole time?!

Sora: ?!

Sora(mind): Oh yeah. The Dragon King is a Liberator who died protecting her.

Sora, Aishia and his other comrades were clearly surprise at what they saw. Especially the ones that had challenge Miledi's Labyrinth. They saw Miledi crying her heart out. She continue cupping his face with so much love and joy on her face that it was hardly believe it was the same person who torment them in the Reisen Great Labyrinth.

Sora(mind): Is just like when we're at the Labyrinth.

Normally, Sora would just flung any person he didn't know away. But just like at the Labyrinth, when Miledi had clung to his back fearing from being destroy by Hajime and the others, Sora didn't push her away. Even now, he couldn't push her away. As if his body wouldn't listen to him at all.

Oscar: Ryu... Your alive...

Meiru: If your alive why didn't you say anything?!

Naiz: We were worried sick about you!!

Oscar, Meiru and Naiz all looked at him clearly shock as well. It appears that the Dragon King Ryu and Sora had been a look alike. So it would only be natural that they were surprise. Hajime and the others were a lost for words. Seeing Miledi cry hugging Sora like that made all their angers towards her disappear. But sadly, reality is not as bright as it is.

Sora: W-Wait. I think you guys got the wrong person! I am not Ryu the Dragon King! Let me go, Miledi!

Hearing that made the Liberators eyes widened.

Miledi: Miledi...?

Oscar: He called her, Miledi.

Meiru: No. Ryu would never call Miledi-chan by her name.

Naiz: Yes. He would always call her Mii-chan.

Sora(mind): Mii-chan...?

It appears what shock them was how Sora had address Miledi. Not that Sora claiming himself as the Dragon King. With that, Miledi who had been burying her face on Sora's chest crying look at him with tears on her eyes.

Miledi: Ryu...? Are you not really, Ryu...?

Sora: *sigh* No I'm not. My name is Sora.

Miledi: B-But, you look just like him! Your hair, your face, your clothes, your demeanor, and even your voice sounded just like him!!

Sora: W-Well...

Sora was not sure where to start. Since he don't even know anything about the Dragon King. Surprisingly, it was Myu who came to his rescue.

Myu: Jeez! What are you doing, Papa? You too, Miledi-oneechan.

Myu's, high-pitched voice carried quite well across the battlefield.

Miledi: N-No, but Myu—

Miledi: We don't have time, Miledi-oneechan!

Miledi: B-But...

Oscar: Miledi... Just let it go. This person in front of us, is not Ryu our friend.

Miledi: Hic... Hic...

Sora:...

Miledi hung her heads, clearly depress as she started crying. It wasn't just her, the whole Liberator didn't know what to say to her because they're busy with their own feelings. Sora and the others didn't know what to say either.

Myu: Papa, we're almost out of time! We have to save Mister Whale!

Myu's expression was more serious than Sora had ever seen. He could tell this wasn't some childish prank. So he sigh, standing up, carrying Miledi by his arms who still hadn't let go of him.

Sora: Everyone, come over here! Aishia, Yue, Kaori, Tio, make us the strongest barrier you can!

Yue and the others instantly sprang into motion, and they deployed a combination of Hallowed Grounds and spatial barriers.

Sora: Um... Miledi, Oscar, Naiz, Meiru. Do you mind lending your strength. I promised if we had the time after we're finish, we'll talk.

Miledi:...

At Sora's call, Miledi and the others obediently gathered as well. She let go of Sora, her eyes were still red after crying. But she immediately acted together, that this wasn't the time for crying. They placed down their own combination of gravity, water, and spatial barriers. With seven extremely powerful barriers protecting the group, even the giant monsters couldn't hurt them. They roared in frustration as their attacks bounced off the group's multilayered defenses.

Sora: Alright, Myu. What's going on? What do you know?

Sora knelt down in front of Myu. She took a deep breath, then put a hand on the glowing whale next to her and replied.

Myu: This whale is the shadow we saw before. He needs Papa, Big Brother and Oscar's help.

As they'd neared the castle, the whale of light had regained a bit of its power and had been able to communicate with Myu once more. While they'd been traveling to Sora, it had told them the gist of the situation. Apparently, the whale was the guardian of this destroyed city. Long ago, this city had been brought to ruin by the same monsters that were flooding out of the castle. Those monsters had actually been created by human hands, and the strongest of them made the nigh-immortal Hell Eater Sora and the others had just recently fought look cute.

But, as it always went in stories like this, the people had been unable to control the monsters they'd created, and brought their empire to ruin. However, they'd at least had the tenacity and the good sense to seal away the monsters they'd created. But to do so, they'd needed to use the whale as a cornerstone.

Now, centuries or maybe millennia later, the seal had been weakened to the point where it was almost gone. If the lynchpin of the seal, the tower that the whale was fused with, broke, then the ancient evil horrors would regain their full strength and would start terrorizing people across all worlds and all times.

Myu: Mister Whale's been waiting this whole time for someone who can fix the seal to come! He said he needed really strong 'Synergist-creators!' And one strong Spirit Art user!

This abandoned capital didn't actually exist anywhere within the real world. It had once stood where the sea they'd come from was, but the seal had transported it into a gap between dimensions. Basically, this whole space was a city-sized Treasure Trove.

And because the whale was also the product of that ancient civilization, it too possessed the power to transcend space and time. However, its power had been greatly weakened, so it could only transport people here once, and only people who visited the particular stretch of sea the capital had once been on. Meaning this was the only chance anyone would ever have to repair this seal. Restoration magic wouldn't be enough to do it because a lot of the damage to the seal was too old to be realistically recovered. It would take more mana than anyone in the world possessed. Which was why the whale had needed to bring in people who could analyze the seal and rebuild it from the ground up, namely Synergists who could use creation magic. Not only that, Synergists with more skill and mana than either Hajime or Oscar possessed individually. After the castle were fix, they needed a strong Spirit Art user to imbued the seal with Spirit Art so it would last for eternity, namely Sora or Aishia.

Myu: So it brought you and Miledi-oneechan together even though you're from different times, Papa! It made a miracle!

Myu spread her arms wide, and for a moment Sora wondered if this really was Myu. The glowing whale, which was apparently an avatar of sorts of the seal's guardian, illuminated Myu with its light. As if Myu was the oracle it had chosen to speak through. Everyone present couldn't help but be awed by how dazzling Myu looked.

After she finished her story, Sora took a deep breath. His mind was full of questions. Whether or not all the stuff about the seal was real, how it had managed to move Miledi and the others across time, as well as why they had to clean up someone else's mess.

However, there wasn't enough time to think about all this. The tower had begun leaning precariously, and it was so cracked that it was a wonder it hadn't collapsed under its own weight already.

Sora smile, ruffled Myu's hair.

Sora: Guess we've gotta fix it then.

Miledi, the leader of the Liberators replied.

Miledi: Alright, let's do this. Don't worry, our O-kun's the greatest Synergist in the world. We've got this in the bag!

She grinned proudly. Miledi had absolute faith that there was nothing Oscar couldn't do. But upon hearing that, Yue scowled and replied.

Yue: Excuse me? That's an even bigger joke than your existence. The greatest Synergist in the world is my Hajime.

Miledi wasn't about to let that pass uncontested. She gave Yue a glare that could curdle milk. Yue countered with an icy smile. The two of them stared each other down, trying to look as intimidating as possible. Seeing that, Hajime and Oscar exchanged glances and smiled sympathetically at each other. They could worry about these petty squabbles later. Right now, Myu's request took priority. That desire was what kept everyone cooperating for the moment.

Sora: Aishia, Yue, you two are in charge while me and Hajime are off fixing this seal.

Oscar: Miledi, it's the same as always. Make sure no one gets in the way of my work.

Sora grinned fearlessly, while Oscar adjusted his glasses with a slight smile. Naturally, Aishia, Yue, Miledi, and the others all nodded confidently back to Sora, Hajime and Oscar. With that, the strongest team in all history was formed. And the one to start things off was Naiz.

Naiz: Myu, where do we need to go?

Myu: To the top of the tower, Naiz-oniisan!

Naiz: Got it.

Oscar quickly brought out his Metamorph Chains and bound everyone together. A second later, the party was floating a short distance above the tower's summit. Naiz had teleported everyone in an instant.

Aishia: He didn't even use a gate...

Aishia muttered in surprise. As they started to fall, Miledi used her gravity magic to soften everyone's landing. The tower's summit was about ten meters in diameter, and the only object on it was a one-meter tall obelisk. It was riddled with countless cracks, and it looked like it was moments away from shattering completely.

Myu: That thing! That's what we need to fix to fix the seal!

Myu shouted, just as monsters started flooding the rooftop.

Yue: Go, Hajime! Myu, Remia, stay with Hajime! Kaori, put up a barrier! Shea, take care of any enemies that get past Aishia, Tio and me!

Miledi: We're counting on you, O-kun! Meru-nee, you provide support from above! Nacchan, you take the other side!

Yue and Miledi shouted out orders while Hajime and Oscar ran over to the obelisk. Myu and Remia stuck close to Hajime, with the glowing whale at their side, and Kaori quickly cast a barrier over all of them. A second later, the grim reaper bore down on the shimmering barrier.

Shea: Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Shea yelled out her signature battle cry and batted the giant reaper's scythe away with her hammer. The force of the blow was so great that it echoed through the roof and sent the reaper flying.

Miledi: Whoa, is that girl really a rabbitman!?

Miledi shouted in surprise. Even as she spoke, she flew high into the air and used a Heavensfall to send the swarm of flesh-wolves and their three-headed leader to the ground. They fell straight down, not even scraping the side of the already weakened tower. At the same time, Miledi also used gravity magic to support the tower's foundations.

Miledi: Asura.

Yue(mind): Wow... Her magic's so precise. And yet she casts so quickly.

For the first time in her life, Yue, the vampire princess who'd been considered the greatest mage of her generation, was jealous of someone else's magical talent. However, she wasn't going to let that get her down. Learning that there were heights she had yet to reach just stoked her desire to improve. And this was the perfect chance to watch and analyze the legendary Liberator who'd developed the techniques Yue was so fond of. She'd make Miledi's skills her own, and improve them even further!

Miledi(mind): Wow, this girl's shaping her mana so quickly... Is she learning how to do that from me? After just watching me do it once?

In the same way that Yue was impressed by Miledi's skills, Miledi was impressed by Yue's. Thanks to Myu's earlier explanation, she knew that Yue was from a different time than her. Meaning that normally, the two of them would never have met. And it was probably the reason Sora didn't recognize her, because he was Ryu's reincarnation. That went a long way to explaining why Yue could use gravity magic too. And since Yue and the others knew about her and the Liberators, Miledi had figured out they must be from the future too.

Miledi(mind): It's such a waste! I've finally met someone who can rival my magical ability, and this is the only time we'll ever get to see each other!? This sucks so much!

Miledi thought regretfully to herself.

Miledi: Hey, what's your name?

Of course, Miledi had heard Sora say Yue's name multiple times. But she felt compelled to ask anyway. This girl used the same magic as her, possessed as much talent as her, or possibly even more, and it was clear from how strong Yue's bonds with her comrades were that she was someone who understood compassion. Miledi had to hear Yue introduce herself with her own words.

Miledi(mind): If only she'd been born in our era. She would have been such a reliable comrade!

The thought was so vexing to Miledi that it nearly brought her to tears. Yue sensed what Miledi was thinking from her expression, and she turned to face the Liberator with a serious expression.

Yue: Yue... The world's strongest vampire princess. And... the one who inherited your magic, Miledi Reisen.

Miledi: Ah... I see. So that's how it is.

Miledi felt Yue's back lean against hers. It was warm and reassuring. During the battle, they'd gotten closer and closer until eventually, they were fighting back-to-back. Yue had no way to know what Miledi was thinking as the two of them crushed monsters with gravity magic in perfect sync. But she could tell that Miledi trembled a little when their backs touched.

Miledi: Well if you're my successor, then I guess I'll show you an example of how the great Miledi uses gravity magic! Think you can follow along with the lesson?

Yue: Don't get cocky, Miledi... I'll surpass you before you know it.

Grins tugged at the corners of both girls' lips. With the greatest gravity magic wielders of the past and present working together to polish each other's skills, no enemy could stand against them.

Miledi: And can I asked you about him?

By 'him' she was clearly mentioning Sora. So Yue answered as well.

Yue: He's Sora Yatagami, my Big Brother. As well as, Ryu the Dragon King's reincarnation.

Miledi: I see... So my wish were granted after all.

Miledi(mind): And that pink girl over there must be, Lina's reincarnation as well.

Hearing that made Miledi cry of tears once again. Meanwhile, Sora, Aishia, Tio, Naiz, Meiru, and Shea were all covering for each other as they fought, and Kaori provided support from the ground using her healing and defensive spells. Together they kept the horde of monsters away from Hajime and Oscar, who were in the middle of repairing the obelisk.

Hajime(mind): Damn... This guy's good...

Hajime thought to himself. Red sparks ran down his arms as he desperately tried to keep up with Oscar. It was taking everything he had to keep the obelisk from falling apart. Even though he was the greatest Synergist alive in the present, he was having a tough time figuring out how to repair the seal. In fact, when he'd seen how complicated and precise the layers of magic circles that composed the seal were, he'd almost wanted to give up. To make matters worse, the obelisk itself was created from some ore he'd never seen before, and it was a hundred times more resistant to magic than sealstone.

Hajime: Every time I repaired one section of the obelisk, another gave way, and when I repaired that yet another section fell apart. It was like trying to solve a puzzle that kept changing itself.

Oscar: Don't panic. No matter how complicated something looks, its fundamental building blocks have to be simple. All we have to do is figure out how all the threads connect, then neatly tie everything together.

Oscar said calmly, though there were beads of sweat pouring down his forehead. Despite how resistant to magic the obelisk was, Oscar was easily able to weave his mana into it. With every passing second, Oscar understood more about the obelisk and grew closer to learning the secrets of how to repair it.

Hajime(mind): Damnit! So this is what the legendary Liberators were like? His skills are on a whole different level compared to mine!

Unknown materials? Magic circles that had never been seen before? Those meant nothing to Oscar. So long as he could analyze the structure of the obelisk, he'd be able to repair it completely. That was just how godlike his skills were. Hajime couldn't help but grit his teeth in frustration when he saw how big a gap there was between their abilities.

Oscar: Visualize, then create. That's what we Synergists do. Isn't that right?

Complete, utter perfection. The closer Synergists grew to that ideal, the more beautiful their creations became. So it was only natural for them to chase after such perfection. A true Synergist was someone who could create something beautiful that would last for time immemorial.

Oscar: If you call yourself a Synergist, you should be able to manage that much..

Hajime: Alright, bring it on!

Hajime's lips curled upward into a grin. He bared his teeth, his eyes shimmering with determination. He reached up and ripped off his eyepatch. Normally it didn't bother him, but right now it was just in the way. If he wanted to analyze Oscar's skills perfectly, then his Demon Eye needed to be free from all obstructions.

Oscar: Ah!? That eye of yours...

The moment Oscar saw Hajime's eye, he understood what it did and how it worked. Hajime's grin grew wider and he said.

Hajime: I'm gonna make your skills mine. Now show me what a legendary Synergist can do.

For a moment, Oscar was dumbfounded, but then he returned Hajime's grin.

Oscar: Very well. Steal my techniques, if you can!

Hajime: Watch me, Master!

Oscar: I don't recall ever taking any disciples as arrogant as you.

As the two bantered with each other, they stepped it up a notch. Oscar took the lead, while Hajime followed using his Demon Eye. Hajime learned quickly and started using his mana more efficiently with each passing second. Not only that, he learned new ways of imbuing his mana into different objects. Once he learned Oscar's methods for analyzing materials and the flow of mana, he refined them to make them faster and even more precise. But Oscar wasn't about to let himself be done in by his disciple that quickly. Every time Hajime learned from and refined one of Oscar's techniques, Oscar took that and refined it even further.

Oscar was wrapped in a nimbus of sunlight-golden mana while Hajime, who'd activated his Limit Break during their contest, was covered in deep crimson mana. The two Synergists were shining beacons of light in this miasma-covered world of darkness.

Oscar: Analysis complete. You're better at imbuing creation magic into objects than I am. I'll switch to supporting you now.

Hajime: Roger. I'll start the repairs. We'll do the deepest magic circles later. Start with the fourth one.

Oscar: Got it.

The two of them stared at the obelisk with absolute focus. They were like doctors performing a never-before-attempted life-saving surgery. It took perfect coordination and every ounce of skill they possessed to repair the obelisk with the pinpoint precision needed for such a complex artifact.

The light coming off the two Synergists grew brighter. Golden and crimson sparks ran down their arms as they used up every last ounce of mana they had. Had there been anyone watching the castle from a distance, it would have looked like the light of dawn was cresting above the horizon, pushing back the darkness.

Monster: Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

The horde of monsters let out a collective scream.

Miledi: Oooh, the tower's starting to get fixed!

Yue: Heh... I knew Hajime could do it.

Miledi: Bahaha! Didn't you hear them? He called O-kun his master.

Yue: And then, right after he said he'd switch to supporting Hajime.

The two mages crushed the remaining monsters with gravity magic, then glared at each other with icy smiles. Meanwhile, Kaori and Meiru showered everyone with restoration magic. It seemed Kaori had learned a thing or two from Meiru as well, as her magic had gotten much faster and more powerful as well. Within seconds, everyone's wounds had been healed and their mana restored.

Kaori: The speed, the strength, it's a whole new level! Thank you for your advice, Meiru!

Meiru: You're welcome.

In a last-ditch attempt to prevent the seal from being repaired, the dragon opened its maw to fire a blast of corrosive breath at the party. But before it could, Shea hammered it with a series of explosive slugs, blowing it to bits. From the other side, the three-headed wolf tried to shoot pellets of blood at the party while the frog tried to launch its spit at them. But Shea stopped both of them as well.

Shea: Wow, I can see everything. This is some really useful magic! Thank you, Meiru!

During their fight, Shea had unlocked Prophetic Visions, a derivative skill of her special magic Future Sight. It allowed her to see a few seconds into the future, and this she could activate at will. It was thanks to it that she was able to efficiently crush all the monsters just before they attacked. She'd seen Meiru use restoration magic to project visions of the past, and had attempted to do the reverse version of that for herself, to outstanding effect.

Aishia and Naiz were protecting on the other side of the tower. It would appear that Aishia had learn and learn more about spatial magic to the point she could teleport without using a gate.

Aishia: Thanks for the teaching, Naiz.

Naiz: Your welcome! And you are an excellent student!

*RAAAAAAAAAAAARR*

One giant roar shook everything in its path. One giant skull reaper appear. The size was about 3 times bigger than the original. The size was so big that it was even bigger than the tower they were currently in.

Sora: Wha?!

Sora and the others were at loss for words.

Sora: Tch so, the last boss has appeared.

With one swing of it's scythe, a huge gush of wind were sent toward Sora and the others. Miledi and Yue were blown back. Meiru and Kaori's barrier crack in the process.

Naiz: This one's gonna be a major problem!

Sora: HAAAAAAAAAAA!!

Miledi: Ryu...?

Sora roared with all his might. Sora stops himself one hundred meters away from the giant reaper. Sora makes his magic power flow from his feet into the ground. Than even when everything was dry around them. A huge water suddenly appeared. Everyone is speechless seeing the mass of water change form into a dragon. This is a perfect water dragon with a body and all of its tails and heads being thirty meters long. While everyone is being intimidated by Sora's technique, Miledi praises it with shining eyes, she tells Sora that it is cool, that as expected of the dragon king.

Miledi: Ryu...! Your as awesome as always!

Meiru: It's even stronger than mine...

While water dragon is taking on by itself all of the enemy monsters. Now he changed to control the technique from where he has a bird's eye view of his enemies.

Sora begins to move his hands and water dragons heads move in concert with them, the eight heads aim at the giant reaper while opening their mouths, everyone loses their words looking at the eight water pillars rising to the sky faster than the speed of sound. The water jets pass through giant reaper blowing it farther back until creating a huge hole in its chest.

Sora: Phew...

Sora breath a sigh of relief. Miledi came rushing towards him looking worried.

Miledi: Ryu...? Are you alright...?

Sora: Yeah. It appears the fight is nearing its end. Let's end this before they try anything.

Miledi: R-Right...

The end was in sight. There was no need to remain on the defensive now. Seeing that they were in the clear, Miledi ask Sora a question.

Miledi: R-Ryu... You really don't remember anything about us.

Miledi ask clearly hoping even though she already know the answer.

Sora: I don't... Sorry, Miledi.

Hearing this made Miledi slump once again. But Sora continue.

Sora: But judging by how you act, I can tell just how much Ryu meant to you. So please tell me. Your story.

Miledi: W-Well...

Miledi then tell Sora everything. About how Ryu was the very first comrade that she ever made. How he was the strongest out of all the Liberators and were able to take on multiple enemies while the other were struggling with just one. Before the final battle, Ryu confess to Miledi that he loves her. But they made a promise, until they change the world, Miledi need to be the Liberators' leader. And Ryu the Dragon King need to be the Vice Leader Liberator.

It was only after that goal was accomplished that Miledi would ever allow herself to be a regular girl, which was why neither of them would give voice to the feelings lying deep within their hearts just yet. Because they believed they'd still be able to after they'd made their dreams come true. But during the final battle, due to the people turning against them, and Ehit's surprise attack, Ryu got badly injured to the point that Spirit and Restoration magic were unable to heal him. All for the sake of protecting Miledi

Sora:...

After Miledi had finished her story, Sora didn't know what to say at all. But he knew he need to tell Miledi a comforting words. He had to tell her his thoughts properly, at least once. He wasn't about to let this rare chance to speak to her slip from his hands.

Sora: Mii-chan...

Miledi: Huh?!

Miledi gasped, looking back up at Sora.

Sora: I'm calling you that right now, but in the end, the person I am right now isn't Ryu the Dragon King. Because until today, I've lived as Sora Yatagami... I... The current 'me' is Sora Yatagami. I'm Ryu the Dragon King's reincarnation, but that isn't Ryu. It's a different person. I was raised as Sora Yatagami, and I'm not about to discard what I've gained as Sora.

Miledi:...

Miledi stared at his face, waiting for his words.

Sora: I may be able to become Sora...who possesses Ryu's power and everything. I'm Sora, but I don't want to run away from the person I was before, in my previous life... That's why to me, you're both Miledi and Mii-chan. I can't interact with you by completely becoming Ryu the Dragon King, but these are my true thoughts. This is what I wanted to tell you—you, who sees me as Ryu the Dragon King...

Miledi: Y-Yeah...

Tears flowed from Miledi's eyes as she nodded along. She finally felt like she was seeing her beloved Ryu once again. She was so happy.

Sora: As the one who possesses Ryu's look and everything, there's one thing I have to say to you...as Ryu the Dragon King right now.

Miledi: Umm... What is it?

Miledi braced herself with bated breath.

Sora: Long time no see, Mii-chan. It's nice to finally see you again.

With a radiant smile the normal Sora would never show, to the others, he said to Miledi the words of reunion.

Miledi: RYUUUUU!!!!!!

With that Miledi hug Sora tightly. Unable to hold her tears any longer, she cried loudly. Oscar, and the other Liberator. Even Hajime and his comrade all heard their interaction. The Liberators smile happily for their leader. While Hajime just shrug his shoulder, ignoring them. Aishia was also smiling. As long as Sora was happy, she wouldn't care at all who he's with. Shea grimace a bit that Sora had stolen Miledi's heart, but simply smile, since she understand what Miledi must be feeling. A second later—

Oscar and Hajime: Transmute!

Oscar and Hajime cast the final transmutation needed to fix the tower completely. Veins of golden and crimson light shot down the tower, and with a deep rumbling, the entire thing righted itself, the deep cracks disappearing like they'd never existed.

Oscar and Hajime: Ryu/Sora!

With the tower fix, all they need now was Sora to imbued the tower with his Spirit Art. Sora nodded when hearing Oscar and Hajime called to him. He landed at the top of the tower and started imbuing Spirit Art at the one-meter tall obelisk. Blue sparks ran down the length of the obelisk, and the pieces started glowing bright blue. The speed and accuracy of his Spirit Art left Miledi and the Liberators stunned.

Miledi: It's beautiful...

Meiru: Its the same as Ryu.

Shadow: Vwoooooooooooooooon!

The triumphant call of a whale echoed through the city.

Myu: Mister Whale!

Myu shouted happily, raising her hands into the air. Had Remia not been holding her, she probably would have run up to the whale. For its part, the whale grew brighter and brighter until the entire world was covered in light. It shot up into the sky like a firework and dispelled the dark clouds covering the city with its blinding radiance.

Monsters: Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Screams of hatred and malice filled the air as the last remnants of the monsters were burned away. They turned to dust in the light and the black mist that had permeated throughout the city was sucked into the tower. The resulting gust of wind that came from it was so strong that Yue and the others were forced to land atop the tower, or risk being blown away.

Sora held on to Remia and Myu to keep them from being pushed off the tower. Oscar clung to his glasses with one hand and shouted.

Oscar: The repairs should be done! Myu-chan, what happens now!?

Myu closed her eyes for a second, then shouted loud enough to be heard over the wind and the dying screams of monsters.

Myu: We go home! Back to our original time!

Miledi: Eh...?

Suddenly, a whirlpool of light shot up from the tower. Sora and the others were swallowed up by particles of light. Everyone present knew that this miraculous encounter in a strange city was coming to an end. Just like when they'd come here, everyone could feel their consciousness slipping away. It felt as though they were being dragged to the bottom of the ocean, again. Unable to bear parting just like this, Miledi shouted.

Miledi: Ryu-chan! Can you... Can you guys live life the way you want to!?

She had to know if her earnest wish that the people of the future would be able to live freely had been granted. Sora turned to Miledi, looking deeply into those kind but unwavering sky- blue eyes. After a brief pause, he replied.

Sora: Yep... You wanted a world where people could live freely, right? Don't worry! Mii-chan!

Sora gave Miledi the biggest smile Yue and the girls had ever seen, then hugged Miledi back. The two groups, past and present, were pushed further apart as the sandstorm of light started guiding them back to their respective times. Before they were completely separated, Miledi did something surprising everyone. She closed in on Sora's face and kiss him gently.

Sora: ?!

Just as Sora was about to process what happen. Miledi was pushed further away from him .At this point, they were too far apart for Sora to make out Miledi's expression. But even so, Sora could somehow tell that Miledi was smiling. That Sora's words had bolstered the Liberator's resolve.

Hajime, Aishia, Myu, Yue, Shea, Tio, Kaori, and even Remia, shouted lighthearted farewells to the Liberators who'd aided them in this adventure. So naturally, Miledi replied.

Miledi: Ryu! I'll wait for you! No matter how long it takes. Even if it takes one thousand years! I'll wait for you! So that we can meet again in the future!

Miledi's hopeful farewell was the last thing anyone heard before the light took them and they all lost consciousness.

(Timeskip)

Sora awoke to the sound of waves lapping against his submarine. He opened his eyes and saw he was lying atop the deck.

Sora: Huh? When did I fall asleep?

As he muttered that, he realized there was something heavy lying atop him. Looking down, he saw Myu and Remia resting on his chest, their hands gripping his. He turned to either side and saw the rest of his party was also all lying next to him, sleeping peacefully.

Sora: What's going on...?

His memories felt fuzzy. When did he fall asleep here... and why? He remembered they'd gone out to search for the Shimmering Ocean, then...

Aishia: Mmm...

Aishia slowly opened her eyes next to him. A second later, so did Myu and everyone else.

Sora: Did we all just doze off or something?

Sora muttered to himself. But that didn't seem right. Looking down at his watch, he noticed almost no time had passed since the last thing he remembered. Sora slowly got to a sitting position, careful not to push Remia or Myu off.

Sora: Are you guys okay? Does anyone else feel like something's off?

Aishia: You feel it too, Sora?

Myu: Mrrr... I feel weird too. It feels like we forgot something important.

Myu hugged Sora, looking oddly lonely. It appeared no one had any memories of what had happened after they fell asleep.

Yue: By the way, Big Brother? Why are you hugging Remia?

Remia: Huh!?

Remia looked down in shock. Realizing she was resting in Sora's arms she hurriedly pulled away. There was no gentle smile or "Oh my" this time. In fact, she was blushing.

Girls(mind): What's with that reaction...?

Aishia and the others thought suspiciously.

Sora: No clue. I was hugging them when I woke up.

Even Sora was confused, which was a rarity. Remia's sudden change, combined with the fact that everyone's memories were hazy, meant something must have happened, they just didn't know what. Hajime and the others cocked their heads in confusion.

Tio: Ah! Master, My King, look!

Tio suddenly pointed to the ocean in surprise. Looking over, everyone saw that the sea was sparkling. As far as they could tell, the shimmering extended endlessly. At the very least, it reached all the way to the horizon.

Hajime: What the hell's going on?

First their memories, now this. Under normal circumstances, Sora would have been extremely wary right now. But for some reason, Sora and the others weren't worried at all. It was as if they knew there wasn't any danger. Motes of light rose up from the shimmering sea, ascending to the heavens. It was like Sora and the others had been transported to a sea of golden stars.

Myu: Look, Papa! It's a fish!

Myu was pointing to a spot where the motes of light had gathered to create the shimmering form of a small fish. It swam freely through both the sea and the sky, parting the golden light in its wake.

More sea creatures started to form, and within seconds the sea was full of glowing life, floating through the air and water. Whenever one of them touched Sora or the others, it burst into particles of light, then reformed a short distance away. It was such a wondrous sight that everyone could only watch in stunned silence. Eventually, a giant whale surfaced from the depths of the glowing sea.

Whale: Vwoooooooooooooooooooon!

Its warm light was reminiscent of a sunny forest floor in early spring. Everyone instinctively knew they would be safe in its gentle embrace. Though it said no words, everyone could tell that the whale of light was immensely grateful to them.

Sora: The Shimmering Ocean...

Sora muttered quietly. No one contradicted his assertion. As Sora stared at the massive, hundred-meter long whale and its entourage of sea creatures, Sora suddenly realized something.

Sora: Is it just me, or do we suddenly have more mana than before?

Aishia: Mmm?

Yue: Ah, you're right...

Hajime, Shea, Tio, and Kaori all nodded as well. Suddenly Myu looked up at them and said.

Myu: That's its way of saying thanks.

A second later, Myu blinked in confusion, unsure why she'd said that.

Shea: Umm, I think I also know a new way to use my Future Sight too now.

Aishia: I feel like I understand how to use Spatial Magic better.

Hajime: Mmm... Come to think of it, I understand how to control mana better now.

Hajime closed his eyes for a second, analyzing his current state.

Hajime: Damn... I feel like I just leveled up my Synergist skills, too. I bet I can finish my airship and laser now.

Sora(mind): What the hell happened while we were asleep?

Sora didn't understand any of this. But while none of this made sense—

Aishia: Sora? Are you sure your alright?

Sora: Yeah. Why...?

Aishia: Your crying...

Sora: Eh...?

Sora didn't even realized that tears were dropping in his eyes. He looked confused. Trying to wipe his tears away but the stream won't stop.

Sora: Eh...? Why am I crying? I don't feel sad at all. In fact, I feel so happy all of a sudden.

Myu: Yeah! But it feels like something really good happened! Like we met a bunch of really cool people!

Myu shouted happily. Sora and the others exchanged glances, then smiled in agreement to each other.

(Past)

Miledi: O-kun! Nacchan! Meru-nee! I dunno what happened, but I feel really happy all of a sudden! Feels like all my regret has gone completely!

Oscar: Yeah, I know what you mean. I feel like I got a really cheeky disciple.

Naiz: Indeed, I feel good.

Meiru: I feel like I met a new angel.

Far in the past, a group of four stood in the same place, watching the exact same scene.

(Present)

Of course, Sora and the others had no way of knowing that. But they didn't need to, so it was fine. Though Sora found his utter lack of curiosity about his missing memories curious, his attention was currently focused on the glowing sea. The giant whale let out another grateful cry, then turned its back on them. It dove into the ocean, much like a real whale would. The sparkling water rose up in a giant pillar as the whale displaced it, and the shimmering sea creatures danced around where the whale had submerged.

Myu: Oh yes, Papa! We have to make a wish!

Myu shouted as she suddenly remembered what the legend had said.

Myu: Those who encounter the Shimmering Ocean will have their wish granted.

Sora and the others nodded, and they all silently made their wishes.

Myu: I wish I get to be together with Papa forever!

Myu alone voiced her wish out loud, and when Sora heard it he suddenly felt like making another wish aside from asking to find a way home.

Sora(mind): Please teach me what I should tell Myu when I have to leave.

In the end, Sora's greedy second wish was granted after many sleepless nights spent wracking his brains, and Myu's wish was granted in the form of Sora's promise.