Contract with the MC - A3

A/N: Don't take this fanfic volume seriously; it's just a writing exercise for me and to help me. Butttttt it's also an Artiferia fanfic with some Yugioh elements on the side.

***

A/N: Things are slowly getting diverted now.

***

Regardless, since practically the entire class had chosen to assist the humans in their war (including Dark Magician Girl, who was now considered part of this group), they needed to learn how to fight. Despite their potential 'cheat' powers upon arriving in this world, they were still high school students who had been living in the peaceful country of Japan.

It would've been impossible for them to just start fighting against demons and monsters without any training. Well, all except for Dark Magician Girl, of course.

Ishtar seemed to have anticipated... high schoolers from another world with no means of defending themselves. While extremely questionable, he explained to the students that there were people ready to receive them in the Heiligh Kingdom. This kingdom was at the base of the holy mountain, and the temple they were in was the main temple of the Holy Church at the very top of the mountain.

The kingdom had very close ties with the Holy Church. So close that the Church's most sacred temple was in the kingdom's backyard, that was how deep their connection ran.

The rest of the group made their way to the temple's front entrance. They were preparing to embark on a journey to what lay below. An unending sea of clouds greeted them as they walked through the temple's main gate, which was made up of majestic triumphal arches. The crystal-clear blue sky and the waves of clouds glistening in the sunlight awed everyone at this location.

Ishtar looked on proudly as everyone gawked at the scenery, before urging them onward. As they made their way forward, they came upon a massive white circular pedestal that was surrounded by a fence. They walked through a lavish hallway made of the same white stone as the cathedral and stepped up onto the pedestal.

Engraved within the stone of the pedestal was a large magic circle. On the other side of the fence lay a steep drop to the clouds below, so most students huddled as close to the center of the pedestal as they could. But most were unable to restrain their curiosity, and timidly glanced around their surroundings despite their fear. As they were looking around, Ishtar began to chant,

"Faith is the key that opens the road to heaven—Celestial Path."

The magic circle began emitting a blinding light as he finished chanting. The entire pedestal began gliding down toward the ground, as if attached to some invisible cable. Ishtar's chant had been used as an activation signal of sorts. It functioned exactly like a fantasy cable car. The students all started clamoring excitedly as they saw their first display of magic.

However, Gojo and Dark Magician Girl were observing closely, immediately processing what Ishtar had done. They were constantly exchanging thoughts, wrapping their heads around the world's magic system.

If the class here had used their brain for even a bit, they should have tried to memorize the magic circle of what sent them here into this world in the first place and try to reverse engineer it if possible. By studying it and attempting to reverse-engineer in its workings, they could potentially gain valuable insights into the magic of this world. That knowledge could serve as a start for understanding how magic operates here and could even provide clues on how to return home—or at least take a step forward in that direction. After all, the church had denied up front that they had the means to return them back.

Only Dark Magician Girl and Gojo had memorized and carefully noted down the remnants of the magic circle carved on the marbled floor inside the church before leaving.

[So, whatcha think?] Gojo telepathically asked as he watched the phenomenal magic circle dissipating through Dark Magician Girl's eyes.

[It's just a normal magic circle with mana being injected into it. Though there was some flavor text attached to it as well, like some kind of holy attribute imbued into. There is a magic circle, chant, and injecting mana process. All in all the usage of magic here is similar to mine.] Dark Magician Girl explained.

[Though, I couldn't read the one at the church where we were summoned. But there were some things I could feel, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.] She added.

[I get that. Then that is probably how magic is generally used in this world. Though there are other special kinds of magic in this world, the irregular kinds, probably hard to find. But, hey, how is your magic compared to theirs?] 

[I don't know, yet. There isn't enough information.]

[Well, I already know my wife's magic is unrivaled.] Gojo confidently said.

[Oh shush.] Dark Magician Girl made a smile after hearing that.

Once on the other side, the students could finally make out the ground below. Directly below them was a huge city, or rather a small kingdom. A huge castle that looked as if it were jutting out of the mountainside lay at its center, with the rest of the city spreading outward in a circle. The capital city of Heiligh. The magical cable car was slowly descending from the Holy Church down to the roof of one of the castle's towers.

Dark Magician Girl and Gojo continued to engage in small talk through telepathy as they marveled at the sights of the new world.

Until she brought up this topic.

[Is Ehit stronger than me, hubby?] Dark Magician Girl was silent for a while before asking this question.

[Yep.] An Immediate response with no hesitation.

[Can he beat you?]

[Heeeeheheheheh, no. Lmao.] Gojo giggled a lot after hearing that question.

[Well that sounds biased.]

[Oh, believe me, this parasite shut-in is a real pain in the ass. He's got practically near infinite mana and a whole arsenal of crazy abilities. Plus, he knows some martial arts. And to top it all off, he's probably immortal too.]

[But I think this is far more important.] He continues. 

[Ehit has the power to create artificial master dual-wielding Valkyries. These Valkyries are not only capable of flight and attacking at the speed of light but they too also carry infinite mana and possess the ability to disintegrate. Now, picture yourself confronting an infinite number of these Valkyries, continuously spawning from the sky.]

[You... you're exaggerating, right?] Dark Magician Girl paled at the thought.

[Why do you ask?]

[Well, this sounds impossible.]

[This is a god we are talking about. Even though he is a fake, he did create the three races. Kind of fits perfectly to think he could create super angels.]

[And… you can beat him?] Dark Magician Girl was confused.

[Yeah duh. One hit from my domain is enough to kill him, at least I hope. If not, let Hajime do it.]

Gojo recalls some information about Ehit; originally human, or at least a supernatural human. Because of that it's safe to assume that his mind is not all that strong; it's likely twisted from the long time he has lived.

[Besides, Ehit does not have any information about us, he can't exactly make a countermeasure against us. Or rather, that's why I would prefer it if you didn't reveal any of your abilities in this world yet.] Gojo added.

[Ahhh! So we are going to wait… for Hajime to get stronger?] Dark Magician Girl complains.

[Preferably that's what I want. Not having to do anything is pretty good, you know? I'm just saying. Let the story happen, I would rather not have your body stolen by someone else.] he responded appropriately. 

[Huh? What?] Originally, she had intended to argue against the idea of relying on Hajime, but the thought of her body being stolen made her reconsider.

[Have you ever questioned why Ehit lived for so long and initiated wars in the past? His true body withered and died over eons of time. Now, he seeks a compatible vessel—one shaped either by war or mutation—strong enough to house his soul.]

[As of now, only you, me, Hajime, a vampire named Yue, and the hero Kouki here fit the bill. But I do think there were some other potential ones.]

[Though, if Ehit ever tries to steal your body, he'll be walking naked directly into my innate domain while inside your body. Where I will effectively kill him with my infinite void. Not only damaging his mind but his soul too. It will be truly game over for him.] he added

[Right… Ehit could steal bodies. That sick fuck really is a pervert.] Dark Magician Girl shuddered.

[I want to go back home.] She looked up at the sky with hollow eyes.

All of this was beyond their control and they had to play it safe for now.

[...]

***

The trip on the way down was definitely designed to simulate "God's disciples descending from heaven" or a similar achievement to the common people. The showy performance may have led some new believers to worship the newcomers that are being guided by the church.

After all, this was a world in which a supernatural being powerful enough to interfere with other worlds existed. It wouldn't have been surprising at all if the whole world literally revolved around God's will.

Hajime felt that this entire world, including everyone's chances of returning home, all rested in the palm of God's hand. This made him feel extremely uneasy. In fact he felt all of this was sketchy. But he shook away the thoughts and reminded himself that he had to focus on doing what he could for the time being. The art of not giving a fuck. Let the Hajime of tomorrow handle everything.

After landing at the royal palace, everyone in the group was led to the throne room. They proceeded through extravagant hallways, similar to the temple. Along the route, they encountered many knights, servants, maids, and government officials.

Regardless of who passed by, each gaze held a mixture of awe and wonder at the sight before them.

Kouki and Dark Magician Girl were walking forward with confidence, they caught the attention of most people in the castle.

The group of heroes led by Ishtar finally came to a stop in front of a huge pair of double doors with many beautiful designs carved into them.

Two guards stood at attention on either side of the door, and they loudly told anyone waiting inside that the group had arrived.

They didn't wait for an answer before swinging the doors open.

Ishtar strolled through the entrance, clearly relaxed. The other students followed behind him timidly, except for Kouki and his friends, who seemed unaffected by the grandeur around them. Dark Magician Girl, positioned behind Hajime, was constantly scanning the surroundings, absorbing all the information she could.

Inside the room, a long red carpet stretched to the far wall, leading to a magnificent chair—or rather, a throne. Standing before it was a middle-aged man exuding an air of solemn dignity. He is the king of this kingdom, beside him stood the queen, with a boy and a girl, the boy, who was the younger of the two, seemed no more than ten years old, while the girl must have been around fourteen or fifteen.

An armored line of soldiers stood on one side of the mat, and an unarmored line of civilian officers stood on the other. Almost reminiscent of what you would see in the fantasy grand hall inside the castle. But there was one thing off—the king was standing instead of sitting on his throne.

Once they were directly before the throne, Ishtar left the students and went to stand beside the king. He then proudly presented his face to the king, who passionately kissed him on the cheeks with his moist, sticky wet lips.

[!?]

[Ay FuckIng Yo? He Didn't Say No Homo When He… no fucking way they did that! Wait, this wasn't even in the anime, was it? That's fucking gay!]

[Oh, I get it! This is a red flag, right? The king is below the pope. That means religion has a higher status and voice than the king.] Dark Magician Girl was puzzled as she was thinking hard about the hierarchy.

[Noooo! Noo. No. You don't understand. Two dudes kissing is gay. That is very important here!] He was openly disgusted by the scene.

[Huh, why?]

[When have I ever mentioned a gay thing in the story? In fact, that would have been one of the craziest highlights. I don't remember a damn thing happening like this. God damn it, that was disgusting too.]

In fact, Gojo's mind was in turmoil. What the hell was going on? This scene left too much of an impact on him. He knew for a fact that this scene had not been in the works before. 

While the 'heroes' were a bit awkward after witnessing the scene, they didn't think differently. Instead, they simply concluded that the Pope held a higher standing than the king. In their eyes this was definitely an gay act. However, they do understand that it's just a natural cultural difference. So, they can sort of tolerate it.

But here Gojo was thinking differently. In fact he was overthinking 'This might be a AU or fanfiction instead of the original.'

[...We should get out of here, asap.] Gojo was slowly feeling tense as he was imagining the impossible.

[What? What happened to the plans of going low-key!?] Dark Magician Girl immediately started scouting for a proper exit and excused herself to the bathroom.

[This world might be another work. We might actually get screwed the longer we stay here instead.]

A/N: The world they are in is an original, it is just that the hand kissing scene into a sloppy kiss on the cheeks. No homo intended. This is just a weird thought I wanted to try out and see what would happen if inserted.

~

While Dark Magician Girl was being escorted by the maids and guards to the restroom. The rest of the 'heroes' in question were still meeting with the highest official and the powerhouse of the kingdom.

It was in this grandhall that a lot of people introduced themselves. The king's name was Eliheid S. B. Heiligh, and his wife the queen was called Luluaria. The blond boy was the prince Lundel, and the girl the princess Liliana.

Then came introductions for the knight captain, the prime minister, and other important dignitaries. 

Though they planned to redo the introductions for Anam at a later time.

***

Dark Magician Girl upon entering a private restroom was met with a restroom with an extremely small window. Not only that but there were many guards and maids stationed guarding the door outside.

[So… how do we go about this, hubby?]

[We cause a scene then make a run for it. Break the wall down here and make a run for it. Or beat someone up and impersonate that someone and make a run for it.]

[All of them sound stupid, have you even thought about where to go after that? Wouldn't doing this ruin everything you do know?]

That was a very good question. Although Gojo only knew the names of some places, he didn't know their exact location or direction. He only thought of two of the seven labyrinths as safe options, the first being the Orcus Great Labyrinth. The reason: it was quite literally spacious and couldn't be perceived by Ehit and his Apostles.

If Dark Magician Girl could get there, it could provide a guaranteed safe haven, albeit temporarily. The second one was Miledi Reisen's 'amazing' Labyrinth. A current liberator of this world but was labeled as a traitor of humanity by the false god. She is still alive—and a very annoying one.

However, there was a significant issue at hand: if they pursued this course of action, they would become wanted fugitives. What's more, this situation also meant that apostles would actively come after them, and possibly the 'heroes' too. When that happens, then Hajime's original course of action might even get hindered and that might even stop Hajime's plan of returning to his original world.

Since Hajime is the only one that can cook up with the methods to return them back to the world they come from. It's best to leave things as canon and not disrupt the story. This way, Gojo and Dark Magician Girl could still obtain some of the artifacts he creates. He is known as the best blacksmith / craftsman in this verse. In theory he can craft a lot of crazy things. I know for a fact he made a hyperbolic time chamber.

After all, Gojo is not a person with a system, nor does he have the power to dimension travel.

So, if Dark Magician Girl made a run for it now. It might have changed the entire storyline. No. it's just that it's too early to decide. Gojo felt a severe headache as he pondered this.

[You're right, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight.] Gojo apologizes.

***

Returning from the bathroom break, Dark Magician Girl, or rather Anam, was kindly guided to a seat in the grand hall. She introduced herself to the rest of the people in the dining room to catch up. There, she found herself being hit on by the prince of the kingdom. It was kind of déjà vu for Gojo, but Anam quickly shut him down by saying, "I see you as a little baby." This caused him to start crying and run away, and returned to his seat next to Kaori where he started hitting on her again.

After their meals, all of the heroes were introduced to the instructors of this kingdom who would then be training them in return of being clothed and fed by the palace. After all there is no such thing as free things. But the 'heroes' are definitely being treated extremely well here. The king wanted to strengthen the relationship between the students and his kingdom for the war.

Once dinner and introductions were finished, everyone was led to their own individual rooms. Dark Magician Girl's room wasn't much different from Gojo's private room in the Obelisk dorm back in their world. However, this was now her own space, and she was definitely excited. She jumped on the bed, and then rolled around with excitement.

At bedtime, Dark Magician Girl made sure of her promise to Gojo about not letting him sleep. She recognized her own soul, allowing her easy access to enter Gojo's innate domain. It was there that she reached the inner world, and Gojo performed consecutives white splash inside her the entire night. Not sure how to make it not sound that weird, but hey soul seggs is a thing.

***

The next morning was training time. Around 8 am, all the heroes received a morning wake-up call from the servants to head to the training ground in an hour's time.

It was there upon arriving they were met with knights as everyone was handed a twelve centimeter by seven centimeter silver plate as the students stared at those strange plates.

Captain Meld then began explaining the functions of these plates, while the guards continued going around making sure all the 'heroes' received a plate.

"Alright, you kids all got your plates? We call them status plates. As their name suggests, they take various parameters and quantify them for you. They also make for great identification cards. So long as you've got these, you'll be fine even if you get lost somewhere, so hang onto them tight, you hear?".

The knight captain's relaxed manner of speaking diffused the tense atmosphere among the heroes, leaving them with a positive impression and eager anticipation for the upcoming training regimen.

"You'll see that one side of the plate has a magic circle inscribed on it. Use the needles I passed out to prick your finger and drip some blood onto the circle. That will identify you as the owner of the plate. Then, if you say 'Open Status,' you'll see your current stats displayed on the plate."

~

Dark Magician Girl toyed with her blank plate, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she examined it.

Meanwhile, Gojo awkwardly grinned at the sight of the artifact—a physical status panel crafted by the inhabitants of this world, not by any system. He found himself with conflicting emotions upon seeing something so unfamiliar. As he was accustomed to the idea of a system status panel visible only to the owner.

This physical status panel, conventionally visible to everyone, displayed stats, skills, and abilities, essentially serving as an identity card in this world. But this situation is actually pretty bad for them if their information were to get revealed.

As Captain Meld continued his explanation about artifacts, Dark Magician Girl took the initiative to prick her finger with a needle, identifying herself on the plate. Magic circles briefly flared as her blood made contact, gradually dyeing the plate a soft sky pink hue.

Upon the conclusion of Captain Meld's explanation, everyone followed suit, dripping their blood onto their status plates. Each person's unique color of mana infused their plates, which then changed to match. 

The reason they were able to serve as such reliable identification cards was because their color and the color of their owner's mana were always the same.

Dark Magician Girl cast a glance at the individuals Gojo deemed useful. Hajime's status plate was giving off the color of sky blue, Kouki's was pure white, Kaori's a very light purple, and Shizuku's the deep blue of lapis lazuli. And… Kosuke just couldn't be found.

She then muttered "open status" and, as the light dimmed, Dark Magician Girl observed the information displayed on her status plate.

——————————

Anam Gojo (Dark Magician Girl)

Age: N/A

Gender: Female

Level: Error Code 6

Job: Jujutsu Sorcerer

Strength: N/A

Vitality: N/A

Defense: 1700

Agility: N/A

Magic: 2000 (↑) [Subject to increase]

Magic Defense: 1700

Equipment: ####'s Ring, The Eye of ####t

Skills:

— ###### Energy Manipulation, Cu#s# Tec#n##ue, Re##rse C#rse ##ch#iq#e

— Error Description: Gain 300 Magic for every Black Magician and Magician of Black Chaos in all graveyards

— ##ca#nation

— Language Comprehension

——————————

On the bright side, this status plate couldn't reveal EVERYTHING about her.

However, if this information were to be exposed to the church, it would spell trouble. The bugged status plate clearly marked her as an anomaly.

After all, ever since the status plate was introduced to the world, it has never made a mistake on quantifying and displaying capabilities.

It was at that moment Kouki proudly displayed his status plate to Captain Meld. Witnessing Kouki's revelation, he was hailed as the hero bearing the 'hero' job, boasting incredible skills and parameters.

Observing everyone's reactions, including Hajime's expression, Dark Magician Girl deduced that most people's stats were likely around the mid-double digits, and she shouldn't overshadow Kouki's numerous abilities either.

Knowing what to do in such a situation, she resolved to utilize her jujutsu curse technique.

"Black Illusion," Dark Magician Girl murmured as a card materialized in her left hand between her index and middle fingers. With a swift motion, she discreetly activated the card, emitting a dim pink hue before fading away.

This effect remodified the entire status plate to her liking.

——————————

Anam Gojo

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Level: 1

Job: Jujutsu Sorcerer

Strength: 17

Vitality: 50

Defense: 50

Agility: 30

Magic: 100

Magic Defense: 50

Skills:

— Simple domain

— Mana sense

— Detection

— illusion

— Float / Levitation

— Language Comprehension

——————————

Dark Magician Girl let out a sigh of relief, metaphorically wiping away imaginary sweat as she waited patiently for her turn. When Captain Meld finally turned towards her, the entire class watched with eager anticipation as she revealed her status plate. To her surprise, Captain Meld nodded approvingly with a smile, instantly calming her nerves.

"I may not know what jujutsu sorcerers are, but I can tell you're going to be a special type of sorcerer, and that's incredible! Your parameters are very impressive," Meld exclaimed happily before moving on to the next student.

Captain Meld was ecstatic after seeing how ridiculous everyone's stats had been. He seemed thrilled to have so many powerful allies.

However, the scene took a familiar turn as Hajime was revealed to have a blacksmith job, fitting his role as a synergist, with no notable stats to speak of. This revelation became an opportunity for Daisuke Hiyama to bully him, mocking his chosen profession.

Dark Magician Girl didn't take kindly to this, feeling angered by Daisuke's bullying of Hajime. Wait, could this be one of the evil kids—

[If it wasn't obvious enough, then ya, that guy is definitely one of evil kids and this one is very twisted in the head.] Gojo confirmed.

Hearing that, Dark Magician Girl felt a wave of sadness wash over her. These kids were going to war, and some were willing to betray their own allies for personal gain.

~

Dark Magician Girl had been briefed on the identities of the three evil kids in the group by Gojo.

Initially, when she heard there was a black magician job among the kids, she was ecstatic and was about to approach the guy named Yukitoshi Shimizu. However, her excitement turned to disappointment when Gojo revealed that Shimizu was actually a defector who had turned to evil by making a delusional deal with the demons.

When Dark Magician Girl heard that piece of information, she was about to confront him on the spot. Yukitoshi Shimizu, the one holding the job class black magician, was evil, and that was unforgivable. In her eyes, he was tarnishing the title of Black Magician. But Gojo quickly mentioned that his existence was also important as he served as a stepping stone for the MC, Hajime. Although she wanted to take action, Gojo suggested that it was better to leave him alone. Gojo even weirdly mentioned how it was supposed to be a canon event, whatever that means.

Then there was the third evil kid, whose identity hardly needed revealing. Dark Magician Girl already knew who it was—the female student with the necromancer job, Eri. She even looked the part of a necromancer. Dark Magician Girl felt that anyone holding this job was naturally evil. Although it's completely biased, she wasn't wrong about it in this world.

~

It was decided, Dark Magician Girl would step in and help Hajime, not only to stop the bullying but also to build a first step in their friendship.

"You—" Before Dark Magician Girl could even begin to approach the guys who were laughing at Hajime and mocking him, she was abruptly cut off.

"Hey! Stop laughing at him! I won't allow anyone to laugh at their classmates on my watch! As a teacher, I absolutely will not condone it! Now return Nagumo-kun's plate this instant!"

The boys were all taken aback by how much anger was visible in Aiko-sensei, their teacher. They hurriedly returned Hajime's plate in order to avoid her wrath.

Relieved to see the issue resolved, Dark Magician Girl let out a sigh and proceeded to follow the instructions regarding her meeting with her instructors.

Well, seeing how it was resolved... sort of. Right after that scene, it was then revealed that Aiko had a ridiculous class even more than the hero—she was a farmer. Notably a very important role, one of a kind job, that can feed the entire country alone. Naturally, this revelation deeply affected Hajime emotionally. He found himself grappling with the reality that he was the only one with mediocre stats and an ordinary job.

After the entire class settled down, we were assigned to our instructors based on our jobs, and following Captain Meld's instructions for our training regime and schedule.

The days went like this: training in the morning until late afternoon with some breaks in between. The students were let off in the early evening, either for their own entertainment or self-study/training.

***

Two weeks had passed since they were summoned into this world. At the start Dark Magician Girl did her best to befriend Hajime, who kept avoiding her for some reason. Their paths coincidentally crossed in the library, where Dark Magician Girl found herself eventually confronted by Kaori's probing questions, bordering on interrogation. However, any tensions were swiftly diffused when Dark Magician Girl proudly displayed her adorned hand, revealing her marital status—voilà, she was already married!

After learning that Dark Magician Girl genuinely only wanted to be friends with Hajime and saw potential in him as a synergist, Kaori hoped to establish a friendship between them as well.

This eventually led Kaori to introduce Shizuka, her closest friend, to Anam, and they quickly hit it off because they both liked cute things and were capable of using a sword.

Together, they meticulously discussed Hajime's preferences, hobbies, and even his dark history, all in an attempt to help Anam assimilate into their group and befriend him. Anam, in agreement with the plan, received their assistance in bridging the gap between her and Hajime.

Naturally, this process was a work in progress. Witnessing his wife putting an effort in befriending the MC, Gojo couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, but this was for their own sake, so he tolerated it. So, Gojo helped chip in ideas to Dark Magician Girl on how to get Kaori and Hajime closer. Which is later explained further down.

Hajime and Anam often found themselves in the library, where they crossed paths frequently. Through their repeated encounters and discussions on various topics, Anam gradually forged a friendship with Hajime, eventually coaxing him to open up to her.

During the first week, Anam began approaching Hajime with requests for him to craft various items for her. He, however, harbored reluctance and a lack of confidence in his abilities, considering himself a failure in the eyes of the class and beyond. Yet, seeing Anam's genuine support and belief in his skills began to instill a sense of self-worth within Hajime.

Hajime made a promise to Anam that he would assist her once he improved his skills in the future. This was precisely what Gojo and Dark Magician Girl had been aiming for, but they didn't want his damn verbal promise.

Anam surprised Hajime by showing him a contract for this, which was very different from the assurance he had given earlier. Despite his good intentions, Anam insisted on formalizing their agreement.

She wanted him to swear that he would work on any task she assigned to the best of his ability, using top-notch materials, implementing highly beneficial modifications, ensuring flawless results, and agreeing not to exploit any loopholes or disadvantages. Additionally, Hajime was to complete at least 100 projects she asked. It was a meticulously detailed, modernized contract, and easy to understand.

After hearing all these conditions and seeing a contract version, Hajime was scared as fuck while also feeling extreme skepticism. Nonetheless, he reluctantly agreed, and the pact was recorded and written down, which caused shivers down Hajime's spine for reasons he couldn't quite comprehend.

However, Hajime wasn't entirely dumb; he insisted on a condition attached to the contract. Recognizing the potential for exploitation in what might seem like free labor, he insisted on an equivalent exchange for the work requested. While the specifics of payment would be negotiated in the future, for now, he pledged to assist in creating ten items free of charge.

Yet, all of this would eventually be repaid through the efforts to save Hajime's beloved Yue in the future—that was the plan that Gojo cooked up.

~

Part of Hajime wanted to believe that Anam truly believed in him as a craftsman. Well, it was Gojo who believed in him like that. While Dark Magician Girl was a bit casual about it but was more interested in what he can make.

After all, Hajime was the timid, caring kind of guy at the moment. Seeing how Dark Magician Girl even repeatedly asks him to sign his signature, to agree to all this bullshit on a daily basis with a smile on her face. I guess it worked because Anam was a beautiful woman and Hajime wasn't used to this.

Naturally, Dark Magician Girl wasn't thrilled about the situation at first. After all, this was entirely Gojo's idea, and she found herself almost resorting to begging Hajime to agree to all this. However upon hearing he can pretty much craft crazy things like a Hyperbolic time chamber. Dark Magician Girl was immediately interested. Since she heard the story, Hajime once created a perpetual motion machine, which he later utilized to create his own little planet.

Though shameless, it was a necessary step to coax remarkable inventions from Hajime, who rarely crafted for anyone outside his family. He held himself to strict standards when creating, making this contract the only way Dark Magician Girl could bend his will. This contract arrangement, albeit morally questionable, was the only means Dark Magician Girl would tolerate. It served as a fail-safe, even though Hajime might have willingly created a device to return to their world free of charge. However, Gojo's greed demanded more.

Mind control or manipulation was entirely off the table due to Dark Magician Girl's strict principles; Gojo understood this and thus had to devise alternative, legal approaches. And what better approach than through the standard procedure of contracts?

Despite this, Dark Magician Girl prioritizes friendship. She even lent a hand in Hajime's training, though her method involved nothing short of brutal sparring sessions, followed by Kaori diligently tending to Hajime's injuries. That, however, was all part of Gojo's petty revenge because of his jealousy. Ironically, though, it was helping Kaori and Hajime bring them a little bit closer together, a fact Dark Magician Girl couldn't deny.

If you were to ask Hajime how he feels about this, he was never exactly thrilled about the entire situation: getting beat up by a beautiful girl, and then getting treated by another beautiful girl. It felt like heaven and hell. But this all under the pretext of training.

Yeah, Hajime was building up quite a lot of resentment. 'Hanging out' with two of the hottest chicks on a daily basis inevitably stirred friction within the male faction. But he wasn't exactly hanging out; he was forcibly dragged into this, getting a beating and then healing. Hajime didn't exactly hate it, because Dark Magician Girl was now actively protecting him from bullies.

Fortunately Hajime never saw her in a romantic light; he never harbored any feelings of that sort towards her. Moreover, he noticed the ring on her finger. Anam was married. Despite this revelation, he didn't question her about it, as she had never brought it up herself.

***

After extensive training, Hajime made significant progress in his transmutation skills. He mastered the ability to create pitfalls and protrusions in the ground, and with continued practice, he could increase their size. However, activating these abilities required direct contact with the target.

Although Hajime had learned self-defense skills, they proved to be of little use in combat, particularly against monsters rather than humans. This raised the question: why did he need to learn self-defense skills at all??

Hajime was quite depressed. His growth rate was so slow and he had no affinity for magic. At least his combat prowess was slowly improving thanks to Anam. But does this group really need him? Does this world need his help in saving the world alongside the real heroes? A depression episode was kicking in and Hajime just sighed.

Over the past two weeks, Hajime was still considered and treated as a complete waste of space by almost all of his classmates. To combat this he had worked harder than others, even attempting to increase his knowledge as a last ditch attempt to somehow become useful, but even that prospect seemed to have dim hopes, so he sighed more and more frequently as time went on.

When it came to knowledge, Anam seemed to surpass the entire class combined when it came to knowledge in this world. While they were in the library she casually pointed out which books were essential and which were not worth the read. She had already read every book that was out there; after all, she was originally a bookworm.

As Hajime lay in bed, thoughts of giving up and leaving the group crossed his mind in a casual manner.

That was until a knock came on his door.

It was Anam and Kaori.

***