Simple Domain Vs Simple Domain, and War - A14

***

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 black-haired, black-eyed boy who knew the hero well and was a genius at using dark magic.

There was one person who perfectly fit all of those conditions. Aiko muttered "But that can't be..." and she and the other students all exchanged troubled glances.

As obvious as it was, they didn't want to believe it. As they were worrying about what to do, Hajime, who had been using his Far Sight skill, suddenly realized something.

"Oh, I see now..." Hajime's mind raced back to Tio's account of the monster army and the mysterious figure in black robes. Sending out his Ornises to scout, one had reported back on a large gathering of monsters, but something seemed amiss.

"It's mostly land monsters with the pack leaders ordering them. Not a bad strategy to mobilize a monster army," Gojo added.

"You said three to four thousand, right? Are you sure you weren't a digit short?" Hajime called out. Everyone's eyes flew open in surprise.

It appeared the robed man had begun his advance, clearly aiming for the town of Ur. If they continued at their current pace, they would be down the mountain in half a day and reach the town in another half.

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

"Imagine making us do more work and listening to this little shit. The audacity," Gojo muttered aloud. Catherine would have surely reprimanded him if she had heard this.

Despite his irritation, Gojo drew a clear line about the whole situation and helped remind Hajime what his goal should be. Naturally, Dark Magician Girl was not pleased and immediately pulled his sleeve, pouting and making an angry face.

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

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

"Umm, Hajime-dono, couldn't you guys do something about..." At his words, everyone looked expectantly to Hajime. Their eyes were filled with hope. Annoyed by their expectant gazes, Hajime casually waved his hand as if to dismiss the thought.

"Don't look at me like that. My job is to bring Will safely back to Fuhren. I ain't no fighting no war." Atsushi and Will were angry at how casually Hajime dismissed them. However, Aiko's concern was elsewhere.

"Nagumo-kun, did you happen to see the black-robed man too?" Aiko asked.

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

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

However, there was no way they could leave Aiko alone among an army of monsters, and so Yuka and the others desperately tried to talk her out of it.

"Wait. Have any of you guys even considered why this robed man is planning to attack Ur town?" Gojo interjected, raising a thought-provoking point. Silence fell over the group.

"Whoever this Shimizu guy is. What do you guys think his goal was? Why did he leave? Why was his line "I am the true hero" or some bullshit? Let me spell it out for you. He practically holds classified information about nearly all the heroes. Now in this scenario can we imagine him working for an enemy nation, and possibly feeding them vital intel. If they got their hands on your Shimizu guy. Why are they attacking Ur town???" Gojo smiled.

Naturally Dark Magician Girl knew but she stayed silent…

Hajime turned to Aiko immediately.

"It's you, Aiko Sensei," Hajime said.

"Huh?! Me?!" Aiko exclaimed.

"A hero can provide an endless supply of food for an entire kingdom," Gojo explained. "There's no greater threat than that, aside from overwhelming power. Someone who can provide an endless supply of food is incredibly powerful in warfare. Killing such a person would make more sense than killing the hero Kouki," Gojo elaborated.

"But… but…" Aiko's face paled.

"Enough. You're the reason Ur Town is in danger. You're also the reason why my group is working overtime—" Dark Magician Girl quickly covered Gojo's mouth as he tried to continue. While Gojo didn't need to go that far, he was speaking the truth.

Truthfully speaking, Aiko didn't do anything wrong. She was simply doing her job as requested by the kingdom. Additionally, this scenario was also a crucial moment for Hajime's character development. Would he save a bunch of nobodies or continue toward his goal without obstacles?

Dark Magician Girl sighed, already feeling the headache from the inevitable fallout. She didn't want to see innocent lives lost when they could be saved. But Gojo was just being petty. Naturally, Aiko's students argued back, trying to defend their sensei, until Gojo interrupted.

"Honestly, I don't really care if you all live or die. But if your sensei die here, the kingdom is fucked. The morale of the hero class in Orcus's labyrinth will plummet, and the citizens who depend on sensei will all starve to death. From there on everything will spiral downwards and then the kingdom will self-destruct," Gojo said as he pulled out the hand covering his mouth.

"So, Hajime, you have two options now. You can forcefully drag everyone back to Ur and drop them off, listen to that dumbass runt and defend the town, or… you can come up with a third alternative." Gojo smiled happily as he was forcibly dragged into the car by Dark Magician Girl.

Hajime understood what Gojo was implying—he could add another artifact to the list for requesting Gojo's help. This was all part of Gojo's plan. By outlining the potential consequences earlier, Gojo made it clear that Aiko is an important figure and will most likely be helpful in the long run.

'Or is he trying to scam me by adding another artifact into that scam of a contract?' Hajime thought.

"I know." Hajime replied.

***

Hajime drove Brise even faster on the way back than he had on the way there. Tio, who was tied to the roof, and the guys and girls, who were sitting in the back, were shaken around like rag dolls. To make more room, Gojo had Dark Magician Girl enter his soul, allowing him and Shea to have comfortable space in the back.

The road was far from smooth due to a lack of maintenance with magic controlling the road, but it didn't matter anymore. Now, preserving power was the priority.

Amidst a mix of complaints and exhilaration, the latter was largely ignored. It was absolute chaos. People outside the car were clinging for dear life, except for Tio, securely tied to the car roof with ropes.

Halfway to Ur, Hajime spotted Aiko's guardian knights approaching rapidly. They were fully armored, easily recognizable even at a distance thanks to Hajime's Farsight. David charged ahead with a fierce expression, Chase (David's subordinate) struggling to keep pace beside him.

"Ignore them," Gojo called out. "They'll only hinder us. Just wave them off and have Aiko shout at them. No need to waste time on those useless knights."

"Though I'd happily run them over if I were you," Gojo added, hearing the knights roar toward the car.

Hajime honestly wouldn't have minded just driving right through them. Their attacks had no hope of even scratching Brise. However, he doubted Aiko felt the same, and it would be a problem if the others in the car got hurt as he drove past, so he opened the truck's sunroof and started shouting and waving his arms wildly to grab their attention.

Normally, this David guy would have gone through with the attack anyway, but something made him hesitate. His devotion to Aiko had given him some strange sixth sense when it came to detecting her presence. He raised his arm and gave the signal for his men to stand down. His men looked at him suspiciously, but then their eyes opened wide in surprise as the truck grew closer and they heard who was yelling from inside it. David muttered, "Aiko?" an expression of disbelief on his face.

For a second the knights were terrified that some horrible monster had eaten Aiko, but then they saw her waving frantically at them, yelling at them. "David-saaaan, it's me! Please don't attack us!" Joy spread through the knights as they realized Aiko was safe. True, they were still suspicious about the strange black object she was in, but they understood that it wasn't an immediate threat.

The knights stared blankly at the rapidly accelerating truck for a second before hurriedly diving out of the way.

Immediately after we drove past them. After all, Hajime didn't slow down one bit. Hajime mercilessly rode Brise past the scattering knights. The knights watched, smiles still frozen on their faces, as the black thing sped away, Aiko's questioning scream faded into the distance. Then as one they screamed "Aikoooooooo!" like a group of abandoned lovers, and chased after Brise.

Incidentally, Tio had been moaning in ecstasy on the roof right behind Aiko during that entire exchange, but both Aiko and the knights had done their best to pretend not to see her. Yue had received quite a shock upon learning Tio's true nature. Enough that she'd mumbled "...Is that really a dragonman?" She had already had misgivings when Tio had first transformed back to her human self, but after seeing how Tio got off to pain, her illusions about the dragonmen all being dignified and wise were completely shattered.

Upon reaching Ur the party got out of Brise and headed to the town hall. As Hajime, Yue, Gojo, and Shea took their time strolling leisurely there, Aiko and the others ran as fast as their legs would carry them. Hajime had been hoping to just drop Aiko and the students off here and drive Will all the way back to Fuhren, but he'd jumped out of the truck before anyone else, so Hajime had reluctantly followed after him at a leisure pace.

Indeed, Hajime's intention was to leave the students and Aiko in Ur and bid farewell to the town, showing little concern for their well-being.

When Aiko broke the news to the city's leaders, there was a huge uproar. The managers of the Ur branch of the adventurers' guild and the local priests began arguing about what to do next. No one couldn't believe what Aiko had told them. No, they just didn't want to believe it. They kept on asking question after question, hoping against hope that maybe the party had just mistaken what they saw.

Had it been anyone else who had told them their town would be destroyed tomorrow, they would have dismissed it as the ravings of a madman. However, it had been one of Ehit's messengers, the woman the townspeople referred to as a fertility goddess who had brought such news. And as the Holy Church had already made it public knowledge that demons might have found a way to control monsters, the story sounded entirely plausible.

While they had been driving back, Aiko and the students had agreed that it was better not to mention Tio's true identity, or that the mastermind behind the monsters was likely Yukitoshi Shimizu. They hadn't mentioned Tio because Tio herself had not wanted knowledge of the dragonmen's survival to become public knowledge and had requested they stay silent, while not mentioning Shimizu was because Aiko didn't want to incriminate one of her students until she was absolutely sure of the truth.

Unfortunately for them, it was at this point that Hajime and the others entered the town hall looking for Will. He seemed wholly unconcerned by the tumult.

"Hey Will, don't just run off by yourself. Think about the guy that has to protect you. If you're done warning everyone, then it's time to go back to Fuhren." Everyone turned to Hajime in surprise. The town's leaders exclaimed things to the effect of "Who's this kid?" angry at his sudden interruption.

"Wh-What do you mean, Hajime-dono? This is a huge crisis. You can't seriously be suggesting we abandon the town..." Annoyed, Hajime retorted casually,

"What do you mean abandon? No matter what we're going to have to evacuate until reinforcements come. A tourist town like this doesn't even have any walls or anything to mount a defense from... and if we're going to have evacuate anyway, may as well evacuate to Fuhren. I'll just be evacuating you a bit faster than the others."

"B-But... I mean, I suppose... but still, I can't just run away before everyone else does! There has to be something I can do to help. Hajime-dono, please..." "Please, won't you help too?" is what he wanted to ask, but he trailed off after seeing Hajime's frigid stare.

Gojo scanned the crowd, seeing panic and disbelief in their eyes. Suddenly, he spoke up, his voice cutting through the chaos. "God damn, if you guys want the easy way out, I can kill you off painlessly. Anyone interested?"

The crowd shuddered, except for Hajime's group, who remained unfazed.

"Consider it a merciful offer. Those monsters are dead serious—they will rape, impregnate, and devour humans. It's all possible," Gojo added gravely, though his warm smile contradicted his grim words. The sun's gentle rays seemed to back him up. "But rejoice—"

[Hubby, don't make this fucking worse than it already is. Offering death as a service is not helpful!] Dark Magician Girl chastised him.

[Ah, desperate times call for desperate relief, and it comes in unexpected forms. It's a kindness, really.] Gojo replied, feeling unusually relaxed. He had taken an edible earlier, and now its effects were starting to kick in.

[...Hubby. You can literally nuke the whole monster army with that Ea thing. How is this kindness?] Dark Magician Girl argued back.

[Kindness comes in unexpected forms.] Gojo maintained, sounding like a stoned philosopher.

[I think wiping out the entire army of monsters is the kindest act here—WAIT A SECOND, are you high right now?!] Dark Magician Girl exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the truth of Aiko's warning could no longer be denied—a massive monster army loomed over the defenseless town. A town without walls or defenses faced imminent doom.

'Starting to see why Anam covers Gojo's mouth now... He just happens to make things go even worse than it possibly can,' thought Hajime, Shea, and Yue.

Anam popped out behind Gojo and yanked him away from the town hall, where she proceeded to scold him at length, even attempting to physically reprimand him.

While the leaders and denizens in town hall were all going crazy. Hajime was dead set on grabbing Will into the car and driving off now.

"My job is to deliver you safely to Fuhren. I couldn't care less about what happens to this town. And I don't care about your opinions either. If you refuse to come. I'll just break your arms and legs and drag you back." Hajime approaching Will.

"What...? Y-You..." Will went pale when he realized Hajime was serious. He involuntarily took a few steps back, unable to completely believe it.

To Will, Hajime was practically a hero. He'd easily beaten down the same black dragon that had annihilated Gale and his veteran party in a single attack. Will had assumed that despite his gruff nature, Hajime was still a good person who would have unconditionally helped the villagers in a crisis. That was why he felt betrayed when he heard Hajime speak so coldly.

The tense atmosphere had everyone else frozen in place, but one person stepped in between the two. It was Aiko. She stared right into Hajime's cold eyes and questioned him.

"Nagumo-kun. Isn't... Isn't there something you can do about that monster army? No... I know you can fight them." Conviction crept into her voice by the end. She was certain he'd be able to save the town if he wanted. The townspeople broke out into another huge uproar at that.

According to Aiko, the army bearing down on them was tens of thousands strong. Plus, it included ridiculously powerful monsters from up to two mountain ranges over. This was already at the level of a full-scale war, so a single person's effect was miniscule. Before they could even cope.

In the face of Aiko's determined gaze, Hajime waved his hand casually, as if to deny her claims. But Aiko wasn't going to give up. She was determined to convince Nagumo Hajime to protect the town.

***

Meanwhile, Gojo knelt before Dark Magician Girl, red marks on both sides of his cheeks, groveling in deep apology for his latest shenanigans.

Interestingly, Gojo had developed his own personal rulebook, inspired by Dark Magician Girl's example. While Dark Magician Girl's rules focused on fighting evil to uphold the good, no matter the cost. Gojo's rulebook had a different twist: if you caused trouble for him, he would create problems for you. Can imagine how that goes.

"Isn't it about time we stop hiding our powers?" Dark Magician Girl asked, sitting down next to Gojo now. She was done berating him.

Gojo tilted his head upward, looking at the sky. He knew that without his 'cheats' and the knowledge from his previous world, they might not have survived here.

"I still prefer keeping an element of surprise against this world's god," Gojo replied. Dark Magician Girl pouted; she didn't like holding back. "There is nothing wrong with playing it safe."

Their conversation paused as Hajime and others emerged from the town hall.

"Well, it seems everything's following the storyline..." Gojo observed, rising and offering his hand to Dark Magician Girl, who took it.

"Are we going to help?" Dark Magician Girl stretched a little by doing little jumping jacks.

"Feel free to join, but don't use your curse techniques," Gojo advised. "This war's being watched by gods, demons, and humans."

'Although… Most ordinary beings can't perceive curse techniques unless they have cursed energy or have special circumstances that allow them to perceive these supernatural elements. This world has supernatural elements, which makes things problematic.' Gojo sighed inwardly.

"Wait... Gojo, you're not going to join? Why not, Hubby?!" Dark Magician Girl tugged at his clothes while standing on tiptoe.

"Hahhhh?! Why would I join? It's going to be mundane. Blitzing through monsters at high speed doesn't sound fun. Besides, Hajime has it under control."

"But... but..." Dark Magician Girl tried to act cute, tugging at his sleeves. She wanted to fight alongside him, to showcase their prowess as a power couple, and to be a hero.

"Oh, there you are," Hajime said, striding toward Gojo and Dark Magician Girl.

"Planning to fight for this war?" Gojo asked.

"Yeah, getting ready," Hajime replied. "You coming along?"

Dark Magician Girl tugged at Gojo's sleeve, casting pleading glances his way as Hajime posed the question.

"Maybe," Gojo answered.

Hajime nodded, then turned and walked toward the village entrance with Shea and Yue.

***

The town of Ur was now protected by walls that hadn't existed the day before.

Hajime had created those walls. He'd driven Steiff around the perimeter, transmuting walls behind him instead of leveling the earth in front of him.

They were basically a last ditch effort made with the mindset of "Well, it's better than nothing." However, Hajime had no intention of letting the battle even reach those walls.

The citizens had all been made aware of the impending monster army invasion. Judging by their speed, Hajime guessed their vanguard would arrive by evening of the next day.

Naturally, the town was gripped by panic. Some blamed the mayor and other leaders for the looming catastrophe. Tears flowed, families clung to each other in despair, some attempted to flee, and others resorted to violence amidst the chaos. The impending destruction of their homes and the threat of imminent death left most unable to remain calm—it was a natural response to such dire circumstances. Many were even contemplating approaching Gojo to resign themselves for that 'quick painless death'.

However, before anyone could act on this desperate impulse, someone intervened to prevent the town from descending into chaos. That someone was Aiko. Acting on advice from recently returned knights, Aiko took to a platform in the town square and addressed the citizens. Her composed demeanor and overwhelming popularity helped her calm the citizens down to a reasonable level. In a way, Aiko Hatayama was more powerful than any hero.

Dark Magician Girl was helping people who wanted to flee pack their things up and evacuate. While Gojo was just chilling on a random house rooftop.

It was high noon now, and those that remained were swapping between sleeping and working in groups. Most of those that remained did so because they believed their goddess and her friends would deliver them salvation somehow. That being said, they weren't just blindly praying. They too were doing everything they could to defend their home.

Hajime sat down in his makeshift chair atop the city walls and cast his gaze far into the distance. Yue and Shea were next to him as always. The two quietly sidled closer to him and watched him lapse into thought.

They were enjoying their short break when they heard some commotion.

Hajime, Shea, and Yue tried their best to ignore it, but once again, their companions were causing trouble.

Dark Magician Girl pursued Gojo Satoru with breathtaking speed, surrounded by vibrant pink auras as she darted, sprinted, and leaped through the surroundings. Meanwhile, Gojo blitzed through with controlled speed, a white-blueish aura trailing behind him as he moved at high speed through the town.

"Scale of the dragons, Recoil, Twin meteors, Dismantle!" Gojo chanted loudly, his body turned backwards facing Dark Magician Girl, his hand positioned like a karate chop, aiming it at Dark Magician Girl. An invisible slash shot out towards her, but she swiftly dodged to the right and continued her chase. The attack sliced through several houses, sending panic rippling through the streets. Of course, Gojo had anticipated this; he knew those houses were empty.

What Gojo had achieved was a variation of Ryomen Sukuna's curse technique, crafted through his unique abilities. Using his six eyes, he condensed curse energy at the molecular level into an arc, releasing it with pinpoint accuracy to mimic the essence of dismantle. While not the world-cutting slash or the conventional dismantle like Sukuna's, it effectively replicated the technique.

Neither the inhabitants of this world nor Dark Magician Girl fully grasped the significance of Gojo's achievement.

Closing in on Gojo, Dark Magician Girl drew a sword from her dimensional pocket and swung it with intense speed. Gojo reacted swiftly, countering her strike with his own blade drawn from his own dimensional pocket. Their swords clashed with a sharp, metallic ring that echoed through the surroundings.

Anticipating each other's moves, Gojo and Dark Magician Girl prepared for the inevitable clash.

"New Shadow Style: Simple Domain!"

The ground ignited in brilliant white-blue hues as their domains overlapped with each other. Within their simple domains, they engaged in a lightning-fast exchange, each executing nearly a thousand swings in mere seconds.

Outside observers, including Hajime, Shea, and Yue, watched in awe as the battle unfolded. Sparks erupted continuously within their domains. They felt the intensity of every move, awed by the display of skill and the intent to kill.

However, Dark Magician Girl began to struggle due to her shorter stature and limited reach. Each passing moment left her hands numb and sore from the relentless onslaught. Despite utilizing the reverse curse technique to fix it, she remained at a disadvantage.

"Are they trying to kill each other or something?!" Aiko screamed in disbelief, utterly bewildered by the spectacle of brightly colored sparks from combatants swinging swords at each other. She rushed over, desperate to intervene and halt the escalating clash.

Finally, the two stopped. Dark Magician Girl's breathing was heavy and labored, leaving the onlookers in awe. Hajime, Shea, and Yue turned their attention back to the gates, taking a moment to rest.

"What on earth were you two doing?!" Aiko demanded, her voice betraying a mix of concern and disbelief.

"Sparring." Gojo and Anam both said in unison.

"That looked like a battle to the death, no matter how you look at it," remarked one of the knights.

Despite her visible weariness, Dark Magician Girl seemed unfazed. Within seconds, she healed her wounds using the reverse curse technique, restoring herself in an instant. Her heavy breathing returned to normal as she then turned to Gojo, asking him to bathe together, sparking envy among those around them.

Immediately, Gojo scooped up Dark Magician Girl by her arms and legs, effortlessly leaping away, leaving the spectators behind in astonishment. He was naturally going to do what she asked after all.

***

Aiko, Yuka, the other students, Tio, Will, and David's knights approached the trio—Hajime, Shea, and Yue. Despite their noisy approach, Hajime didn't turn around. David raised his eyebrows in annoyance, but before he could say anything, Aiko spoke up. They were taking a moment to rest before the impending war began.

"How are your preparations coming along, Nagumo-kun? Is there anything you need?"

"Nah, I'm fine, Sensei." Hajime didn't turn around. Unable to stand his attitude, David angrily flared up.

"Hey, brat. Aiko... Your teacher's talking to you. Is that the kind of attitude you take with her? Especially with your comrades messing around and destroying properties. She's the only reason we're not grilling you and your crew—"

"David-san, could you please be quiet?"

"Gah... Yes, ma'am..." One word from Aiko instantly shut him up. He was like a trained dog. He obediently hung his head in remorse after being remonstrated by his master.

Seeing how Aiko was in a trance, Tio stepped forward.

"Hmm, I too have something to discuss with you, Master— Ahem... with you. Will you please listen to my request?"

"Huh...? Oh, is that you, Tio?"

"Wh-Why the long pause? Y-You could not possibly have forgotten me already... Haah... Haah... To think this could be so pleasant..."

'…This fucking pervert.' Hajime inwardly thought in disgust.

Tio's voice grew so strange that Hajime couldn't help but turn back. As he did so, he scowled. Her elegant black and gold kimono had come partially undone, revealing the silky smooth skin of her shoulder, and giving Hajime an exquisite view of her cleavage. The hem of her kimono had somehow been folded up to her thighs, giving a tantalizing view of her legs... Her beauty was stunning enough that no man could forget it after seeing it once, but Hajime's response was incredibly casual.

"Oh yeah, I remember now." Somehow, instead of getting angry at being forgotten, Tio's blushed and her breathing grew heavy. Whatever the "this" she had been referring to as pleasant... was something Hajime decided he didn't want to know.

"Mmmmmm! Umm, once your battle here is over, and you have safely seen young Will to his family, will you be resuming your travels?"

"Yeah."

"I see. Well I was hoping... that I may be allowed to join yo—"

"No." Hajime immediately refused.

"...Haah... Haah... Such a prompt rejection. I knew you would make a wonderful ma— Ahem! Of course, I am not asking you to do this for free! If you agree to let me join you, then I shall call you master, and devote myself to you body and soul! Surely—"

"Go home. Better yet, go die." Tio spread her arms wide, declared herself Hajime's eternal slave, and Hajime just looked at her like she was dirt, and in fact told her to go become one with the dirt.

His instant rejection sent shivers down Tio's spine. Her cheeks flushed a deep rose color. She was clearly a pervert. A massive, raging, pervert. Everyone else was creeped out by her as well. Yue especially, as she'd held dragonmen in such high regard before. Her expression was a blank mask as she stared at Tio.

"How... cruel... Even though you're the one who made me like this... You have to take responsibility for your actions!" Everyone's gaze shifted to Hajime, a look of surprise on their faces. Hajime certainly couldn't allow his good name to be slandered like this, so he turned to look properly at Tio, a vein bulging on his forehead. He glared at her, waiting for her to explain.

"Aah, that scornful glare again...Haah haaah... Mmm... Well, you see, I am quite strong." Trembling under Hajime's gaze, Tio began explaining how she came to desire being his slave.

"Within my village, I am one of the strongest fighters. My endurance especially is far greater than the others. Even when someone did manage to get the better of me, they could never inflict any damage." As the knights were present, Tio omitted the fact that she was one of the dragonmen.

"It was only after I fought you that I first came to learn the true pain and humiliation that accompanies a real defeat. Your fists rocked me to the core! And your dirty fighting style left a lasting impression! You left my whole body aching and... Haah... Haah..." Tio got excited telling her own story, and the knights, who didn't know the details, looked at Hajime as if he were a criminal. The way she told her story, it definitely sounded as if Hajime had raped her. How dare he be so violent with a lady, the knights thought. The reason they didn't give voice to said thoughts was because the lady in question didn't look very upset. In fact, she looked euphoric, leaving the knights confused as to how they should react.

"...So Hajime opened a new door of experiences for you?"

"Verily so! I can no longer live without him!"

"...Disgusting." Yue's usually deadpan expression twisted into a frown. There wasn't an iota of respect left in her voice. Hajime was so creeped out that he unintentionally let his thoughts slip.

"Besides..." Tio suddenly clenched her butt with both hands and said her next sentence in an extremely embarrassed voice.

"...You took my first."

Everyone's jaw dropped open as they stared at Hajime. Hajime's face cramped up and he shook his head in denial.

"I most definitely did not."

"I decided long ago that the only man I would consider being with would be one who is stronger than me... However, there was no one like that in my village... That was my first time... being held down and humiliated... and then you did that to my butt... You were so rough. I can no longer get married... so you must take responsibility for this." Tio gazed up at Hajime with moist eyes, her hands still squeezing her ass. The knights looked at him with a mixture of fear and disgust. Disgust because he'd clearly raped this poor woman, and fear because he'd been so violent with her ass.

Even Aiko, who knew the truth of the situation, was looking at Hajime reproachfully. Even Yue and Shea averted their gazes, as if saying "Well, that was a bit much." Hajime had found himself surrounded by enemies before the battle even began.

'Where the fuck is Gojo when I need him?' Hajime sadly thought.

"D-Don't you have a mission you need to finish? Isn't that why you left your village in the first place?" Desperate, Hajime tried to plead his way out of the situation.

"Indeed. But fear not. My investigation shall be made even easier if I travel with you. Truly, it would be killing two birds with one stone... I'm sure your travels will grow stressful at times. Would it not be wonderful to have someone to vent those frustrations on whenever you need to? You can be as rough as you like. Is this not a wonderful deal for you, my master?"

"I can't possibly see how having a pervert join my party would be wonderful in any way." Tio clung desperately to Hajime, but he flung her away. That earned him the wrath of the knights, the disdain of Yuka and the girls, the jealousy of the boys, and a lecture from Aiko about not engaging in illicit sexual relationships. However, for some reason, Will was looking up at Hajime in awe.

Around the time Hajime was growing tired of this farce, he sensed movement on the horizon and quickly grew serious.

"...They're here." Hajime turned toward the mountains and looked off into the distance. They weren't visible to the naked eye yet, but Hajime's demon eye was receiving their images from his drones.

***

Gojo and Dark Magician Girl were having the time of their lives in a private bath that Gojo took out from the gate of babylon. Using a curtain to cover themselves, they enjoyed a moment of relaxation after their intense spar. The warm water eased their tired muscles, and they exchanged lighthearted banter, completely at ease in each other's company.

***

The horde of monsters was large enough to bury the earth. There were Bulltaurs, other humanoid monsters, massive black wolves three to four meters large, six-legged lizards, pythons with needles growing from their backs, praying mantis-like things with scythes for arms, spiders with tentacles growing out of their engorged torsos, white serpents with horns growing from their heads— Even through a video feed, Hajime could tell.

The army was massive. At a guess, there seemed to be around fifty to sixty thousand in total.

Worse, the sky was filled with flying monsters as well. They looked like a flock of pteranodons. They were smaller than the wyverns Hajime had fought, but he was certain they were stronger than the Hyverias he'd seen in the Reisen Gorge.

Among the dozens of pteranodons, one of them was clearly bigger than the rest. And while it was hard to make out, there seemed to be a human shaped figure riding it.

'That's probably the kid. I know Aiko doesn't want to admit it, but chances are he's Yukitoshi Shimizu.'

"Hajime."

"Hajime-san." Yue and Shea tensed up, guessing from Hajime's sudden change in mood that the enemy was coming. He nodded to them before turning back to Aiko and the others, who were looking around nervously.

"They're here. And there's more than I expected. They'll be at the city in thirty minutes. There's a little under sixty thousand of them. There's a lot of different kinds, too." Hajime jumped to the top of the wall and turned back to them, a fearless smile on his face.

A little while later, the sound of clicking tongues could be heard. Dark Magician Girl, her skin glowing with an afterglow and looking satisfied, pulled Gojo along. He clicked his tongue in mild annoyance and muttered, "So close to staying out of the war."

'Now that sounds a little messed up.' Everyone thought.

As Gojo and Dark Magician Girl walked towards where Hajime and the others were they stumbled upon Yuka and several others expressing their gratitude to Hajime for rescuing her from the labyrinth, other students joined in, thanking him too.

David shouted at them to hurry along. The students all responded with a cheerful "Roger!" and ran after him. They all looked somehow more energetic than before.

The only people left with Hajime now were Gojo, Anam, and Tio. Aside from Yue and Shea, of course.

Will dithered for a few seconds, unsure of whether he should say what he was thinking or not, but then he realized there wasn't any time left. He shook his head, mumbled something to Tio, and then bowed to Hajime before hurrying to join Aiko and the students.

Hajime tilted his head in confusion, so Tio smiled and explained.

"He said that if I survive this battle he'll forgive me for the deaths of his adventurer friends... And so, I humbly request that you let me assist you. My mana has mostly recovered, and even without transforming my flames and gales are quite powerful."

"A shame. Hajime and I were actually looking forward to trying black marbled dragon meat," Gojo joked.

"Oh, Haah... Haah..." Tio stared at Gojo in shock, then heavily made some weird noise at Hajime, covering her mouth with a fan.

"I wouldn't mind becoming one with—" Tio began.

"Shut your mouth," Hajime said, facepalming.

Tio flashed her ample cleavage at Hajime in an attempt to convince him. He wordlessly pulled out one of his magic stone rings and flung it to her. She looked at it, puzzled, before realizing that it was a mana reservoir crafted from Divinity Stone.

"Master... to think you would propose to me before a battle... I... Of course my reply is—"

"Hell no. I'm lending that to you so you can be our turret. You better give it back when we're done here. What the hell made you think I would ever propose to you?"

"...I see. So this is what they call a dark past." Inwardly cringing at the fact that she'd once made the same joke as a pervert in Orcus Labyrinth, Yue slumped her shoulders. Hajime did his best to ignore Tio, who had completely tuned out Hajime's words and was grinning at the ring in her hands.

Finally, the demon army crested the horizon and grew visible to the naked eye. Soldiers gathered on the walls carrying bows, or papers with magic circles engraved on them. The battle would soon be upon them.

Gojo whistled softly. It was his first time seeing a monster army in real life, and the sight was impressive. Meanwhile, Dark Magician Girl nonchalantly began stretching next to Gojo. She had faced a monster army before and emerged victorious. To her, this was nothing compared to the battles she fought in the spirit world.

Before long the earth rumbled from the pounding of tens of thousands of feet. A massive cloud of dust followed in the wake of the monster army, which was now close enough that their howls could be heard by the men on the wall. Some of them clasped their hands in prayer, while others looked on, pale-faced.

Hajime stepped forward. He transmuted a pedestal for himself, then turned to address the townsfolk. He didn't care too much for assuaging the crowd's fears, but he wanted to avoid letting a panicked riot break out as that might have resulted in friendly fire.

Everyone's gazes naturally focused on the white-haired boy glaring down at them, seemingly ignoring the horde at his back. Once he was sure he had everyone's attention, Hajime sucked in a huge breath and spoke in a booming voice.

"Listen up, brave men of Ur! Our victory is assured!" The citizens looked at each other in confusion. Hajime ignored them and continued, his voice full of confidence.

"Why? Because we have a goddess on our side! Men, never forget that the great fertility goddess Aiko-sama stands with us!" The people suddenly started whispering excitedly to their neighbors. Aiko, who had been guiding people from the rear as per her guards' instructions, suddenly turned around.

Immediately, Gojo started snickering uncontrollably, unable to hold back his laughter. His chuckles echoed through the tense atmosphere, drawing puzzled glances from the crowd. Ignoring the interruption, Hajime pressed on.

"So long as the great Aiko-sama stands with us, we cannot lose! She was sent to mankind by the heavens in order to lead us to victory and prosperity. And I am her sword and shield, an avatar born from her desire to protect the people! Behold! This is the strength of one who has received the goddess' divine blessing, the strength of the holy sword!" Hajime pulled Schlagen out of his Treasure Trove, then placed it on its stand to stabilize it. He kneeled, carefully aligned his scope with one of the pteranodon that had gone ahead of the herd. The townspeople watched with bated breath.

Crimson sparks began running down Schlagen's barrel. Within seconds the barrel was coated in a veil of scarlet, giving it a suitably ominous appearance. Then—

Bang! The thunderous noise gave the onlookers a huge start. A single red streak blazed through the sky. It raced toward the pteranodon faster than the eye could follow.

Like a spear thrust unleashed from god himself.

The pteranodon never stood a chance. There wasn't even time for it to dodge. A bullet faster than sound, powerful enough to pierce through the toughest steel, and coated with a diamond-hard full metal jacket, ripped through the pteranodon flying a few kilometers away. The shockwave was so powerful that it shredded the nearby pteranodons' wings, sending them hurtling to the ground below.

'I waaaaaant thatttttt.' Gojo secretly thought.

Hajime continued firing shot after shot without pause. The sky was filled with streaks of death, each one obliterating another pteranodon. He purposely avoided the huge one carrying the robed figure, but made sure the shockwave of his nearby bullets sent them flying back.

The massive pteranodon lost one of its wings to the shockwave, and spun to the ground with a piercing shriek. The robed figure atop it was flung off and flailed wildly as he hurtled to the ground.

In the span of a few seconds, Hajime had annihilated the monsters' aerial corps. Then, he rested Schlagen on his shoulder and calmly turned to the gathered citizens. Their jaws were hanging open in shock. However, Hajime merely grinned fearlessly.

"All hail Aiko-sama!" He raised his arms up triumphantly, extolling Aiko's greatness. A second later…

"All hail Aiko-sama! All hail Aiko-sama! All hail Aiko-sama! All hail Aiko-sama!"

"All hail our goddess! All hail our goddess! All hail our goddess! All hail our goddess!" In the eyes of the people of Ur, Aiko had become a goddess not just in name, but in truth. The citizens were no longer afraid. Each and every one of them looked at Aiko with eyes full of hope and worship.

Aiko blushed with embarrassment and started trembling. She looked up at Hajime and mouthed, "Just what do you think you're doing!" Hajime, however, just shrugged nonchalantly and turned back to the oncoming army.

He'd had his reasons for hyping Aiko up so much. Firstly, to increase Aiko's influence so that she would be more useful when the Holy Church and Heiligh turned against him. He had no doubt that they would feel threatened by his overwhelming might, and seek either to use him or to bury him. And at that time, Aiko would surely turn against them for his sake, like she had before for her traumatized students.

And with this incident, her fame as a holy goddess would spread all over the continent. Even without Hajime promoting her any more, rumors would spread. Thus, Aiko would soon be more than just a useful tool for the Holy Church, she'd be the common people's idol. Neither the Holy Church nor the king would be able to move against her for fear of inciting revolt. Furthermore, her leverage over the nobles and clergy would be massively increased.

This way the townspeople wouldn't be afraid of him for displaying godlike strength. They'd believe he was some kind of soldier sent by their goddess, turning their fear and suspicion into relief and trust. So, even when the Holy Church turned against him, he knew there'd be people willing to help him all the same... Hopefully.

The townsfolk's cheers were almost loud enough to drown out the roars of the oncoming monsters. Hajime could feel Aiko glaring angrily at him, while David remarked "What do you know, the brat gets it after all." He ignored them all and returned Schlagen to his Treasure Trove, pulling out three massive gatling guns, Metzeleis, in its place. Then, he put one on each shoulder and stepped forward.

To his right was Yue, and to his left, Shea. For this fight, he'd lent her his rocket launcher, Orkan. To Shea's left was Tio, who was still enamored by the ring Hajime had given her. Gojo and Anam were on Tio's right, still surveying the monster army.

Hajime glanced over at Yue. She looked up at him and nodded. He then turned to Shea. She too, nodded confidently, her bunny ears standing at attention. Turning to Gojo and Anam, he assigned them as support. Finally, he... ignored Tio.

A faint smile played on his lips as he stared at the oncoming horde. He then casually spoke the words that marked the beginning of a grand slaughter. "Let's get to it, then."

***

'What the fuck... What the fuck is going on!?' The black-robed boy, Yukitoshi Shimizu, huddled in the far back of the monster army. He'd hurriedly dug himself a makeshift trench and hidden behind as many defensive barriers as he could muster. The earlier annihilation of his pteranodons and the current rout of his army had left him cowering in fear.

Thanks to a chance encounter he'd had in the mountains, he'd made a promise to wipe out the city of Ur, along with Aiko and her guards. However, what should have been an easy victory had quickly turned into a veritable hellscape. Even now, his massive army was being torn apart like it was nothing. Tatatatatata! Tatatatatatatatatata! Innumerable red streaks dyed the sky crimson, each one heralding a death sentence for one of his monsters.

Without even an opportunity to resist, the monster army was quickly being reduced to a mountain of corpses. Hajime's guns fired twelve thousand rounds every minute, making him the very incarnation of death. Worse, every bullet packed such a huge punch that it pierced through enemy lines, killing dozens.

The pierced monsters were hit so hard that they ignored the laws of motion. Instead of being blown back, they just exploded into chunks of flesh. The monsters fled wildly in every direction, scrambling to get out of the line of fire, but Hajime simply fanned his two Metzeleis out in either direction, letting none escape.

To his left, Shea was pulling Orkan's trigger as fast as its mechanisms would allow, firing missile after missile into the horde. Each missile impacted with an explosion dozens of meters wide, obliterating anything in its vicinity. Those in the center of the blast were blown to smithereens instantly, while those unlucky enough to only catch the shockwave had their bones shattered and their organs crushed, leaving them writhing in pain. Those behind them trampled the wounded to death in their mindless rush forward. 

Once she ran out of bullets, Shea swapped out with a new launcher from the pile Hajime had left for her and continued blasting. The missiles fired from this one worked like napalm, exploding over the monsters' heads and spraying burning hot flames over the hapless beasts. Like incendiary grenades, the missiles were packed with tar extracted from flamrock. The very same one that burned at over 3000 degrees Celsius. And as the screaming monsters flailed about in the moments before their death, they spread the flames to their neighbors, creating a chain reaction. The monsters in Shea's area had one of two choices... be blown to pieces or burned to ash.

To Shea's left, Tio was wreaking havoc as well. From her hands she emitted black beams of light so hot they scorched the air they passed through. It was the same breath she'd fired on Hajime in her dragon form. It seemed she could use it in human form as well. Flames powerful enough to test even Hajime's best defenses ripped through the army, burning straight through rows of enemies.

Tio gradually swept her arms from side to side, mowing down large swathes of monsters with her black barrage. When it finally stopped, the only things that remained were deep gouges cut into the earth. However, that single attack had drained her mana considerably. Tio tottered back and forth, her shoulders heaving. But with a single kiss of Hajime's ring, her reserves were replenished, and she straightened up once more. Gojo noted how her attack resembled one of his special moves.

To Hajime's right, Yue's extermination campaign was even more gruesome. She chanted her spell in a soft voice.

"Asura." That was the trigger for her spell. A spell that incorporated the gravity magic she had inherited from Miledi Reisen, powerful enough to influence the laws of the universe. A sphere of darkness appeared above the monsters. It stretched and stretched until it surrounded a section of the monster army on all sides. Then, once it had blocked out the sunlight and trapped the monsters, it fell.

The simplest way to explain what happened next was that the monsters, and the ground they were standing on, just vanished. To the people of Ur, who were watching the battle from the safety of the city, that was certainly what it looked like. The pitch black blanket had fallen atop the monsters, crushing them under an immense weight that had created a crater ten meters deep.

Because of the crater's sudden appearance, the monsters charging in from behind didn't have time to maneuver, and fell in rank after rank. The charge didn't halt immediately, and monsters continued falling in for a good few seconds after that. Within seconds the hole was filled with thousands of monsters, and Yue drew on her ring for mana, casting another gravity spell. And so, the first batch of corpses were joined by a second layer of crushed bodies.

Cheers of triumph rang out across the town.

Gojo turned to face Dark Magician Girl and shot her a look that seemed to say, "See! SEE! They don't even need our help."

Dark Magician Girl was fidgeting with both hands. Gojo sighed and finally made his move.

Seeing that practically nearly half the army was decimated, Gojo quickly located the mastermind behind the monster army and took action. Spotting him, Gojo used Lapse Blue to pull him far away from the remaining forces, while still within sight.

Hajime noticed Gojo's strategy and continued firing his minigun, focusing on the visible enemy targets unabated.

Having separated the mastermind from his army, Gojo paused briefly, weighing his options. What should he do now? As he pondered, a smirk played on his lips, and he decided on a move that was both calculated and entertaining. 'It has to be that, doesn't it?'

This was a move even Dark Magician Girl hadn't seen before.

He calmly removed his blindfold, then crouched low, positioning both hands near his lower right abdomen. With fingers interlocked and hands clasped together in a gesture reminiscent of a prayer, Gojo's demeanor shifted.

"Uhhh, Hubby?" Dark Magician Girl questioned, intrigued.

Everyone froze in their tracks for three reasons: First, Gojo removed his blindfold and assumed a strange, serious stance atop a platform; second, bright purple sparks of lightning crackled around him; and third, the overwhelming pressure and presence he gave off.

The platform beneath him began to break under the immense force. The onlookers, including Hajime and the others, could feel the insane amount of power building up, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Phase, Twilight, Eyes of Wisdom,

Phase, Paramita, Pillar of Light,

Nine ropes, Polarized Light, Crow and Declaration,

Between Front and Back."

Incantations, precise hand signs, and proper movements… Gojo focused intensely, pushing for an output of 120%. Within his inner world, blue and red circles overlapped and merged, intensifying the power of his invocation.

"Hollow Purple." Gojo flicked his finger, and instantly, a surge of purple energy erupted from him, sending out a shockwave toward the monster army. The ground trembled under the release of his power, and even the distant monsters paused, sensing the overwhelming force unleashed. Everyone witnessed the devastating effect of Hollow Purple as it swept through the battlefield.

Gojo's attack surged forward in a straight line toward the heart of the remaining army. As it reached its designated target area, chosen by Gojo, it exploded with overwhelming force. The blast obliterated all the remaining monsters and simultaneously caused an earthquake of significant magnitude. The sheer destruction nearly reached the town of Ur. Gojo had the option to either direct the attack into a focused blast or unleash it as an omnidirectional explosion. In a display of mastery, he executed both options seamlessly.

Afterward, Gojo casually put his blindfold back on and stretched, as if the intense battle had been a walk in the park for him.

Everyone, including Hajime's group, was left speechless. "He had this much power?" they pondered.

Dark Magician Girl, still processing the spectacle, glanced at Gojo with a mixture of admiration and astonishment. "That... was incredible!" she managed to say, her voice filled with genuine awe. She ran up to him, jumping up and down with sparkles in her eyes complimenting him.

"Hai. Hai. Keep the compliments coming. I love it," Gojo cheekily remarked as he held Dark Magician Girl's hand, jumping up and down with her.

Hajime, Shea, and Yue exchanged glances; they had known Gojo possessed great power, but the scale and destruction of his attack exceeded their expectations.

David and his knights stood in stunned silence, their eyes fixed on the unfolding scene. Yuka, Atsushi, and the other students felt a mix of awe and realization wash over them, suddenly grasping the immense power gap that separated them from Hajime's group—especially Gojo. Hajime's group is just beyond comprehension.

"Is... is he even human?" one of the knights muttered, disbelief etched on his face.

Initially eager to assist in defending the town, they now realized they were mere bystanders, protected by forces beyond their comprehension. Complex emotions stirred within them.

Dark Magician Girl leaned against Gojo, a small smile playing on her lips. "You really know how to show off," she teased, her eyes glinting with affection.

The intense 'war' concluded in just a few minutes, leaving many spectators confused and amazed, people gradually returned to the village to attend to their tasks and duties. Working together, they began to restore order and make necessary repairs, reflecting on the brief yet impactful event they had witnessed. Noticing nearly all the villagers head back in the village and starting repairs, Gojo activated Lapsed Blue.

It was soon after the remaining group here heard a scream, a male boy scream. Shimizu's voice rose, resembling a child throwing a tantrum.

"Hm? Isn't that..." At the edge of his vision, Hajime noticed someone flailing wildly in the air, as if being suspended mid-flight. He activated Farsight to gain a clearer image. It was unmistakably a human, shrouded in a black robe.

"What the hell! What the hell is going on! I'm supposed to be the hero— Gweh!?" His curses halted abruptly as Gojo swiftly moved, using his curse technique to pull him towards Hajime's group.

Shimizu's face planted into the ground and went unconscious, sliding a few meters before coming to a stop before Hajime.

"Now then, I wonder what Sense will do with you?" Hajime muttered to himself as he restrained Shimizu with wire from his artificial arm and began dragging him towards Aiko.

[Canon Event, Canon Event, Canon Event.] Gojo chirped telepathically with Dark Magician Girl in his arms. With his task completed, he felt no reason to stay. They made their way into the town, seeking a moment of relaxation together.

Once inside the town, Gojo discovered a tranquil spot where they could unwind. He settled onto a patch of grass with Dark Magician Girl, both enjoying a well-deserved break after the day's events.

Witnessing Gojo's magical transport of Shimizu to Hajime, and Hajime's subsequent action of tying him, Aiko decided to wait for them outside the town walls. With them were Hajime, Tio, Shea, Yue, Will, the students, Aiko, David and his guards, and a few of the town's notable figures.

Thanks to Gojo's quick action and thinking he brought him to an area outside the town where Hajime were and if they'd brought the culprit into town, they had no doubt it would have caused an uproar, so Gojo let them meet there. The mayor and many of the other town's prominent figures were busy dealing with the battle's aftermath.

Hajime dumped the unconscious Shimizu in front of Aiko and the students. His head bounced a few times on the ground before coming to a rest.

Aiko hesitantly walked up to Shimizu, who was still unconscious. She hadn't wanted to believe it, but now she had no choice. Aiko looked down sadly at Shimizu and shook him to wake him up. The last thing they needed to know was to confirm Shimizu's goal. Despite Gojo's unsettling revelation about him potentially collaborating with the enemy nation and plotting to kill Aiko, she hoped there might be some mistake.

"Aiko, he is still dangerous." David tried to stop her, but Aiko simply shook her head. She asked him to be untied as well. She said she wouldn't be able to have a proper conversation with him otherwise. Aiko still intended to have a teacher and student talk with him. Everyone present with Aiko remained on guard, with most remembering Gojo's words. After all, his goal was to kill Aiko.

"Shimizu-kun, Shimizu-kun! Please wake up, Shimizu-kun!"

***