Departure

(A/N Note -- I feel like I'm forgetting something.??)

***

On a lavish bed in Orcus' lair lay two naked figures entangled with each other. They were, of course, Alex and Yue.

The unwelcome sunshine from the artificial sun barged in through the gap in the curtains and specifically fell on Alex's eyes. His eyelids fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes only to close them again. He turned around and hugged Yue closer to him.

"Nn. Alex..." Yue in turn squeezed him back tighter as she muttered in half-sleep.

"Yue, you are too cute."

"Hmm. Alex.. is cuter." She still did not wake up. Alex smiled as he let sleep embrace him again.

***

After a while, they both woke up. They both sat on the bed still enjoying each other's hold. Yue leaned on his chest while Alex caressed her hair.

"Yue. I wanna talk about something."

Hearing his serious tone, Yue straightened up but still did not leave his embrace.

"Nn. Go ahead."

"The thing is..."

As such, Alex dished out the entire truth in front of her. From his previous life to the fact that he met Chaos and was reincarnated. He didn't even hide the fact that this world was identical to one he had read in a novel. He was careful in phrasing his words to not seem like he treated this world and in extension her, as something fake. This world was real and he knew it.

After he finished reciting his story, Yue went silent in thought.

Suddenly her body trembled and she hugged him tighter.

"Alex... You won't go away?"

"Didn't I say yesterday... I won't let you go."

"Nn. I love you."

"... I love you too, Yue."

They just sat in silence for a long time.

"Alex?" Yue broke the silence. Alex suddenly had a bad feeling.

"... Why was I sealed down here?" And his feeling was spot on.

He tried to skip answering the question. He wanted her to hear it from her uncle directly. There was a crystal locked in the room she was sealed in that could be opened after clearing a specific labyrinth. That crystal contained a recording of her uncle.

"You will know it later. Why do you wanna know now?"

"I wanna know."

"... Can't you just wait for some time. Then you will naturally know."

"I wanna know."

He wanted to reject but there was no hesitation in her reply and her eyes were firm. He knew she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Finally, he had to give her an answer.

"... It was to save you. Ehit wanted to take over your body. Your potential in magic was so immense and compatible for him that if he took your body for himself, he would have been able to exhibit most of his powers in the physical plane. Your uncle wanted to save you... In truth, he really loved you and hoped for your happiness one day."

Hearing this, her body began trembling. Why was she betrayed? Why was she sealed and not killed? Why had the vampire race gone been wiped out?

All of this pieced together with what Alex said to complete the puzzle. She felt a sharp pain in her chest and her teeth ground against each other.

Alex suddenly felt his chest get wet. She was crying. Her tears flowed out through her muffled sobs. Alex didn't say anything but just hugged her tighter.

"*Sniff*... What about... my uncle?"

Hearing this, Alex's face contorted into a frown.

Sensing his change, Yue knew something was wrong. If he had simply perished like the others, he would have told him. But...

"What happene..."

"Why are you doing this?"

Alex interrupted her. She would know one day but seeing her sobbing figure, Alex really didn't want her to continue.

She just sniffed once again and stared at him with her puffed eyes. He formed a pained expression but she did not change. She wanted to know.

"...Why?"

"I wanna know."

"His... He is dead. But his body... It is currently possessed by the king of demons, the god servant of Ehit."

A blocked dam had been broken down, her tears fell uncontrollably yet again. She gripped his body and did not let go. Alex did not want her to let go either.

As such, a long time passed. Yue finally managed to barely speak out in a whisper without lifting her head.

"Alex. Let's kill Ehit. Together."

"Hmm"

***

The Reisen Gorge

Running all the way from the Gruen Desert in the west to the Haltina Woods in the east. Also known as a great gash dividing the north and south, it was an execution ground where it was nigh impossible to use magic and deadly monsters lurked everywhere.

In a corner somewhere at the bottom of the gorge, two rocks split apart to reveal a dark passage leading somewhere. Two figures proceeded to come out of the said passage.

After spending around fifty days in Orcus' lair, Alex and Yue had finally departed the place.

Alex wore black jeans and a black t-shirt without sleeves. He still didn't have a way of retracting the chains from his hands in any way.

One of his eyes was blue with faint magic engravings in the pupil. It was a contact lens artifact that could see the properties and core of spells. It was made of divinity stone and was directly connected to his nervous system and didn't require mana to use.

He also had two unique swords on his back. With two blades by the sides with a barrel reminiscent of 'Blitzen' in the middle gap between the blades, the 1.5-meter swords were his masterpieces. The hilts of the swords had a compartment that held twelve bullets each. Also, there was a little loop at the end. They were made from the best materials he had and were so masterfully enchanted that they would cut through rocks like butter. (A/N -- Check the image in this paragraph for a little reference.)

He had named them 'Kill' and 'Joy'. The names were a little corny but who cared.

In fact, they had done all the preparations in one month but the next twenty days were spent learning to use the swords in tandem with the chains. It was impossibly difficult but he had succeeded in the beginning stages at the very least. He had wanted to create his own style of fighting and he had to admit it was fun. Maybe like creating new technology was to Hajime, creating bizarre techniques was his own kink.

Onto Yue, she was adorned in knee-length socks, a frilly black skirt and a red top. She had a treasured blue ring and a necklace of divinity stone as mana reserves and the ring, the proof of Orcus Labyrinth on her. She also had her own dagger and a gun for her. Alex had not let her be the 'I take damage, I do damage' character she would have been. Relying on her automatic regeneration was not always good.

She, for one, was actually 5cm longer than before and her breasts got a little bigger as well. Just a little. It was thanks to the body strengthening potion he had given her. It was too low ranked for him and he had given it to her. Maybe because her body that had stopped aging was not appropriate to strengthen, those changes had occurred. He was thankful that she had not suddenly grown bulky muscles. As for her, she had even shed tears when her breasts had grown bigger. Just a little bigger though.

Back to the present, they both couldn't stop the grin coming on their faces. Looking at the bright sun up in the sky and feeling the fresh air on their skin, they had a little nostalgic feeling. Yue had been sealed for more than three hundred years and Alex had been trapped and faced countless adversities together with her. Now they finally stepped out of the abyss.

After jumping around for a bit, they went on their way to find the Reisen labyrinth. The monsters in here were strong but they were easily defeated by Yue who practiced her shooting skills along the way. They travelled on a motorcycle artifact he had made and named just like Hajime. 'Steiff'

Although they would've liked to take a rest in a nearby town, they didn't have time to spare, and since they were already near a labyrinth, they might as well just clear it.

Yue definitely didn't hear some whisper like, 'It's good that the rabbit isn't here.' Must be his past trauma regarding the rabbit in the abyss. Right? Definitely, that must be it. But why did she get a strange feeling then?

Alex drove the bike while Yue provided the mana for it.

As for why he didn't do it himself, these were his current stats.

( Name- Alex Age: 18 Male Level: ???

Job: %&!$#

Strength: 19820

Vitality: 16980

Defense: 9750

Agility: 21470

Magic: 0

Magic Defense: 28810

Skills: Transmute [+Ore Appraisal] [+Precision Transmutation] [+Ore Perception] [+Ore Desynthesis] [+Ore Synthesis] [+Duplicate Transmutation] [+Compression Synthesis] — Mana Manipulation [+Mana Discharge] [+Mana Compression] [+Remote Manipulation] — Iron Stomach — Lightning Field — Fire Field -- Air Dance [+Aerodynamic] [+Supersonic Step] [+Steel Legs] [+Riftwalk] — Gale Claw — Night Vision — Far Sight — Sense Presence [+Precision Sensing] — Detect Magic [+Precision Sensing] — Sense Heat [+Precision Sensing] — Hide Presence [+Illusion Waltz] — Poison Resistance — Paralysis Resistance — Petrification Resistance — Fear Resistance — Elemental Resistance — Foresight — Diamond Skin — Steel Arms — Intimidate — Telepathy — Tracking — Enhanced Natural Recovery — Mana Conversion [+Stamina] [+Healing] — Limit Break — Creation Magic — Language Comprehension )

His physical stats were monstrous compared to even Hajime at this point in time. But...

He had no mana left! The rate at which his innate ability drained mana accelerated the more mana it absorbed. And it was further strengthened after he drank a S-rank soul strengthening potion. As for his psychic energy, it was already running dry when he fought the Hydra.

It didn't really matter as the Reisen Labyrinth was one where he won't use mana anyways.

*****

While the pair of Alex and Yue continued travelling through the gorge, the hero party kept getting stronger. Their definition of 'Strong', that is. They were not at all weak compared to the people in this world and were stronger than almost everyone they met.

Many of the students had gone to stay in the lake town of Ur with their teacher Aiko Hatayama. This included the only person with the transmute ability.

The hero party that stayed behind had met Emperor Gahard some time ago. He had come in a disguise and fought against the Hero Kouki. Though, his disguise fif not hold a candle in front of Pope Ishtar.

He had won. Shizuku also gained a proposal from the emperor that was politely rejected. At the very least, it looked to be polite from the outside.

Kaori had been doing pretty harsh training so that she could save Alex. She did still believe that Alex was somewhere in the labyrinth still doing his best to survive. She had almost died by monsters only to be saved and scolded by the 'Heroic Prince Shizuku'.

A lot of things went unmentioned like how the same hardworking girl stol... Ahem, took care of Alex's clothes and belongings in his stead.

***

(A/N Note -- Night fellas. Imma sleep after I pulled an all-nighter yesterday. Good day/ night to you)