Deserting - A4

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.

***

Hajime hesitantly turned the doorknob, reluctantly allowing his unexpected guests to enter.

"Wait, what in the world are you two doing here at this hour? Tomorrow is the Labyrinth dive."

Hajime wanted to facepalm for even opening the door.

Before him stood two stunning girls in their sleep attire. Anam wore a silky bathrobe, while Kaori sported a cardigan over her pristine white negligee. Hajime was still a teenage boy. Kaori's appearance was a bit too stimulating for him. Meanwhile, Anam's appearance seemed to be chipping away at his sanity.

"Wait, did this turn you on? Sorry, but I'm taken." Anam casually teased Hajime, adding more to Hajime's discomfort.

The two girls walked in and closed the door.

Collecting himself as best he could, Hajime asked them about their unexpected visit, while trying to avoid looking at the two as much as possible.

"Hey, hey, hey! You should be looking, especially at Kaori at least! She wore this for you!" Anam laughed mischievously, causing both Hajime and Kaori to start getting flustered.

"No. No. No. No. Er. Uh. I was hoping we could talk for a bit, Nagumo-kun... But I guess we are being a bother, aren't we?"

Kaori was getting more heated and confused as she spoke.

"I guess we could speak, since you are already here." Hajime, settling onto his bed as the two visitors took seats in his room.

"Then let me start first, I'll get straight to the point." Anam said, dropping all formality and surprising the two.

"I plan on deserting and going on my own soon," she dropped the bombshell, leaving Hajime and Kaori stunned.

"What? / Why?" X2

The two were shocked and surprised. Anam was certainly considered strong in the group. There was no way the church and the kingdom would let her go like that.

"I don't trust the church and there are too many supporters for that in this group." Anam confessed with a sigh. "But keeping this information limited would definitely help you guys, especially you two. I need to choose who I share this with carefully."

From her point of view, Anam talked about what she found in the library and how she sees the world. She even used what Gojo had said about this world.

"The God and the church in this world are evil. We are fighting for nothing. This war is only for his amusement. And aside from one other thing. Well I hope you guys all understand." she summarized.

"So, don't try to find me, and don't attempt to interfere with my life. Once I leave the group, I'll do as I damn well please, since I'm stuck in this world."

The following two promised her that they wouldn't share Anam's words and would keep her departure from the group a secret in the future.

While Hajime understood Anam's reasoning for leaving, Kaori struggled to comprehend it. She couldn't bring herself to believe Anam's claims, but with her piece said, Anam left the room, casting a sad glance at Hajime, leaving Kaori deeply confused.

But before Anam left, she made it clear that the contract deal would still be in effect even after she left the group, leaving Kaori and Hajime to discuss whatever they wished in private.

***

Everyone got up early the next morning to go to the town where the Labyrinth was. The small town that Horaud set up was mostly for travelers who wanted to test their skills in the dangerous Orcus Labyrinth.

It was also a training ground for both people who wanted to be explorers/adventurers and people who wanted to join the military ranks of the kingdom. The kingdom had even invested in a parcel of land there, establishing and upkeeping a state inn for the convenience of travelers—this was where all the students were lodged.

The Great Orcus Labyrinth. It was a massive dungeon said to span a hundred floors. As it was one of the seven great labyrinths, the deeper one went, the stronger the monsters they faced. One could experience dangers and riches inside this dungeon. The monsters inside the dungeon contain mana crystals, and they were known to be of higher quality than the monsters in the surface. Rare goods also exist in this labyrinth.

Upon arrival and being assigned a new room in the inn, Dark Magician Girl found herself in a decent space. It was a remarkably ordinary, small room. It was the kind of room that anyone can settle in as a tourist.

With a sigh, she collapsed onto the bed, letting her legs dangle in the air.

[Those boys wouldn't stop hitting on me every chance they got!! So annoying, so bothersome, so tiring!]

[You know, you could beat them up, right?] I telepathically spoke while trying to comfort her.

[And you know I can't do that.]

Every day, Kouki tried to flirt with Anam, even though she was always preoccupied helping Hajime improve his combat senses by beating him up over and over again. He would consistently insert himself into their conversations, then turn to Hajime, urging him not to waste Anam's and Kaori's time. Then whenever Anam and Kaori denied that and tried to shut Kouki down, he would try to paint himself as a good guy, while claiming that Anam and Kaori were too kind. That kind of asspull was happening every damn day.

As if Kouki's antics weren't enough, there was also a barrage of other guys competing for Anam's attention, all eager to join them in hopes of getting closer to her.

Naturally, none of them were worth her attention, except maybe Kosuke, whom she hadn't met yet. Gojo constantly praised him as one of the legendary "edge lords" worth training—whatever that meant.

The two had agreed that Kouki wasn't worth befriending, even though he might have some promising potential. Gojo just really, really hates him, and she agreed with that notion.

The Hero Kouki is already carrying a heavy load of responsibilities and obligations from the kingdom: learning etiquette, mastering knighthood, honing his swordsmanship, and even delving into matters of religion, albeit under the church's influence (subtle brainwashing). Constantly monitored by hidden Apostles. He was literally burdened with expectations. Yet, here he was, seemingly intent on flirting with Anam. The church did not take this well, therefore they are beginning to pay attention to her.

To keep a professional distance, Anam had to be careful when she talked to him. She politely turned down his advances and made up good excuses on the spot. She was afraid that the church would use her to get Kouki involved in their schemes, since he seemed to be deeply attracted to her.

Anam even resorted to flashing her ring finger indicating she was married. But that didn't stop most of the boys, especially Kouki. In fact for some reason. They were much more excited about it, and only a few of them gave up. They simply imagine that her beloved is in their home world.

"You could use another." "You deserve another." "We're here for you right now." "We can comfort you." "That ring is a fake!" they insisted with some bull shit excuse while asserting themselves as the perfect guy of the moment.

Naturally, hearing this irritated both Gojo and Anam. Gojo, however, is a very good man. Once he gets out and obtains the resurrection technology from Hajime, he will definitely try it on these idiots.

***

The very next day in the morning, everyone reported to the plaza that served as the entrance to the Great Orcus Labyrinth early enough that the sun had still yet to rise.

The group of heroes looks like they were going through a field trip, with the knights acting as chaperones and providing explanations along the way.

'It's kind of like Danmachi, with some ridiculous differences.' Gojo was pondering as he observed through Dark Magician Girl's eyes as he meticulously surveyed their surroundings.

The sight that greeted the group of heroes was something that looked more like the standard fantasy type of city, complete with its own receptionist counter. A girl in uniform was checking over the people going in and out of the labyrinth with a smile. It appeared that everyone's status plate was checked at the entrance. That way, the number of casualties could be accurately tallied.

Numerous stalls were lined up on the plaza surrounding the entrance, the merchants all competing with each other to show off their wares. It felt almost like a festival, with people naturally gathering there.

Upon entering the labyrinth, they were greeted by the familiar sight of a cavern entrance leading into the depths of darkness.

Ahead, a passage spanned a little over five meters wide. Despite the absence of an obvious light source, the labyrinth was dimly illuminated, allowing them to discern their surroundings without relying on torches or magical aids.

The passages were illuminated by a unique mineral known as green glowstone, embedded within the walls. The party formed ranks and cautiously advanced through the maze.

After a few uneventful minutes, the passage widened into a spacious plaza, its dome-shaped ceiling towering seven or eight meters above. The students surveyed their surroundings with curiosity when suddenly, a horde of gray creatures resembling furballs burst forth from cracks in the walls.

Anam already positioned herself at the frontline within Kouki's group, ready to defend them at a moment's notice.

"Alright, Kouki, your team's up front! Everyone else fall back! I'll have you switch in after some time, so stay sharp! These monsters are called Ratmen! They're quick on their feet, but not all that strong. Keep your cool as you fight!"

As Captain Meld had said, the Ratmen were quite fast, and rushed at them with alarming agility. Pairs of dark red eyes gleamed with a ghastly light from within the balls of fur. They looked like giant, muscular rats... that stood on two feet.

Kouki's group, positioned at the forefront, mostly grimaced as they took in the sight—especially Shizuku, who stood at the head of the front lines. The Ratmen were undeniably repulsive. As the creatures closed in, Kouki, Shizuku, and Ryutarou launched a coordinated attack. Anam ventured ahead alone

Meanwhile, the support class members of the group began chanting their spells, diligently preparing their magic in advance. It was the basic formation they had meticulously drilled during training.

With everyone falling into their roles smoothly, it seemed as though they knew exactly what they were supposed to do. The only thing they lacked at the moment was experience.

Kouki swung his sword with such speed that it blurred before the eye, effortlessly cutting down a horde of creatures with his first strike. His weapon was none other than "The Holy Sword." Despite its name, it was anything but conventional. Blessed with the light element, it emitted a radiant glow that not only weakened enemies upon impact but also bolstered the wielder's physical strength. In other words, it's an asspull.

Ryutarou, on the other hand, had the job of Monk, which was a martial arts class that fought with its fists. Truly a befitting job for a muscle head. He was equipped with a pair of gauntlets and greaves. Those were also artifacts, and were capable of unleashing enchanted shockwaves. Ryutarou was easily beating down any enemy that came close with just punches and kicks, not letting a single one pass.

Meanwhile, Shizuku embodied the role of a Swordsman, exuding a samurai-like aura. Armed with a blade resembling a fusion between a katana and a shamshir, she swiftly dispatched any monsters within her sword's reach, showcasing her exceptional quick-draw skills. Since arriving in Tortus, Shizuku and Anam had honed their swordsmanship to new heights, earning the admiration of many knights.

"New Shadow Style, Simple domain." Anam, who was alone, quickly set up her domain against the incoming horde of monsters and used her left hand for hand sign, while her right hand gripping a single-edged sword ready for a rapid draw. She had used a binding vow that anything breaching her simple domain would be intercepted automatically. As long as she maintained the hand signs with her left hand, the domain could be sustained.

This technique alone was so strong in everyone's eyes and it was unanimously agreed that she must operate alone, as her domain couldn't differentiate between friend and foe. Anyone stepping into the domain would find themselves swiftly cut down by Anam's near automatic interception.

While the others were engrossed in combat, the rear-line supporters finished their chants and unleashed their prepared spells upon the horde of monsters.

From then on, the class smoothly advanced through the floors of the labyrinth, rotating the vanguard between battles. This rotation allowed everyone to take turns gaining battle experience, leveling up, and killing monsters.

"Don't worry, I will protect you from harm."

Kouki approached Anam and attempted small talk. But she ignored him and moved towards Hajime for cover. This behavior compelled Kouki to turn his attention to berating Hajime. Shortly after, another group of boys stepped in, also berating him. Anam utilized this strategy often to avoid Kouki, but it always generated problems for Hajime. It couldn't be helped. Kouki is incredibly stubborn until it involves Hajime for some reason.

Eventually, the group arrived at the twentieth floor, the floor that separated skilled adventurers from rank amateurs. Currently, the deepest floor people had managed to reach was floor sixty-five. However, that was a legendary feat that hadn't been replicated since, so in recent times anyone who made it past the first twenty floors was considered a highly skilled fighter. Anyone who made it past the first forty was called superhuman.

The students advanced easily through the floors, their overpowered abilities compensating for their lack of combat experience. Surprisingly, the most dangerous aspect of the dungeon was the scattered traps, some of which were lethal. Their smooth descent was largely thanks to the guidance of their knight mentors, who expertly directed them to avoid and disarm the traps.

[That Captain Meld sure is a good guy.] Dark Magician Girl couldn't help but chirp and praise him constantly. He and his knights were always looking after everyone to the best of his ability, considering what would foster the best growth for everyone. However, they still heavily favored Kouki because of his hero class, which was understandably reasonable.

[Yes.] Gojo didn't comment much, but he listened as Dark Magician Girl praised how Captain Meld expertly taught the students on what to do in certain scenarios.

Gojo could learn a thing or two about teaching from Meld.

***

Up until that point, Hajime hadn't done much of anything. He'd once taken on a monster the knights had weakened for him, trapping it in a pitfall and stabbing it to death with his sword, but that was all.

Essentially, he had just spent his time standing by in the rear protected by the knights, without being able to join anyone's party. He felt rather pathetic. However, using his skills in combat helped increase his magic stat, so it wasn't completely useless.

Anam, Kaori, and Shizuka frequently watched out for Hajime, ensuring his safety. This constant attention made him feel pressured, even when he wasn't doing anything. Additionally, he couldn't shake the feeling of a heavy stare coming from someone he couldn't identify.

'But man, I totally feel like a leecher for doing this. Haaah…'

The knights sent another weakened monster Hajime's way, and he approached it with a sigh, placing his hands on the ground to transmute the earth around it. He immobilized the monster into a pitfall on the off chance that it might still pose a threat, then skewered it with his sword.

'Well, at least my transmutation skills are growing a little... I'll just have to keep at it.'

Hajime swallowed a mana pill and wiped the sweat off his brow. He didn't notice that the knights and some people were all staring at him in interest.

In truth, most people here hadn't been expecting much of anything from Hajime. They'd all thought he would just flail his sword around helplessly for a bit.

Hajime only had his single transmutation skill, so he had trained it diligently, assuming that his ability to transmute ore could extend to the earth as well. It had worked, but with how difficult it was for him to take down a single weakened monster, and how strong everyone around him was, he still thought himself weak.

***

The class continued exploring the twentieth floor.

Each of the labyrinth's floors spanned a few kilometers in every direction, and new floors usually took a team of dozens anywhere from half a month to a month to fully search and map out.

However, at present, all the floors until the forty-seventh had been mapped out, so they were in no danger of getting lost. Nor should they have been in any danger of falling into a trap.

Once they reached that point, their training for the day would be complete. Unfortunately, teleportation magic, which existed during the Age of the Gods, was no longer available, so they had to walk back to the entrance.

During their journey, the group stumbled upon a group of Rockmounts, they are giant gorillas capable of camouflaging themselves like chameleons. Naturally, these monsters proved to be a significant annoyance and capable of disrupting the group's flow and causing panic among them. Specifically, their "Intimidating Roar." It was a mana-infused roar that could temporarily paralyze all who heard it.

After dispatching the Rockmounts with some difficulty, the group decided to take a break to recover from the surprise attack.

Dark Magician Girl casually looked around as usual before plopping onto the floor, pretending to be tired. 

[I don't like this. It's so, boooooooring!]

She sighed dramatically, directing her complaints towards Gojo. That was her way of enduring it all.

[It's already the first and last day for us and you are bored? You do know we are going to desert this group after this event?]

[Fuuuu... I know. The monsters here are weak and they spawn randomly... Hey, can we still help—]

[Don't. We both know Hajime is strong. He won't die. I even made a binding vow on that, remember?]

After all, they were both aware of Hajime's efforts to become useful.

Dark Magician Girl cast a sad glance at him. Hajime was going to go through hell and come back alive. Honestly, she still really wanted to help him, but she already settled with the plan that Gojo and she agreed on. All she could do was sneakily slip a yugioh card, a few pieces of jerky into his back pocket, and a note of encouragement. In the note was what seemed to be a drawing of a happy face, though it resembled a small penis, accompanied by a chibi smug Dark Magician Girl and pot of greed.

A/N: The smile looks like this '83' / 8=3.

~

Meanwhile, Kouki was being scolded by Captain Meld for recklessly using spells against the Rockmounts that could have caused the cave to collapse beneath them.

Kaori turned to look at the crumbled section of the wall.

"...What is that? It's all sparkly..." At her words, everyone turned to look in the direction she was pointing.

Something odd was sticking out of the wall like a flower in blossom, and it was glowing a faint blue. With an indigolite nestled in the middle, it resembled a crystal. The brilliance of the gem captivated Kaori and the other girls as well, except for Anam.

"Oh, that's a glanz crystal. And a pretty big one to boot. How rare," Captain Meld said.

Glanz crystals were basically a type of raw gemstone. Though they held no special properties, their luster and radiance made them popular among the noble ladies and their daughters. They were often processed into rings, earrings, pendants, and such other jewelry to be given as gifts. 

"That sounds so lovely..." Kaori blushed when she heard Captain Meld's explanation, and was further entranced by the stone. She then stole a glance at Hajime. She repeatedly did that until Hajime noticed.

[That's weird, something like that just emerged right in front of us.] Dark Magician Girl sighed, nonchalantly lying on the floor despite the curious glances directed her way. She wasn't interested in some sparkling rock; she had enough of those from Gojo.

She intended to take a break by entering Gojo's innate domain until Gojo stopped her. Midway through entering her innate domain, she wasn't paying attention to the noises outside. By the time she recovered, she found herself teleported away.

[Pay attention! The event is starting!] Gojo urged.

?

Everyone had just been teleported onto a massive stone bridge. It was around one hundred meters in length. The ceiling also towered a full twenty meters above them. Below the bridge was a dark abyss with no visible end. Probably the very pits of hell.

Though the bridge was ten meters wide, it had no railing at all, so if someone slipped, there would be nothing to catch their fall. Everyone had been sent to the middle of the bridge. One side of the bridge was a passage heading further in, while stairs leading upward were at the other end.

After confirming the situation, Captain Meld curtly barked out orders.

"Everyone, get up and head for the stairs! Now!" His voice boomed louder than thunder, and the students hurried to follow his orders.

However, all the labyrinth's traps in this floor have been activated and were made not to let anyone escape easily. New magic circles suddenly appeared on both sides of the bridge, accompanied by a swirling torrent of dark red mana.

The magic circle on the passage-side of the bridge was ten meters wide. The ones on the back with stairs-side were only one meter each, but there were many.

Countless magic circles near the stairs came a horde of skeleton soldiers wielding swords. Their empty eye sockets glowed with the same blood-red light as the circles they came from, and they rolled around like real eyes too. Within seconds, the stairs were teeming with nearly a hundred of the creatures, and more were still pouring out.

From within the ten meter wide magic circle emerged a monster as big as the circle that summoned it. It stood on four legs and had some kind of helmet on its head. Its eyes glowed bright red, and as it clacked its wicked sharp claws and fangs together, flames sprouted from the horn on its helmeted forehead.

[A giant mutant hippopotamus?] Gojo questioned.

Captain Meld's terrified whisper resounded surprisingly clearly throughout the room.

"Oh my god... It's... a Behemoth…

[Oh, right. Forgot.]

A wave of unease washed over the students when they saw Captain Meld, the reliable captain who'd always been their reassuring pillar of support, break out in a cold sweat.

[Eh, well we have seen worse.] Gojo telepathically spoke his thoughts directly to his wife.

Acting swiftly upon assessing the situation, Dark Magician Girl, or rather Anam, made a critical decision. She had to choose between breaking through the horde of skeletons or stopping the Behemoth. Opting for the former, she wasted no time.

"New Shadow Style! Simple Domain," Anam declared as she leaped into the midst of the skeleton horde, activating her domain upon landing. What followed was a massacre. Nearly all the skeleton soldiers approaching Anam's domain were swiftly bisected and destroyed.

However, the horde was quickly replenishing, attempting to cover the tracks of where Anam was clearing.

Clicking her teeth, she immediately attempted to expand her domain's range further by using a binding vow.

This quick action of hers helped calm down the mind among the students as they quickly helped to support Anam. However at the same time Hajime had put himself in a peculiar position. He was now left alone in the middle of the bridge, tasked with handling the Behemoth and conversing with Kouki about something before being left to confront the creature on his own.

Anam bit her lower lip in frustration as she stole a glance at Hajime, then turned to face the horde again. She knew what was going to happen, and she made the decision to let it unfold.

The situation in the back was swiftly cleared when Kouki joined, heavily relying on his skills. He launched what seemed to be a laser attack from his swords, clearing the skeleton horde in one go and even slowing down the magic circle spawn rate.

On Hajime's side, he was actively erecting stone walls to shield his allies in the back from the Behemoth's shockwave attacks, while also employing tricks such as creating potholes to hinder the Behemoth's movement.

As soon as the situation in the back was cleared, Kouki unleashed his strongest spell, a high-level holy attack resembling a fake Excalibur laser beam aimed at the Behemoth.

Following that attack, the students at the rear who had finished channeling spells began to assist Hajime by attacking the Behemoth. They launched a barrage of attacks, chaining them together in a mesmerizing display. While the various spells didn't inflict damage on the Behemoth, they certainly slowed it down, prompting Hajime to initiate a retreat.

However these attacks were also causing damage to the bridge.

Desperately running across the collapsing bridge, Hajime had absolute faith in his classmates' abilities to cover him. However, amidst the multitude of spells aimed at the Behemoth, one had a slightly lower trajectory—heading straight for Hajime. A moment of surprised confusion passed through his mind. 'WHY?'

Forcing his legs to stop, the fireball exploded just inches in front of his face, its shockwaves blasting him back towards the Behemoth. He avoided a direct hit and suffered no damage but he lost his balance completely. It was then the collapsed bridge had already caught up with them, and the Behemoth was the first to fall.

Hajime, he crawled desperately, searching for something—anything to grab onto. Yet, all handholds crumbled away just as quickly, leaving him to fall down to the darkness just like the Behemoth.

'Ah, I'm not gonna make it…' He muttered those words inside his head as he gave up. In his final moments, he glanced over at his classmates one last time. He saw a variety of reactions as he fell, before disappearing into darkness.

Kaori screamed in desperation as she tried to run over to him, but Shizuku and Kouki held her back to prevent her from endangering herself.

To everyone else present in this room, there was no saving Hajime. He had fallen off a bridge so deep that no one could even see the bottom.

It was then that Captain Meld walked up to Kaori and gave her a hard chop to the back of her neck. She spasmed once, then fell unconscious. Right away, everyone agreed that they were all going to go back.

One of their classmates had just died right in front of their eyes. That had shaken the whole class a great deal. Almost everyone was staring at the chasm where the bridge had been in a daze.

Dark Magician Girl, still stationed at the back entrance, clenched her hand tightly as blood dripped from it. She kept dealing with the spawning skeleton troops by herself in silence. From her vantage point, she watched and heard everything unfold.

***

The trip back to the surface was mostly quiet, with discussions focused on appropriate measures to deal with monsters swiftly and evade traps.

When they returned, they were greeted with the nostalgic sight of the labyrinth's main gate and the reception counter. As the kids stepped outside, a wave of relief passed over them. Many were grateful to be alive, while others felt deeply shaken and depressed.

Dark Magician Girl, typically vibrant, remained completely silent throughout the journey. Upon their return to the surface, she quickly slipped away from the group unnoticed to gather supplies, getting a map, asking for directions, and setting up another identity while gathering information.

With Gojo's suggestion, she managed to make this work, despite it taking the entire day and night with no rest in between.

Luckily, the kingdom had provided a substantial amount of money to all the heroes, and she had spent three-quarters of it in this town. The majority of her funds went towards establishing a long-term fake identity within an adventurers guild. Additionally, she paid the guild leader, Loa Bawavis, to keep this arrangement high key and to secure the highest rank available.

After paying a hefty price to Loa, she successfully attained a silver rank, along with a letter of recommendation from him in case she ever decided to enter a different guild branch.

However, Anam currently had no immediate use for the guild. Nonetheless, she recognized the need for its services in the near future and believed it was best to make plans ahead of time.

Initially, the guild leader vehemently refused, even in front of the hero. It was only when Anam threatened the guild leader and its entire organization that the situation shifted. Leveraging her hero status, she issued an ultimatum: comply or face destruction. Either the guild would be labeled as heretic by the church after her complaint or risk ostracization by the kingdom for failing to support the heroes with their needs. One of those two will happen if he doesn't work with her in this.

Naturally, the guild leader had no choice but to comply, especially after being paid handsomely and provided with valuable information about the church and the current situation with the kingdom. He even swore to keep it all a secret. If this knowledge were to be revealed, he certainly would end up being murdered somewhere along the lines. That's how important this information was.

Honestly, Dark Magician Girl really didn't like this. However, she couldn't help but admit that all of what Gojo suggested was extremely useful. While morally questionable, they were still within humane methods; after all, no harm was done in this transaction. So she endured the shameless tactic, knowing she'd definitely be compensated by Gojo for it. She'd make absolutely sure of it.

After that was done she stocked up on supplies and essentials. This left her with a few silver coins left, this amount should last about a week or up to a month with careful spending.

Before departing for good, she left a small note in her room.

The next morning, in Anam's room, she was gone, leaving nothing but a letter:

"I'm leaving… Goodbye."

***