Chapter 62: Haltina Labyrinth Part 1

Izumi walked through the portal leading to Orcus's mansion and saw Kyouko training in one of the empty spaces. Using earth magic, she had created pillars that she would use as targets for her abilities. Without alerting the girl, Izumi observed her training.

*Boom* *Boom*

All kinds of sounds were heard as Kyouko shot the targets with different kinds of spells from different elements. For the next thirty minutes, he simply observed her.

'She has improved a lot. If I were to compare her to people of our world, she would easily defeat Rias and Akeno. She may even be able to stand up to Kokabiel.' he thought as Kyouko then practiced her Restoration magic by returning the targets to their initial form.

Since Restoration magic's true power is the ability to interfere with time, it also affects non-living targets such as the earth pillars his girlfriend created. He could see its effects as, slowly and surely, the targets were rebuilding themselves as if time as been wounded. The spell she was using was called (Tetragarammation) and its effect is to restore all destruction regardless of organic or inorganic matter. It's a spell they've inherited from the Sunken Ruins of Melusine.

Izumi looked at the time so that it was time to leave. Deactivating (Presence Concealment), he came out of his hiding spot and Kyouko finally sensed him and turned to him with an annoyed expression,

"Izumi! Where were you? You came late." she said as she crossed her arms.

"Sorry! Sorry! It took longer than expected." the boy replied.

"How's your training going?

*Sigh*

Kyouko sighed and answered,

"It's going slower than I expected," she said dejectedly.

Izumi gave her a comforting smile,

"You've made tons of progress already. Although, you can't rush training."

"Says the one who can instantly master any spells." Kyouko sarcastically replied.

"Well, every rule has an exception." the boy shrugged.

In return, Kyouko punched his shoulder.

"What was that for!?"

Kyouko pouted,

"Because."

Izumi simply chuckled and sat down on the ground.

"I got the Ancient Magic from Freid."

Kyouko raised an eyebrow,

"Really? Which one is it?"

"Metamorphosis Magic."

Izumi then explained to her the magic.

"I see. So it's simply magic to create monsters."

"Yup."

"Then there is only one left."

"That's right. The Haltina Labyrinth, located at the center of the Sea of Trees."

"I see. So, when are we going?"

"We'll go in two days since I have preparations to make. I have a feeling that this Labyrinth is going to be the hardest of them all."

But Izumi knew. This Labyrinth will either be the one that will take the most time or the one that will take the least. He didn't know if he will be forcefully turned into a monster.

'I'll have to strengthen the mental resistance on Kyouko's armour. Magneto style. As well as add an anti-transformation spell on her.' he thought.

"I'll also train with you in the meantime."

'As well as in my Reality Marble.'

Kyouko nodded,

"Alright! I'll do my best!"

***

Two days later, Izumi and Kyouko were standing outside of the mansion with their stuff ready.

"Are you ready?" Izumi asked.

Kyouko grinned. Over two days, she trained as much as she could as well as learn a lot of spells from Izumi.

"Yup!"

'Alright! Then let's go!" Izumi replied and held his hand out.

Soon, the space in front of him twisted and a ring-opened up revealing the entrance of a forest. They walked through the portal and found themselves in front of the forest. The duo looked at the massive forest that expanded almost infinitely on each of their sides. They could also some of the rumoured fog although it is faint at the entrance of the forest.

"Won't! It's huge!" exclaimed the Fallen Angel.

Izumi nodded,

"Yeah, it's a lot bigger than I expected."

"You see that tree up there?" Izumi asked as he pointed at the biggest and tallest tree.

"That tree is the Grand Tree Uralt and it's where the Labyrinth is located."

"How do you know?"

"Hajime told me."

"Ah."

Izumi held out his hand to her,

"Hold my hand since the fog is meant to fool the senses of everyone except demi-humans. Though I don't know if you count as a demi-human. Probably not."

"Then how will we navigate through it?"

"Do you remember how I found the secret entrance of the Divine Mountain Labyrinth?"

"The Haki?"

Izumi chuckled,

"Yeah, the Haki. I'm going to use it to observe my surroundings. Since it's not a part of the five senses of the human body, theoretically, it should not affect me. Which is why you need to be holding my hands at all times during our walk through the forest."

"Okay." Kyouko then took Izumi's hand and they made their way into the forest.

Although Haki helps immensely in finding their way, the other factor that helped Izumi not get lost in his mental resistance. He never knew how he got it. Even Saiki couldn't penetrate it using his powers. Although he suspects that it has something to do when he reincarnated after his mental breakdown in the void.

"Izumi, is something wrong?" Kyouko suddenly asked.

Izumi turned to her,

"What? No nothing,"

He didn't realize that he shivered. The mere thought of the Void gave him goosebumps.

The couple made their way through the forest when suddenly, Izumi picked up someone's presence. Even then, if it were not for his Haki, he wouldn't even sense it. He sensed their hostility.

"Keep your guard up Kyouko. We have unwanted guests."

The girl nodded as her hands glowed with Holy Power ready to spring into action.

Izumi concentrated on his Haki and expanded its range. One, two, three. More and more presences were picked up by his Haki.

'So they're here.' Izumi grinned when he finally realized their identity.

He could feel them slowly moving toward him and Kyouko as if they were going to attack. The Japanese boy decided to take action before the situation escalates further. He reinforced his vocal cords as well as his throat and spoke.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." the boy said with an unnaturally loud voice.

The attackers stopped moving or more like they couldn't move. Each and every single one of them had a spike of Dark Matter hovering right in front of their heads ready to puncture them.

"Now, you're not going to attack us and we're not going to attack you. Is that clear? If yes, you'll move a step back and lower your weapons. If not, well..." Izumi let the words hang in the air.

Izumi and Kyouko waited for a few seconds when the rabbitmen complied with his request/threat.

"Good."

"Who are you? And why have you come to the Sea of Forest?" a male voice snarled.

Feeling his presence, Izumi saw that it was a buff rabbitman, who looked like the leader, who spoke. Seeing no reason to aggravate the situation necessarily, Izumi answered,

"My name is Izumi Miyamura and this is Kyouko Hori. We're here for the Labyrinth."

"The Labyrinth? Why should we believe you? Humans only come here to capture us as slaves."

Kyouko frowned,

"Slaves?"

Izumi nodded,

"Yeah, the Empire is known to capture beastmen as slaves."

"Shit."

"Yeah, shit."

Izumi then spoke to the rabbitmen,

"You're lying."

Snarls and growls that would not be heard from a gentle race like the rabbitmen were heard,

"Why would we lie about that? Some of my own family were killed because of them!"

Multiple agreements were heard all around them. However, Izumi shook his head,

"I never said that humans didn't come here to capture slaves. What I wanted to say is that the last human to come here was not here to capture you. In fact, he's the reason you became what you are today. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about."

A silence ensued as Izumi finished saying his piece. Izumi and Kyouko simply stood there as they waited for the rabbitmen whilst Kyouko still had her Holy power crackling in her hands ready to take action at any moment's notice.

"You know boss?" the man suddenly asked as his tone of voice suddenly changed.

It went from being threatening to a voice of awe. Similar reactions were heard all around them.

"Know him? We literally go to the same school!"

Izumi didn't mention that he only learned of Nagumo's existence after reading his story. Not like it matters.

"Really?"

"Really."

"How do we know you're not lying?"

Izumi sighed.

'Why did Hajime make these rabbits so stubborn?'

"Look, I don't have to prove anything to you guys. We just want to go to the Labyrinth and conquer it. Hajime already told us the conditions to enter it and we have it all. So kindly get the fuck out of our way."

Kyouko sighed,

"Izumi," she warned.

"My bad," Izumi replied though he didn't look sorry at all.

A tense silence ensued once more as the rabbitmen had a silent talk.

"Very well, but we will accompany you."

"Fine," Izumi replied.

A group of rabbitmen came out of their hiding place with a buff-looking dude in front of them with a threatening aura around him. In fact, every one of them had a threatening aura around them as if they were trained killing machines which were not that far off the truth.

"I am Cam Haulia and they call me the Dark Hunter of the Forbidden Depts. We shall accompany you to the Labyrinth for safe measure."

"So they've also contracted Nagumo-kun's chuunibyou?" Kyouko said hearing the name

Izumi sighed,

"Unfortunately."

He turned to the rabbitmen,

"Let's go." the tribe chief said.

Six fellow rabbitmen suddenly appeared and surrounded the couple before they took off. On the way to the Grand Tree of Uralt, some of the beastmen kept asking questions to Izumi and Kyouko about Hajime and singing so many praises that they both wanted to barf. If Hajime was contracted with chuunibyou, then this tribe turned this disease up to eleven. They reminded Izumi of Kaido Shun if he had rabbit ears and a tail as well as not being scared all the time. It brought a small smile to Izumi's face when he remembered the chuunibyou.

'I wonder how they're doing. I'll ask Saiki or Aiura later.'

Along their path, Izumi killed any monsters before they could block their path which awed the beastmen when they saw how effortlessly he killed the beasts.

Soon, they arrived at the tree.

"It's so massive!" said Kyouko in awe.

Izumi nodded. They couldn't see the top of the tree as it was hidden by the cloud. He then saw a stone lithograph in front of them.

"Izumi, is this the entrance?"

"Not yet, we still need to do one thing."

He walked up to the lithograph and got on one knee. He could see seven indents with different symbols in each in a heptagonal pattern.

Kyouko walked up behind Izumi and saw the symbols,

"I think I saw those symbols before," she said.

"You did" and Izumi projected the Orcus Labyrinth's ring.

"Ah! That's where I saw it! Are you going to put it in?"

"Yeah."

Izumi then put the ring in which in its respective indent. As soon as he did, the glowing letters appeared right on top of the lithograph.

[Four markers of strength.

The power of restoration.

A beacon woven through bonds.

Only with those three ingredients in hand will the path to a new trial be opened.]

"The markers of strength and the power of restoration? Do the markers refer to the proofs of conquests?"

Izumi nodded,

"Yup. And restoration means Restoration magic."

Izumi put the remaining four proofs. As soon as he did, the glow of the lithograph intensified before coalescing onto the ground around the stone and shooting up to the tree. When the light hit the tree roots, it began to radiate light, as well as a symbol, appeared on it.

"Look, another crest!" said one of the Rabbitmen observing.

"Is this where we use the power of restoration."

'As expected of her, she already knew what needed to be done next.'

"Yup, place your hand on the crest and cast Restoration magic."

Kyouko nodded with a smirk before placing her hand on the crest and letting the power of the Ancient magic flow through. An intense light like none before began emitting from the crest before racing up the bark. Soon many rabbitmen gasped as they saw the tree gain vitality as beautiful green lush began growing out of the branches.

It was quite the sight as the tree itself seemed to come alive.

Suddenly, the bark of the tree opened up revealing a hollow cave-like room. Izumi turned to the Haulias,

"Alright, I believe you are done here. You may return. Although I'm sure the people of Verbergen are in panic due to the tree's sudden change. You better explain it to them."

Cam simply nodded as he was too busy staring at the tree basking in new life.

Izumi shook his head and turned to Kyouko,

"Shall we?"

Kyouko grinned in return,

"Let's go!"