Seiryuu City, DesuMachi Planet…
At the villa where Hachiman's group was staying in Seiryuu City, Mei moved around the kitchen with overflowing wife energy. She tied her apron neatly before opening the magic tool that served as a refrigerator, scanning the shelves for ingredients.
"Let's see… we still have buffalo meat from the Demon's Labyrinth, some frog meat… Ah, and the rabbit from the market earlier… Hmm, decisions, decisions… What would Hachiman want today?"
She tapped her finger on her chin, thinking it over.
In the end, she chose something simple. Nothing extravagant, just a warm home-cooked meal that would ease the fatigue of someone who had been fighting for hours.
If Hachiman were here, he would simply say that anything is fine since what she made would be delicious and that she didn't need to worry so much. And of course, she would immediately protest.
"Saying 'anything is fine' is the hardest answer to work with, you know."
A small smile tugged at her lips.
"Alright… rabbit stew, vegetable salad, mashed potatoes, and garlic bread. And for dessert… hmm… classic pudding should be perfect."
With her plan decided, Mei began taking out the ingredients and preparing them one by one. She wanted everything ready as soon as possible. Knowing Hachiman, his fight against the magician wouldn't last long.
He could walk through the door at any moment.
"Mistress Mei, is this cut fine?"
"Hmm? Ah, yes. That's perfect, Lulu-chan. Could you do the same for the carrots?"
"Yes! Please leave it to me!"
Working beside her was Lulu, carefully helping with the preparation. Originally, the other maids of the villa—and even the head chef—had offered to assist Mei in the kitchen, but she had gently declined their help.
Lulu, however, was a little different. Mei had noticed early on that the younger girl had a natural sense for cooking, so she began teaching her personally, letting her assist while guiding her step by step.
Although Lulu still couldn't prepare a full dish on her own yet, she was steadily picking up Mei's techniques. In a few more months, she would likely be able to cook independently.
"Mei-sama sure is enthusiastic… even at a time like this," Auna murmured as she stepped into the doorway, watching Mei act as composed as ever despite Hachiman having left to fight an unknown magician.
"Hmm?"
Sensing someone's gaze, Mei looked up and noticed Auna standing there.
"Hello, Auna-san. Do you need something? Or are you perhaps hungry?"
She asked with a gentle smile.
Scratching her cheek, Auna shook her head. "I just wanted to check on you… since Hachiman-sama left to fight that magician."
"Ah… I'm sorry. Did I worry you?" Mei's smile softened, turning slightly apologetic. "Please don't worry. I'm really fine. I know Hachiman will be alright."
Auna blinked at the certainty in her voice. "Mei-sama trusts Hachiman-sama that much?"
"Ahahaha… It's not exactly trust." Mei let out a small laugh, her expression warm. "It's more of that I know him. After all… he is my hero before anyone else."
Auna's eyes widened at the confession. Then she giggled. "Hehehe. Mei-sama really loves Hachiman-sama, doesn't she?"
Mei's cheeks turned red, but she didn't deny it. She simply smiled.
—---
Maze of Trazayuya, DesuMachi Planet…
And as Mei had expected, her Hero was indeed doing fine. He was crushing his enemies with ease, yet still holding back most of his strength. After what happened in the Demon's Labyrinth, Hachiman no longer allowed himself to grow careless. No matter how overwhelming the gap in power, he stayed alert for the unexpected.
The woman with the greatsword forced herself back onto her feet. She scowled at him, teeth clenched, and let out a hoarse yell.
Dark red liquid streamed from her ears and nose, staining even her eyes.
'This isn't good for her body…' Hachiman's gaze sharpened.
Her stamina had already dropped to nearly half. Even so, a magic circle flared to life on her forehead, glowing with a disturbing purple light. It began to expand.
Within seconds, it grew to the size of a basketball—and from it erupted an absurd number of magic arrows, at least five times more than before. Her MP was already at zero, yet the arrows continued to manifest without end.
The strain on her body was obvious. Veins bulged violently beneath her skin, all the way to her fingertips, as she extended her arm toward him.
"Hey, hey... Don't push yourself that far!" he muttered worriedly.
Copying from Noah's style, Hachiman carefully read the trajectory of each arrow. He parried some with well-timed swings of his holy sword, sidestepped others with minimal movement, conserving energy while closing the distance.
Even under the relentless barrage, he advanced toward the greatsword wielder without any issue.
But just before the woman entered Hachiman's range, she leapt into the air and brought her blade down in a brutal overhead strike. He raised his holy sword at once, steel clashing against steel as he deflected the blow.
At the same time, the shield wielder had already reclaimed the front line. Hachiman saw her approach and assumed she would thrust with her rapier.
He miscalculated.
Instead of a stab, she slammed forward with a full-force shield bash.
The impact sent him flying through the air as if struck by a speeding car. The greatsword user pursued immediately, unleashing a storm of slashes meant to cut him down before he could recover. From the side, the scimitar wielder spun in with her strange, top-like technique, aiming to finish him off.
Normally, no one could evade such a coordinated assault.
But the one they were cornering was Hachiman.
Even as his body was airborne, his mind was already moving. In a fraction of a second, he calculated the safest method to disable them without killing them.
He poured MP into his holy sword and activated its inscription.
"Strike, Excalibur."
A condensed burst of mana erupted from the blade, releasing a shockwave that blasted all three women away from him.
He didn't stop there.
Just before landing, Hachiman twisted his body midair and brought his sword down against the greatsword, shattering it into fragments. Using the remaining momentum of his descent, he drove his power into the ground under the scimitar wielder's feet, pulverizing the floor and throwing her off balance.
[Skill Acquired: Weapon Destruction]
The scimitar-wielding woman hit the floor, spinning helplessly before collapsing like a toy that had lost its momentum.
Even with her greatsword shattered, the swordswoman jumped at him using the broken remains. Hachiman parried the desperate strike and flowed straight into a roundhouse kick, using the recoil of his deflection to drive his heel into her temple.
She dropped instantly.
"Two to go," he murmured.
Ignoring the fallen scimitar user for the moment, Hachiman's focus went to the shield wielder. Her condition was deteriorating fast, her skin flushed red, veins swollen, breath ragged.
Worse, her stamina was nearly depleted. If he struck her directly, she might collapse before he even made proper contact.
"…Looks like I don't have much choice." His eyes settled on the rapier in her hand.
Hachiman remained perfectly still as she charged. He waited until the last possible instant—
—and caught the blade between two fingers.
His absurd STR stat made it effortless. The rapier was stolen from her hand before she even processed what had happened.
[Skill Acquired: Sword Catching]
The woman stared in shock at her empty hand. Hachiman stepped in, placed his palm against her shield, and forced it away from her body. She tried to bring up her free arm in defense, but her exhausted limbs were too slow.
A light tap from the pommel of his holy sword was all it took.
She fell unconscious.
When he turned back to the scimitar wielder, he realized she had already overexerted herself and passed out from the earlier impact.
The hall went silent.
As confirmation of victory, a corridor slowly opened toward the throne platform.
Hachiman didn't waste any more time. He stepped forward.
—---
The sound of Zen's applause rang through the hall.
"Most wonderfully done. Welcome, Hero."
A shadow stretched forward at his command, carrying the Holy Sword Gjallarhorn toward Hachiman as if offering a ceremonial prize.
"Well, Magician-san… or should I call you Undead King?" Hachiman's voice remained flat. "Did you really orchestrate all of this… just to die?"
"The answer," Zen replied calmly, "is both yes and no."
"I'm not in the mood for Zen riddles."
At that, Zen laughed, like someone who'd lost his mind.
Under his hood, the two purple flames wavered wildly.
"Then tell me…" Hachiman pressed, eyes never leaving him. "Why?"
"Hmm?"
"Why go this far? Why stage this entire spectacle?"
He held Zen's gaze, demanding the truth behind the theatrics.
"Hero… tell me. If you were given another chance, what would you pray for? What wish would you place before that merciless god? What desire would you beg to have granted?"
Zen did not answer Hachiman's question. Instead, he continued in his own direction.
"In my case… as you can see, I became the king of the night. Undead. Immortal. I prayed for a body that would not die, a life without hunger, and the strength to strike back against senseless violence."
"So that's why you were reborn like this…"
Zen's arms were still spread wide, but his laughter faded. He slowly shook his head.
"You assume too much. No… the god allowed me to be reborn as a healthy child. I was raised by kind, respectable parents. I met a brave and beautiful woman far better than I deserved. Together, we were blessed with a precious daughter—the greatest treasure of our lives."
"Then why…?" Hachiman began, only to stop. The memory of the play they had watched earlier flashed across his mind.
"…You're that man."
"Heh. Yes. Because I grew comfortable. Even though my first life was stolen so violently, I convinced myself this one would be different."
Zen removed his hood.
Purple flames burned within his hollow sockets, lighting the skeletal face.
"I was imprisoned by a noble who became obsessed with my wife. I was executed for a crime I did not commit. When I awakened again in this form, blessed by that so-called god… the first thing I saw was the heads of my parents lined up before me. My family, slaughtered."
His voice lowered.
"And under them… was my wife's body. Discarded like something worthless. Our daughter—our little girl—was torn from us and sold as a slave."
The purple flames in his eyes are burning with fury.
Hachiman's expression darkened as his grip on the Holy Sword tightened.
"I do not need your pity, Hero. I revived my family as undead… and many others who suffered the same fate. I bared my fangs at the nobles who held all the power and destroyed everything they had built."
Zen looked at him without remorse.
"After I took my revenge, I intended to journey to the afterlife, where my wife awaits me. But I couldn't. I had to find our daughter. So I searched… for years… until I finally found her."
His shoulders trembled as he recalled that moment.
"Inheriting my magical talent and aptitude, she was a genius. She absorbed knowledge faster than anyone. I taught her everything I knew—both from Earth and from this world. She surpassed them all. She became unparalleled. But… but…!"
The pride in his voice fractured, replaced by rage, helplessness, and shame.
"Because of that, she was targeted by a certain group. Demon worshipers, humans. They sought to use her as a sacrifice to hatch a Demon Lord."
"What did you just say?"
Hachiman couldn't hide his shock.
"Wings of Liberty. A secret society of demon worshipers… composed mostly of disaffected nobles or influential people."
Zen spat the name with such venom that even Hachiman instinctively flinched.
"I still remember her cries. She begged them to stop. She begged for mercy. But those inhuman bastards stabbed her in the stomach and left her bleeding. And when she was about to die… they healed her—just enough to keep her alive. Just enough to drain every last drop of magic from her while she suffered even more!"
Zen's mana exploded outward. The smooth floor of the throne room cracked and splintered under the sheer pressure of his rage.
"To save our daughter, my last living family, I did it… Since they wanted a Demon Lord… I gave them one."
His voice turned cold, emptied of everything but resolve.
"So that's why you needed a true Hero…" Hachiman said in realization. "You wanted to die. And at the same time… you couldn't. And if you did, you would leave behind the only family you have left…"
At that moment, Hachiman finally understood.
"Because of God's blessing—your unique skill, you cannot die. Only someone blessed by a god… a Hero… can kill you. A Demon Lord."
"Correct." Zen let out a helpless sigh. "Even the Turn Undead spells of priests… even the Holy Sword I worked so hard to obtain… none of them can grant me death."
This time, he spoke his feelings out loud.
"Truly… I have been cursed."
Hachiman forced his heart and mind to calm themselves. What Zen had revealed was heavy—far heavier than he expected.
"So your long-cherished desire is… to finally die…" Hachiman's expression tightened. "…And to entrust your daughter to someone who can protect her."
Hearing his guess, Hachiman sensed Zen smiling at him.
"In order to preserve what little humanity remained in me, my daughter performed a ritual. She anchored my existence… in exchange for her own."
Zen waved his hand. From his shadow, a coffin slowly rose.
Inside lay a beautiful young girl in her late teens, sleeping peacefully. Long, dark onyx hair framed her face, a short braid resting against her shoulder with a white ribbon tied neatly at the end.
"She will remain asleep as long as I live. Our daughter, Tinasha… sacrificed her future to save me. Her useless father."
Hachiman closed his eyes to pull himself together. He didn't trust his voice. The weight of this family's suffering broke through the defenses he had built around his heart.
"Hero, you are strong. Strong enough that you may one day lose yourself in your pursuit of greater power. But do not forget this… Humanity is fragile. If you ever come to cherish someone, be careful that you do not misuse the power the gods have granted you."
Zen looked at him gently.
"This strength is too much for any one human. Do not walk the same path I did…"
"…Thank you for your advice."
Hachiman carved those words into his heart.
"Now then, Hero. I have said all that must be said. Deliver the final blow. Destroy me… and return the future to my last remaining family."
Thus spoke the Magician Zen—no, the Demon Lord Undead King Zen.
Hachiman hiccupped, gritting his teeth as he fought back the tears threatening to fall. He drew Excalibur and prepared to invoke the final inscription of the most powerful Holy Sword.
[FOR VICTORY, EXCALIBUR!!]
Hachiman raised Excalibur high above his head, pouring his boundless mana into the blade. Pure, radiant light flooded the throne room, swallowing shadow and stone alike. The sword extended upward, piercing through the ceiling and reaching toward the sky itself.
"Gah… ha-ha… Ena, my angel Liltiena… I will be with you again at last…"
"Zen… my dear Zen… you endured so much."
Zen froze as he heard her voice.
Before him stood the gentle figure of his late wife, reaching out and embracing him tightly.
"It's alright now… You can finally rest."
"…Umm!"
He returned the embrace without hesitation.
Hachiman bit his lip, calming his erratic heart. He looked up and saw Zen and Liltiena smiling at him—then giving him a small, grateful nod.
Tears slid down his cheeks, but he nodded back with a shaky smile.
"Please rest assured… I will take care of your daughter. I promise she will know happiness. She will see the world and beyond. She will experience a wonderful adventure… I stake that on my name."
He inhaled deeply and shouted.
"In the name of [Guardian] Hachiman of the Nameless! Your daughter, Tinasha, will live with enough happiness for both of you!"
He brought Excalibur down.
A pillar of holy light engulfed Zen completely.
....Thank you.
And within it, Hachiman heard faint words of gratitude.
[Title Acquired: Demon Lord Slayer]
[Title Acquired: Demon Lord Slayer (Undead King)]
[Title Acquired: Hero]
[Title Acquired: True Hero]
[Title Acquired: Maze Explorer]
—----
As the light from Excalibur faded, half of the entire facility was gone. The once-great tree had been split clean in two. Even the distant mountains were not spared. A straight path had been carved through the entire range.
But Hachiman had no will to dwell on it. He stood still, eyes closed, facing the sky.
"…Zen. Mrs. Liltiena… I won't let you down."
He spoke softly, allowing the wind to carry his promise.
"Heh-heh-heh… Well, that was a failure."
"Yeah… that's a failure, all right."
An eerie laugh was heard through the ruined hall.
Hachiman instantly dropped back into a fighting stance, tightening his grip on Excalibur as he scanned for a new enemy.
What he saw instead were two small violet lights floating where Zen had once stood.
"So long, Hero."
"You win this time."
The malice radiating from them was undeniable. Hachiman reacted on instinct, slashing at the lights with Excalibur.
They scattered for a brief moment—
—and then re-formed, floating upward.
"Let's meet again, yeah?"
"See you later."
Before long, the two lights ascended into the sky and vanished from sight.
—--
"...Just what the heck are those things?"
Hachiman narrowed his eyes, but he didn't have the luxury to think about it.
Because—
[The following is a system message. The Maze's self-destruct sequence has been activated. Staff and trainees, please escape the premises immediately. I repeat…]
The announcement spoke through the collapsing hall.
"Y-you've got to be kidding me!!!"
He rushed toward Tinasha's coffin. The moment his hand touched its surface, the coffin dissolved into particles of light, releasing the girl sleeping inside.
He caught her carefully before she could fall.
Carrying her in his arms, he activated Appraisal. Aside from her MP and stamina being almost completely depleted, her condition was stable.
"…Good."
He pulled out a mana potion and tried to pour it between her lips, but most of it spilled.
Hachiman's cheeks twitched. "Right. Of course it would."
After muttering a quick apology to Mei, Ruan Mei, and the unconscious Tinasha, he took a breath, drank half of the potion himself, then pressed his lips gently to hers to pass the potion directly.
He felt her swallow.
He repeated the process until the potion was finished.
Checking her status again, he saw her MP rise by twenty percent. Her stamina followed, increasing slightly.
The girl stirred in his arms. Her eyelashes fluttered open.
"Hey… can you hear me?"
"Where… am I…?"
Her voice was faint and disoriented.
He was about to answer when the announcement blared again.
[The Maze's self-destruct sequence has been activated. Staff and trainees, please escape…]
Hachiman clicked his tongue.
"Sorry. We don't have time to explain. I promise I'll tell you everything after we get out of here. Okay?"
"…Okay?"
The girl tilted her head, clearly not fully understanding what was happening. With a small reassuring smile, Hachiman stood up, holding Tinasha securely in a princess carry.
"Whaaa… Kyaa?!"
'…Alright, that's adorable.'
"Hold on tight, okay? The way down might be a little rough." He spoke as gently as he could to reassure her.
Without waiting for her reply, Hachiman stepped forward—and jumped from the throne room on the 200th floor.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaa—!!"
Tinasha clung to him for dear life, eyes squeezed shut as the violent wind rushed past them.
'Ah… I almost forgot about them!'
Mid-fall, Hachiman suddenly remembered the homunculi women he had defeated earlier.
"I went through all that trouble to keep them alive. It'd be stupid to let them die now!"
He adjusted his descent and landed hard on a lower floor, stabilizing himself instantly before calling out.
"Arise! Arsène, Jack-o'-Lantern, Zorro, and Robin Hood!"
The moment he finished speaking, his shadow expanded across the floor—and four figures emerged from within it.
The gentleman thief coolly extends his arm, lifting his chin with overdramatic elegance.
"Wahahaha! I'm finally released!" Arsène declared dramatically.
An orange flame spirals upward, forming a grinning silhouette that bounces in place.
"Hee-ho… you only call me when things get serious? That's cold, boss!" Jack puffed his cheeks in mock offense.
A masked swordsman steps forward, his cape snapping sharply in the rushing wind.
"So. The Monarch calls again. Very well… let us make this count." Zorro said calmly.
A sharp whistle slices through the air as a cloaked archer appears behind them, bow already resting on his shoulder.
"Stacked against us again? Heh… good. I prefer impossible odds." Robin Hood grinned.
Tinasha stared at the Personas with her mouth hanging open, eyes so wide that Hachiman worried they might actually pop out.
"I-is this… the rumored Spirit magic?!"
"Please help me save the homunculi I defeated. Then meet us on the ground," Hachiman instructed the Personas calmly.
"Leave it to me, partner!"
"Aye aye, boss!"
"It shall be done, Monarch."
"Heeeh~ sure thing."
Without another word, the four figures dissolved into shadow and scattered to retrieve the fallen homunculi.
Hachiman adjusted his hold on the girl in his arms.
"Tinasha-san, sorry, but we're jumping again. Hold on tight—and try not to bite your tongue."
"Ehh?"
Just like before, he didn't wait for her response.
He stepped off.
"JUUUUUST WHAAAAT ISSSS HAAAAPPPPEEENING?!"
Tinasha's scream was swallowed by the roaring wind as the two of them jumped from the top floors toward the ground.
======