AN: Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the holidays!
And here is promised chapter update that should had been posted yesterday which I thought I can only post by tomorrow.
But thankfully I had a time today.
Anyways please enjoy!
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Demon's Labyrinth, Seiryuu City, DesuMachi Planet…
Hachiman didn't waste any more time. He raised his pistol and aimed at the Greater Demon. Geo elemental bullets shot across the room and hit its body, but the damage was far less than he expected.
'Wha…?! Did the [Physical Damage Resistance] buff cut down the damage that much?!" Hachiman clicks his tongue.
"Pathetic. Is that all a so‑called Hero can muster? The Great I, Unamused." the demon sneered, mocking Hachiman's attacks.
Feeling a bit insulted, Hachiman's cheeks twitched before firing multiple shots again. But this time, the Greater Demon twisted its huge body with a shocking agility, slipping past what should have been a near invisible bullets. It charged at him with a speed Hachiman wouldn't have expected from such a massive body.
Leaving a trail of red light behind it, the demon slammed its giant claws down toward him. Hachiman instinctively leaned back, narrowly dodging the attack by just a few inches—
—but a purple streak of lightning cut between them. Mei arrived right on time and with perfect timing, intercepted the demon's claws and parried them at the side with a single lightning‑enhanced slash.
Using that brief window, Hachiman took a step forward and swung the holy sword upward with all the raw force his absurd STR stat could muster. The attack connected, making the demon stagger backwards—- but it barely left a scratch.
The tiny scar healed in a blink of an eye.
"What's wrong, Hero? Aren't you any good with your Holy Sword? The Great I, disappointed."
"Tch… damn it! I guess I really DO need to learn how to use this thing first!" Hachiman hissed.
'So it's not like with the games… That just by having a Hero title doesn't automatically let someone be able to use a Holy Sword at full power. I actually need skill to back it up.'
"Hachiman, move back!" Mei shouted as she slid between them.
Mei didn't even wait for Hachiman to answer back, she slipped through the demon's four armed assault nimbly that didn't waste any movements. Every dodge she made, it followed by her own counterattack, using her katana which was infused with lightning as she found small openings and slashed.
While Hachiman did retreat, he didn't remain idle. He continued to his pistols, shooting multiple shots whenever he saw a gap. The demon, however, still managed to dodge some of them even while clashing with Mei—its reflexes clearly far sharper than he first assumed.
Mei flashed forward at almost light speed, leaving a trail of purple lightning. She was moving so fast that she was leaving after images, silhouette of herself attacking the demon. But The Greater Demon answered Mei's fast and relenting attacks with an overwhelming power as it swung all four of its claws towards her, each one powerful enough to tear through cavern walls.
But with Mei's enhanced perception from using her Electro emblem, she slipped between the demon's arms, gliding through them like falling petals. Her entire body bursting with Electro elemental energy, dancing around her as move, leaving faint sparks across the ground.
The demon turned its huge body using its long tail to slap her but Mei stomped her foot on the ground, vanishing before reappearing above its shoulder. Her katana was back at its sheath, while her stance was in Iai.
"You might have the advantage in terms of power but… you are too slow."
Drawing her blade in a flash, a burst of lighting left a clean slice across its upper back, blood flowing from the wound as the demon roared in pain. It moved wildly, like an angry bull, trying to throw Mei off its back, but Mei kicked off its horn, back flipping gracefully as she dodged the claw attacks coming towards her.
She landed lightly, barely disturbing the dust around her. "I admit, you might be stronger than when we first met. But if this is all your 'full power' can do, I'm disappointed."
The demon's eyes twitched, humiliation turning into anger. "Such insolence! The Great I, Furious!"
Its four arms spread wide, crimson magic flaring across its body. "Feel privileged, Maiden of Thunder. I shall use my greatest magic just for you! The Great I, Declares!"
A magic circle with a spiraling pattern appeared across the demon's front as it howled, gathering energy. A violent gust of wind whipped outward from its body, scattering dust and debris
Mei's eyes narrowed. "Fuuu…..alright, now what?"
The pressure around them suddenly spiked. Dense mana twisted around the demon's body, forming a swirling vortex of wind, lightning and dark magic elements condensed at every second.
Mei sensing the danger, not for her but for others, didn't wait any longer and immediately set into motion. In a burst of electro element, she blinked towards the demon.
The demon was about to unleash a massive multi-elemental attack with a force enough to shred the entire room where they are at. Mei kicked its jaw mid attack, snapping its mouth towards the far side of the room.
At the same time, she spun, delivering a second slash that sent a burst of Electro shock through its entire arm, cutting it cleanly.
Feeling a bit frustrated leaving everything to Mei, Hachiman gritted his teeth before forcing himself to exhale slowly.
'Relax, Hachiman. Getting frustrated won't help. It will only mess up your judgment,' he reminded himself. He released one long breath, letting his thoughts settle. 'Okay… first I need more information about this holy sword. Once I understand it properly, I can figure out how to support Mei.'
Resolving himself, Hachiman activated his appraisal skill on the holy sword. And when the pop display appeared showing the name of the weapon he pulled out of his inventory completely at random, his expression froze in pure disbelief. His eyes shot wide open, his mouth hung wide open, and for a moment he forgot how to breathe.
[Holy Sword Excalibur]
[ATK:] 8000+++
[MP:] 0
[CRIT RATE:] +50%+++
[CRIT DMG:] +100%+++
[PASSIVE]
-Increases all light‑element damage by 80%.
-Automatically purifies minor curses upon drawing the blade.
-Automatically heal the wielder's injuries.
-Grants 80% magic resistance.
-Increases Charisma by 50% (up to 80% when leading an army).
-Increases MP regeneration by 60%.
-Has a '+' modifier, which increases or multiply the stat base on the condition.
[Activation Scripture: For Victory, Excalibur]
-Formula: (1000% ATK × MP stored) × (Wielder's MND multiplier)
-Unleashes a massive column of light that pierces the entire battlefield.
-Deals overwhelming Holy DMG to all foes.
-Grants powerful Holy buffs to nearby allies.
[Bonus Effect:] The more MP stored within the Holy Sword the higher the '+' modifier can give.
'...?' Hachiman blinked, then rubbed his eyes again to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. 'HOLY CRAP—DID I JUST PICK UP POSSIBLY THE STRONGEST WEAPON IN THIS WORLD?!'
He screamed internally, then sucked in several deep breaths to calm his shaking body. 'Alright, Hachiman. Keep it together. You are NOT a middle schooler anymore. That phase of your life is long gone.'
He took multiple deep breaths and once he calmed down, he forced his brain back on track. 'Okay… based on this holy sword's description, I could bulldoze everything if I pump MP into it. The more MP, the stronger the attack. Although I REALLY want to use the Burst technique and shout that LEGENDARY line… nope. That would be embarrassing. And the collateral damage? Yeah, no.' He shivered at the thought though his excitement was still there. 'For starters, let's go with 1000 MP and go help Mei pulverize this demon!'
"Still annoying as before, Maiden of Thunder! The Great I, frustrated!" the demon snarled before firing a thunderbolt at Mei.
Mei slapped the lightning aside with a bored expression, her katana humming as it dispersed the spell. "Still using lightning on me? Even knowing it's my own element?" She raised an eyebrow. "I can't tell if you demons are stupid or just hopelessly foolish like how you spoke."
Hachiman, who heard her speak, couldn't help but wince at how venomous her tone suddenly became—before noticing her eyes had shifted from their usual purple to a sharp, unmistakable pink.
"…Ahh. Looks like the other Mei slipped out," he muttered.
"Too arrogant, Maiden of Thunder! The Great I, FURIOUS!!" The demon roared along with a howl that summoned multiple magic circles before firing a barrage of elemental attacks straight toward Mei.
Mei didn't even blink. "How noisy."
Seeing a chance, Hachiman acted instantly. He poured 1000 MP into Excalibur. The holy sword shines in blinding blue light, humming with holy power.
"Alright… let's try this."
He sprinted forward, jumping between Mei and the incoming spells. With a single downward swing, Excalibur shot a wave of holy element slash that tore through the demon's magic attacks, breaking each like brittle glass. The attack didn't stop and continued forward toward the demon.
The greater demon's eyes widened. "W‑Wha—?!"
It leapt aside, barely dodging the full impact but not fast enough.
The blade hit into its leg, cutting it through.
"GAAAH!! The Great I—CARELESS!!" the demon shrieked.
"Hachiman?!" Mei's eyes widened, shocked he'd managed to unleash something that powerful so suddenly.
"Yo. Sorry to keep you waiting," Hachiman said, exhaling lightly as he rested Excalibur on his shoulder. "I finally figured out how to use this thing."
—-
Those who were watching at the rear erupted into cheers as both Hachiman and Mei's attacks finally wounded the greater demon. Although it wasn't fatal, it was enough to push the Greater Demon back. And finally, after their combined efforts, one of its four arms sliced clean off by Mei, and a leg torn by Hachiman's holy sword attack, the demon finally lost its balance.
The very moment the demon fell on its knees, a wave of hope swept through the survivors.
"Hachiman-san… Mei-san…" Zena whispered, her voice trembling.
Auna immediately reached out, gently squeezing her hand. "It's going to be alright. Both Mei-sama and Hachiman-sama can surely defeat that demon."
Nodding, the Garleon Priest added, "With Hachiman-dono finally able to wield his holy sword properly, the greater demon's defeat shouldn't be far off."
"…It's frustrating though… that even our pride as magics couldn't contribute," Viscount Velton muttered bitterly.
"Father…" Tina murmured, worried.
"Master is amazing, nano desu!" Pochi cheered, tail wagging.
"Amazing! Amazing!" Tama repeated excitedly.
"Such incredible people… they really came to save us…" Liza whispered.
At the back, the black‑haired cat‑ear slave beastkin girl never took her eyes off the figures of Mei and Hachiman—especially the blue glow radiating from the Holy Sword in Hachiman's hands. "...Hero," she murmured softly.
Nidoren, standing beside her, narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the beastkin slave girl, then back toward Hachiman and Mei. 'Perhaps…'
Whispers spread among the survivors.
"Is that really the power of a Hero…?"
"That sword… I've never seen anything shine like that."
"They're actually pushing back a Greater Demon…!"
"We… we might really live through this…"
The soldiers muttered as well, gripping their weapons with renewed hope.
"If this is what true strength looks like…"
"…then maybe salvation really came."
But even with all that noise, Sora remained still.
Her eyes never once left the battle in front. Her expression stayed flat, controlled, but the way her hand gripped at her weapon, told what she truly felt. Her trust in Hachiman and Mei was absolute—yet as their little sister, she can't help but be worried for them.
She kept her hold at her weapon tightly. She may look strong for the others, but deep down… she was terrified of the one moment she didn't want to see.
So she stayed alert and remained ready. If there was even a single gap… she would move.
Then it happened.
The moment she never wanted to face. The moment Zena, Auna, and everyone else prayed would never come.
The moment when the raising hope unexpectedly broke, just exactly as the Demon intended.
—--
"Unexpected injury. The Great I… surprised," the greater demon muttered, staring at its own blood with a mixture of disbelief and offended pride.
Hachiman and Mei cautiously stepped closer, weapons still at their hands.
"Honestly? We too are surprised." Hachiman said, a reluctant note of respect slipping into his voice.. "Even with us holding back, the fact that you survived Mei's onslaught this long… it really shows the beings of this world aren't to be underestimated,"
Mei, who was beside him, sighs before she nodded, showing her understanding at why Hachiman said that. "This must be why this world survived..... and why it managed to push back the Legion's invasion 30,000 years ago." Her eyes landed on the demon. "With beings like you… are reminders that nothing in this world could ever be simple."
"Kukukuku… kuhahahahaha!!" The demon burst into a twisted laugh. "Your praises, unneeded! The Great I, disgusted!"
Both Mei and Hachiman raised their brows.
"…We complimented you and that's how you responded?" Hachiman muttered.
"Hero. Maiden of Thunder." The demon leaned forward, its grin stretching unnaturally wide. "Both of you are strong. Strong as our Lord… but both of you possess a fatal weakness. The Great I, mocks."
Mei's expression sharpened immediately.
Hachiman tightened his grip, stepping subtly into a defensive stance.
"…Something's wrong," Mei whispered.
"Yeah. Be ready," Hachiman replied, eyes narrowing.
"Due to your overwhelming strength and power… both of you believe that you can win any battle with ease. That means you two have never experienced fear nor caution when fighting. The Great I, Scoffs." The demon's grin stretched unnaturally, a creepy smile that made both Mei and Hachiman instinctively step back.
Then the torn leg and cut arm of the greater demon rolled close to the two of them. Before they could react, the severed body parts jumped toward them as it transformed into a lesser demon, wrapping tightly around their bodies.
"Shi—!" Hachiman cursed.
"Wha—?!" Mei gasped.
A red magic circle appeared under their feet.
"In the face of overwhelming might, there is nothing to fear. And that is precisely what makes the strong careless. The Great I, Ridicules." The demon sneered. "Goodbye, Hero. Maiden of Thunder. May we never meet again. The Great I, wish."
"You bast—!" Hachiman tried to shout, but both he and Mei vanished as the teleportation activated. In their place, the holy sword that Hachiman had been holding fell onto the ground, slipping from his hands at the very moment the teleportation took them both.
"HACHI-NII!!! MEI-NEE!!!" Sora screamed.
"NOOOOO…!" Zena and Auna cried alongside her.
"Kukukuahaahaha!" The demon laughed as its torn leg and arm regenerated. "Now humans, the annoying Hero and his partner are gone. Let the fight continue with us! The Great I, Challenges!"
—-----
The greater demon didn't give those left in the labyrinth even a second to comprehend what had happened. It jumped forward, its massive arms crashing against the Geo shield Hachiman created. The loud bang from the impact snapped everyone out of their daze.
"How annoying. Even when not present, that Hero still manages to interfere. The Great I, Irritated," the demon fumed, its voice rumbling with frustration.
Seeing the enormous demon standing right before them, several civilians collapsed to their knees, trembling.
"What do we do…?"
"It's too close… it's going to kill us…"
"No… not without the Hero-sama… not without Mei-sama…"
"H‑He saved us… even after disappearing…"
"Please… someone… help…"
Every person in the room felt the hope that bloomed earlier shatter like glass. The demon's crushing presence stripped away their will to fight. Without Hachiman and Mei beside them, despair wrapped around their hearts like a cold hand.
"Good. Despair, crumble, distress, panic, resent. The moment hope dies is the most delicious. The Great I, Delights." the demon laughed, as it savor their emotions empowering him. "Now… time to break this annoying barrier. The Great I, Insists."
The ground trembled violently as the greater demon continued pounding against the Geo shield, each blow louder than the last.
"...Is this it? Are we all going to die here?"
No one knew who said it—but the moment those words spread, the entire room despaired. People lowered their heads, accepting the grim future. They would die here, trapped in this hellish labyrinth. So they helplessly watched the barrier that Hachiman created and waited for it to break.
But what all of them didn't know was that there was still one person among them who refused to give in—one person whose heart continued to fight and will continue to be [Faithful] that the hope left behind by the [Guardian] will never be broken.
She was their sky, Hachiman and Mei's cornerstone. The one who held them together. Their very core. The [Heart] of the Raiden-Hikigaya family.
"Hey, demon-san… have you ever seen a diamond this big?" Sora asked casually, as though she wasn't standing before a Greater Demon. A massive purple diamond materialized above the demon's head complete with cat ears on top of it.
"??!!" The Greater Demon snapped its head upward, startled by the sudden appearance of the giant gem.
High above, Sora twisted her body midair, Kuru-kuru hammer gripped tightly in her hands. With all her strength, she swung down at the diamond. "If not, then… this is all yours!"
The force of Sora's swing sent the giant diamond shot straight toward the demon at incredible speed. The instant it hit, the demon's massive body was launched across the cavern, smashing violently into the far wall. Its HP bar plunged in a single, massive chunk.
Sora landed lightly on her feet, dust settling around her. Her face still carried that familiar childish look—but her expression was unmistakably that of a hero. She rested her Kuru-kuru hammer on her shoulder and let out a short, proud snort.
"Hmph!" she declared. "I hope you liked that diamond. Since it's made with Magic… I added extra Magic in it."
Seeing the demon get thrown like a ragdoll, the survivors around her stared in disbelief. Yet again, on the same day, they found themselves shocked beyond words.
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