Somewhere on DesuMachi Planet…
A bright flash of light burst open in the middle of a dense forest. Hachiman and the Lesser Demon, which was formed from the Greater Demon's torn arm, materialized mid‑air before both of them rolled across the ground. The moment they stopped, Hachiman used every ounce of strength he could muster and drove a brutal knee strike straight into the demon's face.
"Guaahh!!!" the demon shrieked as it was sent flying, crashing through several trees before disappearing into the forest.
"Ugghhh…" Hachiman groaned, pushing himself to stand. His head throbbed in pain as he scanned his surroundings. "Where… is this place?"
Blue sky. Open air. Forest stretching endlessly around him. He wasn't in the Labyrinth. He wasn't even in Seiryuu City.
And Mei—she wasn't with him.
"That damn demon… It teleported us outside the labyrinth and even separated Mei from me!!" Hachiman grits his teeth as anger boils in his chest.
"And the worst part? That demon might be right." Hachiman clenched his fist. His worry for Mei, for Sora, and the anger at himself twisting together in his chest. "Because I know nothing in this world can threaten us, I let my guard drop."
"Ow, ow. You Heroes are truly bad. Suddenly attacking when Moi is unprepared. I, disappointed," the Arm Demon whined as it floated towards him.
Hachiman's cheek twitched at its tone. Without even looking at it, he waved his hand, then multiple layers of Geo shields surrounded and locked the demon in place.
"W-Woah?! What is this?! I implore?!" the Arm Demon yelped in panic.
Hachiman snapped his fingers. The shields collapse on its own, bringing the lesser demon together as they explode to thousands of pieces.
"Tsk. If I hadn't held back earlier, that 'Wagahai(The Great I)' demon would've been dead by now." He exhaled, shaking his head. "No use regretting it. First I need to figure out where I am… and find where Mei got teleported to. Then we head back to Sora's side as fast as possible."
He opened his system map and activated the 'All-Map-Exploration' skill to pinpoint his location. To his relief, he wasn't far from Seiryuu City. Even better Mei's blue dot was close by, while the red dot beside her had vanished.
A sudden tremor shook the ground. Hachiman blinked as a streak of red lightning sliced across the sky and the earth in a single impossible line.
"Okay… yeah. Both Meis are really angry. That one slash of her, just left a three‑kilometer cut….. That's really bad" he muttered, sweat dripping down his temple as he watched the red lightning slowly dissipated.
"Alright. Time to get to her side and calm her down… for the safety of this world," he whispered to himself. "We don't want a Honkai Impact event on a world where gods, spirits and demons live."
'Please hold on for a while, Sora. We'll get back to your side as fast as we can,' he added silently.
Then he sank into his shadow, moving swiftly toward Mei's location.
—-----
Demon's Labyrinth, Seiryuu City, DesuMachi Planet…
The survivors of the labyrinth all looked at Sora with awe and disbelief as the Greater Demon's body was sent crashing into the distant wall. None of them could reconcile the image before them, a child standing in front of them after throwing the feared demon that, by all common sense, should have been unstoppable.
Then the ground trembled.
The demon came out from the rubble, its wounds regenerating at fast pace. Its expression twisted with shock, disbelief… and a deep displeasure.
"A mere human child… sent me flying? The Great I… offended." it growled, shaking its head to clear off the dizziness after being slammed into the wall. "How does a human child possess such strength? The Great I… intrigued."
Narrowing her eyes, Sora addressed the people behind her. "Zena-nee, Auna-san, Liza, Pochi, Tama. Please make sure no one steps outside the shields Hachi-nii made. As long as you stay inside, you'll all be safe."
"S‑Sora-san, w‑what are you doing?" Zena stammered.
Sora turned back, tapping her chin thoughtfully before giving her a bright smile. "Hmm… since Hachi-nii and Mei-nee aren't here to deal with the Demon-san, as their sister I don't have much of a choice but to handle it in their stead." She said it so casually it almost sounded like she was discussing errands.
"Ehh?!" Zena gasped.
"W‑wh‑what?!" Auna yelped. "P‑please wait, Sora-san! Don't tell us you plan to fight the demon alone?!"
Sora answered with a small shrug, paired with an innocent smile that only made everyone panic even more.
"Sora-sama! I don't mind being a sacrifice but please let me fight with you!" Liza stepped forward immediately and bowed.
"Tama too!"
"P‑Pochi will fight with Sora-chan-sama too!"
"Sora-sama, I may not be as strong as Mei-sama or Hero-sama, but please—allow me to stand beside you!" the galleon priest stepped forward, voice trembling yet firm.
"As a citizen of this city and a noble of this kingdom, it is our duty to stand with the Heroes against anything that threatens our peace. Please let me join as well," Viscount Velton declared, placing a hand over his chest.
"Sora-sama! I, Kigouri, as captain of this squad, have a duty to fight for the people of this city. And you being the companion of the Hero, we will fight with you!" the captain said as he stepped up beside the others.
"Ahahah! Don't leave me behind, Sora-sama! As a warrior and soldier, I'll fight to the death—even against a demon!" the heavy soldier with the battle axe added enthusiastically.
Watching everyone suddenly cast aside their fear and step up one after another, Sora scratched the back of her head with a troubled, almost panicked smile.
"Woah! Woah! Everyone, please calm down!" she waved her hands quickly, trying to settle the growing crowd.
But before anyone could say another word, the black‑haired cat slave girl's eyes widened in terror as she screamed
"WATCH OUT!!!"
"Eh?" Sora blinked, confused for a second then a massive shadow covered her. She quickly turned, and saw the Greater Demon was already upon her, its enormous claws flying toward her with enough force to flatten a five‑story building.
Her eyes widened as the world seemed to slow down. Zena and the others gasped. The Soldier Captain and Heavy Soldier jumped forward, desperate to shield her. Sora leaned back, trying to bring her hammer up between herself and the incoming blow.
Fortunately, she had her two reliable companions, a gift from the Express Crew.
Wan‑chan, ever vigilant, immediately deployed her funnels, forming a barrier around Sora the instant it detected the demon's movement.
And Champ—who leapt in front of Sora and threw a counter‑punch straight at the demon's claws.
The moment both attacks met, time snapped back to normal. A deafening crack ripped through the room as shockwaves blasted outward, shattering the already‑broken ground under them.
The impact forced Sora backward, her backward‑leaning posture made her lose her balance. She stumbled but Wan‑chan was already behind her, catching her before she could fall.
"Wan-chan! Champ!!" Sora cried in relief.
"Arf!"
"Gruu!"
The demon, stunned that its attack had been stopped, let out a low groan.
"My attack was… blocked by this strange creature? The Great I… surprised."
"Gruu!" Champ stepped forward like a seasoned boxer, fists up, moving from left and right before unleashing a flurry of punches toward the Greater Demon.
"Hooo! Challenging me to a fistfight? The Great I… happily accepts!" the demon roared with laughter as it punched back.
As the two exchanged blows, Sora exhaled, calming her nerves. She stood straight, adjusting her grip on her Kuru-kuru Hammer. Then she glanced back at Zena and the others.
"If you all want to help me, please stick to magical support. But make sure no one would leave the boundary of Hachi-nii's shield. I won't be able to protect anyone if you're outside it. I need to give my full focus to fighting Demon-san."
She didn't wait for a reply. Sora turned sharply and sprinted toward the clash between Champ and the demon.
"Wan-chan! Let's go! Time to finish this!" she shouted as she leapt, twirling her hammer with growing momentum.
"Arf!"
—---
Zena, Auna, Liza, Pochi,Tama and the rest all stepped at the very edge of the boundary of Hachiman's Geo shield, unable to tear their eyes away from the chaotic battle unfolding in front of them.
Sora places herself between the demon's massive legs, twirling her hammer before slamming it at the demon's leg. The blow connected with a loud bang, forcing the Greater Demon to lose balance. Wan‑chan hovered close behind her, firing beams from its funnels, while Champ traded fists with the monster like a heavyweight champion.
"S‑Sora‑san is really… fighting it head‑on…" Zena whispered, her hands clasped tightly over her mouth.
"S-she is actually able to force the Greater Demon back…," Auna added weakly, trembling.
Battle against the demon. "Amazing… she's so young, and yet she stands against something even the kingdom's strongest knights would fear."
"Is this… truly the strength of someone from the Hero‑sama's family?" Kigouri muttered, equal parts terrified and impressed.
Velton swallowed hard as Sora spun again, Wan‑chan's funnels opening fire in perfect sync. "Perhaps… this is also the burden that they need to carry for being part of that family."
When Sora leapt high and brought her hammer down, shaking the entire room, Pochi and Tama both squeaked and hugged each other.
"T‑Tama thought Sora‑sama was cute… but Sora‑sama is scary‑cute!!"
"P‑Pochi agrees!! Sora‑chan‑sama is… is… super warrior!!"
Another shockwave burst outward as Champ caught the demon's arm and twisted it back. Sora dashed in from the side, delivering another heavy blow from her hammer that made everyone flinch.
"Y‑yare… that girl…" Zena whispered breathlessly. "She really is their sister."
None of them noticed it at first but slowly, their fear began to fade.
Because watching Sora fight wasn't horrifying.
It was inspiring.
And the hope that collapsed after Hachiman and Mei was sent away by the demon finally came back. And this time, they promised to themselves that they will not be just an observer.
They too will fight, in their own way.
—--
Sora tightened her grip on her hammer, her eyes remained strong as she dashed back into the fray.
Wan‑chan's funnels scattered outward, firing coordinated beams that forced the demon to protect itself. Champ circled in, fists glowing faintly as he threw a gravity enhanced right hook into the demon's ribs.
"Gruu!!"
The demon staggered, then snarled with growing irritation. "Persistent insects…! The Great I, Annoyed!"
Sora spun once, her hammer gathering momentum before she slammed it down on the demon's knee. A loud crack rang, forcing the demon to drop to one leg.
"Got you!" she said with a grin.
The demon roared and swung its massive arm sideways. Sora hopped back, but the shockwave still pushed her several meters across the stone.
"Arf!!"
Wan‑chan immediately jumped to her side, catching her while firing a barrage of beams that hit the demon's face directly.
"Nice, Wan‑chan! Keep him busy!"
Champ leapt high, bringing both fists down in a double hammer blow. The impact shook the entire room. The demon's head snapped downward, embedding deeply into the ground.
"You two are amazing!" Sora cheered, rushing in again.
The demon lifted its head free and shouted in anger, "ENOUGH! TIME TO END THIS ANNOYING GAME! The Great I, Declares!"
It stomped hard, releasing a pulse of dark magic that threw all three of them backwards. The shockwave threw Sora, Wan‑chan, and Champ off balance, exactly the opening the demon wanted.
Without a moment of delay, lightning appeared over its arms. Crackling.Hissing. The Greater Demon glared before unleashing a thunderbolt straight toward them.
Sora barely had time to regain her balance before the lightning struck her dead‑on.
[Skill Acquired: Lightning Magic: Demon]
[Skill Acquired: Lightning Resistance]
[Skill Acquired: Paralysis Resistance]
"Owie… my hands and feet are tingling."
Gasps and worried shouts rose from behind the shield, but Sora shook her head, trying to clear the static buzzing through her limbs. She quickly glanced at her HP bar — only about five points of damage.
'If I had to compare that attack on what I feel at the moment… It's like getting an extreme prickling feeling from pins and needles after kneeling too long.'
But the demon didn't even give her a chance to catch herself.
It charged towards her, claws already descending. Sora tried to dodge, but her legs were still numb and her body simply refused to move.
"Ohh no—!"
She swung her hammer up on reflex. The block took most of the blow, but the demon's claws still grazed her shoulder.
"Uhh…!" she cried out as she fell on her bottom.
[Skill Acquired: Poison Resistance]
[Skill Acquired: Disease Resistance]
[Skill Acquired: Decay Resistance]
"Seriously?! Just how many status conditions can you put in one attack?!" Sora complained, kicking her feet lightly as the numbness remained.
"...■■■■■– Air Hammer!"
"....■■ ■■■– Holy Javelin!" "
....■ ■■■ ■■■— Flame Lance!"
Spells flew through the air as Zena, the Garleon Priest, and Viscount Velton unleashed their magic at the demon, explosions bursting across its body.
The attacks didn't deal much damage, but they forced the demon to stop attacking and buy Sora a few precious seconds to catch herself.
"....■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■— Cure Heal!" Auna's voice rang out as warm light wrapped around Sora, her wound sealing instantly and the status debuffs vanished.
"Wow! Nice!" Sora's eyes went wide as she turned to Auna, flashing her a bright smile and a thumbs‑up. "Thanks, Auna‑san!"
Auna was stunned for a moment, her mouth open in surprise, before she shyly returned the gesture without thinking.
Now fully recovered, Sora adjusted her hold on her hammer and hopped backward to create distance between her and the demon.
Wan‑chan and Champ, having finally shaken off the effects of the earlier lightning attack, let out furious cries and charged at the Greater Demon with renewed energy, throwing themselves into the fight with pure indignation for hurting their master.
Seeing her companions back in action, Sora quickly allocated several skill points into her newly acquired resistance skills, her expression sharpening as her stance went back into combat readiness.
"Alright… this can't continue any longer," Sora murmured to herself. "Me, Wan-chan, and Champ aside… Zena-nee and the rest's mana will eventually be depleted. Our magic support won't last much longer."
The fight between the Demon and her companions intensified. The ground shook as magical attacks flew from both the demon and the rear line, where Zena and the rest were. Wan-chan's funnel beams, Champ's heavy punches, the demon's claw attacks, each impact met violently.
Biting her lip, Sora forced herself to ignore the ongoing battle, instead focusing on finding a way to end this one and for all.
"I need something… something I can use for a decisive attack."
She then went through her mental list of gadgets the crew had prepared for her.
"Hmm… I have the Portable Gravity Clamp from Hajime‑nii and An‑nee… but if I press the wrong button, it doubles gravity on me instead. Nope. Not dying because of my own gadget today." She shook her head rapidly.
"Then there's the Impact‑Boost Cartridges Kia‑nee gave me. They make my Kuru‑Kuru twirl super strong, but the recoil spins me like a top for three whole seconds. Last time I nearly flew into a wall." She puffed her cheeks at the memory.
"Oh! The Spark‑Spitter Mini Cannon… it shoots superheated plasma pellets, but after three shots it overheats, starts smoking, and—" she winced, "—lightly explodes. Still scary." Her shoulders trembled.
"And Mei‑nee's Thunder‑Snap Arc Bracelets… super cool short‑range electric burst strong enough to stun armored monsters!" Her excitement faded a second later. "Except they sometimes misfire and zap me instead… Mei‑nee said it's 'user error,' but I swear those bracelets have an attitude." She pouted, rubbing her arm as if recalling a past shock.
She let out a long sigh. "Still… I have all these things in my pouch, but none of them feel like they can break this deadlock. There has to be something I can use… something big."
Suddenly, she remembered one particular item buried deep in her long list of gadgets. The one so terrifyingly effective that even Noah, Hajime, and Hachiman would flinch or immediately take evasive positions the moment they saw it.
"Hehehehe…" A slow, wicked grin crept across Sora's face. "You better prepare yourself, demon-san. My next move will be your very last moment."
She put her hammer back into her inventory, took one deep breath, and sprinted toward the Greater Demon. Even with Wan‑chan and Champ attacking it from both sides, the demon still noticed Sora charging straight at him.
With a furious snarl, it grabbed Wan‑chan mid‑dive and slammed Wan-chan into Champ. Luckily Champ was able to catch him, but the sheer force pushed both of them into the distant wall.
With her guardians momentarily out of commission, the demon focused entirely on Sora.
"Hoo… you charge directly toward me? The Great I, amused."
"Of course!" Sora shot back with a grin. "I can't beat you without getting closer!"
It launched wind blades, lightning spheres, and bursts of dark magic at her—but Sora slipped through every attack, nimbly dodging with steps so light it looked like she was dancing. Her small stature worked entirely to her advantage.
"You're impressive for a human child! The Great I, impressed!" the demon roared.
Then it inhaled sharply and exhaled a gray colored cloud straight into her path. Sensing that the smoke was bad news, Sora slid to a stop.
She immediately took control of Wan‑chan's funnels, commanding them into a tight dome around her. The barrier materialized just in time as the gray smoke hit against it, turning the ground around her into stone.
"Petrification…? Nope!"
[Skill Acquired: Petrification Resistance]
The demon stiffened in surprise. Its eyes narrowed as its Petrification breath had failed.
It fired a barrage of dark missiles and slicing wind blades, then followed by its claws ready to tear Sora apart.
But Sora remained calm. She tracked each spell carefully, using the bare minimum movement to slip past them. And when the demon's claws were about to land at her—
She dropped into a roll.
The claws smashed into the ground instead, buried deep into the ground.
"!!!" The demon's eyes went wide at Sora's unexpected action.
Sora used the momentum from her roll to spring up, her body moving before the demon could even pull its claws free. As she rose, she pulled something out from her pouch, the trump card she decided to use against the demon.
The 'Instant Explosive Slippers.'
The Greater Demon froze, confused. "What… is that? Some kind of relic? A sacred weapon? The Great I… curious."
Sora grinned. "Bye‑bye demon‑san. Experience the hidden art passed down through generations! The ultimate punishment technique all Moms have mastered since the dawn of time!"
She threw the slipper with all her might.
The demon blinked. "A… footwear? The Great I—"
BOOM!!!
The instant the slipper made contact, a blinding pillar of light exploded across the entire room. The shockwave exploded outward like a miniature sun detonating underground. Sora, Wan‑chan, Champ, and everyone behind the shield threw their arms over their eyes as the whole Labyrinth shook violently.
"W‑what is this power?!" someone screamed.
Even the demon's voice was swallowed by the explosion.
When the light finally faded along with the shaking of the room, Sora carefully opened one of her eyes.
"…Uhh?"
She raised her head slowly.
The Greater Demon, one of the feared beings in this world was completely gone. Not even ash remained. Instead, a massive trail of blast cut an opening straight through the walls of the room extended so far that the end couldn't be seen.
And at the very center of the impact, where the demon once stood… lay the slipper.
Perfectly clean.
Not a scratch.
Sora gulped loudly. "O‑Okay… note to self… never underestimate the Mom Technique. A single slipper can… erase… a demon… from existence."
Behind her, everyone was also stunned at the sight before them.
Pochi whispered, "S‑Sora‑chan-sama… cool… and amazing.. Truly super cool nano desu."
Tama nodded rapidly, her tail swinging energetically. "Super cool…"
Champ and Wan‑chan slowly peeked from behind Sora, equally stunned.
[Title Acquired: Labyrinth Conqueror]
[Title Acquired: Dances with Demons]
[Title Acquired: Demon Slayer: Greater]
[Title Acquired: Hero]
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