Chapter 15 - Volume 2 (1/2)

Chapter 5 : Cheater rather than a Hero

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

As he said it, Hajime tried to quietly close the door. The blond hair red eyes girl panicked and tried to stop him. Her voice that had not been used for years got blurred into a mutter; though her desperation was conveyed.

“W-Wait! Please! Save me…”

“Nope.”

Hajime said that and continued to close the door. Is a devil.

“W-Why? I will do anything.”

The girl was desperate. Only the head was seen, but her face was enough to transmit her feelings. Hajime responded in a gloomy manner.

“Hey, this is the bottom of the abyss. I cannot possibly release someone that has been sealed in here. It would be absolutely dangerous. With the exception of the seal, nothing else is here…there isn’t anything to help you escape. For that reason…”

His argument was sound. He wasn’t a normal person that would respond to the pleading voice of a captured girl and release her without any hesitation. Original-gentle Hajime would have surely helped her.

Being so coldly refused, the desperate girl raised her voice as she was on the edge of tears.

“No! Cough…I’m not bad!…Wait! I’m”

Hajime kept closing the door unaltered. A little time before it was completely closed, Hajime started to grind his teeth. If he had had only closed it faster, he would have heard…

“I was just betrayed.”

The closing door that only had a small crack, stopped when the girl’s cry reached it. Only a little light got through the crack into the dark room. 10 second, then 20 seconds pass. Finally the door started to open again. Hajime stood at the doorway with a sour face like he had been bitten by 100 bugs and chewed up one.

He did not have any intention to help her. There must have been a suitable reason to be sealed in here. There was no evidence to prove that there wasn’t any danger. Being deceived by a wicked being was a highly likely possibility. It was appropriate to forsake her.

“I wonder what I’m doing.”

Hajime sighed inwardly. His heart had shaken when she said “betrayed”. The past should have been behind him. In this place, trying to fulfill his wish to “live” was extremely difficult. Grudges were unnecessary distraction. If her words could affect him this much, there was probably a part of him that had not moved on. Parts of Hajime’s consciences probably still existed if he could sympathize with the girl that had the same circumstance as him.

Hajime scratched his head while he walked up to the girl. Of course, he wouldn’t lower his guard.

“You said betrayed? I don’t believe that is the reason you were sealed. If what you said was true, why did the betrayer seal you in here?”

The girl was stunned when Hajime came back. Through her abundant dirty blond hair, her red eyes stared at Hajime. Hajime got irritated with her lack of response. “Hey. Are you listening? If you are not going to talk, I’m leaving.” As he said that he turned heel. Surprised, she gathered herself and begun telling the reason for her sealing.

“I’m an atavistic vampire…I was granted great power…because of it I worked hard for my country. But…one day…all my retainers…told me I was not needed anymore. Uncle…became my king…I was fine with that…However, I was dangerous because of my powers…they couldn’t kill me…so they sealed me…in here.”

She talked desperately and bit by bit it became dried. Hajime groaned while he heard the story. Seems like the circumstances was full of drama. There were a few things that bothered her. He inquired as he suppressed his boiling emotions.

“You, what royal family are you from?”

“…(Hypnotized)”

“What do you mean can’t be killed?”

“…Automatic regeneration. Injuries heal immediately. Even if decapitated.”

“…T-That’s amazing…is that your great power?”

“Not just that…Magic, direct manipulation…also don’t need formation.”

Hajime understood that. Magic manipulation came to him after he ate the demons. Incantations and magical formations were useless to him for strengthening his body. He did not need incantations for his transmutation or other skills. In Hajime’s case, it did not changed his dependence on hugh magical formations to use regular magic, because of his zero aptitude. His direct magic manipulation did not help in that regards and this made using regular magic for him impractical. If she had any magical aptitude, she could use some very powerful magic and she would be able of foul play. While other people would be preparing their chants and magical formations, she could just launch a spell at them without them expecting it. Honestly, it wouldn’t be a contest. Also, immortality. It probably was not absolute, but it still was a cheat better than a hero.

“…Help me…”

While Hajime was thinking to himself, the girl pleaded with him.

“…”

Hajime motionlessly watched the girl, and she returned it. How long did they stare at each other…He sighed and scratched his head, and put his hand on the cube that sealed the girl.

“Ah.”

The girl noticed the meaning and opened her eyes wide. Hajime ignored her reaction as he concentrated on his transmutation.

Crimson colored magic discharged from him. His magic had changed after he ate the demons. However, the cube was resisting Hajime’s transmutation. It was exactly like the bedrock at the top and bottom of a level. The cube was not completely immune to it. Little by little, Hajime’s magic started to erode areas around the cube.

“Ku, resistance is strong…but, the present me!”

Hajime started to spend more magic. The equivalent to a six phrase incantation. Finally, the magic penetrated the cube’s defense. As for the surroundings, it was bathed in crimson light of Hajime’s magic.

Hajime needed more magic. He poured 7 phrase…8 phrase…The stone around her seal started to tremble.

“Still more!”

He fired himself up as he poured 9 phrase worth. If it was an attribute magic, it would already be a grand level spell. No, the amount of magic maybe was even more. The crimson light continued to rapidly grow brighter. Vampiress kept her eyes opened as she stared at the brightness and Hajime.

Sweat started to drip from his body, this was Hajime’s first time using such a large-scale magic. If his control slipped for just a moment then his power would go on a rampage. Even with all this power the cube did not deform. Hajime was desperate; he had released all his magic.

Hajime did not understand why he would do all this are a girl he just met. He couldn’t help it because he didn’t want to leave her alone. Already, Hajime had decided to dedicate his life to eliminating all his enemies and getting home but…he asked himself “What are you doing” inwardly. He wanted to treat everything with a clear solution. He became serious.

His body started to emit a red light. Genuinely, he was going to release all his magic. All of his magic was poured into his transmuting to fulfill its goal!

The cube around the girl started to melt and little by little, she was getting being released from her shackles. Soon, more and more parts of her got free. Her swollen chest came to bare, then her waist, arms, and thighs. Under those cubes, she was wearing nothing. Even though her body was emaciated, she still had a mystique beauty to her. She dropped into a childish seat after all her body was set free. Her body seemed to lack the energy to stand up.

Hajime also sat down. His shoulders and breath huffed and puffed. A heavy sense of fatigue hit him when he felt his empty magical reserves. With his wild breath and shivering hands he reached for his “potion”, but the girl clenched his hand. A hand that lacked any power; small and trembling. When Hajime glanced at her, she was staring at him. Her face was in an expressionless state, but her eyes told the real story.