Arifureta Vol 8 Chapter 8 (1/2)

The Peerless Incompetent

“Eh? Hajime-kun? Wait, Nagumo-kun? Eh? What? What do you mean?”

Kaori’s ecstatic shout made s.h.i.+zuku, who was by her side, confused and looked alternately between Kaori and Hajime. Apparently, Kaori was able to see through the white haired, eye-patched, black-coated person before her as Hajime with just a single glance, but s.h.i.+zuku was still unable to recognize him.

However, when she saw the boy’s face who was looking back over his shoulder with a wry smile, it immediately overlapped with Nagumo Hajime in her memory, and s.h.i.+zuku, with widened eyes, raised a surprised voice.

“Eh? Eh? Really? Is he really Nagumo-kun? Eh? What? What’s really happening here?”

“Well, just calm down, Yaegas.h.i.+. Aren’t calm, cool, and collected your main selling point?”

The chain of events happened after she, s.h.i.+zuku, just like Kaori, was prepared to die which made her perplexed and she forgot her pain. Admonis.h.i.+ng her as he said s.h.i.+zuku’s name, Hajime suddenly looked overhead, feeling their presences. Thus, the falling blond-haired girl, Yue, was caught by him in princess carry style and he carefully let her down, next he received the rabbit-eared girl, s.h.i.+a, who jumped down the same way.

The last to jump down was a boy dressed in black, Endou Kousuke.

“Na-Nagumoo! You-! I was blown away by that! Wait, what was that just now!? It suddenly pierced the dungeon’s floors…”

Endou looked at the surrounding, started complaining. Then, he saw his best friends and the others together with a group of demonic beasts. After noticing that he was being watched by his stiffened cla.s.smates, “Nuoh!,” and released a strange shout. To Endou, they voices were half-filled with joy because of their reunion, and anger because he came back.

“”Kousuke!””

“Jyuugo! Kentarou! I’ve come with help!”

Reacting to “I’ve come with help,” Kouki’s party and the demon race woman finally returned to their sense. Then, they once again stared at Hajime and the two girls. However, not minding the gazes of those in his surroundings, Hajime quickly ordered Yue and s.h.i.+a with a slightly irritated expression.

“Yue, sorry but please protect those people gathered there. s.h.i.+a, please look at the condition of the fallen man in Knight’s armor there.”

“Nn… leave it to me.”

“Roger~!”

Yue calmly walked without caring about the surrounding demonic beasts, while s.h.i.+a used her marvelous jumping power to jump overhead the group of demonic beasts and landed beside the collapsed Meld.

“Ha-Hajime-kun…”

Kaori once again called Hajime’s name with a shaking voice. Her tone was probably filled with joy due to the reunion, yet there was also sorrow. It was because she thought Hajime had came here to die. Although Kaori didn’t know the details, her expression was telling him to immediately get away from the place.

Shrugging his shoulders, he returned Kaori’s gaze. Hajime briefly said, “It’s okay now, so just wait there.” After saying that, he activated “Light Speed” which greatly improved his perception. Then, he took out three Cross Bits from “Treasure Box” which surrounded Kaori and s.h.i.+zuku like s.h.i.+elds.

The floating cross-like objects that suddenly appeared from empty s.p.a.ce surprised Kaori and s.h.i.+zuku. With his back before the two, Hajime made a proposal towards the demon race woman whose appearance could be seen as nothing but arrogance. It was his mercy since the demon race woman was still not his enemy.

“The red-haired woman over there. I won’t do anything if you leave immediately. Just disappeared quickly from here if you don’t want to die.”

“…What did you say?”

It was not a remark that could be said by an ordinary human while being surrounded by demonic beasts. It was the reason why the demon race woman inadvertently asked back. As a response, Hajime repeated himself with an amazed expression.

“Prompt decisions are needed in battlefields. That’s why I said, just disappear from here quickly if you don’t want to die. Understand now?”

Knowing she did not hear it wrong, the demon race woman erased her expression and ordered the demonic beasts while pointing at Hajime, “Kill him.”

This time, the too abrupt situation—— especially the dead of her treasured Ahatd due to an unknown attack made the demon race woman lose her calm and make a fatal mistake.

Even if Hajime had his own objection, the woman was too enraged by Hajime who by the course of events treaded on Ahatd, a demonic beast she didn’t want to lose since it was given to her by her revered superior. In addition, there was the confusion due to the unbelievable situation where the dungeon’s ceiling had been destroyed just because he wanted to go downstairs. In any case, she would have been able to make a more careful judgement if it was the usual her. However, the glove had been thrown out.

“I see… So, I take it that you’re an “enemy”, right?”

Hajime muttered at the same time the Chimera attacked him. Behind Hajime, “Hajime-kun!” and “Nagumo-kun!” warning voices filled with urgency could be heard. However, Hajime casually clawed the Chimera attacking from his left with his artificial arm and lifted it without any difficulty.

The Chimera was surprised and struggled to escape which made the s.p.a.ce blurred intensely. Looking at it, Hajime looked at it with scorn.

“Oi, oi, what is this? This half-a.s.sed peculiar magic. Are you a street performer?”

Because there’s no meaning if one’s presence and figure disappears when s.p.a.ces blurs when it moves. Hajime inadvertently retorted. Even in the abyss, there were demonic beasts that could conceal their presences and figuring out what each of them has was extremely troublesome. Comparing it to them, Hajime thought it was too childish that the concealment exposed when it moved.

Standing still while he raised a Chimera with huge body weighing several hundreds kilograms as it struggling mid air, Hajime made the demon race woman, Kaori, and the others dumbfounded.

Hajime leered at them and used “Great Arm” to throw the Chimera on the ground as though he had lost his interest in it.

BoOoOoOmM!!

BaAaAaANNNG

With a raw sound ringing out, the Chimera had its head crushed and made a crater on the ground. Next, having drawn out Donner, Hajime turned the railgun towards the s.p.a.ce that seemed to be empty at a glance and fired it in succession.

BAAANG BAAAAANNNG!!

Dry, explosive sounds rang out and two flashes cut through the air, mercilessly piercing respective targets. The s.p.a.ce blurred for a moment, then a Chimera with a blasted head and a Brutal-look-alike whose heart had been shot through appeared. They stood still for a second, swayed, and crumbled to ground.

Not moving but could not conceal the wind flow, the shaking of the air and ground, their gazes, killing intent, flow of magic, and temperature made them nothing but unmoving targets for Hajime.

Without even looking at the demonic beasts he instantly killed, Hajime took a step forward into the battlefield, no, the execution ground. What started could not even be called deathmatch. It was a one-sided execution by the monster who shouldn’t be made into an enemy.

The demon race woman was shocked seeing the demonic beasts were killed casually and easily while the cla.s.smates stood still feeling the chill from the weapon that shouldn’t exist in this world. Leaving aside those stiffened people, the demonic beasts were attacking Hajime one after another, faithfully executing the demon race woman’s order.

A black cat creeped behind him and fired its tentacles, but Hajime didn’t turn around and only turned the wrist of his lowered arm where Donner was and fired behind. The bullet exceeding the speed of sound easily gouged through the black cat’s forehead.

Without stopping to look at their companion, four-eyed wolves rushed towards him from left and right at the same time. However, Schlag, unknown as to when it was drawn, blew the enemy on his left while Donner blown off the one on the right.

At that moment, the black cats hidden behind the annihilated four-eyed wolves shot their tentacles in cooperation with the Chimeras that were approaching Hajime’s back. However, Hajime had jumped several meters above, flipped mid-air, and while hanging upside down, the floating black cats and the two Chimera, who lost sight of their target, became preys for the railgun.

Within the scattered flesh and blood that looked like flower storm, two Brutal-look-alikes came and swung their maces, aiming for the moment Hajime landed. However, such an easily predicted future wouldn’t work on a monster such as Hajime, and he jumped further using “Aerodynamic” mid-air. He then fired Donner-Schlag to his left and right in succession while spinning like a top.

The released wind of killing intent not only moved towards the two Brutal-look-alikes that were waiting for him, but it also pierced and burst to pieces the heads of the Chimeras and four-eyed wolves that were approaching from behind. While each of the demonic beasts sprayed and scattered blood, Hajime descend as though to follow the law of inertia and dulled the momentum right before he landed.

Landing soundlessly in the center of the corpses and a ground dyed with blood, Hajime took out ammo from an empty s.p.a.ce and use gunspin to reload them.

And at that time, “KuWAaAA!,” a strange sound rang out all of a sudden. Hajime turned toward the source and there was the six-legged turtle-like demonic beasts, Absod, whose wide opened mouth was turned towards Hajime. Inside its mouth was a compression of tremendous power s.h.i.+ning a pure white light.

It was the previously stored huge magic power from Commander Meld’s “Last Loyalty.” The “Last Loyalty”‘s range was only few meters but its power was more than enough to decimate a person.

The magic power was compressed to the limit and in the next moment it was launched like a laser towards its target, Hajime. The death light approached as it gouged out the ground on its track. However, Hajime calmly took out a large, coffin-like s.h.i.+eld from an empty s.p.a.ce, equipped it on his left arm, and activated “Vajra” the same time he held up the s.h.i.+eld. Just like a huge tree whose roots were firmly rooted on the ground, there was no impatience in Hajime’s eyes which showed his firm will.

A tremendous roar resounded the moment the laser-like magic power hit, and the trembling air expressed how strong it was. However, Hajime, who received the direct hit, didn’t even move a step away, but rather, he sported a mischievous smile, and began to slant the s.h.i.+eld to parry the attack. The destination of where the attack was averted to was…

“Kh!? d.a.m.n it!”

It was the demon race woman. Since the time Hajime began to easily kill the demonic beasts, she sensed the crisis and began to chant powerful magic with an exaggerated chant, but Hajime noticed it and redirect Absod’s attack towards the demon race woman to obstruct her.

The unexpected situation made the demon race woman take an evasive action in a panic, but Hajime only adjusted the angle of his s.h.i.+eld for the attack to reach her. The torrent of light approached her and destroyed the wall, made the demon race woman frantically ran on the side of the wall. Her expression was one where there was not the slightest hint of composure remained.

However, the attack gradually drew near her back, and when she thought she would be mowed down by the attack she had ordered to be released, the magic power stored by Absod had reached the bottom and the attack ended.

“Tch…”

Without any room to react to Hajime who clicked his tongue, the demon race woman breathed a sigh of relief only to be frozen in the next moment.

BaAaAaANNNG!!

An explosive sound roared along with the feeling of heat pa.s.sing right beside her right cheek, and something white splattered.

That something was the remains of the white crow which was previously stood on the demon race woman’s shoulder. Although things had not been going the way he expected, Hajime countered by firing Donner aiming at Absod while Schlag was aimed at the white crow.

Even if Absod tried to evade only to endure the bullet so even with its tremendous velocity, it would only leave a small sound, but it could not even sense the bullet which ended up piercing through its opened mouth and its consciousness fell into darkness for eternity.

Even the white crow had its body burst open and had died in an instant, scattering white feathers along with its flesh and blood. Receiving the after effect of the railgun, the demon race woman lost her balance, fell on her b.u.t.t, and absentmindedly patted her own cheek. What stuck there were the white crow’s flesh and blood, and at the same time she felt the heat from the severe burn.

If it s.h.i.+fted just by a few centimeters… The demon race woman was trembling when she thought of what might have happened. In other words, Hajime whose matchless strength allowed him to playfully kill the army of demonic beasts as though he was killing bugs before her eyes, and could have also killed her at any time. Even now, her life was in the palm of his hands.

The demon race woman had a strong pride as a warrior, but she could not stop her trembling body before the monster-like existence. What was that? Why did such a thing exist? How can I survive from that monster!? Such thoughts filled the demon race woman’s mind, and it continued to circle round and round inside her.

Kouki and the others felt the same as her. They could not immediately see through the white haired, eyepatched boy as Hajime. They could not understand who was the unknown person who easily annihilated the demonic beasts that had put them into such predicament.

“What was that…? Just who in this world is he!?”

Kouki muttered while his unmoving body was laid on the ground. Everyone around him also had the same questions forming in their minds. The one who answered was the person they asked to retreat only to return here by his own will, Endou.

“Haha, I know it is unbelievable… but he is Nagumo.”

“”””””Hah?””””””

Endou’s words made Kouki and the others leaked those words at the same time. Seeing Endou, they though, “Is this guy’s head okay?,” and made some gesture with their hands. Thinking, it can’t be helped, huh~, Endou could only shrugged his shoulders because he was only stating the truth.

“Like I said, he is Nagumo, Nagumo Hajime. The Nagumo who fell from the bridge at that day. He survived in the depth of the dungeon and climbed up with his own power. When coming here, he treated the demonic beasts as if they are just small fries. It’s seriously unbelievable!, I thought so, too… but it is the truth.”

“Nagumo, eh? You mean Nagumo is alive!?”

Kouki said with a surprised voice. Thus, the others also simultaneously tried to look at the boy with monstrous strength who was advancing the annihilation progress… but as expected they tried to deny it while thinking, “Just how is he Nagumo?” Endou understood their feelings and with a gesture he said, “Well, it’s true. Although he has completely changed, I’ve seen his status plate,” Endou told them again that the boy was Nagumo Hajime while sporting a dry smile.

Everyone felt it was unbelievable as they vacantly looked at Hajime’s peerlessness, and a person who was awfully fl.u.s.tered said,

“L-Lies. Nagumo is dead. Wasn’t that the case? Everyone also saw it. There’s no way he is alive! We have already agreed on that!”

“Uwah, what’s with you! I have seen his status plate so there’s no mistake it is him.”

“Lies! There’s must be some trick! He must be in disguise and trying to trick us!”

“No, just what are you saying? There’s no reason for him to do that.”

The one who was saying unreasonable things and grabbed Endou’s collar was Hiyama. He was denying Hajime’s survival with an abnormally paled complexion. Kondou and the others around him were somewhat taken aback by Hiyama’s appearance.

The agitated Hiyama was doused by cold water, literally. A large amount of water suddenly appeared above Hiyama and poured down on him like a small waterfall. Hiyama somewhat drowned because it matched the timing when he inhaled. After being doused with water, he had a coughing fit. What on earth!? Hiyama was confused only to be told by a cold voice far colder than the cold water.

“… Be quiet. It’s irritating.”