Arifureta Chapter 229

Arifureta After II Spirited Away

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AN: I’m sorry it’s late.

This is Tio’s arc.

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Part 1

「Come to think of it, Goshujin-sama. I saw something strange midway coming back here.」

Tio was throwing those words around from the garden with a tranquil rural landscape.

Hajime was relaxing by lying down on the edge of the house’s eaves like a sleeping Buddha statue while feeling the gentle blowing breeze, the chirping of small insects, and then, the breathing of a beautiful woman wrapped in a bamboo mat while being hung from the tree in the garden. He then directed his consciousness, along with a suspicious gaze, to the woman.

「Did you perhaps see a mirror?」

「Kufuu!? What an excellent comeback. It’s tough to be loved so much by Goshujin-sama……」

Tio was being hung up like a criminal while her cheeks were reddening, and her body was meandering and wriggling.

「Haah. It’s fine even if you normally reflect on yourself sometimes you know? Even though we finally came to visit the house of Jii-chan and Baa-chan, you suddenly made an introduction that was lacking in common sense. And then you created an urban legend at the shopping district……」

「Goshujin-sama, thou said that but exactly because they art family that it’s only natural to convey the truth without any falsehood in it, art not that correct? I don’t wish to speak deceiving words toward those two.」

「It’s only your words that are wonderful. But, don’t you forget that it was that unvarnished truth that almost sent Jii-chan and Baa-chan to heaven.」

Just as Hajime said, Tio had finished her meeting with Hajime’s grandparents. Of course, it was done together with Yue and the others.

Currently, the Nagumo family was in the middle of a homecoming at the home of Shuu’s father.

Because Shuu was a son who was born late, his parents were already at a really late age. They were at the age that would enter ninety soon. Therefore, it was hard for them to rush and personally visit Hajime who had returned from the disappearance incident like the parents of Sumire.

In the end, with the persuasion of Shuu and Sumire, and also Hajime himself, Hajime’s grandparents were waiting for this day where their son’s family would go to their home.

The two of them were really happy that their cute grandson came to meet them safely without harm.

Although the moment they saw the many beautiful girls and women behind that grandson and they all introduced themselves as「I’m his wife」, their teary smiling faces petrified completely. Their faces stiffened so much it felt like you could hear a *crack* sound.

What’s more, when Myuu politely gave her greeting before energetically explaining her position as「I’m papa’s daughter!」, both of them harmoniously staggered.

After all, no matter how they looked, Myuu’s appearance was around five years old. In other words, their grandson impregnated the daughter of other people when he entered middle school, or perhaps it was even when he was still in elementary school……

The psychological impact on Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan was unfathomable!

But there, an even more pursuing blow came from Myuu! The princess of the Nagumo family was merciless even against the elderly!

「But, Myuu is also a bride! Myuu is planning to push down papa someday and make a fait accompli nano!」

‘noo~noo~noo~’ The end of Myuu’s sentence echoed.

Obaa-chan collapsed. Ojii-chan supported Obaa-chan with shockingly agile movement. However, his severely trembling legs and waist didn’t come just from his old age but a display of the deep damage that was dealt to him!

Incidentally, an incomprehensible voice「Ubooa」leaked out from Hajime’s mouth. Surely, he was feeling joy(shudder) from his daughter’s growth. He thought「This girl; she is closing the paths of escape!」.

It was at that timing, 「If I don’t assert mine assistance here, then it will be mine shame as a dragon race!」Tio, for some reason, was showing her determination.

Toward Obaa-chan, who somehow managed to hold on to her consciousness, and Ojii-chan, who was desperately supporting such Obaa-chan, Tio launched words of self-introduction「I’m Goshujin-sama’s sex(love) slave」that were lacking in common sense with a self-triumphant expression.

Obaa-chan’s eyes turned white. Ojii-chan’s soul was slipping out from his mouth. ……Even so, Ojii-chan’s hands that were supporting Obaa-chan didn’t let go.

Hajime, who had snapped by this point, first wrapped Tio in a bamboo mat, and then he tied her on a missile and launched her flying to the other side of the mountain.

The draconic woman that was flying in a beautiful arc with a red flare trailing behind was surely witnessed by a lot of the local people while they were listening to a joyful shout of「I’LLLL, BEEE, BAA~~~~CKK!」

Incidentally, punishments of butt spanking and seiza + weight on lap were waiting for Myuu and the criminal instigator Remia respectively. Of course, for Remia there an was additional punishment of leg poking after she reached the limit.

Both of them seemed to be reflecting properly on their fault as far as it goes. On the surface.

Although, when Remia’s numb legs got poked repeatedly, she screamed things like「Dearrr, please forgive me alreadyyy. Aaahn」a little seductively, so Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan who somehow managed to revive then crumbled down once more.

In addition,「We heard that Hajime boy has returned?」the old people of the neighborhood also came bringing some gifts and also to make their greeting but……

They witnessed it. The figures of a foreign beauty on all fours while raising a coquettish voice (?), and “Hajime boy” torturing that woman.

Needless to say, they wordlessly turned on their heels. It was curious how the neighbors who knew Hajime from the past would deal with Hajime from here on.

After that, the Nagumo family somehow explained the existence of Yue and the others, and for the time being, they acquired the understanding……abandonment of thinking, or possibly escapism, from Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan.

In the middle of the conversation, there was a phone call from Kaori’s father and the return of Tio, who was still wrapped in the bamboo mat like a caterpillar, while she was dragging the missile behind her. Ojii-chan, who witnessed that from the darkness, had his soul slip out from his body, but he survived without a problem thanks to Yue’s soul magic.

The total change of their grandson and the behavior of the wives that were lacking in common sense caused the cheeks of Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan to keep twitching from start to end. But even then, by the time they had dinner, the two of them became able to calmly converse, mostly.

Like that, through the flow of the conversation, the two grandparents became curious about how their grandson encountered the girls who later would become his wives. Yue, Shia, and Myuu then talked passionately to the two of them how much they were saved.

It was a story that struck them dumb, but even so, they understood that their cute grandson had helped others, and as a result, those people who were helped wanted to be together with him. Then he brought those people like this to meet the two of them. Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan smiled happily for real this time.

Of course, after they heard the story that far, they became curious about the last person, about the beginning of love with Tio. Obaa-chan asked that with a gentle expression.

Hajime was flustered. Shia got a faraway look. And then, Yue shrugged her shoulders with a wry smile. Hajime, who was opening his mouth to change the topic, was obstructed by Sumire with a whip of an udon noodle.

Using that opening, Tio spoke with a proud expression, as though to say that there was nothing to be ashamed of at all.

「Truly. How wonderful for thee to asketh, Obaba-dono. When I first met Goshujin-sama was the moment when mine life and sense of value changed for good. After all, that was the first time for me to be beaten up so viciously like that!」

「Eh……」

「Yes, yes. I can remember it so clearly even now. That blazing gaze which was sparkling so brutally. The impact that resounded until mine deepest core. I was vomiting blood and raised a pitiful cry; however, Goshujin-sama only continued on hitting and kicking me violently without a shred of mercy even then!」

The hopeless dragon hugged herself and talked about her important memory while wriggling her body around with a bright red face.

Ojii-chan got a coughing fit, and udon spurted out from his nose. Chopsticks fell from Obaa-chan’s hand and fell with a clang.

Hajime repelled the approaching udon whip with finger bullets using crunchy bits of tempura and returned the udon to the bowl while he opened his mouth to stop Tio. But there, fried tofu from the father launched a direct attack!

The large fried tofu clung onto Hajime’s mouth like a mask. Like a baddie in a drama trying to make the victim faint using a handkerchief that was soaked in chloroform, the father pinioned his son from behind while blocking his mouth!

Hajime, who had a vein twitching on his forehead, raised a protesting voice「Mogah」and tried to tear Shuu off of himself, but there the mother joined in. She took out from who knew where something that looked like a chakram. It was an artifact named “Anywhere Clothes Drying Frame Without Care of the Place☆”. It produced a string for hanging clothes on it to let them dry, where the string would be fixed in space. The mother then restrained her son along with her husband!

Although it was only temporary, Hajime, who got restrained by a string for hanging clothes that could seal even a god’s apostle, became unable to stop his wife’s outrage!

「And then there was that, the attack that bestowed to me a deep emotion that I wouldst be unforgettable for mine whole life……」

Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan looked at each other’s face. They harmoniously put down their chopsticks and watched Tio with a smile. That expression was the expression of someone who had prepared themselves for the worst before the end of the world……

「Yes, Goshujin-sama, toward the buttocks of I who was wounded all over mine body by that point, stabbed a hard and thick metallic stake into there!」

「「Ubooa」」

Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan were invited to heaven――Yue’s soul magic! It brought back Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan who were rising to heaven with content smiles! As expected from the legal wife. It was a really fine play.

Of course, Hajime snapped. Just how many times did his Jii-chan and Baa-chan need to get invited to heaven before they were satisfied?

Tio’s bed was decided at that time. It would be in the garden’s tree. She wasn’t allowed to sit or lean. But there was no problem. She would only become a bagworm just as usual.

By the way, the current time was after a night had already passed. It was currently just before noon, and the other family members were going out to the town. It was to mitigate the urban legend created by Tio while grabbing lunch in the restaurant that was recommended by the grandparents.

Yue’s soul magic had been playing a very active role. Naturally, Tio was house-sitting so that there wouldn’t be any more pandemonium. Just in case, Hajime, who made the origin of the problem, was also house-sitting doubled with monitoring Tio so that she wouldn’t crawl down and chase after them.

About this time, Yue was surely piling up communication with the grandparents and deepening their mutual understanding while healing their mind. Incidentally, there was also no doubt that she was restoring the honor of her husband and fellow wives. As expected from the legal wife. As expected of the legal wife-.

「And, soon it will be noon, how do you feel after getting hung up for the whole night?」

「The love of Goshujin-sama who even though art saying this or that while acting like that, yet watching over me from a position where I can see. My underwear art crying that it wouldst be the limit soon.」

「……No good huh. Recently you are soundly sleeping even when you are hung up……perhaps, I should consult with Adol-san for once.」

With a whisper, Hajime hung his head down dejectedly toward the pervert who recently was increasingly losing her restraint while he called to mind the grandfather of that pervert. Even among Hajime’s acquaintances that were filled with a lot of unrestrained people, he was a respectable “adult” who was few in number.

Without showing any sign of noticing that whisper of Hajime, Tio started the course correction of the talk topic that had diverted by a lot.

「Rather than that, I was talking about that strange thing just now, Goshujin-sama.」

「Hm? I think that there is nothing stranger than you in this world though……and? What was it that you saw?」

The casual abuse caused the toes of Tio’s dangling feet to go really taut. A strange voice「Nfu」also leaked out from her mouth.

「Ri, right. When I was launched away by Goshujin-sama and impacted the mountainside, the first thing I did was to roll down the slope in order to get out of the woodland path.」

「That’s a really daring idea. As expected from the black dragon whose selling point is her toughness.」

By the way, if at that time there was someone who witnessed that figure which was earnestly spinning in full speed like a somersault, or spinning top sometimes, even while rolling down the slope, surely that witness would yell「Ah, a real Roll○ Girl!」without a doubt. While it was a ghastly way of falling, it was also a fall that vaguely gave off an artistic impression.

「And then. Midway I made an error in the balancing, and mine face struck a thick tree, and I stopped in place.」

「Normally, anyone would die from that.」

「What, something like that? The attacks from Goshujin-sama art far more luscious. There art no need to worry.」

「Who is worrying huh. Don’t speak like I’m feeling jealous to a tree.」

Ignoring Hajime’s straight-man act, Tio continued to talk while throwing her gaze to empty air in remembrance. The wind was blowing and the bagworm Tio was swaying back and forth.

「Now then, I was about to roll down once more, but at that time, I suddenly felt a pressure. It was as though mine body was wrapped wholly with silk floss while getting pulled in. It felt like that.」

「? You felt it? You didn’t see anything?」

「No, it was after that. I felt curious and went a bit toward the direction where I was pulled in. It was hidden by the slope and the trees really well, but there was a small cave there. That cave, it wouldst not be found easily unless they art diving down the slope like me.」

「Hee. Well, after all, around this area is a countryside that still has a lot of nature. It’s not strange even if there is a lot of those kind of places……but it doesn’t stop there, right?」

Tio nodded「Truly」.

From the other side of the stone wall, suddenly a child’s face jumped out. It must be a child from the neighborhood. Perhaps he heard their conversation and peeked in curiously. Naturally, what he saw was a beautiful woman hung up in a tree and a man that was gazing at the woman while lying down on the veranda.

The child silently withdrew his face. He had seen something that he shouldn’t have seen. It was the most mysterious experience of his childhood.

「I guessed that it was a mist. Something like a white mist was coming out slowly from the cave; however, it then drew back as though the cave was breathing. Perhaps it was caused by the flow of wind, but even so, it was also strangeth how a mist was occurring locally like that. Added with the strange pressure, it is a mysterious story, isn’t it?」

「Certainly. I have never heard of any phenomenon like that. A white mist coming out from a cave……it’s curious.」

「Right?」

「Then, in the end, you didn’t ascertain the true shape of that?」

Tio answered Hajime’s question with a triumphant face.

「Right after I was going to ascertain it, mine foot slipped and I rolled down!」

「Aa, hm, I see.」

It seemed after that she became a Ro○ng Girl once more.

Tio’s eyes were shining in expectation.

「How is it, Goshujin-sama? Everyone won’t be coming back for a while. Won’t thee, go on an adventure for a bit with me?」

「Adventure huh……」

Her smile wasn’t from a perverted ecstasy as per usual. Tio was sending him a bright smile that was obviously from a pure feeling of wanting to go on a mysterious little trip with Hajime. Hajime was looking at such Tio while showing a thinking posture for a bit.

「I guess. Being like a Buddha statue like this is also boring. I’m also tired of looking at you hung up like that. Let’s go amuse ourselves on a small adventure for a bit.」

「Ri, right! ……E, even though Goshujin-sama was the one hanging me……to get tired looking……this damned Goshujin-sama-. Haa-haa」

Tio was whispering something while breathing roughly, but Hajime normally ignored her. And then, he moved from his Buddha statue posture using one arm to spin four times in a display of a pointless technique that was pointlessly refined while landing on the garden. While he was in midair before the landing, Hajime had properly worn his shoes and even put on his jacket.

Hajime approached Tio and untied the rope binding her body. He then locked the door of the house and turned around.

There Tio’s voice called at him.

「Goshujin-sama. Can thou bring mine footwear for me?」

Hajime looked back and saw Tio’s feet. Her white and smooth bare feet were fidgeting around. Come to think of it, she was bounded inside the room and then hung up from there――Hajime who recalled that grinned while replying.

「You need it?」

「!?」

Tio-san was twitching in shudders.

Even though they were going on an adventure in the middle of the mountain after this, she was asked「Something like shoes is too good for the likes of you, do you need it?」. It was a critical hit for the perverted dragon.

……Although, surely the true critical hit was how even after saying something like that, Hajime brought her shoes before personally putting them on her feet.

Hajime reverently slipped on her shoes, as though he was treating a fragile thing――Tio who was treated like that retracted her usual perverted smile and went bashful like a really normal girl.

 

Part 2

「Above here?」

「Right. Look over there. There are the tracks where I was slipping down correct? There art no mistake.」

As Hajime glanced at the spot where Tio was pointing at, he saw a track where there was a straight concave. It was as though something landed there face first before sliding down without getting peeled off.

Hajime returned his gaze as though there was nothing there. Ahead he saw trees and grass growing densely along with a really steep slope expanding in his view. Depending on the place, there was a slope that wouldn’t be an exaggeration to be called a cliff.

「There won’t be anyone looking in this kind of place. Tio, lead the way.」

「Acknowledged. Let’s go right away Goshujin-sama. I wouldst determine with these dragon eyes of mine, whether thy hath grown dull or not.」

「Bring it on. You yourself, don’t show anything unsightly like slipping and then falling down.」

They made frivolous talk. Tio grinned fearlessly and then instantly waved the edge of her clothes and dashed away suddenly.

*ton-* With a really light sound, in the next moment she was far above.

A beat later, Hajime also jumped out.

*to-to-to-to-* Leaving only those light sounds, the two of them were jumping up like acrobats using tree roots, slightly sticking out rocks, or from branch to branch.

Tio sent a glance at Hajime who was following her. She leaked out a joyful chuckle「Fufuh」and increased her speed further. Hajime made a bit troubled smile at that and also followed her by increasing his speed.

Seen from the side, they only looked like shadows climbing up the mountain with fierce speed. If by any chance there was a witness here, then undoubtedly there would be a new urban legend created that Tengu were living on this mountain.

Turning into modern era Tengu, the two of them sometimes shifted their course a bit, sometimes they meaninglessly climbed a tree, or sprinted down a slope playfully. After a while,

「Muu? This is strange.」

「What is?」

Tio landed from a big jump and came to a stop before she tilted her head.

When Hajime copied her by tilting his head, Tio stayed silent while pulling on Hajime to get closer. Their standing position changed by just a bit from doing that.

Hajime looked suspicious. But he saw the place Tio was pointing at and reflexively leaked out his voice「Oo」.

「This is, it’s like a natural camouflage……no if I have to say which, then perhaps this is more like an art of trickery?」

「Isn’t it splendid? Just by changing our standing position a bit, there art nothing that could be seen except a slope. It is exactly because we art in this angle and position that we art able to notice this cave.」

Just as Tio said, before when Hajime was right beside Tio, he was attentively observing the surrounding looking for a cave, but he didn’t notice the cave over there at all until Tio led him to the spot he was currently standing on.

The cause of that really should be called an art of trickery. If they weren’t standing on a particular spot, the surrounding landscape and the miraculous bulge of the slope would cause the cave to be unseen.

Hajime was feeling admiration while asking Tio once more.

「And, what is strange about it?」

「No, Goshujin-sama. In the first place, what was the reason that I who was rolling down the slope noticed this place?」

「Aah. A strange pressure and absorbing force, was it? ……I don’t really feel anything here. There also doesn’t seem to be any mist.」

「Correct. I too don’t feel anything right now. Let’s see, was it perhaps mine mistake……」

Tio cocked her neck while groaning ‘uumu’. Hajime approached the cave and peeked inside. It seemed that the cave continued quite deeply.

Hajime turned around after confirming that.

「There is no way we can dismiss the senses of the dragon race as a misunderstanding that easily. Besides, we came this far for an adventure. Then we cannot just go home without even stepping in or checking it, right?」

Those words of Hajime’s that were inviting an adventure were responded to by Tio「Indeed」with a nod while her shoulders shook happily.

「Even though this art a world without great labyrinths or monsters, for some reason, I am getting thrilled.」

「What is called an adventure is not looking for danger. It’s looking for the unknown. In that meaning, the conquest of a great labyrinth cannot be said to be as an adventure then. In a sense, this might be our first adventure you know?」

「The first adventure, with Goshujin-sama and me? Fufuh, perhaps Yue and the others would be jealous of this.」

Tio raised a delighted chuckle for sure this time. Hajime also joined her with a cheerful grin.

「Then let’s go. Dragon race of another world.」

「Right, let’s go. Godslaying demon king-dono.」

Both of them thrust their bodies into the cave jokingly and also in high spirits.

……

……

「……Goshujin-sama. Mine butt got stuck completely. Please pulled me from inside.」

「Slo, sloppy.」

Even though they had put up a front and stepped inside, now the voluptuous butt of the dragon-san was splendidly getting stuck.

Tio faced back and twisted in her body as though she was going down a ladder, but her plump butt only changed its shape *mugyuuuu* and couldn’t get in.

Feeling that it couldn’t be helped, Hajime was sighing while he grasped Tio’s legs and pulled in with a jerk. The butt was going *mugyuuuu-*. It still couldn’t enter.

「Hrrgh-」

「Aah. My butt, if it’s treated that violently-」

A scream that sounded a bit happy echoed. Hajime put even more strength into it. The charming butt shook *furu furu* as though in resistance. It still hadn’t shown any sign of getting in.

Hajime took a breather「fuu」, and then he proposed to Tio who was kicking around her legs as though to say「Come ooon haul it in」.

「……Tio. It doesn’t look like it will go in at all. There is no other way, so how about I tear off your lower body so that I can pull in your upper body?」

「Suddenly I’ll turn splat!? There art no way I’ll agree! Such a thing art beyond the limit even for I who love pain!」

Tio couldn’t hide her shudder from Hajime who made a brutal suggestion like a demon king. Hajime said「It’s a joke」while putting his hand on Tio’s thigh.

「Anyway, it doesn’t look like you can enter like this, so……I’ll take it off, okay?」

「What? How……aa, by storing it inside the Treasure Warehouse. Yosh, then cometh, bring it on!」

Today, Tio’s fashion was a pants-look. And so, if her pants were transferred away into the “Treasure Warehouse II”, then space would be liberated.

The “Treasure Warehouse II” fitted on Hajime’s finger shined crimson for an instant. By doing that, in the next moment, Tio was reduced into a female pervert with her panties fully exposed.

「I, it’s really breezy down there……」

Tio kicked her legs up and down looking a bit embarrassed. Hajime held the voluptuous thighs in front of him using his arms and pulled in once more.

However, Tio’s large butt was unexpectedly obstinate.

「Ada-, adadada-. Go, Goshujin-sama! My butt’s skin art getting bruised!」

「Good grief, it’s a really stubborn butt.」

Hajime cursed. Because he was pulling Tio forcefully, her panties dug into her crotch, and now it looked like she was wearing T-back panties. Hajime glared at the shaking butt.

And then, seeing no other choice, he also transferred the panties into the Treasure Warehouse.

「……Goshujin-sama. By any chance, I hath also lost my last fortress now?」

「It can’t be helped. It’s in the way.」

From the entrance of the cave, there was the lower body of a woman being suspended without even a shred of cloth. If the people of the dragon race village who idolized her like a princess saw her like this, surely they would have out-of-body experiences without a doubt.

Hajime took something out from his “Treasure Warehouse II” that looked like a thin stick and inserted it between Tio’s shivering butt, which was looking pitiful somehow, and the rock where it got stuck.

「Muu? Something cold art on mine butt……」

「I’m pouring oil for lubricating a machine. With this, it will be smoother to pull you out.」

This was the same idea as using soap to take off a ring that couldn’t come off. The overflowing oil trickled from the gap between the butt and rock and flowed down Tio’s thighs. Each time Tio twitched and shivered she leaked out trembling voices.

After pouring in a lot of oil, Hajime readied himself and pulled on Tio’s legs.

「Oo!? It’s slipping in! It’s working, Goshujin-sama!」

「Yosh, just a bit more. Do your best, butt-naked dragon!」

「Haua!? Not forgetting to insult me even at this kind of time……this damn beloved Goshujin-sama!」

The two was strangely getting roused up, for some reason.

Right after that, *nupon-* a strange sound rang, and Tio’s bombastic butt slipped out from between the rock.

And then,

「…………Goshujin-sama. It’s a bit hard to say this but」

「Don’t finish it. I know already.」

Tio-san, also had a bombastic breast.

Her shirt was rolled up, and her back was fully exposed; however, this time it was her gigantic twin hills that got stuck. For the time being, Hajime embraced Tio from behind to try pulling her in but……

「It’s happiness to be embraced tightly by Goshujin-sama, but mi, mine breast feel like they wouldst get torn off……」

「Haa. Let’s just go with the same method.」

「Please be gentle.」

Like that, Tio――became stark naked.

She limply sat on the floor of the cave with her cheeks blushing faintly. Her butt and breast were glistening because of the oil.

「At the start of the adventure, the proud princess of the dragon race got stripped naked and became all slimy……Goshujin-sama, honestly speaking, what doth thy think?」

「I’m thinking it’s pitiful.」

Tio didn’t look happy like usual; she was wafting off a sorrowful aura and agreed「That’s right」with a faint smile.

Hajime wordlessly handed her a towel.

Tio wiped her body using that while taking out the traditional garment of the dragon race――the kimono that was a blending of Japanese and Western styles from her own “Treasure Warehouse” and quickly put it on.

「……Say, Goshujin-sama. Thinking really really carefully, I was stuck because of the rock correct?」

「Hm? Yeah.」

「Then, wouldst not it be better to use transmutation?」

「……」

Hajime halted. Tio also halted. Inside the gloomy cave, Hajime and Tio looked at each other.

「Now, Tio. The unknown is waiting ahead from here! Our adventure will begin from here-」

「O, ou! That’s right! It’s from here on!」

It seemed that for now, they would get over it with mood.

Both of them started walking deeper into the cave with a strange tension.

After walking for a while, the inside of the cave was unexpectedly starting to show aspects of a cavern. The deeper they went, the wider the cave turned.

「Somehow, this is nostalgic.」

「Might it be about Orcus?」

Hajime muttered in a small voice. Tio guessed what he was thinking and asked.

「Yeah. There is no light of green light stones here, but as expected, speaking about a cave for me just means Orcus.」

「I can imagine that. It was the starting place for the current Goshujin-sama, and then――it was also a place of a precious encounter.」

Tio sympathized with Hajime with her voice vaguely containing gentleness. Hajime walked while illuminating the surrounding with light while glancing at Tio beside him.

「That encounter tied Goshujin-sama, spun a bond with Shia, and connected toward me. Most likely, if there art just one of those lacking, then I wouldst not be here like this.」

「Don’t make a solemn talk like that so suddenly. It’s rare for you to talk about what-if. That’s a meaningless supposition, right?」

「That’s right. Indeed, it’s meaningless. But, I feel happy with our time right now that art like a miracle, so much so that I’m looking back like that. Being solemn sometimes art also not bad.」

Tio made a really hard to describe smile, but even so, there wasn’t any shadow in it by any means. Even though it was just for a moment, Hajime’s eyes were definitely stolen by that smile of Tio’s.

「Oh? What’s this, Goshujin-sama? Art thou falling in love with me all over again? By any chance, the possibility of surpassing Yue art……」

「It’s completely none.」

Hajime’s immediate answer dealt a critical hit. A sweet voice leaked out from the hopeless dragon-san. 「If only she kept smiling like just now, no matter from where you look she is a wonderful princess of the dragon race, yet」Hajime was staring at Tio with disappointment filling his eyes.

「Or rather, you, you are aiming to surpass Yue?」

「That art really a late question. There art not a single woman that art not aiming for that. Of course, it wouldst not be something that art done bloodthirstily, but a chase to overtake that art done enjoyably. It’s something like a serious playfulness between fellow wives.」

「……I thought that it’s just Kaori who is like that.」

「Fufu, you still hath some way to go Goshujin-sama. Everyone likes everyone else to the greatest degree, but that art that. This art this. Because we art woman, then as expected we want to be told as “number one”, we desire to be “the only one” for the man we love. Even Yue often said it, art not she? 『I’ll accept any challenge anytime, anywhere, no matter how many times』.」

「I see.」

A wry smile emerged on Hajime’s lips thinking that he still “had some way to go” while he scratched his cheek. Even though normally Tio was just a pervert, sometimes she would give Hajime “understanding” with significant words smoothly said like this. She was by nature really thoughtful, and that was also one of her charms.

Hajime wanted to say something to the smiling Tio and opened his mouth.

But, before he could speak,

「Ah?」

「Mu?」

Hajime and Tio simultaneously ran their gaze over the surrounding. Sharpened wariness resided in their eyes.

Before they realized it, and it was truly before they realized, the mist was manifesting around Hajime and Tio. It was an extremely thin mist. However, seeing this, it was clearly unnatural for the mist to be appearing so suddenly inside a cave like this.

And above all, what they were feeling right now proved that the mist was abnormal.

「I see. Indeed, this is a strange pressure, and I also feel a pulling force deeper inside the cave.」

「It appeared that it wasn’t just mine misunderstanding. Now then, what about Goshujin-sama’s magic eye stone? This art definitely not magic, but perhaps it’s one of the mystics of this world?」

「My magic eye stone isn’t reacting at all. But, it’s unthinkable that this is a natural phenomenon. It seems that a rare phenomenon is really occurring for real right now.」

Even while they were conversing like that, the pressure and pulling force were growing stronger. The restraining force was strengthening as though it wouldn’t let the two of them go away while trying to drag them in.

Hajime took out a reconnaissance plane from his “Treasure Warehouse” onto his palm and made it fly deeper into the cave.

The plane was advancing deeper unhindered, and its view was shared with Hajime so he could look at the situation inside.

After it advanced a little ahead,

「-. Oi oi, seriously?」

「Goshujin-sama, what’s the matter?」

Hajime made a bit of a dry chuckle. It seemed there was an unexpected situation that made Hajime unable to hide his surprise.

Hajime kept his eyes fixed deeper into the cave while answering Tio’s question.

「The reconnaissance plane was swallowed.」

「Swallowed? What doth that mean?」

「Exactly like that. The mist is getting thicker the deeper you go ahead. The shared view turned pure white, and nothing can be seen in the surroundings. And right after that, my link with it got cut.」

「That’s……」

Tio gulped. She understood well how powerful Hajime’s artifact was. Even though it was just a reconnaissance plane, it was impossible for its link with its master to be severed that easily.

Hajime gave even more shocking words to the surprised Tio.

「That’s not all. Just before I lost the plane, it was just for an instant, but……I could see a sea of clouds.」

「Sea, of clouds? Wait a second Goshujin-sama. It wasn’t the sky, but thou couldst see a “sea of clouds”? In other words――」

「Yeah, the scene I saw wasn’t something I could see from a cave even if the ceiling here is transparent. Hahah, we are really inside a cave, right?」

Hajime and Tio looked at each other’s face.

And, at that time,

「Nno!?」

「This is!?」

The mist moved. No, the mist around Hajime and Tio increased in thickness so suddenly they mistakenly thought that, and at the same time, the pressure and the pulling force also increased.

「Aa, this is bad Tio. Just maybe, this cave is a “natural gate”. At this rate, perhaps we might get thrown out to another world somewhere.」

「I see. The true identity of “spirited away”, by any chance it might be this kind of place or phenomenon.」

Even while Hajime and Tio were speaking out their hypothesis, they were trying to turn around toward the entrance.

But, it seemed the phenomenon of spirited away was something that couldn’t be escaped from that easily.

「Ah, this is no good.」

「Truly, I understand this sensation. ――We art caught.」

With those words as their last, Hajime and Tio’s figure was enveloped by the abnormally white mist.

And then, a few minutes later, the mist finally cleared up, and the figures of the two weren’t there anymore.

 

 

Right after the mist coiling around them cleared up, Hajime and Tio were,

「Oo, it’s really the blue sky.」

「Entering into a cave and falling from the sky, this art truly something.」

They were free falling in the great sky of an unknown world while they were folding their arms in an unmoving thinking posture. (TN: In the raw, the author is using the kanji 絶賛(zessan/great praise) related to the free falling. When I google’d it, it’s related to the free-falling stock market price, but to my shame, I still really don’t get what the connection between great praise and free falling is. Help please.)

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AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

This is Tio’s arc.

About how far it will continue, what kind of end it will have, there is no plot, so even Shirakome doesn’t know.

But as expected, I don’t think that it will run wild like Lily’s arc……

The posting of the next chapter is planned to be for 6 P.M Saturday too.

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