Hajime POV - Tortus, Orcus Abode - 2013

  I wake up feeling my whole body being ed by something warm and soft, it is a very nostalgic feeling, this is the feeling of a bed, a cushioly catches my head and bad the softness of feathers s around my body and keeps me warm.

  But my dozing sciousness is thrown into fusion by this, 'What is this? This is supposed to be the byrinth…Why is a bed…', I'm also fumbling around as my sciousness isn't fully awake yet, however, as I try I realize that I 't move my right hand, it is ed in a soft feeling that is different from the bed, and my palm is also wedged into something warm and soft, 'What's this?'.

  Still bnk, I move my hand and feel a certaiicity between my hand, I touch it and it is squishy, something about it just rexes me, and somehow and it bees a habit to keep toug until I hear, "…Ahn..", and my body freezes.

  For some reason, a seductive gasp is heard, and at that moment, the first visage of my sciousness es bae.

  I raise myself in panid see that I really am in a bed, the bed has a pure-white sheet and it feels luxurious and it even has a opy, it seems the bed is on a stone pavement in a terraced atrium, as a refreshing breeze blow on my cheeks and the opy above me is slowing moving.

  My perimeter is surrounded by pilrs and a thin curtain, the whole space is filled with a warm light that I haven't seen in a long time, this peaceful atmosphere fuses me even more, just a while ago I was in a desperate struggle fighting against the Hydra in the Labyrinth, 'Where is this? This pce…don't tell me it's the afterworld…'.

  But soon my thoughts are interrupted by an amorous voiext to me "…Hn…Hajime…Au…", and on instinct, I turhe sheet and see her, she is not wearing a sihread of clothing, and is ging onto my right hand sleeping pletely naked, she is Yue, a vampire with wavy golden blonde hair, crimson red eyes, and a por plexioe being over 300 years old, she has the appearance of a 12-year-old child due to the side effects of her immortality.

  (Image Here - Yue)

  Spoiler

  [colpse]At the same time, I finally notice that I'm also naked, and say out loud, "Indeed…is this the m chirp…that's nht!", I did a Tsukkomi on myself for my stupid thoughts, meanwhile, I see that Yue starts to wake up a little and say, "Yue, wake up. Yue.", but she lets out a cute, "Hn~…", and curls up and shakes her head to fret.

  I feel that my right hand is betweehighs, it is approag a dangerous pce, and say something stupid by reflex, "Ku…Don't tell me this is really the afterworld…is it Heaven?", meanwhile I try to free my right hand, but every time, "…Hn…Hn…", Yue pants seductively, and in distress I try to persuade myself "Ku, calm down me. No matter how old she is, her appearance is still of a child. Impossible for me to get excited! I am absolutely not a loli!".

  I give up trying to free my right hand, and iry to wake up the cause but no luck, and gradually, I start to get irritated, and soon, I 't swallow this situation any longer and as I feel a vein popping on my forehead I yell, "That's enough, get up! This natural erotic vampire princess!", and ihe special magic Lightning Cd.

  Electric discharge start to gather in my right hand, and Yue is shocked by the discharge and finally releases my arm and opens her eyes while she twitches a little, "-!? Ababababababa", then she looks at me with her eye widened and says, "…Hajime?", and I reply "Yeah. It's Hajime-san. Sleepyhead, wake up…".

  Yue then yells "Hajime!", and the moment, she jumps towards me, still nude, making my body tremble, but I stop when I notice that she buried her fato my scruff, and she is sniffing, so I decide that there is no helping it, and just stroke her head with a smile and say, "My bad, seems like I worried you a lot", and she just replies, "Yeah…I was worried…".

  It seems she doesn't want to stop ging for a while, and I just let her do it until she is satisfied because she did take care of me, so I tio stroke her head gently.

  When Yue finally calms down after a few minutes, I ask about what happened, "So, what happened sihen? Where is this?", she, who is now c her body with a b, starts to expin what happened after I passed out.

  She said that after the battle, she felt dizzy from her magic depletion and snuggled right o my body, then the double doors in the room automatically opened, at first, Yue stayed vigint but nothing ever came out of them, and whearted to recover bit by bit, she decided to ehe door.

  Meanwhile, the sacred water was healitle by little, still, I was in a dangerous state with all my serious injuries and thanks to my tough body I had escaped death, but she didn't know when the sacred water would lose to the poison, theh would be finished if a new monster appeared, therefore, she had to check it out.

  And in the depths of the door, she found, "…Abode of the Traitors", and tio expin the yout she found wheered this pce she firmed it wasn't dangerous, Yue searched for a bedroom and took the unse to it and nursed me with the sacred water.

  The sacred water finally beat out the toxins, and it was able to dispy its usual restorative prowess, but then Yue became exhausted eventually and fell asleep o me.

  Realizing everything she did for me, I say, "…I see, you took care of me. Thanks, Yue", hearing that, Yue's eyes brighten up joyfully from the bottom of her heart and she simply says, "Hn...!", then I ask the question that is pguing me since I wake up "By the way…why am I naked?"

  She sensually licks her lips and replies, "…You were dirty…I ed you…", seeing that I tinue asking, "…Why did you lick your lips?", and notice her bewitg smile, which is the same as when she sucks my blood, and for that reason, every time she does that, for some reason, makes my body shiver, while I tio question her, "Why was Yue sleepio me? Also…naked…", but she doesn't answer and just stare at me with a voluptuous look, "...Fufu...".

  Seeing that this is going nowhere, I decide to give up on the questioning and start expl the abode, Yue hands me some high-quality clothes she found and after I firmed my good health, I dress up, prepare my equipment, and sooart to explore this pce.

  After a while, we finally reach the third floor's ba, the only room on this floor, and as I open the door the first thing that catches my attention is a 7-8 meters wide exquisite and delicate magiation engraved on the floor in the ter of the room, the design is something that we have never seen before, a rather splendid geometrical patterned formation and it looked like art.

  However, something else is more hy, oher side of the magiation is a figure sitting in a regal chair, the figure is a corpse, a skeleton wearing a stunning bck robe embroidered with gold on its body, there isn't a siain on it and it seems to be an object from a haunted house, but on the corpse, there is ahing that caught my eye, there is a bright white envelope on the corpse, too o be here for the same amount of time of this skeleton, moreover written oter there are some quite familiar characters, the kana characters.

  Staring at it, I 't help but mutter out loud, "To the kind attention of Nagumo Hajime-san... What the...?", and Yue who notices what I'm looking at asks, "…Suspicious…What do you want to do?", I stare at the letter, then at the magic circle on the floor, then at the corpse that seems to be waiting for someohen I say "Well, if we want to reach the surface, I think this room is the key, the seals in the library and studio resisted my transmutation… So we have to iigate... Yue wait here, and if anything happens I'll leave it to you", after hearing that, she nods and says, "Okay…Be careful".

  I step forward carefully moving around the magiation, and slowly get closer to the corpse, once I'm in front of it, I ready myself, and quickly grab the envelope, while getting ready for any kind of trap it could activate, but after a few seds of holding it, nothing happens, so I slowly open it, and see a simple letter inside.

  I carefully pull it out and after seeing that it is safe, I start to read the first li also causes my eye to widen in surprise and excim, "How!?", and while I focus oter, I hear Yue asks "...What is it...? What does it say...?", still in disbelief, I start to read out loud "Hello there. Hajime and Yue...", and at this point Yue takes a sharp breath, quickly realizing like me the implication of someone knowing her name, a name given by me just a little while ago in this dungeon, something that only I and her should know, but this reveals that there is someone else who knows that, and the implications are startling.

  Trying to keep my calm I tinue reading, "...gratution on quering the Orcus Great Labyrinth, that Hydra should have been a tough challenge for the current you, but you were able to overe it losing only an eye.", and reading this I think, 'Another detail that no one should know about! How is this possible!? Could it be some form of magic that allows the one who wrote this to see the future!?'.

  While thinking that, I tinue reading "Now, I'm sure you are curious about who I'm and how I know so much. Well, for one, my name is Jayr Pucci, I do not know if you remember but I'm the "advehat was with you guys when your css fell into that trap...", and then I realize who wrote this, it was that strange guy that jumped from that dammed bridge.

  While remembering that guy figure as he seems to easily and calmly deal with the monster while everyone else anig, I tinue reading, but the line almost makes my breath stop, "... and like you and your cssmates I'm not from this world... What!?", I look in shock at the letter and focus ba reading "... but I'm from a differeh from the one you e from, and unlike you guys, I was first reinated in what I think of my home Universe and came here willingly and go baytime I want.".

  Reading that makes me quickly think about the Multiverse Theory and also about some of the light novels I read before, and filled with curiosity I tinue reading "And I'm sure that an Otaku like you will quickly think of the Multiverse Theory, so I won't expin to you that, but will just say that you are thinking in the right dire, by the way, Tortus is in an alternate universe of the one in which your Earth resides, you think of it like a tree, these universes are ected on the same root, they reside on different branches, while mine is on a totally different tree in a whole other forest".

  And this already gives me some ideas on how I return bae, but still doesn't answer why did this guy write this letter and how he knows so much, "And now, I'm sure you are w why I'm writing this letter, how I know so mud what I gain from it...", and reading that I excim "What the hell!? he see the future?", and while agitated I tinue reading, "...keep calm, I'm getting there, and yes I saw the future in some way. You see think of it this way, any games, anime, manga, and books in your world in fact represent a Universe, and the stories that they tell are in fact true events that some gifted people were able to see in their dream and used various means to tell the others. That means that in some universes exists a book, an anime, or a legend about your story...".

  Reading this, I almost gh aential crisis, 'What that means... I'm a character in an anime... that everything I do or will do is already written... That I do not have a choice...', but before that could go on further, I feel Yue holding my hand and supp me and the lesson I learned in this hell, and will I fed going through all these near-death events pull me back from that hole, 'It doesn't matter! As I said before, if there is an enemy I will kill it and devour it, I'll grow stronger aurn bae with Yue and live happily... Anime character or not, I'll decide what to do and whatever stands in my way will die, no matter what is it!'.

  After that moment of refle I focus ba the letter, "... and so is mine, I'm not sure if you know about it, but my Universe is ruled by an energy that we call o, and there are warriors of pead justice called Saints that follow the Goddess Athena in her quest to protect the world and humanity from the ambition of the od, and I'm also one of these Saint...", reading that I quickly realize what is his Universe and yell "Saint Saiya!!!".

  Hearing that Yue looks at me curiously and asks, "What is this Saint Seiya?", I look at her trying to hide my shock, and expin, "It is the name of a famous old anime in my world... These warriors called Saints have some really crazy powers level... I clearly remember that the stro of them are able to move and attack at speed faster than light and with enough power to destroy a gaxy... basically for them the Hydra is just an ant...".

  Seeing Yue's eyes widening in shock I tio think 'Damn the power level is quite a bit higher than ours, it is the differehat there is between an RB-79 Ball and the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam...', then I focus ba the letter with an even more serious attitude, "... and the reason I'm telling you all this is to warn you, you see I'm not the only intruder in this world, there is another reinated individual from another universe, and I do not know what his iions actually are, but he could bring harm to you and those you care for, so be careful.", reading that I 't help but pin "Seriously... who cares, I just want to go bay world... I won't let aop me no matter who is it!".

  Then I feel Yue tugging my clothes and when I look at her she says "...There is more...", and agaihe letter "P.S.: The Magic Circle will tell you the true story of this world and teach you the A Age of Gods Magic, Creation Magid you also use it to get out of this pce, but it is better that you train a little more before you do so, after all the reat Labyrinths, that you will for sure search to fulfill your wish, will test you in many ways, and this pce will teach you a lot... P.P.S.: Ah, I fot, Kaori still didn't give up on you and is getting stroo rescue you so do not fet about her, may the power of the Harem Protagonist be with you... Ciao!", then I grin realizing the implication of his words, and say "It seems that to go bay world I o quer all the other Labyrinth... That is if he is telling the truth... Well, there is only one way to know...", but then, I frown thinking about what he said about Kaori and the other person from a different Universe, and something about the Harem Protagonist ticks me off.

  I look at the letter in my hands for a few seds, then I look at the magic circle and without hesitation I step forward, moving toward its ter, and as soon as I'm there, it begins to shih so mutensity, that I'm forced to y eyes, and the moment something invades into my head, and immediately after, I gh the time I fell into the abyss and everything after like a revolving ntern.

  Jayr POV - Reise Labyrinth - 2013

  Ihis st boss room, golem knights are flying around freely and with great speed, and looking at them I think, 'If they were living beings, it wouldn't be weird for them to die due to the tremendous G-force...', and also notice that their movements and tactics became better after they ehis space, and Eri who notices the same says, "The one who trols the golems might be here, in this room, I think?", to which I agree with a silent nod while still carefully sensing the movement of all the enemies.

  Right now, the surrounding golem knights aren't trying to attack us and instead only moving around more like an act of intimidation, but all of the sudden, I sense something big approag us really fast, and holding on Eri, I quickly jump over another nearby floating blod immediately after, a meteorite-like illusion es and it crashes into the block that we were on just a moment ago, bsting it into fine pieces passing right through it.

  Then I look below from the edge of the block searg for the thing that attacked us when it suddenly flies up with tremendous momentum, and it goes above us in no time, then stopped is eyes shining in bright red while gring at us.

  It is a super big golem knight that floats in mid-air, although the armor is the same, its height should be at around 20 meters, and its right hand is burning as if it is a heat knuckle, probably what caused the block from before to be bsted to pieces, and in its left hand is a equipped with a fil-type Mstar.

  I put Eri down, and take my stahen I hear the surrounding golem knights flying closer until we are finally surrounded, and stood in line, raise their rge swords in front of their chests, it is as if they are saluting their king, seeing all that I say, "Well I give it a 6 out of 10 for dramatic fir... It cks some kind of epic music... Maybe I'll let you listen to Rip and Tear from Doom, I'm sure that it will give you such a kick...".

  Then silence fills our surroundings, raising the tension in the air, giving the impression that the moment they move, the game with our lives at stake will begin.

  But then the giganti destroyed this atmosphere with her greeting, "Yaho~, o meet you~, Miledi Reisen that's loved by everyone is here~", I and Eri look at each other for a few seds in silehen I shrug my shoulders and say, "Good evening miss Reisen, you have built a nice pce here... bar some nasty jokes here and there... I'm Jayr Pucci, that es from another universe, and this is one of my girlfriends Eri Nakamura, one of the victims summoned by Ehit, o meet you", and soon after, Eri slightly bows and says, "o meet you... I quite like your work... and will for sure steal some of your ideas...".

  Hearing that, the giganti lets out in a surprised tone of voice, "Ohh~, that's really something rare, some youngsters with some proper manners… Moreover you guys know who I am... And you just said that you are from another Universe, iing~ you tell me more~?", it seems that Miledi spent a lot of time here alone, and needs a real versation after all this time, after all, all the golem surronding us are still flying around, but they aren't making any move against us.

  So I lower the Tactical Arms, without rexing my guard, and say, "I don't see why we 't chat a little befoing through the st trial of your Labyrinth... So... What do you want to know?", and hearing my question, the giganti lower itself on a nearby floating ptform and sits down that it asks "How charming~ Let's see... First tell me how do you know about me?".

  I think about it for a few moments, then decide to be ho and say, "Well that is quite a long story... As I told you before, I'm from a different Universe...", then I start to expin to her everything, about the many diffrent universes, about me being reinated and the petition, and about my knowledge of a possible future of this world that is no longer valid because of my and the other champion's as, but still the knowledge of various character as is still valuable as a source of information, and that is why I know that she bound her soul to a golem so that she could wait for the right moment all alone, just for o ce to fight back the God and save the world, even if she had to wait for thousands of years to do so, I also told her everything I have doil now.

  After hearing all that, Miledi stays in silence for a few mihen the Golem gets up and looks up at the ceiling with a very human-like expression, then she looks back at me and in her usual tone she says, "I see~ That is quite the story~ To think that there are so many universes with so many wonders... Well, that isn't important now... And since you have quered O-'s Labyrinth I'm sure you know how it works right~ If you want to learn the Age of Gods Magic I protect, then magnifitly try to defeat me! Well something along those liehee~".

  Then all of the sudden, the way she speaks ges, and the frivolous atmosphere that she put on up till now vanishes and carries a dreadful seriousness instead and she says. "But before we start I want to ask you something... What's your objective? What do you he Age of Gods Magic for?", her tone is clearly implying that she won't five any falsehood.

  Looking at this side of her I think, 'That is probably her true nature... If I really think about it, she even challehe Gods for the sake of the people of this world... That is why she doesn't want to entrust her magieoh an unknown purpose... It is different from the will in Orcus's image rec, no matter if hundreds of years pass by, she io keep waiting deep in the byrinth to ascertain the challengers' purpose... In a way this is almost a form of self-torture for her failure ii, even her frivolous attitude is a bluff, the real her is someone who has great patiend will, it could be said that she has a really strong sense of responsibility...'.

  I find really difficult to hate and lie to such a person, one able to sacrifice everything to save others, I also notice that Eri is looking at Miledi with a gaze between annoyand admiration, probably because she realizes that Miledi's attitude is quite close to mine, 'Well, to be ho, she is a lot better than me... I admit that I want to help as many people as possible, and I'm also willing to work hard and suffer for it... But I'm not willing to lose the things important to me for it... That is why even if relut I'm still able to kill my enemies, despise my values as a doctor... And also why I try so much to get stronger... So that I do not have to make such a choice!'.

  I looked straight at Miledi Golem's glinting eyes and replie without any falsehood "My objective is to bee stronger... I like my current life, and love my family and lovers, I like the idea of going to many different worlds, those that I could only dream of in my wildest dream, and try to ge them for the better, I like the idea of meeting new people and fulfill my childhood dreams... I do not want to lose it all because I wasn't strong enough to defeat my enemies willing to do everything to reach their objectives... I admit it, I'm selfish and lustful... But I also hoily say that I never did anything evil, and everywhere I have gone, I have always tried to do good and help... And that is what I'll do... I'll kill Ehit for all the pain he brings to this world for his amusement! He isn't even the first evil God that I'll be forced to kill!".

  Odyin