Hachiman emerged from unconsciousness slowly, as if swimming through thick syrup. The first sensation was pain – a deep, throbbing ache in his ribs, his muscles, every fiber of his being. The second was the familiar weight and gentle warmth of Aqua clinging to him. He opened his eyes. It was early morning, the light entering shyly through the bedroom window of the new house. Last night... the memory came rushing back: the twelfth floor, the endless horde of monsters, the desperate fight, the explosive daggers, the crushing exhaustion... he barely remembered getting home before collapsing.
'I survived... somehow,' he thought, his mind still foggy. The memory of the battle, the extreme danger, rekindled the cold flame of determination. 'It almost wasn't enough. I need more power. Much more.'
With a groan of pain, he tried to move, waking Aqua in the process. "Hnn... Hachiman...? You're awake?" she murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes.
"Yeah... I think so," he replied, his voice hoarse. "Need... to see the status. Update, please." He needed to know the result of that hellish ordeal.
Aqua, seeing his clearly pained state, performed the update without her usual complaints, perhaps with a hint of concern. The blue light shone on his back. Hachiman used a small hand mirror he kept near the bed to see the numbers.
Hikigaya Hachiman Level: 1 (Initial Status Before Horde Fight: Str:E-403, End:E-431, Dex:F-366, Agi:E-400, Mag:B-705)
Strength: C-613 (Gain of +210) Endurance: C-641 (Gain of +210) Dexterity: C-606 (Gain of +240) Agility: C-625 (Gain of +225) Magic: S-930 (Gain of +225)
Magic: [Unlimited Blade Works] (Hidden) Skill: [A Loner's Protection] (Hidden) Development Ability: [Blacksmith: I]
Hachiman stared intently, absorbing the results. 'Rank C... in everything except Magic. And Magic... Rank S?' The jump was astronomical, especially considering it came from a single (albeit prolonged and desperate) combat session. 'This... all this because of the fight against the horde last night? Hours fighting over thirty monsters on the twelfth floor... 'A Loner's Protection' must have been active at maximum the entire time, driven by the constant danger. And using Kanshou, Bakuya, and the explosive daggers continuously with Rank B Magic [Previous status]... The excelia gained in such a situation must be astronomical.' It was definitive proof that life-or-death situations were the fastest catalyst for growth in this world.
"So? So?" asked Aqua, anxious, seeing his shocked expression.
"Rank C in basics... and Rank S in Magic," Hachiman managed to say, his voice still a bit hoarse but tinged with astonishment.
"C?! And S?! Wow! Hachiman, that's fantastic!" Aqua celebrated, forgetting her sleepiness. "I knew you were special! Rank S in Magic! You're practically an elite mage now, even at Level 1!"
Hachiman felt a wave of satisfaction, but also sobriety. He had the power now, but he almost died getting it. He needed to learn to control and use this strength more effectively.
It was Aqua who changed the course of the day. "Oh! Hachiman! I remembered! Yesterday at the party, Hephaestus-sama invited us! She said we should enjoy Monsterphilia today! The festival starts tomorrow, but there should be plenty going on today already!"
Hachiman frowned. Monsterphilia. The great Ganesha Familia festival, where monsters were exhibited and even used in simulated combats and other attractions. He vaguely remembered the implications of this in the original story, Freya's intervention to create chaos and test Bell. 'Freya... she's definitely going to pull something. This festival will be chaos.' His first reaction was to refuse, to focus on training with his new stats or maybe even attempt to Level Up, especially with his body still recovering. But... Hephaestus had invited them. Refusing could be rude, especially after everything she had done. And maybe it would be good to get out a bit, observe the city on a festival day, even if he had to stay alert.
"Alright, let's go," he decided, getting up carefully, feeling his ribs protest. "But..." he looked at his armor leaning against the wall, which he had superficially cleaned the night before passing out, "...I'm going prepared." If Freya was going to cause trouble, it would be something big. It was always good to be prepared.
And so, instead of a day of rest or a cautious return to the Dungeon, Hachiman and Aqua prepared for a festival day. Aqua was radiant in her new dress (which she insisted on wearing again). Hachiman, to Aqua's bewilderment, wore Hephaestus's full armor under a simple tunic. He left Kanshou and Bakuya aside for now, projecting only a basic, discreet short sword at his belt, so as not to attract unnecessary attention.
They met Hephaestus at a designated meeting spot near one of the main squares, which was already decorated for the festival. The goddess wore simple casual clothes but kept her characteristic dark leather eyepatch covering her right eye, her reddish-brown left eye shining with a smile as she greeted them.
"Hachiman? Aqua-san! Good morning!" greeted Hephaestus with a smile, though her gaze caught the slight discomfort in Hachiman's movements. "I thought perhaps you'd be too tired after yesterday."
"We're fine! Ready for the festival!" Aqua answered excitedly for both of them.
"Where is Tsubaki-san?" Hachiman asked.
"Ah, Tsubaki had to handle some urgent matters at the forge today. A last-minute order," Hephaestus explained. Her gaze then fell on the armor visible beneath Hachiman's tunic. "But... why are you dressed as if you're going to the Dungeon?"
"It's always good to be prepared, Hephaestus-sama," Hachiman replied evasively. 'Especially when there's a psycho Goddess of Beauty on the loose.'
Hephaestus seemed to accept the answer, perhaps attributing it to his excessive caution. The three began to stroll through the streets, which buzzed with festive energy. There were stalls selling exotic foods, games, crafts. Musicians played on street corners, and Ganesha Familia members, recognizable by their attire and elephant body paint, organized small exhibitions and ensured security. They enjoyed themselves, observed the pre-festival attractions, Aqua dragging them to try all sorts of street food, Hephaestus explaining some of the local customs to Hachiman. For a while, it was almost... normal and relaxing, despite Hachiman's lingering pain.
Until it wasn't anymore. They were near a makeshift arena where some Ganesha Familia tamers were displaying smaller, less dangerous monsters, when a sharp, furious roar echoed through the crowd, followed by panicked screams. A huge commotion erupted near one of the arena's side gates. And then, Hachiman saw it.
An Infant Dragon. It wasn't gigantic like the adult dragons of legend, but it was still an imposing creature, with gleaming red scales, sharp claws, and reptilian eyes shining with uncontrolled fury. It was a monster classified as Level 2, far beyond what should be loose among civilians. It charged rampantly, destroying stalls, sending people flying, and it was coming straight towards them.
'Freya!' the thought screamed in Hachiman's mind. 'I knew she'd pull something!'
There was no time to think. The dragon was seconds away. With a cry, Hachiman pushed Aqua and Hephaestus with all his might to the side, getting them out of the creature's direct path. "Get out of here!" he ordered.
In the next instant, he turned to face the advancing monster. "Trace On!" Kanshou and Bakuya appeared in his hands, the familiar sensation now pulsing with the power of his newly achieved stats. The Infant Dragon roared and attacked with its claws.
Hachiman met the attack. The twin blades clashed with the draconic claws in an explosion of sparks. The force of the impact was immense, making his arms vibrate, but with his Rank C strength and endurance, he managed to hold his ground, deflecting part of the impact. 'It's strong! Definitely Level 2!' He began to fight, using his Rank C agility to the fullest and the combat knowledge he had absorbed to try and predict and dodge the swift tail swipes and bites, while trying to find openings in the resistant scales with Kanshou and Bakuya, reinforcing the blades with his Rank S magic.
It was a deadly, desperate dance. Hachiman could, with difficulty, keep up with the dragon's speed now, his elevated stats allowing him to react at a level that would have been unthinkable days ago, but the creature was relentless, and his injuries from the previous night took their toll. He managed to inflict some cuts on the monster's less protected parts, drawing roars of pain, but the dragon was incredibly resistant, and its own attacks were brutal.
In a moment of distraction – perhaps a quick glance to ensure Aqua and Hephaestus were safe, or a miscalculation in a dodge due to a stab of pain in his ribs – the dragon's scaly tail struck him squarely in the chest. Even with Hephaestus's armor, the blow was devastating. Hachiman felt the sharp crack of breaking ribs (or re-breaking them), the air forced from his lungs, and he was thrown like a cannonball, landing a considerable distance away, his body screaming in agony. 'Seriously injured... Damn it...'
He tried to get up, vision blurred by pain, but his body wouldn't respond properly. And then, he saw it. The Infant Dragon, momentarily ignoring him as a neutralized threat, turned its reptilian head towards where Aqua and Hephaestus had fallen, clearly identifying them as easier targets. A preparatory roar rumbled in its throat.
In that instant, seeing the two – his annoying goddess, but his goddess nonetheless, and the forge goddess who had helped him so much – in mortal, imminent danger because of him, something inside Hachiman snapped. The desire to protect, the cornerstone of his Skill 'A Loner's Protection', was pushed not just to the limit, but to an absolute, transcendental extreme. He forgot his own excruciating pain, his own fear. All that mattered was protecting them.
A wave of pure, hot, overwhelming power flooded his being. He didn't just feel stronger; he felt as if his limits had been pulverized. The pain subsided, replaced by incredible clarity and strength. Ignoring the broken ribs, he shot to his feet in an instant.
With a speed rivaling Aiz Wallenstein's, he dashed towards the Infant Dragon, which was about to attack the fallen goddesses. Kanshou and Bakuya became blurs in his hands, delivering a storm of cuts so fast and powerful that the dragon had no chance to react. Pieces of scales flew, blood spurted, and with a final devastating blow, Hachiman threw the Level 2 creature away, sending it crashing into the wall of a nearby building, seriously injured and stunned.
But Hachiman didn't stop. He felt knowledge guiding his actions, an impulse coming from the depths of his newly awakened magic or perhaps from the very nature of Unlimited Blade Works. He dismissed Kanshou and Bakuya. He raised his hands and, with a new Trace On command, projected something different. A large black bow appeared in his left hand, nearly his size, radiating power. In his right hand, he didn't project a common arrow, but a blade – a short sword, similar to the ones he used to use, but now glowing with an absurd amount of concentrated Rank S mana, distorting the air around it.
He drew the bow, the overloaded blade serving as the projectile. He aimed at the dragon trying to get up. And released.
The blade-arrow flew with incredible speed, leaving a trail of bluish light. It struck the Infant Dragon dead center. There wasn't just an impact; there was a detonation. A massive explosion of pure magical energy enveloped the dragon, instantly disintegrating it. When the blinding light subsided, all that remained at the blast site was a single, bright red magic stone, which clinked as it hit the ground.
Silence. The chaos of the crowd, the screams, everything seemed to fade. Hachiman stood still, the great bow still in his hand, staring at the smoking magic stone. He had won. He had protected Aqua and Hephaestus.
But the cost came quickly. The superhuman strength that had flooded him began to ebb as fast as it had surged. The excruciating pain from the broken ribs and other injuries returned full force. His vision started to darken at the edges. The bow in his hand felt like it weighed a ton and dissolved into light. He heard distant sounds – were they applause? Shouts? Ganesha Patrol sirens? It was hard to tell. His legs gave way. He felt the hard ground rushing up to meet him and, before he could register anything else, darkness completely engulfed him as he fainted amidst the chaos of the festival.