Songs in the Void

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, True Orcus Great Labyrinth, Abode of the Liberators. 

{[Dimensional Chat] 

James: So, you finally made it to the end, huh? 

Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah. 

James: I bet you had fun getting down there, didn't you? Especially since you were alone with Sumire. 

James: *Wink… wink, nudge… nudge* 

Tatsuo (Admin): You know Sumire-San is gonna be pissed when she sees that message, right? 

James: Probably 

James: I can hear her now 

James: Alaverus-Kun, stop trying to corrupt Tatsuo-Kun 

James: God... I hate it when she uses honorifics with my name 

James: Makes me remember the old Ri Ri 

Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah, but she only does it when you make her mad, though 

Tatsuo (Admin): BTW, doesn't that give you a headache when you use Big G's name? 

James: Nah, I'm too strong for that 

James: But it used to hurt like a bitch 

James: And don't get me started about when Asia, Xenovia, and Irina used to pray... all the fucking time 

Tatsuo (Admin): I see} 

Though his response was short, Tatsuo was smiling widely when he thought about James' answer to his question. The image of James grabbing his head and crouching down in pain just because three girls were praying was hilarious to him. 

{[Dimensional Chat] 

James: BTW, where is Sumire? 

James: I mean, she's usually adding her two cents whenever you give a progress report 

Tatsuo (Admin): Oh, she's in the bath with Aletia 

James: That 300 year old loli vampire? 

Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah, that's her 

Tatsuo (Admin): You know a loli vampire, too, don't you? 

James: You must be talking bout Eva, huh? 

James: Yeah, she was a loli when I first met her 

James; She used an illusion spell to hide that, though 

James: But after I added her to my second peerage, she grew up quite a bit 

Tatsuo (Admin): How does that work? 

James: Something about her soul's age and blah, blah, blah 

James: If you want more details, ask Ajuka 

James: That's not my field of expertise 

Tatsuo (Admin): Well, I wasn't really curious enough to ask the smartest person in your world, anyway 

Tatsuo (Admin): Oh, they're out of the bath 

Tatsuo (Admin): I'll go take one, then 

Tatsuo (Admin): And because Aletia is with Sumire, she probably won't be in the chat 

James: Keeping it a secret from her, huh? 

Tatsuo (Admin): If only it were that simple 

Tatsuo (Admin): But no, that's not it 

Tatsuo (Admin): She'll be keeping an eye on Aletia, making sure she doesn't sneak into the bath with me 

James: I don't see the big deal 

James: But she seems like a master of the art of cock blocking 

Tatsuo (Admin): No, that's not it 

Tatsuo (Admin): I actually asked her to do it 

James: ??? 

Tatsuo (Admin): I don't know why, but every time I get close to getting some, I feel like my life is in danger... 

Tatsuo (Admin): Well, not my life... 

Tatsuo (Admin): But I just feel I wouldn't like the consequences of breaking my mom's rule for when I can lose my virginity 

James: Weird... 

James: I wonder what that's about 

James: Maybe the author is cock blocking you? 

Tatsuo (Admin): What the hell are you talking about 

James: Honestly, I don't know 

James: But sometimes, things like that feel like the right thing to say 

James: 🤷🏽‍♂️} 

"Tatsuo-Kun, you can take your bath, now." Sumire, who just entered the lounge area where Tatsuo was chatting with James, said. 

Quickly putting his smartphone into his [Inventory], James looked towards the direction where Sumire's voice came from. And when he did, he saw both Sumire and Aletia, who were fresh out of the bath. And that caused him to freeze momentarily. 

While pulling her hair back with one hand and wrapping a scrunchy around it, Sumire was wearing a violet yukata with a white sash tying it shut. However, whether by accident or on purpose, Tatsuo would never know, a large portion of her breasts and cleavage were visible. On top of that, for some reason, this yukata only reached down to the middle of her thighs. 

Needless to say, with Tatsuo's teenage hormones mixed with the lust that came with his draconic bloodline, he found his eyes glued to all the exposed flesh. 

Yet, if that were everything, Tatsuo would be able to recover rather quickly, especially with all the conditioning he went through while under DOATEC's custody. But when he shifted his gaze to Aletia, he fell into a daze once again. 

Unlike Sumire, Aletia was not doing anything with her hair. However, it was clearly still damp. On top of that, it was draped over her shoulders, which made the white, men's button-down shirt she was wearing more or less transparent. 

And what made things even worse, because Aletia had been feeding on Tatsuo's blood, her body had filled out quite nicely since she was freed from captivity. In other words, Aletia was not just a petite vampire princess anymore. Instead, she was a big breasted petite vampire. 

"Oh... Okay." Tatsuo replied after a moment, when he was able to finally snap back to his senses. "I'll go take a quick bath. Then, we can explore this mansion." 

Reaching that point, Tatsuo made eye contact with Sumire, who nodded in response. Meanwhile, Aletia pouted at the fact that Tatsuo, despite how sexy she should have looked in one of his shirts, was only paying attention to Sumire. However, before Aletia could do something to get Tatsuo's attention back on her, he turned his gaze in her direction. 

"And once we're finished looking around, we have something to tell you, Aletia." Tatsuo said in a serious tone. 

Hearing Tatsuo's tone, Aletia found herself getting worried. 

'Now that we've cleared the labyrinth, do they want to split up?' Aletia asked herself while tears started to well up in her eyes. 

"Don't worry, it's not bad news." Sumire, who noticed Aletia's state, said soothingly while patting her on the shoulder. "In fact, we're going to tell you more about us. Now that we're pretty sure there's no one listening." 

Because she had seen the message from her uncle, Dienleed, Aletia knew exactly who could be listening. However, that was not important to her at the moment. Nor was learning more about Sumire. But the fact that she would be able to learn more about Tatsuo made her eyes light up with anticipation. 

Meanwhile, Tatsuo stood up from the couch he was seated on and started walking towards the door. However, just as he stepped past the girls, Aletia grabbed his arm, causing him to stop and look down at her. 

"I'll wash your back." Aletia said while licking her lips seductively. 

"Didn't you just get out the bath?" Tatsuo asked in return. 

"For you, I don't mind…" Aletia replied before licking her lips sensually. "… taking another bath." 

"No, you're coming with me." Sumire said as she clamped a hand on Aletia's shoulder. "We're going to explore this place while Tatsuo-Kun gets cleaned up." 

Immediately, Aletia's head snapped in Sumire's direction. At the same time, she struggled as hard as she could. Unfortunately, her physical strength was not enough to free herself from Sumire's grasp. Unfortunately, her strength, though quite considerable, was no match for Sumire's. Adding the fact that Sumire is quite skilled at applying her strength, as well, Aletia simply had no chance. 

Realizing that resistance was futile, Aletia changed her strategy. Turning back to look at Tatsuo, she tried to make puppy dog eyes. Unfortunately, Tatsuo had turned his attention back to his smartphone to chat with James while he walked past the girls. 

"I'll see you two after my bath." Tatsuo said without looking up, knowing that the cute vampire princess's gaze would be hard to resist. "When I get back, we'll sit down and talk about our next move." 

"Okay, see you later, Tatsuo-Kun." Sumire said cheerfully while making sure Aletia did not follow Tatsuo. 

Not long later, Tatsuo, after washing himself, was seated in the large, open-air bath at the center of the mansion in the Abode of Liberators. 

"*Sigh* I've missed this." Tatsuo said as he leaned against the walls of the bath. "I haven't taken a real bath in almost six months. And what makes it even better... This is a natural hot spring. I'm not sure where the water comes from, though. But the water isn't made of magic. And that's good enough for me." 

After relaxing for a few more seconds, Tatsuo logged back into the [Dimensional Chat]. Though, he did not use his smartphone, opting to access it through his system. 

{[Dimensional Chat] 

James: So, when are you guys gonna come back? 

James: I'm so tired of being around Amanogawa 

James: If I have to listen to him spout his self-righteous bullshit one more time, I might just kill him 

Tatsuo (Admin): I'm not sure exactly 

Tatsuo (Admin): We'll be clearing the second Labyrinth, stopping by the Haultina Sea of Trees to save the rabbitmen, and save the little girl from the slave trade 

Tatsuo (Admin): Oh, and help the perverted masochist dragon, too 

James: Damn it 

James: I really may kill Amanogawa before you come back 

Tatsuo (Admin): I mean, if you really have to 🤷🏽‍♂️ 

James: You're not supposed to agree 

Tatsuo (Admin): Then, why not take his girl? 

Tatsuo (Admin): I mean, you have a harem, right? 

James: That should really hurt him, right? 

James: I guess you're talking about Yaegashi, huh? 

James: Not a bad idea 

James: She's hot, she's a decent fighter for a human 

James: And I think Master would like training her} 

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, Heiligh Kingdom, Royal Capital. 

At that moment, Shizuku, who was in Kaori's room, chatting about the interesting things that have happened over the past few months, shuddered violently. Then, she raised her guard to the maximum and began looking around the room cautiously. 

"Shizuku-Chan, are you okay?" Kaori asked in a concerned tone. 

However, Shizuku did not reply immediately. Instead, she continued to look around, spreading her perception as far as she could to figure out what made her shudder like that. 

"Shizuku-Chan?" Kaori asked once again, this time grabbing her best friend by the hand. 

In response, Shizuku jumped, reaching down with her free hand to try and grab her sword. Lucky for Kaori, Shizuku was unarmed at the moment. Otherwise, there might have been a serious accident. 

"*Pant* *Pant* Huh?" Shizuku, trying her best to calm down after seeing the concern in her friend's eyes, asked. "Kaori, what's the matter?" 

"I should be asking you that, Shizuku-Chan." Kaori said, the concern becoming more evident as time passed. "What happened to you? You looked so scared." 

"I... Don't know." Shizuku replied while shaking her head. "I just felt like my life was in danger. But I don't know why." 

Hearing that, Kaori went on guard, as well. Then, she cast one of her [Healing Spells] while pulling Shizuku into a hug, burying Shizuku's face in her bosom. And this particular spell was one used to ward off mental ailments. 

"Weird... It's not working." Kaori muttered. 

"Um... I don't think I have a negative status effect, Kaori." Shizuku said, her voice being muffled by Kaori's chest. "Great, now I'm using video game terms, too." 

Hearing Shizuku's muffled complaint, Kaori could not help smiling despite the situation. Thinking back to when she first found herself with a crush on Hajime, Shizuku accompanied her for most of her research into the things Hajime liked. And she could not be thankful. As a result of her trip down memory lane, Kaori tightened her arms around Shizuku while she looked at her best friend with a gentle, loving gaze. 

"Hey, Shirasaki-San." Hajime said, walking peeking into Kaori's room through the door that was not completely closed as he did so. "It's time for dinner. Did you wanna--- Oh, sorry for interrupting. Please, take your time." 

Then, Hajime turned around and quickly started walking towards the dining room. However, before he got too far away from the door, his mumbling floated into the room. 

"James said she liked me, didn't he?" Hajime said to himself while shaking his head as he walked away. "And I was starting to believe it, too. But how can she like me when she's living in a field of lilies? Maybe he was wrong..." 

Hajime's muttering made Kaori and Shizuku freeze with dumfounded expressions on their faces. Then, they both turned their heads in a mechanical fashion to look at each other. After that, they both inspected the position they were in. And when they realized just how intimate it looked, both of their faces reddened. 

At the same time, Kaori, with much greater strength than her physique or Stats would suggest, pushed Shizuku away, almost causing her to fall to the floor. 

"Hajime-Kun~~~~~!" Kaori shouted as she dashed out of her room. "Wait for me~~~~! It's not what it looked like, I promise~~~~~!" 

Meanwhile, Shizuku could only watch her best friend run after the boy she liked while she slowly righted her posture. Then, she smiled and shook her head. 

"It's only been about six months, or so, and those two have changed so much." Shizuku muttered. "*Sigh* I wonder if I'll change, too. And what about finding love?" 

As she asked herself about love, Shizuku could not help thinking about the boys she knew. First, the boy she had known the longest, Kouki. However, she shook her head. She could only see him as a somewhat... No, extremely self-righteous brother. 

Next was Ryutaro. Shizuku shook her head again. 

'Although he's a nice enough guy, he's got more muscles than brains.' Shizuku thought to herself. 'Not exactly my type.' 

Next, a boy with a caramel-colored skin ton, black, braided hair, clear foreign facial features, brown eyes, and strange pink outlines around his irises popped into her head. That devilishly charming smile he often wore and his incredible skill with either one or a pair of katanas making his image stick around much longer than the other two. 

"*Sigh* Just what am I thinking?" Shizuku muttered while shaking her head. 

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her head, Shizuku turned towards the door to Kaori's bedroom to join her classmates in the dining hall. 

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, True Orcus Great Labyrinth, Abode of the Liberators. 

Not too long later, Tatsuo left the bath, ending his conversation with James over the [Dimensional Chat]. Then, he returned to the lounge where he waited for Sumire and Aletia to finish their baths. And just as he expected, Sumire and Aletia were waiting for him. 

"So, did you two find anything interesting?" Tatsuo asked while walking over to the couch where the girls were sitting. 

Before Sumire or Aletia could respond, Tatsuo flopped down on the couch between the two. When he did, Aletia wasted no time snuggling up to him. And although she looked exasperated, Sumire did the same. Though, she did glare at Aletia for a moment as she did so. 

"Not really." Sumire replied. "Most of the doors were locked. There was only one room that wasn't. Well.... other than the kitchen and rooms like those, I mean. Anyway, the only things in the unlocked room were a skeleton and a magic circle on the floor. But we didn't touch either of them." 

"Hmm...." Tatsuo replied with a nod. "Then, the key to the other locked rooms is probably in that room." 

Sumire and Aletia nodded in agreement. 

"Anyway, do you wanna find that key first or should we tell Aletia about our secret?" Tatsuo asked. 

"Either way is fine with me." Sumire replied with a shrug. 

"Then, let's get it out of the way now." Tatsuo said. He then turned and looked at Aletia, who was tilting her head in confusion, in the eyes before continuing. "We told you that we were from another world, right?" 

Aletia nodded in response. 

"Well, although it was true, it's only half true." Tatsuo continued. "We're actually from a completely different reality. Realities if you wanna be precise about it." 

Aletia tilted her head to the other side, the confusion in her eyes growing. 

"*Sigh* Something tells me that the multiverse theory doesn't exist on Tortus." Tatsuo said, not sure how to explain what he meant. 

Then, for the next hour and a half, Tatsuo and Sumire tried their best to explain where they actually came from, what they were doing in the Arifureta Universe, and the [Dimensional Chat]. And although they were not sure if she understood completely, they were sure that she at least got the gist of it. 

"But why tell me about this?" Aletia asked curiously. 

"It's because Tatsuo-Kun and I will be leaving this world at some point." Sumire replied. "And we thought it would be safer for both you and the world to leave the world with us. You know, since Ehit will definitely try to possess your body again when he finds out that you've resurfaced." 

Though she was not really paying much attention to the part about Ehit, Aletia's eyes lit up, glowing golden thanks to her mana. And the reason was simple, there was a possibility that she could leave this world... with Tatsuo. 

"So, if you want to leave this world with us, you can---" Tatsuo said, planning to make his offer. 

"Yes!" Aletia all but shouted happily as a wide smile spread across her face. 

"Stay with Sumire-San in her world." Tatsuo continued. 

Immediately, Aletia's smile turned into a frown... a deep one, as she glared at Tatsuo. 

"Yes, my world is in danger." Sumire said in a sincere tone. "And someone with your power would be a great help." 

Sumire punctuated her sentence/request by bowing her head. 

Aletia, on the other hand, repeatedly shifted her gaze between Tatsuo and Sumire before eventually sighing in frustration. Then, she looked at Sumire and nodded her head. 

"Thank you, Aletia-San!" Sumire squealed as she lunged over Tatsuo and hugged Aletia while smiling gratefully. 

Meanwhile, Tatsuo smiled while enjoying the feeling of Sumire's breasts squishing against his thigh while Sumire's arms were wrapped around Aletia's waist with her head buried in the vampire princess's stomach. Meanwhile, Aletia, after seeing how grateful Sumire was, softened her expression and started patting Sumire's head. 

"Good, I'm glad we got that settled." Tatsuo said with a smile. "So, whenever you're ready, we can check that room with the magic circle."