Chapter 23

Aichi now felt his entire body enveloped by something warm and soft, a touch that was quite nostalgic. This was the feel of a bed. The cushion gently supported his head and back, and he felt as if his body was being wrapped in soft feathers. Aichi's muddled consciousness was confused.

(What is this? This should be the labyrinth... Why am I in bed...?)

With his consciousness not yet fully awake, Aichi tried to feel around with his hands. However, his right hand, contrary to his intention, wouldn't move. Or rather, his right hand couldn't move because it was surrounded by a different, soft touch from the bed, and his palm was held by something warm and soft.

(What is this?)

As he wondered, Aichi squeezed the object with his hand. The thing that clung to his palm was smooth and elastic, changing shape softly in response to his movements. The sensation was so addictive that Aichi lost himself in rubbing it...

"Ahn..."

(?!)

He heard a seductive sigh. In that instant, Aichi's muddled consciousness suddenly awoke.

Panicking, Aichi sat up and found himself really in a bed. The bed had pure white sheets, a luxurious canopy, and a high-class feel. The bed was on a stone step higher than the ventilated balcony. A refreshing breeze passed through the canopy, caressing Aichi's cheeks. The surroundings were surrounded by thick pillars and gauzy curtains. If you imagine it as a bed placed in the center of the Parthenon, you can get the picture. The entire space was filled with a warm light that he hadn't seen in a long time.

(Just a moment ago, I was in a life-or-death battle in the labyrinth...)

Aichi was confused by this thought.

(Where is this... Could this be another world...?)

No matter where he looked, the place felt solemn, and an ominous thought flashed through Aichi's mind, but it was interrupted by the seductive moan he heard from the side.

"Un... Aichi... Ah..."

"!?"

Aichi hurriedly lifted the blanket next to him, and inside was Mochizuki, naked, sleeping while hugging his right arm. Only then did Aichi realize that he was also naked.

"I see... This is the morning after... No, that's not it!" (Note: "Morning after" is a reference from "Daisenmonogatari," where the morning after a certain activity, one wakes up with a woman, a common trope in harem manga and novels.)

Confused, Aichi couldn't help but comment on his own foolishness, feeling somewhat empty as he called out to Mochizuki.

"Mochizuki, wake up, Mochizuki."

"Mmm~..."

Mochizuki made a sleepy sound, curling up into a ball as if saying "No, no." Incidentally, Aichi's right hand was trapped between Mochizuki's thighs, and as she curled up, his hand was getting dangerously close to a sensitive area.

"Ugh... Could this really be the other world... Heaven?"

Aichi, saying something even more absurd, tried to move his right hand to free it, but...

"Mmm~... Mmm..."

The seductive moan was indeed coming from Mochizuki.

"Ugh, I need to stay calm. No matter what, she's older than she looks. Getting flustered is impossible! I'm definitely not a lolicon!"

Aichi, on the verge of showing a perverted gentleman's expression, negated himself, his face showing a shudder. Aichi gave up on freeing his right hand and instead called out to Mochizuki to wake her up, but she showed no signs of waking.

During this time, Aichi's frustration gradually increased. He hadn't fully processed the chaotic situation, and why could she sleep so soundly here! Veins began to appear on Aichi's forehead.

Then, his frustration reached its peak...

"Enough! Wake up, you natural pervert vampire princess!"

【Chain Lightning】 activated, and the current buzzed through his right hand.

"!? Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!"

Mochizuki let out a strange sound and released Aichi, her body trembling as she gradually opened her eyes.

"...Aichi?"

"Hey. It's Aichi. Sleepyhead, open your eyes..."

"Aichi!"

"!?"

Mochizuki, with a dazed look, suddenly widened her eyes and pounced on Aichi. Of course, she was naked, and Aichi was flustered.

However, Mochizuki only buried her face in Aichi's neck, making sniffling sounds. Noticing this, Aichi smiled wryly and stroked Mochizuki's head.

"Sorry, I made you worry a lot."

"Mm... I was worried..."

For a while, she clung to him tightly, showing no signs of letting go.

(As punishment for letting her see me fall, I'll let her hug until she's satisfied.)

Thinking this, Aichi continued to gently stroke Mochizuki's head.

After a while, Mochizuki gradually calmed down, and Aichi began to ask about the situation. Incidentally, Mochizuki was now tightly wrapped in the bedsheet.

"So, what happened after that? Where are we?"

"...After that..."

According to Mochizuki, after that, with her magic power depleted, she wobbled and collapsed next to the unconscious Aichi. Suddenly, the door opened by itself. Could it be the enemy's reinforcements! But no matter how long she remained on guard, nothing unusual happened. As time passed, Mochizuki, who had slightly recovered, went deeper into the door to check.

Though she was recovering bit by bit thanks to the divine water, Aichi's severe injuries remained unchanged, still in a critical state. While his tough physique kept him alive, it was unknown when the aurora's poison would exceed the healing speed of the divine water. In this state, if new enemies appeared, it would be over. Therefore, Mochizuki couldn't help but check.

Then, what she found deeper in the door was...

"...The traitor's residence."

Inside was a spacious, comfortable living space. After confirming there was no danger, Mochizuki found a bedroom and carried Aichi to the bed to take care of him. The divine water flowing from the divine crystal had significantly decreased, but Mochizuki continued to extract it and feed it to Aichi.

Finally, the effect of the divine water overcame the aurora's poison, and seeing the wounds begin to heal as usual, Mochizuki was exhausted.

"...I see, thank you for taking care of me. Thanks, Mochizuki."

"Mm!"

Aichi expressed his gratitude, and Mochizuki's eyes shone with genuine happiness. Though she still had a blank expression, her eyes were undeniable.

"By the way... Why am I naked?"

Aichi noticed that Mochizuki hadn't mentioned this.

(If this is a real morning after, spare me. It's not that I dislike Mochizuki... You know, you need to be mentally prepared for this kind of thing.)

No one knew that Aichi was muttering this to himself.

"...Beautiful... would get dirty..."

"...Why are you licking your lips?"

In response to Aichi's question, Mochizuki's face showed a seductive smile after a blood-sucking act, licking her lips. For some reason, Aichi's body shuddered.

"Also, why was Mochizuki sleeping next to me? And... naked..."

"...Mmm..."

"Wait, what does that smile mean! What did you do! And stop licking your lips!"

Aichi interrogated intensely, but Mochizuki only looked at him with a seductive gaze, saying nothing.

Aichi continued to question for a while, but Mochizuki only smiled happily without answering. Eventually, Aichi gave up and began to explore the traitor's residence. Mochizuki brought high-quality clothes from somewhere. Men's clothing. The traitor must have been a man. Just to be safe, Aichi checked for any strange devices inside the clothes. Judging them to be safe, he put them on and found they fit well.

Mochizuki, who was also dressing in the back, was ready, and Aichi turned his head. Mochizuki was...

...somehow only wearing a long-sleeved shirt.

"Mochizuki... Do you have some purpose?"

"?...It doesn't fit."

Indeed, men's clothing wouldn't fit Mochizuki, who was 140 cm tall. However, her swollen chest and the graceful curve of her white thighs, contrasting with her childlike appearance, exuded a seductive atmosphere. To be honest, Aichi was troubled and didn't know where to look.

"...If you're really that innocent, it's kind of scary..."

Whether she had some purpose or was just naturally innocent, Aichi found Mochizuki terrifying in various ways.

When Aichi came out of the bedroom, he was overwhelmed and stunned by the surrounding scenery.

First, the sun caught his eye. Of course, this was an underground labyrinth, and it wasn't a real sun. A trumpet-shaped object floated high above the ceiling, with a brilliant, shining sphere suspended at its bottom. It felt warm, not inorganic like a fluorescent light, so he couldn't help but call it a "sun."

"...At night, it's like the moon."

"Really..."

Next, the pleasant sound of water caught his attention. This room, deep within the giant door, was about the size of a baseball field. However, one wall was a waterfall. A large amount of water flowed from near the ceiling, forming a river that flowed into a cave in the distance. The air was filled with the refreshing negative ions characteristic of a waterfall, making one feel at ease. If you looked closely, you could see fish swimming. Perhaps they had flowed in from the surface.

A little further from the river was a large field, currently uncultivated... Around the field were what seemed to be animal pens, though there was no scent of animals. However, with water, fish, meat, and vegetables, one could cook here. The greenery was abundant, with various trees growing everywhere.

Aichi walked in the direction opposite the river and field, toward the building adjacent to the bedroom. These buildings felt more like rock formations that had been processed and lived in.

"...I checked a bit, and there are many rooms that haven't been opened yet..."

"Is that so... Mochizuki, be careful when we move."

"Mm..."

The stone dwellings all had a snow-white limestone-like texture. They all felt very clean, and at the entrance, a warm light ball illuminated from the tip of a protruding platform on the eaves. For Aichi and Mochizuki, who had been in the dark for a long time, it was slightly blinding. It seemed to be a three-story building, with a staircase leading up.

First, they went to the first floor. The living room had a fireplace, soft carpets, and sofas, and they found a kitchen and bathroom. All of them looked unused for a long time, with no human presence... It was like coming home from a long trip, you know. The signs indicated that this place hadn't been used for a while. It seemed to be maintained and managed, but not lived in...

Aichi and Mochizuki continued to move forward with increased vigilance. Deeper in, they came outside again. There was a large circular dry pond, and on the opposite side of the pond was a statue of a lion, seated with its mouth open. A magic array was carved next to the statue. When they tried to inject magic power, the lion-like creature's mouth spouted warm water. In any world, it seemed to be a convention that the spouting water came from a lion.

"Well, it's a bath. This is great. I haven't had a bath in months."

Aichi's cheeks relaxed. At first, he didn't even notice the dirt on his body, but once he did, he felt itchy all over. Aichi exaggeratedly injected magic power into the array, and cleaning his body was his top priority.

Aichi, being Japanese, loved bathing, and it was no exception for him. After confirming safety, he wanted to relax, which was understandable.

Seeing Aichi like that, Mochizuki's first words were,

"...Bathing? Together..."

"...Can I have a peaceful bath alone?"

"Mmm..."

Mochizuki kicked the warm water with her bare feet, and bathing together would mean no relaxation, so Aichi firmly refused. Mochizuki pouted, looking dissatisfied.

After that, they found a room on the second floor that seemed to be a study and a workshop. However, the bookshelves and the door to the workshop were sealed, and they couldn't open them. They had to give up and continue exploring.

The two headed to the room at the far end of the third floor. The third floor seemed to have only this one room. When they opened the door, a magic array about seven to eight meters in diameter was carved into the center of the floor, more intricate and delicate than any they had seen before, almost like a work of art, a beautiful geometric pattern.

However, more noticeable than this was the figure sitting on a luxurious chair opposite the array. The figure was a skeleton. The already skeletonized remains were draped in a black robe with golden embroidery. It didn't give a dirty impression, like an object in a haunted house.

The skeleton was leaning back in the chair with its head raised. It must have decayed in this position. What was the skeleton's purpose in this room with only a magic array? It wasn't a bedroom or a living room, but why did it choose this place as the end of its life...

"...Suspicious... What should we do?"

Mochizuki also had questions about the skeleton. It was probably one of the traitors. There was no sign of suffering, and the posture of sitting and passing away seemed like it was waiting for someone.

"Well, to find the way to the surface, this room is the key. My alchemy doesn't work on the seals of the library and workshop... We probably can only investigate here. Mochizuki, stay here and let me know if anything happens."

"Mm... Be careful."

Aichi said this and stepped into the magic array. The moment Aichi's foot touched the center of the array, a sudden burst of pure white light turned the entire room snow-white.

Blinded, Aichi closed his eyes. Then, something invaded his mind, and the events after falling into the abyss flashed before him like a slideshow.

After a while, the light subsided, and when Aichi opened his eyes, a young man in black stood before him.