~3rd Person POV~
The large hall on the 62nd floor contained only the Behemoth. For an ordinary adventurer, that alone would be terrifying, but for the group in their current state, it was a blessing.
Thanks to Nanami's arrival, they could take a brief rest here in the dangerous territory below the 60th floor, even if there were no other monsters nearby.
"Nagumo-kun was meant to stay behind as the rear guard… Even if it was his own idea, you allowed him to do something incredibly reckless." Nanami said, looking at Meld, his tone grave.
'That Behemoth, if I were to compare its strength to a cursed spirit, would be about equivalent to a semi-Grade 1, albeit on the weaker side. Even so, it's still semi-Grade 1. For someone like Nagumo-kun, who was not even at Grade 4 to hold it off…'
"I have no excuse." Meld said, his tone full of regret.
Many of the students were already mentally unstable after witnessing a classmate die right before their eyes. The only thing keeping them together was the sight of the Behemoth's corpse, the embodiment of their fear; and the presence of Nanami, the one who had slain it.
Nanami had deliberately moved a little away to talk with Meld so others wouldn't overhear, but Kouki's sharp ears picked up the conversation, and he chimed in, "Meld-san! Why are you apologizing!? That wasn't your fault!! Nagumo died–"
"Stop. That's enough. Let's not argue here." Nanami cut the conversation short to prevent Kouki from spreading unease.
"Everyone," he continued, now addressing the whole group, "I understand you're all exhausted, both physically and mentally, but I can't allow you to remain here. I'll take the lead, Meld-san and his men will form a protective ring around you, and we'll get you to safety. I've called for reinforcements, so let's quickly head to a safe zone."
""…""
"Come on, let's go. For everyone's sake, but especially to get the unconscious Kaori somewhere safe." Shizuku's words calmed Kouki, who was bristling from having the subject changed again.
Reforming their formation, they began to advance.
Staying alert and prioritizing safety, they followed Nanami. Along the way, they passed the corpses of monsters. Though not as formidable as the Behemoth, it was clear he had defeated monsters that would have given them trouble in their current state.
This drove home the fact that even if they had somehow gotten past the Behemoth, if Nanami hadn't been here, they might never have made it out.
"We're taking the shortest route, but there are some passages I collapsed along with the monsters inside, so we'll have to go around those." Nanami said.
They avoided the blocked paths and pressed on. Along the way, they found a new passage leading upward and began to climb.
Up and up... They climbed for what felt like forever.
The upper floors were somewhat safer thanks to Nanami having cleared out many monsters earlier, but the students' fatigue was immense.
No one spoke, they just kept climbing. Occasionally, monsters would appeared, but Nanami dispatched them with ease.
After ascending more than thirty floors, Meld made a suggestion, "Their fatigue is one thing, but there's also the damage from earlier. More importantly, you must be fairly tired too, right?"
"I'm still fine. But indeed, the kids certainly are in terrible shape," said Nanami as he glanced back at the students' condition.
"...Stop," he said suddenly, raising a hand to halt them as he intently gazed ahead.
The students grew anxious at this, wondering what was wrong, but their fears were quickly dispelled.
"There he is! It's Mr. Kento! The Commander and the Hero's party are with him!"
"Medical team, provide first aid and recovery magic to those who need it!"
Parnes and Mard had arrived with about twenty reinforcements, including medics.
Relief washed over the group. Still, this was a place with many dangers. In fact, even their would be rescuers had signs of battle on their armor.
"We'll take a short break, but as soon as your wounds are treated, we will run up in one go," Nanami said, "Those who are finished with healing and those who are okay, please be ready to move at any time instead of sitting down. Honestly, don't expect much rest."
A few students shot him looks of dissatisfaction at being denied the opportunity to rest, but when Nanami silently looked their way, the dissatisfied students averted their eyes and fell silent, then prepared themselves as instructed.
As this was happening, Meld approached, scratching his head with a wry smile, saying, "You know, Kento, you didn't have to make yourself the bad guy by saying all that. I could've done that much myself."
"I don't mind. More importantly, how is Shirasaki-san's condition?"
Kaori had been laid down. Recovery magic should have restored her wounds and stamina, but she hadn't woken up yet. Meld said he had knocked her out, but it was strange she still hadn't come to.
"Hmm, the healing squad says it's hard to tell in this place, but if there's no physical injury, it's likely a psychological issue." Meld said.
Hearing this, and seeing the group of girls, including Shizuku, gazing at Kaori with worry, Nanami steeled himself and addressed them, "Everyone, I understand that you're concerned about Shirasaki-san, but please be ready to depart at any time."
Several showed dissatisfied faces, and Kouki spoke up for them, "Nanami-sensei! You don't have to say it like that! Shizuku and everyone are just worried about Kaori!"
"I can see that, and I've acknowledged it. But what if a horde of monsters comes here? Protecting those who aren't in the right state of mind and those who are still being treated for injuries would be disastrous. Injuries are one thing, but in their current distraught state, they might even misfire and hit allies."
"I'll protect everyone! I can at least–"
Nanami's fist was suddenly before Kouki's eyes, halting him mid-rant.
"Please don't think you can do everything and protect everyone by yourself. This isn't a safe floor, and fighting while protecting this many people isn't realistic. At least wait until you can react to a light punch like the one I just threw before you say such things."
Saying this, he left Kouki, who still had a dissatisfied look. Then the medical team raised their hands, signaling they were finished.
"It seems treatment is complete," Nanami said, then looked at Shizuku, "Yaegashi-san, are you all right? If it's too much, I can carry Shirasaki-san."
"No, I'm fine. And… thank you, Nanami-sensei."
"I don't recall saying anything deserving thanks."
"For coming to rescue us. And for saying all that so Kaori could be taken somewhere proper for treatment soon, right?"
"…"
Since coming to this world, Shizuku had come to understand things she hadn't back at school.
She continued, "You seem strict, but you're actually quite kind, aren't you?"
"Let's go." Without another word, Nanami moved to the front.
To Shizuku, it looked almost like he was hiding his embarrassment.
...
When they finally emerged from the Great Orcus Labyrinth, the students finally showed expressions of relief. But they couldn't afford to be elated.
As it was late that day, most of them slept like logs. Though some students talked amongst themselves, their expressions were dark. Others went outside for some air.
Nanami and Meld kept watch to ensure no one wandered too far.
Nanami waited until Mard, who had medical training, finished his examination before asking, "So, Mard-san... how is Shirasaki-san?"
Shizuku stood beside him, clearly restraining the urge to take Kaori's hand.
"As expected, it's not physical nor is it due to exhaustion, but likely psychological. To protect her mind and heart from the shock, her body took defensive measures... So until she wakes, all we can do is let her rest…"
"No… Is Kaori going to be all right!?" Shizuku's voice rose as she stepped forward.
However, Nanami steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.
Mard to the opportunity to explain, "She likely won't wake up for a while. But there's no brain damage, so she should regain consciousness within a week at most, though that's just an estimate. Further care and diagnosis will come after that."
Hearing this, Shizuku felt a slight relief. After Mard exited following the diagnosis, Shizuku tightly grasped Kaori's hand and wept.
"Yaegashi-san," Nanami said softly, "It's fine to stay with her, but you should rest too. It wouldn't do if you collapsed by the time she wakes up."
"Yes… Sensei, truly…"
"There's no need for thanks. In fact, I don't deserve them. What I did to try to increase your chances of survival in this world, where life can be lost at any moment, led to this. I should never have let you enter the labyrinth in the first place. I take full responsibility for that."
"…Are you going to say that in front of Hatayama-sensei too?" Shizuku guessed he would, since he'd taken the blame so openly, "In reality, it's not your fault."
This man would go to any lengths for them. Shizuku knew he'd tell Aiko the same, but she still said, "Sensei, you did nothing wrong. We chose this ourselves… We thought we were prepared, but the consequences have come down on us. You were right all along. I respect you for protecting us even if it means being disliked, rather than doing nothing out of fear of being disliked."
For a few seconds, Nanami remained silent, his expression unchanging. Then he simply said, "Please get some rest."
Then he left the room.
Shizuku didn't know how much he carried on his shoulders, but she trusted him enough to want to help bear it.