《Ryuu Kusari no Ori》 Chapter 1 Character Introduction & World Setting Nozomu Bountis The main character of this novel. Originally was a local farmer. His ability value is average except for magical power. He entered the school to support his lover''s dream, but his grades were sluggish due to the suppression of his abilities. Six months after enrollment, his lover suddenly notified him of her farewell, his grades dropped to the lowest class and students were ridiculing him. The weapon used is mainly a katana. Ability: Ability Suppression Ability to reduce the person''s strength, magic, and energy below a certain level. It can be strengthened by magic, qi, items, etc., but the effects are significantly reduced. Although it is an ability that rarely appears, there is almost no benefit to the wielder. Rank D- *** Lisa Hounds Former lover from the same hometown as the main character. She has excellent grades, good looks, and a victorious personality, but her roots are pure and lonely. She wants to see the world, so she enrolls in a school where people from all over the world gather. The protagonist was her lover of mutual love but suddenly said goodbye in the summer of the year. Currently, there is another childhood friend and lover. Her grades are quite good and currently in the highest class in the school. Weapons used by her are a two-handed sword, a one-handed sword, and a dagger. She can also use flame and wind magic Rank A *** Ken Notis Another childhood friend of the main character, Lisa''s current lover. He has talent in every direction. The affiliation class is 1st class. He has a good face and a good personality, so there are a lot of female students who confess, but Lisa is the only one. One of the few who talks normally to Nozomu. Rank A *** Anri Var It is the main character''s classroom teacher. A beautiful woman with long brown wavy hair. Her character is natural and lovely. She doesn''t look dull and has a lot of fighting ability. ============================================= Norn Altina She is a teacher in charge of magic classes and also the school''s infirmary. Anri is a close friend of her since she was a student. A cool person, it looks cold at first glance, but she''s quite caring. *** Shino An old woman who taught the mc how to wield a sword. Born in a foreign country in the east, her fighting ability is extremely high, and her ability is equivalent to S rank. It was a coincidence that She came to this country because She was banished due to the turmoil at her parents'' house. Her personality is childish for her age (80), and she has master-class sword skills. *** Dragon King Tiamat Heresy among the dragons. Originally a black dragon, it ate other dragons and continued to take in its power. It has lived over 10,000 years and the exact age is unknown. It has a jet-black body with 6 wings in 5 colors.======================================================WORLD SETTING Arcmeal Continent The continent where this novel story is taking place. The continent is regularly exposed to the invasion of powerful demons that inhabit the northern wastelands. Ten years before the start of the main story, there was a far greater invasion called the "Great Invasion", and three countries have collapsed because of it. The territory of the collapsed country now becomes the habitat of powerful demons. Commonly known as the underworld. In addition to humans, a wide variety of races such as beastmen, fairies, and elves live on this continent. Some of the countries that collapsed due to the great invasion were countries of different races. *** Academic City Alcazar A city that was created to establish Solminati Academy. Centering on Solminati Academy, there is an administrative office in the north, a civic area in the east, a commercial area in the south, and a craftsman area in the west. There are also adventurer guilds in various places, and students can also receive work according to their rank. The transportation facility between cities is not well thought out. It is because this city was created at a central location in the power map of each country. However, this city also has the latest research institutes, and since a lot of funds were introduced in the city construction, there is no doubt this city is considered as a major base on the continent, and therefore many people, supplies, and economy were established. *** Solminati Academy A school funded by countries all over the continent to develop human resources that can counter the large-scale invasion of demons. The highest grade is the 4th year, and the content of education is not only about combat but also training human resources who can play an active role in various fields such as research and politics. Students are divided into 1 to 10 classes according to their abilities, and their treatment varies. In the first class, the training ground and magic experiment ground can be used preferentially, and in some cases, individual guidance from a specialized teacher can be received. For better or for worse, it is natural for those who do not achieve a certain grade in a merit-based school to fail, and it is not uncommon for them to drop out. Besides, since it develops human resources that will bear the future of each country, it will affect the forces between nations in the future, so it is also a place for political bargaining. The protagonist managed to keep his grades only from writing exams because his practical exams were not good due to his ability suppression. *** Magic A technique that manifests various phenomena by raising the energy in the atmosphere or the energy in the body with their mental power and technique. It is divided into chanting and formation, but there are various other techniques. Spirit magic The magic that involved spirits. It does not require a process of interfering with the outside world, such as magical differences, chanting, and formation used by humans and subhumans. *** Qi A Technique that raises the vitality of the person and manifests various phenomena. Basically, unlike magic, many do not require chanting or creating formation, but it is unlikely to cause as large-scale phenomena as magic. Also, since Qi is vitality itself, complete depletion of Qi means death. *** Rank A step-by-step evaluation of the individual abilities of adventurers and military personnel employed on the continent. To raise the rank, adventurers will be evaluated by their actions, such as defeating the demon beast and completing requests and missions. Rank E At the lowest rank, new adventurers, new soldiers, and academy, most people are in this rank until the first year. Rank D As for the rank, lower adventurers and soldiers, and in the school, the rank around the second grade is appropriate. Rank C The rank is for mid-level adventurers and soldiers, and third graders at the school. Rank B It is equivalent to a fourth-grader in a high-ranking adventurer, knight, or school. Rank A Not only first-class adventurers and knights of the guards, but also those who are involved in political, economic, and military centers are in this rank. Rank S The rank is given to top-notch people, currently, there are only a dozen people on the continent. Rank SS Currently, there are several people on the continent, but most countries do not have this rank. *** Dragon The strongest creature on the continent. Although it is a living thing, it is one of the spirit species. Unlike spirits, it has a material body, but that body is originally a spirit and is a mass of "Origin" substances that is the foundation of the world. However, because it has a physical body, its living environment is close to that of living things. When a dragon dies, it will let the offspring or the person who killed it inherit the power. *** Dragonslayer A person who killed a dragon and inherited its power. There are only a few people in history, and their power is enormous, and some awaken to extraordinary abilities. It hasn''t appeared in the last few hundred years. *** L¨®ng (Chinese: ¡°dragon¡±) A kind of demon beast. Although it has outstanding fighting ability among demon beasts, it is far from the real dragon, and for Dragon, L¨®ng is not a big deal. However, it is a threat to human beings and a manifestation of fear. *** Origin The fundamental element of the world, this "origin" gathers and is transformed into spiritual energy, becomes the magic element or magical power, and the energy of vitality or Qi. Chapter 1.1 Solminati Academy, a gathering place for youngsters from all over the continent with dreams, hopes, and ambitions. The place where people who did not reach certain grades were mercilessly overthrown by the perfect meritocracy. The second-year I came to this place, I, Nozomu Bountis, on the sunny roof during lunch break recalled what I had experienced. I came to this school two years ago, left my hometown with two of my childhood friends, and came to this place. One of them is Ken Notis. Unique friends since childhood. The other is Lisa Hounds. A beautiful girl with a reddish ponytail. She was my most important person, my lover. She was always a victorious child and was the culprit who one-sidedly quarreled with the country boy ¡°General¡±. I met her when I was eight years old while I was fishing in the river near the village. "Hey, are you free now?" It was a chance for her to speak. A reddish shortcut hair with triumphant expression, my face gradually heated up ... I fell in love at first sight. Her parents used to live in different countries, but when her father died on the way, she decided to stay in my hometown. When she was a child, she was often naughty and irritable, but she wasn''t hated, and she was a girl who would never forgive. The kids in the village who were the most disappointed with her were the boy ¡°General¡± and me for some reason. Three years ago, I couldn''t control my feelings for her and confessed my feelings. Love at first sight, I''ve always loved her. She was shocked and opened her eyes wide to my impulsive confession, but she accepted my feelings with tears. At that time, I decided to go to Solminati Academy with her to support her dream. It was inspired by a dream she shared when she was young. "I want to see the world like my father" I know she missed the outside world when she heard from her mother about her late father. At that time, I decided to enter the Solminati Academy. If my loved one wants to make her dream come true, I want to help. With that word in my heart, I firmly vow to support her back. She hugged me with tears in her eyes, said, "Thank you ... I''m happy." In the middle of dozing off, the bell that indicates the end of the lunch break rings. I got up, loosened my body, and headed to the classroom for the afternoon class. Forcibly cut off the vow from my head that I can no longer fulfill. My class is the 10th class and the lowest class in the 2nd year. Among them, I am at the bottom, the so-called dropout. When I entered the classroom, contempt and ridicule from the surroundings greeted me. "He''s here again. The lowest" "I wish you could just disappear" "I wonder if you can just drop out already" I''m afraid of those heartless voices, but I try to ignore them and sit on my own seat. When I got to my seat, three schoolboys gathered around my seat. "Did you come to the bottom class without any purpose?" Mars, the big man in the middle, talks to intimidate me. "I wish you could give up on this futile thing." "It''s annoying because they will see me at the same level as you." The other two who were beside the big guy also joined to swear. "Well, He was abandoned even by his childhood friend, Red Hair Princess, shouldn''t He stop dreaming already?" The surroundings begin to laugh at the mockery of the three, but no one tries to stop it. In the end, the three didn''t stop swearing at me until the homeroom teacher entered the classroom. Yes, I was dumped by Lisa in the summer of the first year. As soon as she one-sidedly said goodbye, she turned around and left. I don''t know what happened, but since then she''s been looking at me as if she''s looking at filth. "It''s because you cheated on me." Lisa is a woman who is called "Red Hair Princess" because of her appearance and ability. On the other hand, my appearance is normal and my grades are not good. I was dating such a girlfriend, and I was a target of mischief, but the fact that I was dumped by her suddenly lowered my evaluation from the surroundings. All my friends were gone and turned to ridicule me. Even so, I took classes seriously at the school and did not neglect self-discipline. Someday if I keep my vows ......... I had that feeling. Meanwhile, I learned that she started dating her best friend from an early age. She smiled happily with him walking beside her. In training, they show amazing combinations and beat other pairs, and I am forced to understand that I have no place beside her. *** 2:00 pm "Hah!" A dummy sword shot at the side of the imitation sword that the automaton swung. When the dummy sword that was shot down was returned and aimed at the doll''s neck, the technique inside the doll is activated and the doll is automatically stopped. After the lecture in the classroom, it''s now time for practical training at the training ground. Apart from the training ground, there were several facilities such as a magic experiment site in this school, and students were studying their abilities in each facility. The training ground is divided into multiple areas so that multiple classes can handle the same practical training. Today, it is mainly training for interpersonal battles, and each of the students has a battle with an automaton with a simulated sword. This automaton is one of the magical tactics, and it is a puppet that performs autonomous battle by infusing magical power into the puppet''s magic formation. However, the automaton provided to the 10th class is not very good in quality and has only certain movements, so they are mainly used for preparatory movements. "Next is a mock battle in pairs. The combination will be decided here." When Ms. Anri Var, the 10th class teacher called, the automaton stopped, so everyone stopped and waited for the combination to be decided. Ms. Anri has long wavy brown hair and gentle eyes and her face is beautiful. However, this teacher is not suitable for this meritocracy school because she is saying and acting as if a few screws on her head are missing. Many believed with this personality, the teacher which is entrusted (or being forced) with the 10th class, which is the lowest from the same year, does not understand the meaning of being in charge. However, it is clear from the fact that she is a teacher in this school so her abilities must be considerable. Finally, the combination is decided, and each of them starts a mock battle with their respective opponent, but importantly my opponent is ... "Hey, the lowest. This is bullshit." It was Mars who cursed at me before. "Let''s get started since you are a waste of my time." Mars pulls out the greatsword on his back. Mars is a rough man, but his ability is considerable, and he is in the 10th class because of his usual bad behavior. I also pull out the imitation sword that is attached to my waist. My weapon is a sword of the eastern island nation called a katana. Katana, which specialized in cutting, was said to be able to cut through iron easily if a master swung it. However, due to the high skills required and the rarity of the sword itself, it had not spread to the continent yet. It is the most suitable weapon for me who cannot rely on power for some reason. "Then, start ~~~" The mock battle started with Ms. Anri''s relaxed voice. "Uoriya ah ah ah" Mars swings down his greatsword with a loud voice. I parry the big attack with my katana. Mars''s sword deviates and struck on the ground with a high-pitched sound. "Hah!" In the gap after Mars''s attack, I stepped in and aimed at the neck, and drew a slash. "It''s late!" Mars uses the gauntlet on his arm to prevent the slash. The imitation sword does not show the original sharpness of the sword and is repelled by the gauntlet. Mars tries to hit my face with a gauntlet, but I bow my head and avoid it. I try to slash him again, but Mars forcibly swings the greatsword with one hand. I was forced to retreat and restart. Mars, who is slashing with a greatsword, and I, who is trying to get inside the gap between the big slash, fight for a while. "Do I need to crush it?" When Mars mutters, his intimidation grows. "Qi" A technique that originates in the eastern part of the continent and increases the vitality of the person and reveals various phenomena. Mars stepped in at once. The speed is unmatched. This is the result of the physical strengthening by Qi. When the prey in front of him is trapped in time, the greatsword is swung downwards. I also used kijutsu to avoid it, but the greatsword I avoided rolled up the soil with a roaring sound. "Chi! Did I hesitate?" Mars is frustrated, probably because he couldn¡¯t end it with one blow. He pulled out the greatsword that had sunk into the ground and started to swing it again. Handle the greatsword that is swung around using physical strengthening by kijutsu. The sound of iron colliding tells of the fierceness of the battle, but its contents were one-sided. Mars''s physical strengthening is much more effective than my physical strengthening, but the effect of my physical strengthening is so low due to my peculiarity. Mars is bad at doing things, but his ability is high in the class. Mars''s enhanced sword techniques couldn''t be dealt with by an ordinary person, but my physical strengthening as far as the sparrow''s tears made it possible. It gives me the minimum physical ability to handle the greatsword that is swung down by power. "Crush it!" Perhaps because I, who he thought could be crushed immediately, resisted unexpectedly, Mars''s frustration further increases, and he attacked with even more energy. "Goo, I can easily crush it!" I desperately tried not to get caught up in the opponent''s speed. Although the power of the slashes increased, Mars''s attacks became monotonous, and it is not impossible to handle them due to their monotonous nature. However, I can''t fight back because I can only hold it. And if you can''t fight back, you know the outcome. Finally, the limit is reached. I couldn''t handle Mars''s blow and my posture collapsed, and I didn''t have time to recover the collapsed posture, and the blade returned attacked me. "Die!" I was so out of shape that I immediately put my sword between Mars''s greatsword and my body, but I couldn''t stop the opponent''s strengthened sword, and I was blown away and slammed into the wall of the training ground. The impact suffocates me and my field of vision becomes pitch black. "Hey, maggots fight in vain." I lost consciousness as I listened to Mars''s words. *** "It hurts!" The pitch-black field of vision and the vague consciousness in it awaken with back pain. Nozomu is now lying on a bed in the infirmary. "Oh, are awake?" A woman in a white coat with glasses is working at a desk in the infirmary. She is Norn Altina, an intelligent beautiful woman who is the school''s health doctor . When she comes here, she moves her finger in front of him to check his state of consciousness. "Okay, your consciousness is clear. Is there any other place where you feel pain?" "I have a slight backache and headache, but nothing else." "Okay. I''ve already applied some medicine to your back, but if you feel any pain, come anytime. It''s bad if you put up with it and get worse." She says with a smile. The expression is different from the intellectual atmosphere, and it feels like a reliable older sister. She''s not only cool, but one of the caring and dependable teachers, and she''s quite popular at school, regardless of gender. At that time, there was a figure entering the infirmary with a delayed voice. "Norn ~~~, how is Nozomu-kun ~~~~" It was Anri-sensei, who was in charge, who entered the infirmary. "Anri. This is school. Act like a teacher." "Eh ~~~, there''s nobody here, it''s okay ~~~~" "He¡¯s here too, you know" Both of them are from this Solminati Academy, and they are good friends even if they kept it private, and it seems that they are close friends since their school days. "Nozomu-kun is fine right. Nozomu-kun is alright ~~~?" Ms. Anri looked at Nozomu anxiously. "That''s why ..... never mind. He''s fine, just a bruise on his back and a little concussion." "Yes, it is okay" "I''m happy ~~~. I''m worried. It would be bad if anything happens to Nozomu-kun." She smiled when she said that. It looks reassuring and you can see how worried she was. "It''s okay, Anri. He won''t retire at this level." "Norn is cold." "I know what he''s doing. It¡¯s ok to worry, but don''t go too far, Anri, you have to trust your students and let them grow." Even though they arguing with each other, Anri-sensei''s tone is stronger than usual, and Ms. Norn spoke with a somewhat loose feeling. You can see the relationship of trust between the two when you see them talking in a different way than usual. Looking at such a situation, Nozomu knew that the sun had already set after school and that the usual training time was approaching. He hurriedly packed up his belongings, prepared for his return, and greeted the teachers. "Thank you, dr. Norn and Anri-sensei! Excuse me!" He jumped out of the infirmary. When dr. Norn saw him leave in a hurry and come out of the medical room, she called her best friend. "Is he the one who was gossiped about? I see, those rumors are unreliable." "That¡¯s right~~~" Her best friend smiled happily. *** Norn¡¯s POV Nozomu Bountis. The dropout from the second year. Rumor has it that when he was in his first year, he was Lisa Hounds'' lover, a childhood friend and one of the best in the same class, but he cheated on her. His grades weren''t high, so he was immediately ridiculed. But when I took care of him today, I found that he was by no means a sloppy person. When he was brought in, I took off his clothes to check on his physical condition, but at that time I was so shocked. His body was covered with trained muscles, and I thought it was lean and close to a finished form. The most surprising thing was that the body was never natural. Just like the sword he used, his body had been trained to the point of being terrifying. It is impossible for a person who is drowned by greed. No, no one in the second year now trains to build such a body. Moreover, his body had countless wounds, which may have been comparable to veteran adventurers.Perhaps the rumors are due to a complex intertwining of his peculiarities and Lisa Hounds'' lover. His peculiarity. It''s the "Skill" that he developed during his first year. Skill This is a general term for abilities that can be expressed regardless of race, and when developed, the person can receive various benefits depending on his abilities. The contents are diverse, such as improving the aptitude of magic and improving physical ability, and there are innumerable types. Nozomu''s skill is "ability suppression". When it manifests, it suppresses the person''s ability so it does not grow beyond a certain level. The ability to be suppressed varies from person to person, but in his case, physical power, magical power, and morale are suppressed, which is a big handicap for him. Although it is an extremely rare ability to manifest, it has no benefit to the person, but rather a dragging ability. His ability could be enhanced with items, magic, and qi, but the effect was lower than that of a normal human. This further lowered his grades and made him the lowest in the same year. He was able to advance to the next year because He added up his written test results, but even so, when He got promoted, He took two additional tests. "I understand why Anri cares for him." "Maybe ~~~. Everyone says bad things about Nozomu, but He did his best. I want him to be respected ~~~" Anri is usually clumsy and unreliable, but the important thing is that she sometimes shows a very keen eye for observation. She only heard bad rumors about him in everyday life. Perhaps she felt a slight sense of discomfort between the rumored and the real person. I don''t know why he''s going so far, but he''s working really hard. I certainly want to support him as a teacher and as a human being, like my best friend. Chapter 1.2 Academic City Alcazar The city where the Solminati Academy was founded and is well known on the continent as a city of education. The school is located in the center of the city, and a spiderweb-like road is built around it. In the northern part of the city, there are political institutions such as the administrative agency that controls the politics of the city. Those political institutions are managed by aristocrats from each country. The eastern part is a civic area, where many students'' dormitories and ordinary citizens live, and the southern part is a commercial area where goods from various countries are gathered, making it the economic center of this city. There are also adventurer guilds where students can get jobs depending on their rank. The western part is a craftsman district where many craftsmen gather, and craftsmen who utilize each country''s techniques such as blacksmiths, doctors, etc compete on a daily basis. The road stretched north, south, east, and west outside the city, and dense forest spread out beyond the road, blocking the entry of people. Various monsters appear in this forest, ranging from monsters that even ordinary people can win to those that veteran adventurers have trouble with. However, powerful monsters live in the depths of the forest and do not appear around towns and highways. A hut was built in such a forest to keep an eye on it. A boy and an old woman exchanging blows in the yard of the hut. One of them is Nozomu Bountis, a school dropout. The old woman''s name is Shino. The match is overwhelmingly won by the old woman. It is not comparable to the match with Mars at the school. He was able to outperform Mars''s slash, but the match with the old woman is even more one-sided, and Nozomu is like the old woman''s toy. During the 3 times the exchange occurred, his posture was lost and he was hit. The old woman immediately pursued the rolling Nozomu and swung her katana without hesitation. Nozomu focused his attention on his feet and exploded. One of the Qi techniques, "Instant Move". He accelerates in an instant, but the old woman immediately used the same technique to accelerate and deliver a slash. Going around behind the retreating Nozomu and slashes with a sword technique. He can''t stop because of the momentum, so he turns his body around with one leg to counter the slash, but his posture collapses greatly. The pursuit by the old woman approached there. Against the old woman''s Power, Nozomu slanting his katana, deliberately relaxing his legs, and dropping his body. The old woman''s pursuit does not hit his body, she slips and turns over with her laid katana. However, at the same time, the old woman''s kick struck. Nozomu judges that it is impossible to avoid it when his body is dropped. He puts power into his legs, flies back, simultaneously tries to repel it with katana''s handle, but his body gets blown away. Nozomu, who was lying on the ground, didn''t have time to regain his posture, and the old woman chased him and thrust her katana into his neck. "¡­¡­I give up" "Hmm, there''s still a long way to go. The old woman said so and put down the katana. This old woman, Shino, is Nozomu''s swords technique mentor. She met him when Nozomu was training in the forest. At that time, he was abandoned by Lisa and desperate for not being able to fulfill his vows, and he trained hard. It was not training but escape. He tried not to think of his lover by training until his body was ragged. It all started when the old woman called out because she couldn''t stand the harshness and meaninglessness. "It''s about time for dinner, Nozomu, prepare it." "Yes, Shish¨­" Nozomu answered the old woman''s voice. Although his voice seems tired, he prepares for dinner with a clear expression. (It¡¯s still dragging, but he is growing.) She looked at him and muttered to herself. When she met him, he was practicing in the forest, but he was in a very bad condition. His muscles were thin and his cheeks were burning from the repetitive exercises that didn''t give him time to recover from the accumulated fatigue. The skin of the hand holding the sword was peeled off, its joints were inflamed, and his body was in tatters. It was so terrible that she tried to interfere, but there were no signs of stopping it. His face at that time was as lifeless as it looked, and behind his eyes were negative emotions that were even darker than he looked. When she saw herself in his eyes, she was very disgusted and immediately left the place. She decided to ignore him at one point, but over time she worried about him. Karma flashed through her head, even if she tried not to think about it, and when she went to see the situation, he was attacked by a demon beast. It was a Wild Dog that was attacking. It is a demon beast that lives all over the continent and usually acts in groups. The rank as a demon beast is low and could be subdued by ordinary adventurers, but it was a threat equal to a dragon to him who had reached the limit of exhaustion. Nozomu''s consciousness was stunned, his body was injured and bleed all over. He had no one around him to help. An ordinary person would give up in that desperate situation, but he did not. He fought the stray dog, even though he lost enough blood that he could have died of blood loss. "I don''t want to die" "Don''t give up" Swordsmanship and tactics were still immature. However, his eyes, which had dark emotions, glowed with a clear and strong desire to "live" before he knew it. When She saw him, she was cutting up the Wild Dog ??that was attacking him. A week later, in front of her hut, she saw a boy holding a katana, not a sword. *** Nozomu¡¯s POV After dinner and cleaning up, I sit on the opposite of Shish¨­ who is drinking tea after meals, and I also drink the tea. I met Shish¨­ and studied swordsmanship, and I learned various things until this day. I felt like I could see the light while struggling in the darkness. Dumped by Lisa, I couldn''t fulfill the vow, and no one around me. Escaping by continue doing absurd training every day, attacked by Wild Dog until tattered. In the border between life and death, I felt that "I didn''t want to die" rather than the feeling that "I wanted to die" anymore. The feeling of "I don''t want to die" became the feeling of "I want to live", and it became the feeling of "I will not give up". I was saved by Shish¨­, became her disciple, and continued to practice. It hurts to remember Lisa anyway. But now I feel lighter than before. It may be because there is Shish¨­ now. With that in mind, I see Shish¨­ chewing on confectioneries with a big smile. I feel like smiling to see the appearance of Shish¨­ who has demonic power, which is unsuitable for her age. "Why looking at people''s face. Are you in love with me now?" Immediately, I counterattack the cheerful Shish¨­. "Please think about your age first before speaking. No matter how old I am, Shish¨­''s age range is a bit too much!" A shock ran down my spine when I said something like that. Shish¨­ clenched her fist like a punch and fired a shockwave. What''s more, this is the first time that the confectionery on the table didn''t even blown away. "Nozomu, What did you just say!?" Shish¨­ looked at me with an expression of a hidden dragon. I run for self-protection called apology, reflexively. "No, It¡¯s Nothing, I just fascinated by Shish¨­ " Shish¨­ unnecessarily shows off advanced techniques even though she is only Tsukkomi. She retires in a place like this, but her ability is undoubtedly one of the best on the continent. I remember when Shish¨­ saying, "Line up with the best swordsman in school." By the way, the best swordfighter in the school is Jihad Roundel. He is an S-ranked knight and a well-known swordsman on the continent. Such a person who is the same rank as Shish¨­. I wonder what kind of person is he. While immersed in such a sea of ??thoughts, it is time to finish drinking tea and eventually, return to the dormitory. "Then, Shish¨­. I will return to the dormitory.¡± "Um, see you tomorrow." "Yes, good night Shish¨­" *** Shino¡¯s POV I looked at Nozomu''s back and returned to the hut. He became stronger. He is unaware of it because his physical abilities were suppressed by his ability suppression, and his sword skills have not yet reached my level, but he is quite close. Truly, it seems an unreachable place. It is abnormal considering the growth in the past year. From the start, he was more suited to using a curved sword than the straight sword used on this continent. Rather than smashing with the power of his arm, he used his entire body to cut. It was the efforts that made him stronger than anything else. Even if it comes from an escape from reality. In the beginning, He only did simple swings all day long and ran through the forest earnestly. Naturally, he was attacked by a demon beast, but he managed to do it on his own. As expected, I took care of the leftover opponents so that He would not notice it. Next is mock battle. Naturally, I devote all my skills on him to the point of not dying. He was knocked down without any help, and fractures, vomiting, and fainting were common. Now He can handle it, and it is unlikely that He will have a serious injury such as a broken bone. He has endured the training I imposed. An average guy would quit in less than a week. With his current skills and without his ability suppression, there is no doubt that he will be able to beat me. Even so, the fact that he couldn''t win mock fights and his grades at school didn''t improve was largely due to his ability suppression. Limited in strength and energy, almost no magical power that even beginner magic couldn''t be used. Strengthening with Qi and items has almost no effect, and enhancement magic was unusable. In order to fill these flaws, He refined his skill and Qi control, but the skill He uses is inevitably one-point concentrated high power, and the killing ability is extremely high, so He can''t use them in school simulation battles. Muscular strength, which requires instantaneous power, is severely restricted by ability suppression, but fortunately, the person''s basic abilities such as motor nerves and endurance do not seem to be suppressed, so He was able to train. However, since the effect of strengthening such as Qi is so low, the effect will not be visible, and if the opponent strengthens, the opponent will surpass even his unsuppressed ability. It doesn''t work very well. Another thing to worry about is that his future goals have not been set. It is "for life", might be good, but it may not be like that in the future. If you say "what makes you stronger", you need a "core in your heart". If you using power without the "core of your heart", you will eventually be swayed by that power. His core has already broken once. I don''t know what he will do in the future, but I will teach him everything. Don''t let him regret it, like me. Chapter 1.3 Nozomu is attending school as usual. Upon entering the classroom, a student who had already arrived saw him but immediately gave him a stupid look. Slandering is written on his desk, and the surroundings giggle as Nozomu cleans it up. This school, whose basic policy is a thorough meritocracy, distinguishes winners and losers very clearly. Students in this class, 10th class, are undoubtedly the latter and are treated as the lowest in the grade. Such losers usually find someone even weaker than themselves and throw their dissatisfaction on him. He is treated as a tumor in this class and they ignore him thoroughly when he speaks to them. The only person who talks to him is Anri Sensei, who is the teacher in charge, or Mars, who is a problem child. However, Mars is only thinking about abusing him thoroughly. "That¡¯s right ~ That woman has a great body ¡­¡­" A trio of Mars and his two friends came while conversing stupid story. When Mars notices me, he comes with a grin. Mars is tall and has a good physique. His face isn''t bad, but his ridiculous expression ruined everything. "Hey, Drop Out. Did you come to the school to do something useless? I think it''s better to clean the toilet anyway because it''s still good for us." "Hey Mars, stop it. No one will use toilet cleaned by this guy." "Well, what about our training dolls? It will help you to test your weapons." Nozomu says nothing. It was the usual mockery, the usual ridicule, and the beginning of the usual daily life. *** Today is a magic class in the morning. The instructor is Norn-sensei, a health doctor. "As you know, magic is a technology that brings forth the energy (Qi) in the body by using mental power and technique to manifests various phenomena, the energy to be brought forth is not only from its own body but also the outside world, that is, energy in the atmosphere. When using large-scale magic, you almost always use magic elements from the outside world. This is called ceremonial magic, and it originated from the Shinto ritual, praying to spirits and gods. Many people pray in the same way, which is also the basis of modern chanting. That is ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡± She goes on with the lessons without wasting time. Anri-sensei''s class has a relaxed atmosphere due to her trait, but Norn-sensei''s class has a quiet and tense atmosphere. I took notes of what the teacher said. The written test is a lifeline for me, who cannot get the point of practical skill as expected due to the Ability Suppression. In the practical skill-oriented exam of the end-of-year exam at the end of the first year, I managed to advance due to the written exam added to the supplementary exam. A written test will be added to the practical test, so it will be an additional blow for ordinary students, but it is the last line for me. With a chime at the end of the lesson, class time ends and practice time begins. The whole class moves to the training ground with the call from Norn-sensei. Arriving at the training ground and watching everyone use their own magic, I just absorbed in the training of my beginner magic, that is I could only do, just feeling the magical power inside me and manipulating it. The humans of this continent have considerable magical power, but my magical power is very low. It wasn''t too low at first, but after the manifestation of my Ability Suppression, even beginner magic couldn''t be used. That''s why I only repeat beginner training and increase my control. Seeing that, the students around me started laughing again. Mars influenced by the students, came to me and started cursing at me. "What''s this, still training the first-year lesson? Soo low. I think there''s a baby walker here. Hahahaha." I Ignore those ridicule and immerse myself in training. In the first place, I couldn''t hear their voice at this time. If you concentrate on training, you will not be able to see your surroundings. This was especially noticeable during basic training and was in this state when I met Shish¨­. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hey, what are you ignoring?¡± Perhaps He is frustrated because I didn''t listen, Mars''s atmosphere suddenly became dangerous. Originally he is a person with a strong desire to show his power. He probably thought he was ridiculed by me, the lowest. Still, I can''t hear him. I was completely trapped in my own world. Suddenly, I was shocked from the side and was blown away. Mars blew me away with wind magic. The magic released is a type of "air burst" style magic that blows away the opponent with a shock wave when the compressed wind is released. It''s not settled yet, Mars continues to try to release magic. But before that, Norn Sensei''s magic went through Mars''s feet. "That''s enough, any more than this, I will take the necessary measure as a teacher." The magic released is "Air Arrow". Although it is a beginner wind magic, the casting speed is faster than Mars, and the accuracy and power are comparable to single intermediate magic. It was clear that her air arrows were better than Mars''s air bursts. "Oh, I understand." Mars left as if throwing away the rope, and the surrounding students returned to practice. "Are you alright" Norn Sensei called me. "No problem" I answered immediately. I''ve always been blown away by Shish¨­, so my defense has improved a lot. This is one of my few special skills. Immediately resume the training. This is the usual thing. That''s why, "That kind of guy can be a hassle. Anri is also worried about you. Come and talk to me whenever you need to." I couldn''t receive the words head-on and could only give a vague reply. *** The next day, the school closes for the day, and the students spend their short vacation in their minds. Nozomu came to a part-time job in a commercial district today after accepting a job from the Adventurer''s Guild. The Adventurer''s Guild has jobs in various cities, and this city is no exception. If his rank is high, he can conditionally subdue weak monsters, but his rank is low, so he can only receive chores. His job is to carry simple luggage. Since a lot of cargo arrives in the commercial area from each country, it is better to have as many carriers as possible. When he arrives at the collection point where he collects items, He greets his Boss and receives the items he has to bring with him. Place the received load on the carriage and bring it to the destination with his companion. Today''s cargo is a tool shop in the commercial district and a doctor in the craftsman''s district. It seems that they buy things to use at the store in bulk, and there is a lot of loads, but since there are only few destinations, it will end early. "By the way, Nozomu. Do you have a girlfriend?" Nozomu instinctively gets stuck in the answer to the sudden question and its contents. "Well ......... I don''t. What happened suddenly?" The color of the eyes of the other party changes whether he got some confidence in the situation. "No, somehow. I wonder if there are people who like you, whether she exists or not. Tell me." My companion is bright and not bad, but on the contrary, he is ignoring other people''s feelings, and he asking these kinds of stories persistently. *** Nozomu''s POV Whenever I hear the word "loved ones", her shadow flashes by and it becomes painful. I was often asked about this kind of thing, but no one questioning my circumstances any further. " Na naa naa, tell me whether it''s a beautiful woman or a cute girl." "¡­¡­¡­¡­ I will go" Nozomu immediately advances the horse. My companion asks persistently but I ignore it. On the surface, he was pardoning his companion asking questions throughout his work, but his expression was clearly tense. When it is over, I received a salary from Boss and immediately returned home. Since my parents are ordinary farmers, so I cannot expect the remittance of my parents, so this is indispensable for my life. The tuition fees at Solminati Academy are reasonable compared to the size of the school, thanks to the support of each country. Securing human resources lost in the great invasion 10 years ago is a matter of life and death in each country, and it can be seen that each country expects and supports this school. How good human resources can be secured at this school will be a major factor in determining the superiority and inferiority of each nation in the future. Therefore, each country is eager to attract excellent human resources to their own countries and comes to scouts with various favorable conditions. Especially in my grade, there are so many excellent students that I have never seen before. Five students have set foot in rank A. Rank A is a rank owned by top adventurers and knights of the guards, and if you think that students in their late teens have reached this rank, you can understand their excellence. On the way home, familiar people walked from the front. Ken Notice and Lisa Hounds. My former lover and my childhood friend. The two are probably in the middle of a date. Ken laughs happily, and I can understand that Lisa looks very happy. When Ken looks at me and notices me, he raises his hand. Lisa also notices me, but she is frowning and looks gloomy. "Hi Nozomu, this is weird." Ken spoke openly. I couldn''t see his disgusted expression. Ken talked to me openly even after I broke up with Lisa. It''s complicated to see him dating Lisa, but I''m a little relieved that he treats me like before. "Oh, that''s right. How long has it been?" "It''s been about 3 months. Didn''t have the right time." "It can''t be helped. Unlike me, there''s a lot of work to do right." "Yeah, I asked Jihad Sensei to practice before, and I got a fever." Ken talks with a bitter smile. If you are a first-class student, the expectations of the school are high, and you will be treated accordingly. Besides, Ken is a student who has reached A rank, which is rare in the school. Therefore, He can get personal guidance from the famous continental personage. When I was talking to Ken, Lisa, who was next to him, interrupted the conversation. "Ken, let''s go" When she says so, she takes Ken''s hand and starts walking. She doesn''t want to see my face, She doesn''t even try to. "Ah" I try to stop her, but her face clearly rejects me. After all, I couldn''t say anything to her, who pulled Ken''s hand and left, and I just petrified. When I got home, my heart didn''t calm down. Why she started rejecting me. I still don''t know the reason, and my feelings remain dangling. It''s not usually that much, but when I find Lisa at school, I want to ask about her feelings. As I thought, I still did not get away from my self-consciousness. I remember when she dumped me. She looks at me with cold eyes. She turns her back, saying "goodbye". She left in front of me. Without telling me the reason. Since then, my feelings have stopped. Chapter 1.4 Nozomu is working part-time at the commercial district depot the next day. There is no companion today, and the Boss is asking him to organize and record the cargo in the depot area. After confirming the cargo that going to be transported, he reported to the Boss, the Boss has something to tell and called Nozomu, "By the way, Nozomu, have you heard of a hunter seeing a dragon in the forest the other day?" "Dragon ...?" Dragon. The strongest existence on this continent. It is one of the spirit species and boasts tremendous power. It seems that some people who once defeated the dragon had gained its power. This existence called dragon slayer does not exist at present time, and it only remains in history textbooks and legends. "But, what is a legendary dragon doing near such a city?" "I think so, perhaps the dragon is just a misunderstanding. Well, you often go to the forest, you should consider it even if it''s "L¨®ng" (TL: Chinese Dragon)." When He said that, the Boss laughed with a smile. Unlike Dragons, "L¨®ng"s are a type of demon beast. Its power is not as strong as the dragon, and the intelligence is low, but it is a very big threat to humans. Its power is definitely one of the highest in the category of demon beasts. Certainly, no matter how I think about it, I can''t win. "I understand. I''ll be careful." I thanked the Boss and went home to go to Shish¨­''s place. *** Nozomu goes home, prepares his sword, and heads for his master''s hut. He uses minimum clothing of demon beast skins that don''t hinder movement, a knife and a pouch attached to the belt, a set of treatment tools such as potions in a pouch, a smokescreen ball, a sound ball, and a deep charge ball. As the name suggests, the smokescreen ball generates a smokescreen, and the sound ball makes a surprisingly loud noise, and hopefully, weak monsters can be repelled. Finally, a deep charge ball. This is a thing that shoots thunder that is comparable to the upper-tier magic around the thrown area, and the price is correspondingly high. Since He has such low basic ability, and the number of times he can use powerful Qi technique is limited due to his Ability Suppression, so he bought it just in case. Even if the effects of strengthening items that affect him are suppressed in this way, the power of items that do not depend on one''s own abilities is not suppressed, so he always brings it with him when he goes to the forest. On the way to Shino''s hut, the fog came out, so he speeded up a little. The fog gradually became thicker and could not see even 1 meter away. "This is bad." Nozomu muttered, and when he saw the compass that he had on hand did not point in a certain direction, he turned around. "What does this mean." There are certainly many demon beasts in this forest, but they don''t have the characteristics that would make the compass go crazy. When He feels impatient with the abnormal situation, He took a deep breath and calmed down, and looked around again. The trees are overgrown and he can use them for hiding, but it is not a place where he can rest with peace of mind. "Is it unavoidable to stay here for the time being?" For the time being it is necessary to secure a safe place, so he walked around marking the passing trees with a knife so as not to get lost. After a while, he seemed to go through the forest, the trees were gone, and he came to an open place. It seems that the fog has gradually begun to dissipate. As he was relieved, the surrounding scenery suddenly became distorted. "Eh?" The next moment, he is standing in a strange place. Surrounded by mountains, it is a barren land as far as the eye could see. Definitely not around Arcazam. A huge shadow covered him who was confused. The moment he wondered what was going on, Nozomu become speechless. A huge black object covered half of the sky. It has 6 large wings with 5 colors and it flaps firmly. It has jet-black scales, and its profoundness seems to symbolize the years it has lived. Its eyes embraced the darkness of the abyss and stared at the tiny man on the ground. It is all the embodiment of despair. "Dragon King Tiamat" A heretical dragon among the feared heretics who even eat the dragons of the same race. It was a legendary dragon that disappeared from the ground more than 5,000 years ago. Nozomu stood with a stunned expression. He can''t understand his current situation. If you think about it normally, no matter how many demon beasts appear, you never think of encountering a legendary dragon right in front of your eyes and nose in the city where you live. He is confused, but in fact, this space is a tentative world between the real world and the spirit world (where the spirits live), created to seals Tiamat using the continental veins. However, Tiamat possesses extremely powerful power, so this temporary confined world power becomes fluctuate. The fluctuation passes through the ley line, and due to the connected ley line, it may be connected to somewhere on the continent and make a path. The path is much smaller for Tiamat to pass through, but most creatures such as humans can pass through it. Nozomu passed by without knowing the way and came to this confined world. Tiamat faced Nozomu. In his eyes is pure joy of finding his prey for the first in a long time. As the jet black dragon folded its wings, it descended directly towards Nozomu. Nozomu shroud his whole body with Qi, kicked the ground, and left the place instantly. Immediately after that, Tiamat descended with a roaring sound. The dragon''s weight and the impact of the drop caused the ground to turn up and scatter with a shockwave. Nozomu is knocked over by the shockwave, blown away, and slammed to the ground. There are no visible injuries because he was taking a defensive stanceinstantly, but there are wounds in several places due to scattered stones and rock fragments. He immediately decided to retreat. He throws all the smokescreen balls he had and escapes to the forest at full speed among the smokescreens that have been generated. He thought that if he hides in the trees of the forest, he would have more time to escape. However, the idea is too good to be true. "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡± As he ran between the smoke screens, all of the smokescreens disappeared with a tremendous roar. Not only that, he is blown away again by the shock wave that struck. Looking at Tiamat, he isn''t moving at all, it seemed just a simple roar and the accompanying shockwave has blown away all the smokescreens. When Nozomu was dumbfounded, Tiamat opened his mouth wide, and huge black flames gathered in his mouth. The flame is chaotic black with various colors mixed in. Nozomu''s alarm bell instinctively started ringing at the maximum and withdraw his feet as fast as possible. The exhaled huge flame passed by him at a very last-minute and landed in the forest. The next moment, the sound disappeared from the world. When he noticed, he is flying in the sky. Swimming in the air for the first time in his life, It felt so unreal, but seconds later, the impact of being hit on the ground forced his consciousness to return to reality. Check the body that was injured in the fall, take the potion out of the bag, and drink it. While feeling the healing potion heals his body, He saw the forest and the surrounding area and becomes speechless. The forest is completely burned down. At the point of impact, there is a crater that seemed big enough for Solminati Academy to enter it, and its existence had completely vanished. The trees around the crater had been blown off and carbonized without retaining their true shape, perhaps because it was burned out in an instant. The barely burnt trees were all knocked off of their roots by the shockwave. Looking back at Tiamat with a stunned expression, the jet-black dragon spread its five colored 6 wings. A photosphere colored in innumerable five colors is created on the wings. "Spirit magic" Magic used by spirit species that summon the power of the world. Unlike other spells used by non-spirit species. Spirit magic, that do not require a process that interferes with the outside world, is activated the moment he decides to use a spell, enabling overwhelming haste compared to other spells. Countless photosphere is heading his way while giving trails of light. The amount is innumerable and fills most of his view. Nozomu cuts off the photosphere with his katana while retreating with all his might, but he is easily swallowed by the swarms of light in too large of quantity. Still, he resists with all his might to avoid fatal injuries. When the rain of light stopped, there is Nozomu, pierced all over the body. He took multiple potions and drink them all at once. "Guuuu!" He looked at Tiamat who slowly approached him while he moans as the potion forcibly healed his body. It is impossible to escape if you look at the state of the forest. The forest that hides him is burned down, even if he can hide, it will be blown away all at once again. He only has one choice, and the battle of despair began. "Uhhhhhhh ¡­¡­¡­¡­" It''s been more than ten minutes since the battle started. No, it wasn''t a battle. A battle is only possible if there is an enemy, but for the jet-black dragon, such a thing is not in front of him. Nozomu is just his toy dispel his boredom. The jet-black dragon can kill Nozomu in a blink of an eye, but for the dragon, this is not a battle but a play. Just like a cat playing with a mouse. However, for that reason, Nozomu survived this eternal ten minutes. Still, there is only despair await beyond that. He can''t even injure the scale with all-out slashes and Qi technique he shoots without thinking ahead. Even if he dodged Tiamat¡¯s swinging arm, He would be blown away by the shockwave. It is impossible to escape due to circumstances. There are no tools on hand that can penetrate the scales of the dragon. He ran out of energy, and the physical strengthening by Qi technique has almost reached the limit. In such a tightrope walking situation, the limit finally came. He doesn''t know how many times, but the impact of being blown off and hitting the ground numb his body. The effect of Qi has expired. He swallowed the last potion with trembling hands and managed to get up. Tiamat raises his arm like a tower again to Nozomu. Nozomu cannot avoid strengthening his arm by Qi technique. In the face of the inevitable death, Nozomu remembered what he has been doing like a revolving lantern. In a vague consciousness, a magic lantern ran in front of such desperate situation, and He looked back at his own past. The smile of his parents in his hometown. "Come to think of it, I¡¯m not giving filial piety enough." They were good parents. They didn''t say anything to him for wanting to support Lisa, and even though their lives weren''t good, they sent him to school. He met Lisa and fell in love at first sight. "Come to think of it, it was my first love, it was said your first love would not come true, but is it really the case?" At that time, he confessed, and one day he was able to convey his feelings. But in the end ¡­¡­¡­¡­. He wants to support Lisa''s dream. With that oath in his heart, he knocked on the door of Solminati Academy with just that thought. "I want to support Lisa''s dream. I hope so ... but still ..." Ability and grades did not grow as expected, impatience was solicited, and although he struggled, the path was closed due to the manifestation of ability suppression. Lisa suddenly said goodbye and He was isolated from the school. "I was ... bad, why, why ... I wonder why she didn''t tell me anything ..." His heart is still hurt even now. He wonders if his existence was such a big deal for her. He met Shish¨­, and a little light flashed. "I''m glad to have met Shish¨­. She''s a wild woman, but she is clearly a good person." It was a hellish day of training, but she definitely thought about him. At first, She wanted to ignore him, but she helped him while complaining of being attacked by the Wild Dog. When he thinks about it now, He was able to return to his former self. To himself when He was laughing and angry honestly. The next moment, a shock struck him, erasing his memories with his awareness. Tiamat''s arm reached the ground in front of Nozomu. After that, he is thrown and rolled on the ground unsightly. Tiamat is clearly playing. His expression looks amused and completely doesn''t pose a threat. Tiamat opens his mouth wide. Chaotic flames gather inside. Is it tired of playing with him, or Is it trying to see how much he can tolerate? In any case, he had no way to resist now. "Gugu, Aguje ..." Nozomu already raised an indescribable voice and stared at the flame. Almost unconscious, he could no longer even think of the past. The magic lantern has passed, and only a dense, cold sign of death wrapped around him. "Die" He faced the dense of death and became rigid. "Die" It is more "death" than when one person was attacked by a Wild Dog in the forest. "I don''t want it" He almost has no ability to think clearly, and develops his instinctive thinking. "I do not want to die" It becomes a strong thirst for life and burned the last life in him. ¡°I don''t want to give up¡± It is a manifestation of the strong will to live that Shino once saw. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" The next moment, he screamed insanely and roared at the giant dragon who played with his life. Nozomu steps towards Tiamat with a roar that burns his last life. Its speed is so fast that it''s hard to believe it''s a dying human. However, it was slower than when it was fully recovered, and the flames were released without being able to get close to Tiamat by half the distance. "Slow" Nozomu''s thoughts are focused only on eliminating the threat in front of him in order to live. His extreme concentration extends his sense of time many times over. In it, he was frustrated by his slow movement. ¡°Why am I so slow !!¡± With this, the huge flame of death approaching in front of him cannot be avoided. When He looked at his body, suddenly a chain that he had never seen before tied him up. "Is it because of this !!" He is convinced that this chain is his shackle and touches this chain to tear it apart. If you think about it normally, you can''t easily tear the chain apart. But he was confident that he would break the chain for some reason. "It''s in the way ... Aaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!" He pulls the chain by force and the chain break with a collapsing sound. The next moment, he accelerated in an instant and passed under the huge flame. Tiamat lost sight of him for a moment due to too much acceleration. Nozomu puts all his energy into this opportunity. At this time his body vitality and blood are not yet recovered, but his body reacts instantly to his thoughts. His physical ability is clearly jumping above the state at the time of full recovery. He draws the katana out while running. Send his energy to the drawn sword. Extremely compressed the energy he sent. Pulls out the katana with his screaming fighting spirit. Qi technique "Phantom" Qi, which is thinner and sharper than the hair, flies at the same speed as the drawn sword. He cut both eyes of Tiamat with a single slash. Tiamat roars and lifts his neck in response to the unthinkable counterattack. "Phantom" is a simple technique that shoots a slash with the compressed ki of the blade, but it is difficult to see the extremely compressed ki, it flies at the same speed as the high-speed drawn sword, and if it is within 10 meters range, it is very difficult to avoid because it lands almost instantly. Moreover, this extremely compressed Qi is a technique with extremely high killing ability, there is no denying it is difficult to defend against whether it is a steel shield or a magic barrier as it landed in both directions. However, since it is necessary to extremely compress the Qi, it is necessary to prepare for half a second to several seconds, and in a situation surrounded by multiple enemies, it exposes a large opening. As he rushes toward, Tiamat lifts his forefoot and slammed it into the ground many times. The huge forefoot hit the ground over and over again, and each time the ground shook, causing a local earthquake. Nozomu hurriedly breaks away and moves away from the last-minute forefoot, but is overwhelmed by the shockwave. He can''t move as it is. However, the next moment, the ground collapses, and the giant Tiamat entered the hole. Apparently, Tiamat has stepped through an underground cavity. Tiamat is trying to get out, but it doesn''t work because his eyes are closed. Nozomu took out all of the things in the pouch while closing the gap with Tiamat, and threw something into his head. It was a sound ball that was thrown. It explodes near Tiamat''s face, causing a strong sound to reverberate around. Tiamat, who was hit directly by a sound ball from close range, averted his gaze for a moment and slowed down. If this was a spirit, it would not have been so much affected. Although a dragon is a kind of spirit species, it has a physical body even though it is a mass of elements, and has an aspect as a living thing. Because they use physical sensations, they can be affected by unforeseen circumstances that can be lost or confused. Of course, dragons are spirit species even though they are easily affected by physics. While wearing the paranormal sensations he deserves, Tiamat, who has too much power is unable to sustain most of his reasons, therefore it is completely confused by a series of impossible situations. Tiamat has completely stopped his movement. Nozomu rushes to Tiamat at full speed. The aim is the dragon''s neck. The reason he aimed at the neck was that he wasn''t confident that he could break the skull of the dragon''s head. The dragon has a physical body. In other words, if the body can be killed, it can be killed. The important thing is to kill his body. However, it is not easy because the dragon itself has an extremely strong body. Nozomu jumps towards the lifted dragon''s neck. Send attention to the katana that''s about to be drawn again, and extremely compress it. He pulls out his sword and his sword flashes. The Qi technique "Phantom" cuts through the scales in Tiamat''s throat, and the compressed Qi explodes inside. The erupting Qi flicks the jet-black scales from the inside, exposing the soft skin. Furthermore, Nozomu''s pursuit is released. Qi technique "Phantom -Return-" A return blow is released as if tracing the unannounced trajectory that flashed earlier. The blow cuts through Tiamat''s neck deeply, and a large amount of blood spouts like hot water. However, normally, even if it receives a fatal injury, it is not enough to defeat the jet-black dragon. Nozomu uses the momentum of the return blow to make one full turn. Combine the power of rotation and the momentum of jumping to pierce the wound in the neck that has just been torn. The sword pierces the giant dragon''s neck deeply, and the blade passes through his throat and reaches near his brainstem, but suspends on the air with the sword he stabbed as support. "Gugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡± However, the dragon still does not fall. The roar that shakes the earth echoes, and it rampages to shake off Nozomu. The sword is buried in the flesh and cannot be pushed or pulled. If nothing is done, it will be shaken off and bloody red flowers will bloom on the ground. Nozomu squeezes his last power and reaches for the pouch on his waist. The last remaining depth charge ball is taken out. He hits it against the blade of the sword with all his might. The next moment, thunder struck with a dazzling light. The thunder, which is comparable to the upper-tier magic, passed through the sword and the nerves of the neck and burned down the dragon''s cranial nerve cells. But the thunder also burned his body and completely robbed him of his remaining power. The dragon''s giant body is collapsed and thrown out. The dragon''s body is moving slightly, but his eyes no longer have the brilliance of life. Eventually, the giant dragon collapses and becomes particles of light, soaring like a tsunami. Nozomu could no longer think of the particles of light soaring into heaven, he is just watching. He is full of wounds, has limbs, but nowhere is safe. Eventually, when the particles of light gathered in the sky above him, they fell toward him with rage. Beyond the limits and unable to move, he was swallowed by the looming torrent of light and lost consciousness. *** Nozomu¡¯s consciousness awakens slowly. His consciousness in the dream reminds him of the battle with Tiamat. Severe pain hit the whole body when he forcibly raised the upper body, and when he looked around, he is in the forest on the outskirts of the city. "Unknowingly ... come back ......... haven''t I." In an incomprehensible situation, the pain running all over the body tells him that the previous battle is not a dream. "Anyway, to Shish¨­ ........." He doesn''t know how conscious he is, but it''s not a good idea to stay here. Judging that, Nozomu forcibly moves his aching body and heads for Shino''s hut in a vague consciousness. He didn''t even realize that he had become a "Dragon Slayer" which is only a few people in history ... Chapter 1.5 He is dreaming. Nozomu doesn''t know where he is, but at least it turns out to be a dream. He is the only one standing in a pitch-black space. There is no ground in this space, and water spreads all over like a shore of a lake. There are no people around, just water, even the wind isn''t blowing. There are no waves on the surface of the water, and no sound can be heard. When he looked down, he saw something huge in the water. A jet-black giant and 6 wings with 5 colors. Tiamat, the King of Destruction. The giant dragon stares back at him. Nozomu didn''t know what the emotions behind his eyes were. After staring at each other silently for a while, the surroundings gradually became brighter. Apparently, He wakes up. He looks at the dragon again, feeling a little relieved that he is still alive. The dragon is still staring at him, but He still can''t read its expression. Nozomu is swallowed by the white light with a tinge of anxiety. "Oh, are you awake? " "Woah!" The wrinkled old woman''s face is reflected in front of his eyes, and Nozomu unintentionally shouted and jumped out of the futon. The next moment his face got hit with a strong fist. He is full of injuries and the impact echoed in the wounds, he writhes in pain without making any noise. "Shish¨­ is terrible ........." "Which one is terrible! Even though I brought you from the forest and took care of you for three days !!!" Bandages are wrapped around his whole body, and the scent of medicine is floating. It seems she has really treated him. "I''m sorry, Shish¨­. Thank you very much." Shino still has her cheeks inflated, but her eyes look very happy. She seemed to be very worried, and when Nozomu thought about it, his chest felt warm. "Well, You''ve been treated all night for three days. Can you tell me why you were lying down full of wounds in such a place?" The atmosphere worn by Shish¨­ changes. Swallowed by the atmosphere of Shish¨­ who has reached expert culmination, his spine spontaneously tensed up. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ I understand. I will tell you everything.¡± In a tense atmosphere, he began to talk about his story. A few hours later, after talking about all the details, only silence remained. "......... Follow me." Shish¨­ took the katana and headed out of the hut. Nozomu also picks up his katana and heads outside. When going outside, each one held the katana, silently. Each one prepares the drawn-sword stance. There are bandages wrapped around him and countless scars on his body are still painful. "Whenever you''re ready!" The wounds inflicted in the battle with Tiamat hurt, his shabby body is painful just by holding the sword. The next moment, Shino stepped in an instant. Focused on the pain of his wounds, he is clearly slow to respond. He pulls out his sword in a hurry, but from his experience, he can''t make it in time. However, contrary to Nozomu''s expectation, Shino''s katana gets hit by his katana with a high-pitched sound. "Eh" He makes a dumb voice. He couldn''t parry the current attack until now. "As I thought" "What do you mean, Shish¨­" Shino is convinced. In response to that, Nozomu asks. He is obviously confused. His abilities limited by Ability Suppression have a great influence on his behavior. Since his muscles are lacking in instantaneous power and the amount of energy is limited, simple actions cannot prevent unexpected hits. Therefore, for that reason, he was training his sword technique to move according to the situation, but Shino''s sword attack this time makes him could not afford to make a move, and he just responded with a simple sword technique. Normally, He couldn''t make a move in time and should be cut down, but for some reason, He was able to parry it. The reason is, "Your physical abilities have improved. " The reason why he parried Shino''s attack, "But I " "It is true that your physical ability does not improve due to Ability Suppression. However, dragon slayer inherits the power of the dragon and becomes stronger. That must have happened to you." "I am .... a dragon slayer¡­¡­¡­¡­" Nozomu is in a whirlpool of further confusion. Naturally, dragon slayer is a legendary existence. Even the newest dragon slayer lived hundreds of years ago, and now it doesn''t exist. The strongest successor. An embodiment of tremendous power. Some use magic that cannot be explained by now existing magic, and some have awakened to extraordinary abilities. There is such a fairy tale. "It doesn''t seem to have been strengthened much, though ..." "Eh!!!" Nozomu is even more confused by Shino''s remarks that could deny the legend. "I think the influence of Ability Suppression is still great. By the way, it seems that you released the ability suppression during the battle with Tiamat, but can you still do it?" Shish¨­''s words remind him of the battle. Certainly, at that time, He had a chain that bound him and a feeling of tearing it apart. And the feeling of liberation after that. He unleashes a steel wedge and remembers the sensation of being able to go anywhere. Nozomu imagined a chain that bound him. Then a chain wrapped around his body emerges. "Ah" His voice rises unintentionally. "It looks like you can do it." Nozomu nods to Shino''s words. "So ......... what are you going to do?" "What should I do ¡­¡­¡­¡­." "That power is extraordinarily powerful, and strong power attracts various things. Position, honor, power, jealousy, there is no end to it .......... I''ll ask you again, what do you want to do from now on?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu cannot answer. Until now, He hasn''t thought about the future. He only thought about it now. No, He still can''t see it. He is still obsessed with her in his past. "I''ve always thought. You have no reason to be stronger." "Well, that''s ........." Shino refutes with a strict attitude and expression to Nozomu who is trying to find an excuse. "Is it for your lover? That girl is no longer your lover. Even if you want to support her, there is already another man next to her. There is no reason for you to become stronger.............. You must have already known that. " Shino''s words mercilessly dig into Nozomu''s heart. He is forced to open the lid and face what he has never tried to think unconsciously. Nozomu couldn''t say back and had no choice but to look down. Because he knew himself. He may not have a place near her now, or he may no longer have a place in the school. "......... It would be impossible to decide what to do for now. Now, you should concentrate on healing your wounds." ¡°You''ll be forced to make a choice¡±, Shino said so and finally returned to the hut. "......... It''s impossible to go back to the city because of that injury, so it''s better to stay for today." Seeing Shino entering the hut, Nozomu followed Shino unconsciously. His expression remained cloudy. "Well, I don''t know what to say." "??? " Shino turned to him again, but Nozomu didn''t know what to say. ".................. Welcome back. You have worked hard" She looks very happy. Even though her face looked tired, she was relieved from the bottom of her heart. She took care of him all the time. Her deep love gently melted her heart which had frozen since she came to this city. Her sight is distorted by her heartfelt love for the first in a long time. "I..... am.... back" *** Shino¡¯s POV In an empty forest, a voice fades, and eventually, it becomes sobbing and crying. By the side, I am rubbing his back. He is crying. Rubbing Nozomu''s back who''s sobbing in front of me. He''s like a little child. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Maybe it''s not unreasonable. I also have experienced ridicule and contempt from people who were believed to be my friends and lover. I am not a person from this country in the first place. I''m from an island country at the eastern end of the continent. The territory of the country is not large, but it has developed its own culture, Qi technique, and sorcery. The high mountains and the sea are adjacent to each other, and it is difficult for a huge army to move in battles for the subjugation of demons, and victory inevitably requires an individual or a small number of people with high capability and ability to respond to situations. Among them, our clan was proud of outstanding martial arts. Speaking of swords technique, my clan is undoubtedly the strongest, and I was born into the world as the second daughter of that clan. I was forced to practice katana from an early age because I was born into a distinguished family of swords master, but I took it for granted. Thinking it''s a natural thing to do as I didn''t doubt it. I was talented, I immediately stand out. My parents seemed to be proud of me as I raised my skills, and my older sister was as happy as I was. That''s why I became more and more absorbed in swordsmanship. I can''t help myself. I kept raising my skills, and finally, no one in the clan could beat me. Being the best swordsman in the leading clan of swordsmanship means that I am inevitably the best user in the country. Therefore, many disciples study under me, and many influential people were begging for the subjugation of powerful demon beasts. Because I lived only for the sword, I didn''t dress up like a woman, and I wasn''t interested in makeup or love. My parents were shocked and forced me to hasten the matchmake, but only my sister was on my side. At that time, my older sister was so kind that I could admire her, and all the famous families from all over the world approached her about marriage. However, it seems that my sister had a determined person, and she stubbornly refused to accept the marriage. One day I spent those days, I met him. He came up to me, who was practicing with my sister. Gentle eyes and gentle smile. His body is smaller than the average adult boy, creating an intellectual atmosphere. He is the third son of a sorcerer in this country, and he seems to have snuck into the carriage when his father, who is the head, comes to our house. And my sister also colluded and said that he was secretly invited to the mansion. He pleaded with a serious expression. "You are Shino. Actually, I have a request for you. " His request was to teach him swordsmanship. He had almost no magical power, and he was a dropout out of school among sorcerers, and he had nowhere to go. That''s why he practiced martial arts independently in order to be recognized by his family, but it still to no avail. At that time, he had known my sister through country leaders dinner and heard about me. Looks like my sister can''t refuse his request. With his enthusiasm, I tried teaching him, but it didn''t work at all. Because of his style, He had a strange habit, and the original sharpness of the sword was not utilized at all. His appearance is also bad, his legs, hips, and arms are not linked at all. At first, I refused to talk, but he was too persistent and I couldn''t refuse my sister''s sincere request, so I ended up teaching him swordsmanship. "No! The handle of the sword is the opposite !!!! If you want to learn, come after knowing the basics !!!" "What''s that slender waist! The old man with mochi is still more powerful !!!" "You can cry and scream! You are my practice puppet! I will teach you the real slashing!" ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Well, when I think about it now, I was a little sour, so maybe I did a little too much. At first, he couldn''t even get the basics, but gradually he was getting stronger. My sister was very pleased with it, I couldn''t show it but I was also happy. The disciples that I had trained from the beginning became stronger. There is no reason not to be happy. From around this time, I started thinking about him from time to time. When eating, sleeping, bathing, or practicing. Eventually, I remembered him no matter when or where I was, and I consulted with my sister. "Everyone has such a time, you don''t have to worry about it, it will be subsided soon." However, instead of subsided, it became bigger and bigger, and it couldn''t be helped. The maid of my family who saw such a situation asked. "Shino-sama, maybe, are you in love?" That word turned me upside down. "This is love?" "Yes, that is love. As I thought, Shino-sama is in love." "B... but... love....." "Shino-sama. Love comes to everyone, and no one can stop it, because even God can fall in love." While listening to the maid, I was completely aware of my love. And when I became aware of it, I became conscious of him so much that I couldn''t help myself. His standing figure and eyes when he devotes himself to training sincerely. Even the stiff story during the break and the smell of sweat from his training clothes makes my heart excited. I didn''t like such myself, I met him when I tried to avoid him. "Why do you avoiding me?" He asks me ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ I''m not¡± "It''s a lie. You don''t even look at me like you used to." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ It''s misunderstanding¡± "No. There is no misunderstanding." "I''m very confident." "I''ve been watching you for a long time, long before you knew me. Only you." "¡­¡­What?" I felt something deep in his words and asked him back. "... I''ve always admired you. Boasting the best sword technique in this country, with a noble heart and clear eyes like that sword. I don''t think it''s appropriate for me to say something like this ... I love you. More than anyone in the world " It''s definitely a love confession. My heart burst from my chest, my face turned redder than the sunset, I couldn''t see his face and turned my back on him. "......... Are you an Idiot? You like someone like me who can''t even dress like a woman." An ordinary man would prefer a feminine person like my older sister over me. "Maybe, but I loved you. No one else .... Would you please go out with me?" ".........Idiot Idiot... This is foolish... You... Idiot..." "Yes, I''m an idiot. So can you give me the answer?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I have certainly received your feelings. I am still inexperienced, but I look forward to working with you for a long time." I vowed to go out with him at this time. The relationship between me and him soon became known, and in the meantime, the date of the wedding was decided. The marriage between a master of martial arts and a master of magic was announced extensively, and my parents were pleased. However, my sister seemed to be ill and often stayed in her room. And on the day of the wedding, that incident happened. A man suddenly declares to me in front of the relatives who gathered that day. "She is having sexual intercourse with another man, even though she has a vowed partner. This wedding is full of filth !!!" The man was one of the men who once proposed to my sister, who had been rejected. The place of the wedding was noisy due to the sudden event, and everyone was confused. I asserted that the man was lying, but he confidently said: "Then I should check her room." And, in my room, He found a man''s underwear that I didn''t remember. This made the groom''s relatives angry, the weddings were broken, and I was blamed by my parents. I desperately appeal to my innocence, but I wasn''t heard, and he just turned his cold eyes toward me. I was excommunicated for committing adultery and was put under house arrest. And one day, about a year later. My older sister came to me and said: "The man at that time, I sent it." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh" "At your wedding, I told him, I''ll rethink the marriage proposal. Then that man was overjoyed and got on the story." "W...hy...... Why ''Aneue''?" My sister approached me with an angry look. I was afraid of my sister''s expression, which I have never seen before, and I backed off. "Because you robbed him from me, I found him first! I''ve been watching him for a long time !!!" Her expression was just like a demon. My sister grabs my hair and spits out her cursed words. "I will never forgive you !! I will take away all from you !!! Status, honor, everything !! You will never be happy as a person again !!!" My hair was torn and it''s painful, I begged like a child, but my sister never stopped. "In any case, you no longer belong to this clan. No one will listen to you and will not help you. See you Shino. Rest assured, I will live with him for a lifetime." When she says so, she returns and goes out of my room. I couldn''t do anything, I could only cry. In the end, I left home. The story of my weddings was so well known throughout the country that there was no place for me in the country as the story continued to flow and arrived at my place. "You and I are surprisingly similar." Abandoned and Thrown away in the same way. At first, I hated looking at him in the past, but now he is an irreplaceable disciple. When I noticed, my disciple fell asleep, probably because he was crying. His expression broke my face ¡­¡­. "Gu~ !!" My field of vision is suddenly distorted, My head is stunned, and it seemed that consciousness could not be maintained. "Ei! This good for nothing body!" If I manage to connect my consciousness, my vision will become clearer. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ Recently, the interval is getting shorter. It¡¯s not long anymore.) "Sleepness Disease" A disease in which the person''s spirit gradually declines and dies. The cause has not been identified, and it is an extremely difficult disease to cure completely. There are only a few cases that have been cured, and the reason for their recovery has not been identified. The disease gradually fades away from the body and eventually dies like sleep. However, there is no fear of death on Shino''s face, and there is only regret. (I wanted to talk to you more. Teaching you more sword technique...) Watching Nozomu sleep on her chest, she strengthens her decision. (Finally, there is something I need to tell you. At that time ... with all my might...) Chapter 1.6 It''s been about 3 weeks since the battle with Tiamat. One way or another, thanks to Shish¨­''s treatment, I get to live my usual life. Shish¨­''s medicine seems to be her original, and although it does not have the rapid restoration of a potion, it seems to be a medicine that reasonably enhances the healing ability of the body. Aside from places like the battlefield where immediate recovery is required, it is a very reliable medicine in the city where you can rest slowly. However, I couldn''t move for the past 3 weeks, and I was absent from school for 3 days without notice, so when I attend school for the first time in 3 days, I was pressed considerably by Anri-sensei and it becomes a difficult situation. But surprisingly, the absence without notice for 3 days and 3 weeks to recover the injury did not make much racket at the school. After 3 days of absence, I attend school for the first time, Mars saw the wound on my body. "What? Did you walk down the road and get hit by a carriage? It''s just too lame." Like always, He made a fool of me, and since the people around were in tune with it, that''s why it became unsettling. One of the reasons is that I didn''t deny it either. However, Anri-sensei was not deceived, and she called me for a sermon course in her staff room. "Nozomu-kun, what are you hiding ~~~. To have such an injury after being absent without notice, It''s not normal ~~~" "No, it''s not a big deal. I just got hurt while I was working ..." "That''s a lie. Nozomu-kun entered the forest, right ~. A dragon will come out is just a rumor, but even so, a powerful demon beast in the depths of the forest may come near the highway ~ " ¡­¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. It was really a dragon. Moreover, as a result, I defeated it. I couldn''t say that, after all, I insisted that there was an accident at work and I was involved in it. "Then why absent without notice~? Nozomu-kun lives in the dormitory so you can contact the school~." "I had a fever and fell asleep because of my injury. And there are no classmates in this school who care about me ......" ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I feel a little sad when I say it myself. Indeed, I don''t have any friends, and I can''t really tell the truth. I tried to escape from here somehow, ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hic¡± Anri-sensei started crying. I''m confused by the sudden thing. "Eh, what happened suddenly?" "E~~n! Nozomu-kun doesn''t believe me ~~~ !! Such half-serving reliance ~~ !!" "E, eh. No, it''s not like that. Why does the story become like that!!" "Because you didn''t tell me the truth ~~~ !! Those wounds are battle wounds by any means, I didn''t hear about any accidents in the city, and the medicines used for treatments are not available in this city~~!!" ¡­¡­¡­¡­ It seems that it was impossible to deceive. But I can''t tell her the truth. The battle between me, who is trying to deceive her, and Anri-sensei, who is trying to ask me while crying, continues for a while. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Rather, Anri-sensei''s crying face is a foul. A beautiful woman staring at me with tears in her gentle eyes. And she''s just worried about me. If a guy see that expression, that guy will probably listen to anything she¡¯s saying. ... or rather, this person is the type who naturally makes a man swoon, and it''s even worse because she isn''t aware of it. "Nozomu-kun ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Can¡¯t you tell me?" That''s foul! !! !! !! Speaking of the results, the bell of the beginning of a lesson ended the Anri-sensei''s teary-eyed attack sermon. I left the staff room to escape. But after all, Anri-sensei seemed dissatisfied and was angry all the time during the morning class. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Forgive me, Sensei. "Nozomu-kun! Don''t solve this question without using Baud~!" And I become the center of target intensively during class. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Anri-sensei, how much more are you immature ¡­¡­¡­¡­. In the afternoon, a combat technique class. It is the same simulated battle class as before. My opponent is .... "You again? the lowest" It''s Mars again. "You''re out of luck, continue to accompany me like the other day. Well, whoever your partner is, you will not necessarily win. Hahahahahahahaha !!" As usual, I ignore Mars who makes a fool of people, stand in my own standing position, and confirm my own condition. Looks like the injury is okay. It has healed properly. The katana is also ok. Although it is an imitation, it feels almost the same as my own. Ability Suppression ¡­¡­¡­¡­ It seems that it can be released. But ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I will not release it. I dreamed of Tiamat, and I felt a bit of anxiety at that time. And I have a feeling that something of me will be broken by releasing it. I hesitated to release the chain. "Then, start ~~" Mars approaches me with the shout of Norn-sensei. Maybe He is going to crush me from the beginning, it seems this time He has already used physical strengthening by Qi. Keep an eye on the rushing Mars and use Qi to improve my physical strength. "Crush it !!!" Mars tried to swing the greatsword down from the top and changed it to sideways. I rotate my body to gain momentum and swing my katana up under the launching greatsword. The katana launches and deflects Mars''s greatsword. Marus immediately corrects the trajectory of his sword and swings it down. I turned my wrist back and held the katana diagonally against Mars''s greatsword. At the same time, relax my legs to absorb the impact and parry the greatsword. By being a dragon slayer, the slightly increased physical ability made it possible to parry Mars''s slash without destroying my posture. With that opportunity, I step forward and brandish the katana. Mars prevented it with a gauntlet like last time, but I already consider it. At the moment of the slash, I deliberately relaxed. The katana can be defended by the gauntlet, but by being relaxed, I can immediately move on to the next action. Using the momentum of the katana that was swung, with one step further, released one hand from the katana, and put the momentum of the step into the fist, and a severe fist is hit into Mars'' abdomen. "Gat!" Mars''s face is distorted in agony. The body posture breaks. Then, holding Mars''s head down, hitting a knee kick into his face. Mars staggers while spewing nosebleeds. I tried to make more attacks, but ... "This.... This traaaaaaaaassshhh!!!" A large amount of energy erupted with Mars''s screaming. Pushed by the randomly released Qi, I temporarily stepped back from our respective distances. Mars glares at me with an angry look. The unexpected counterattack from the weak me who had just crawled sometime ago. He is completely angry. "Kill! This damn guy !! I''ll definitely kill you !!!" Mars sent his energy to the greatsword while in rage. The poured Qi becomes a blade of fierce wind and clings to the big sword. Qi technique "Rift Blade" It is a technique of chopping an object with a wind-enveloped sword. Also, the wind around the sword blows off the opponent''s defense, so there is no choice but to avoid it with enough strength or prevent it from being blown off by the blade of the wind. Marus swings the blade of the wind-down to me. I see through the trajectory of the blade and dodge it, but Mars fires a series of attacks as it was. I keep dodging the blade. With my strength, even if I try to parry the current Mars''s slash, it will be repelled by the surrounding wind. However, Mars''s sword attack, which is dominated by anger, is more monotonous than during the previous mock battle, so there is no problem in continuing to dodge. What made this possible was a slight increase in physical ability. Under the situation where Ability Suppression is effective, my current physical ability is still inferior to other students. Even so, the slight increase in ability had greatly expanded the range of my fighting style. Until now, there was no choice but to parry it off, but now it is possible to somehow dodge Mars''s slashing by strengthening my body and concentrating on evasion. While feeling my own growth, I started preparing for the next move. "What''s going on!" Mars was obviously perplexed by my movement which is different than before. "Why can''t my slash hit him !!!" Until now, I couldn''t move like this. When I received the greatsword, I staggered, and the only way to dodge it was to roll on the ground. Recently, I moved so well, even so, the outcome is not any different, and eventually, I just rolled on the ground again. However, currently, He couldn''t see such a movement. The movement itself is slow compared to before, but it is an extremely accurate evasion. Not only his slash but also the sword-enveloped wind seems to be left behind. When he suddenly saw my face, my facial expression doesn''t show any impatience, but confidence instead. Confidence I have completely seen his sword. *** Mars¡¯s POV "Such thing !!! It''s impossible!!" He is at the bottom of the second year. But I am superior in practical skills confrontation. I am confident that my ability will work even in B rank. I Suddenly remembered his skill. "Ability suppression¡± A skill that reduces the ability of the person below a certain level. Certainly, he must have been limited in power, energy, and magic. I wonder how strong the guy who was seen through my sword with such shackles would have been. And how much training did he have to improve his physical ability even with such shackles? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ I can''t accept it. How can I accept it!¡± Emotion killed my sense of danger that calmly judge his hidden ability. That was the cause of my defeat. *** Mars is always confident in his power. He was born with a lot of energy, a good physique, and became stronger immediately, so no one around him could beat him. He is still in the 10th class, but he is capable. Such pride in his power clouded his eyes. Nozomu was slightly out of shape due to Mars''s slash. Mars swings his sword down, but it''s Nozomu''s trap. Nozomu, who seemed to have collapsed, instantly regained his position and jumped backward, Mars''s sword pierced the ground, and the wind blade wrapped around the sword rolled up the soil around him, obstructing his view. "Daaaammmnnn !!" The impatient Mars releases the wind blade enveloping his sword in the direction in which Nozomu is believed to be now. Qi technique "Splitting Hammer" The blades of the wind become a mass of wind and rush like a battering ram. This move happens to blow away the smoke around him and secure Mars''s view, but the sight that shown into his eyes points to his mistake in his choice. There was no Nozomu before the Splitting Hammer was released, and he was already next to Mars. When the smoke covered Mars''s field of vision, he instantly moved his legs, prepared his katana, and sneaked around to Mars''s side. The lines of sight of the two intersect. Nozomu has already completed the sword-drawing position, and Mars''s action is slightly delayed. Judging that He cannot avoid it. Mars tries to defend it with the gauntlet, but his position collapses, and his actions are slightly delayed. The moment when Nozomu''s sword is pulled out. Go ~~~ n, go ~~~ n, go ~~~ n "Oka~y ... the match is over~~. This is the end of today''s class, but everyone should review it ~~." The bell at the end of the lesson rang, and with Anri-sensei''s orders, the classmates who were released from the tension of the lesson began to talk about their thoughts. Nozomu returned his heels as he put the sword he had drawn halfway down. Mars just stares at Nozomu''s back leaving the training ground without saying anything. *** Mars¡¯s POV "Hey, Mars. How was it, today''s match?" "It looks like he''s safe today. Mars, how many times you have cutting corners, he''s too bothersome isn''t it!" The two people around him were saying something, but Mars couldn''t hear the word at all. He is definitely getting stronger. No, was he originally strong and we just didn''t notice? At least his sword skills would definitely be better than mine. The results of today''s mock battle show that. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ What is this feeling of sickness ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I feel uncomfortable. Anger rises from within my chest ... why. Because he hides his ability? ¡­¡­¡­¡­Wrong. At least I don''t get angry when I think about him now. Then to whom ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I see ¡­¡­¡­¡­ to myself? ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I have never been so angry with myself. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I am proud of my strength. At least I hate those who are weak and can''t do anything but do something in the shadows. And I hate more, those who were trampled and just accept it without resisting even if it is getting further. Until now, my feelings towards him are exactly that. Even if he is treated as the lowest of the year, he accepts it without changing his facial expression. He was exactly the one I hate the most. But how is it actually? He was more resistant than anyone else. I don''t know why, but He was trying to get stronger. And that effort would be a level that I couldn''t even imagine. I have never heard that humans with Ability Suppression go beyond the limit. What have we done to him who tries so hard to resist? I think he has been trampled and ridiculed. While feeling a strong resentment towards myself, I kept watching him leaving the training ground. Chapter 1.7 It''s been a few days since the mock battle with Mars. Today, Shish¨­ told me to come to the hut after class, so I returned to the dorms immediately, then I headed over to Shish¨­¡¯s place. Actually, the end of the year exam is near, and there are only two days left before the exam. The exams at Solminati Academy are difficult, no matter how much you improve. If it is a year-end exam, it will be even more difficult. In particular, I managed to advance with the written exam, so to be honest, I wanted to concentrate on studying for the exam. Normally, I refrained from training just before the exam and concentrated on the exam, but for some reason, I was reminded by Shish¨­ that I definitely must come today. "What happened to Shish¨­? Why I definitely must come? " I was a little worried about Shish¨­''s circumstances who was reminding me. Unlike usual, she told me with a serious expression, "You should come, alright?". Upon arriving at Shish¨­''s hut, she is drinking tea normally in the hut. "Oh, did you arrive Nozomu?" She''s the same as usual, always looks excessively exhausted "Shish¨­, what''s going on? It''s about time for my exam, so It''ll be bad if I don''t prepare for it." To be clear, it is a serious problem. Now that I''ve improved my physical strength a little, and now I can use techniques that I couldn''t use in battle before. I''ve expanded my fighting options, but it''s still difficult. "Now, now. Accompany me for today. If you don''t accept the invitation from such a beauty, you''re not a man." ¡­¡­¡­¡­ What is this person saying ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Shish¨­. Do you drink alcohol in daytime?¡± "That''s not the case! Do you even respect your master?" "I do respect you. Unless Shish¨­ says something with a terrible lie." "Who is the liar! And when did I say something like that !!!" Shish¨­, all liars are saying so. "Shish¨­ a beauty is, of course, a lie! Well, it''s an ex-beauty!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Stop there¡± Shish¨­ puts her hand on the katana in the form of a demon. Visible murderous intent rises from her body. Wild birds around the hut fly all at once and flap their wings to get away from this place. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s scary. No doubt, Shish¨­''s hair is standing ... Considering her hometown, it should be called Yasha. But I can''t lose. Always throwing petty jokes and Tsukkomi here and there, then release a technique equivalent to a high rank. She is able to adjust her power for killing or not, but she probably can''t adjust it to match the situation at all. I have to teach her to adjust the power and fight the law of equivalent exchange considerably. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Otherwise, I will never be able to break out of the idiot woman''s circumstances and become the target in everyday life !! ¡°I am too, always saying something unreasonable. I''m not saying anything, Shish¨­ is always beautiful.¡± ¡­¡­ I could not do it. ¡­¡­ Shish¨­, please refrain from hitting the katana to my neck with bloodlust. Then Shish¨­ began to talk about particular things without stopping. The thing about her home country, family, and things since she came to this continent. She wanted to listen to my story too, so I told her. The thing about my home village, my parents, about Lisa, what happened at the school, when I met Shish¨­, and what happened after that is hellish training. Shish¨­ already knew it, but she still wanted to hear it. She nodded many times and listened happily even though she spoke only for a moment. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ As if to engrave herself so that she would never forget it. As I was talking, the scenery turned red. It seems that it was evening before I knew it. Shish¨­ glanced at the scenery and muttered. "Then, let''s start the final training." *** Shino''s POV Exchange words with Nozomu. The content is very common. Where is your hometown? How about your family? What do you like? Such a normal conversation. Until now, I haven''t had many such conversations. Teaching is about katana, talking is also about katana. Katana, katana, and katana. I''ve only taught him that, and that was the only thing I can do. So now, he talks about very ordinary stories which are very refreshing, and I''m very happy that he changes his facial expression when he hears my story. I thought that I would never exchange words with people like this anymore. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ No, I think I was intentionally avoiding it. Just as Nozomu unknowingly escaped from reality that he was "dumped by his lover," I escaped from reality that I was "betrayed by my family," avoiding people, and halted. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I''m a fool. With this, there is no qualification for me to say anything about my disciple¡­¡­. This guy longed for such a bad teacher. It feels nice to be depended and trusted on. If I was born decades later ... I''m sure I wanted to live with him. However, the bond between us is not of a lover but a teacher-disciple. That''s a little disappointing, but there''s still one last thing I can leave in his heart. For me, that''s enough. Next¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Let''s give him something that he can live on with. *** Nozomu¡¯s POV "Then, do you want to start the last training?" Shish¨­ spoke those words as if she was going to go. "Shish¨­, that¡¯s. The last........." "As I said, this is the last training I can do." It¡¯s the usual easy-going Shish¨­. In that atmosphere, the next word she said is ¡­¡­¡­¡­ "That''s why! The last training is ......... Seriously killing each other with me." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­He" I couldn''t understand what Shish¨­ was saying. Kill each other? Me? With Shish¨­? "What are you talking about! What do you mean !!" Shish¨­ stands up in the garden, she prepares the katana in the scabbard. She is ready for battle already. "Shish¨­ !! Answer me, Why killing each other without reason? What''s the meaning of my visit then? Shish¨­! !! !! !! " His mentor''s eyes color is changing, and he can feel the heavy courage from her body. She is clearly serious. I still try to ask Shish¨­. "It''s obvious! What do you mean by the last !! To kill each other ¡­¡­¡­¡­ What are you thinking !!!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She says nothing. She has shown in her actions instead. When I thought that Shish¨­''s body had shaken for a moment, a fierce murderous intent is struck at me. The next moment she is already in front of me. The katana that had been put in the scabbard is pulled out by a sudden stance toward my neck. I roll on the ground to escape. Shish¨­''s katana snarls just above me, but as it is, she shoots a roundhouse kick. I received the kick with my right arm, but the kick that was strengthened by Qi was so heavy that I was blown away and slammed into a tree. "Kuhat ... " Even though I am in pain, I immediately got up with the movements I had learned from my training and regained my posture. Instinctively pulled out the katana and prepared for the next strike. "Shish¨­! What on earth do you want to do!" Shish¨­ said nothing and pointed her katana at me. Her eyes declared "I have no intention to speak". ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Shish¨­ is always like that. She did not allow any questions during training and declare something unreasonable one-sidedly and let me do double training. Apparently, she won''t tell me anything if I don''t fight. But this time Shish¨­ is obviously strange. In both the training and the mock battle, she did something that could kill me, but she didn''t actually try to kill me. But now she''s piercing me with a dense murderous intent, and She suddenly aiming for my neck. She is obviously coming to kill me. The appearance of Shish¨­ has blurred again. And murderous intent is released from the side. I lift my katana with the body strengthening sword technique. The lifted katana miraculously blocked Shish¨­''s katana, but she shoots her slash in rapid succession. She is slashing, left, right, left, a storm of flowing movements and precision slashing are shot. I intercept the slash while slightly lowering it. The knees, hips, and arms are all linked without waste, and parry Shish¨­''s katana. Still overwhelmed. It''s the same style of swordsmanship, but the skill, physical ability, and experience are all superior! Although I tried to resist by withdrawing with a quick dash, Shish¨­ immediately chased and caught up. Collide each other katana while moving at high speed. The twilight is gone, and while the darkness enveloped the surroundings, only the trajectory of the katana illuminated by the full moon reflected the existence of the two. The movements of the two are not the typical straight line, they are moving as clinging while drawing curves with each other. Qi technique "Instant Move -Kusemai-" Deployment of the Qi technique "Instant Move". A technique that links the movement of the knee and the movement of the center of gravity that accompanies it, as well as the movement of the trunk and the movement of the shoulder, enabling complex curve movement in the instantaneous move, that normally can only move in a straight line. It''s easy to say, but in reality, it is required to have strong legs and hips that can completely control the momentum of the instant moves, and the flexibility to link the movements of the whole body without waste. If you don''t have strong legs, you will lose your posture and hit the ground with the momentum of the legs, and if your whole body movements are not linked, you will lose your balance and also hit on the ground. It is an extremely difficult advanced technique that requires strength and flexibility. After all, Shish¨­ is still the best at the exchange of blows in ''''Kusemai''''. Instant move -Kusemai- is a development of instant move, but its movement speed is still related to the ability of the user. Shish¨­''s instant move -Kusemai- clearly exceeded that of mine. I gradually became left behind, and finally, I got stopped by Shish¨­ who was ahead of me. "Sh*t !!" Although I stopped and had a confrontation with Shish¨­ again, the situation is still overwhelming. Moreover, Shish¨­''s attack is not limited to swords. "Ku !!" After handling the slash, Shish¨­ swings the scabbard with one hand. The scabbard reinforced by Qi can easily break human bones. Before I knew it, Shish¨­''s attack became a dual-wield which are katana and scabbard. Made it possible to attack even more densely than before, although the power was reduced, this jaw would surely eat me up. Her way of fighting is a comprehensive fighting technique that blends not only swordsmanship but also scabbard and physique, and this is her original way of fighting. I also changed my fighting style to dual wield with a scabbard. Judge the intensifying attack of Shish¨­. However, I was pushed by the difference in natural ability and skill, and eventually, my interception was not in time, and the blow by the scabbard caught me. "Gua !!" Shish¨­''s scabbard hits my upper arm which is holding the scabbard with a dull sound. Fortunately, the bones did not break and the scabbard was retained. Shish¨­ flashed her katana without missing the gap of my slow movement for a moment. The interception with katana was not in time, and I managed to dodge by relaxing my body, again Shish¨­''s kick flies again. Decided that I couldn''t avoid it, I jumped back and reduce her kicking power. By jumping backward, I was flung away and an opening was revealed. It''s like a repeat of the previous exchange, but it''s actually different. I whip my aching arm while being blown and put my sword in a scabbard. The moment I hit on the ground, I took a passive stance and bounced back to get up and send attention to the katana, resulting in extreme compression. A half-baked technique will not reach Shish¨­. Due to my circumstances, the number of times I can use it is limited, but I bet on my most reliable technique! Qi technique "Phantom" The extremely compressed Qi blade flies at high speed. Shortly after, it landed on Shish¨­ ... it was supposed to be, but the reality is different. "Na~ !!" Suddenly there was a bursting sound just halfway between me and Shish¨­. The extremely compressed air diffuses and scatters around. When I saw Shish¨­, She was swinging the katana in the same posture. I am stunned by the unbelievable situation. Shish¨­ did not miss such an opportunity. Shish¨­ roared here with a quick move. I try to intercept in a hurry, but obviously, I can''t make it in time. I put the scabbard in the path of the slash, but she ignores the scabbard and swings her katana. Qi technique "Phantom -Return-" Drew the katana with a reverse trajectory, and tore my body diagonally from the shoulder. Chapter 1.8 Blood gushed from the torn wound. "Ack ... Guh!" With so much pain and loss of blood, I lost strength from my legs and I knelt on the ground. What Shish¨­ did was very simple. She offset the phantom I released with the same phantom. But ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Is that possible? Phantom is extremely difficult to see due to its characteristics. In order to intercept with the same phantom, it is necessary to accurately release the same orbit as the phantom that I released without any deviation. Shish¨­ did something much more difficult than forcing a string through a needle. The difference in ability between me and Shish¨­ is clear. Her skill, ability, and experience are all superior to mine, and there is nothing I can win. As I was trapped in the thought that "I can''t win", the words of Shish¨­ echoed to me, "Nozomu, release your Ability Suppression" (Eh) "You should understand. The only way to beat me is to release the Ability Suppression." (Sure, I might be able to beat Shish¨­ if I use that) That is the only way to beat Shish¨­. I quickly realized that it was the only possibility I had. However, that dream is in my mind. Tiamat was inside the lake of my dreams and I felt a bit of anxiety at that time. The eyes of that guy I saw in my dreams certainly had a will to live. Is it the characteristic of a spirit species? Perhaps the body is dead, but the soul remains alive. And the Ability Suppression unexpectedly suppressed his power, and even his soul, isn''t it? (If I release the Ability Suppression, he may be released ...) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I can''t make a decision. I can''t do it. It is necessary to release Tiamat so I can win against Shish¨­ who is willing to kill. Then I will die anyway! "Are you still lost?" Shish¨­ is slashing again. I raised my sword to parry it, but my movement is clearly slow due to the wound that was cut earlier. I managed to parry only the slashing that hits directly, but Shish¨­ mercilessly hits with the scabbard and kicks into my body in that gap. "I, ku, guaaa!" Shish¨­''s attack caused pain all over my body, and combined with the unstoppable bleeding, I felt my consciousness becoming hazy. "Will you die here?" Maybe because the other party is Shish¨­, the strong desire to live, which had been overflowing in my heart until now, did not gush forth and the feeling of resignation "It''s okay if it is Shish¨­" began to dominate. At that time, Shish¨­''s face suddenly came into my sight. Her face is distorted in agony for some reason. ¡°Why do you look like that?¡± When such a question came to my mind, she said with a crying face. "Nozomu, I''m going to die. It won''t be long." *** Shino¡¯s POV I''m sorry, I''m going to attack Nozomu. I''m sorry to do such a thing suddenly. I''m sorry to hurt you so much. But this is the last, so the last selfishness. While desperately hiding such thoughts, she was hitting Nozomu with an attack, but suddenly his face jumped into her eyes. Nozomu''s eyes did not have the strong will to "live" like he did when he fell into a crisis so far. He had an eye for accepting the coming death. Wrong! That''s not it! I have something to tell him, I want him to accept ... I don''t want him to look like that!!! I almost cried for my thoughts that I couldn''t convey. I have to tell him ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I have something I want to tell and accept, for that reason¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Nozomu, I''m going to die. It won''t be long." *** Nozomu¡¯s POV "Nozomu, I''m going to die. It won''t be long." That words stopped my thought. Die? Shish¨­? Why? "It''s Sleepness Disease. It''s a disease in which you gradually lose your Qi and eventually run out of it and die." "Na~! Then, we should immediately treat it." "The treatment method is not specified. And I only hold Qi for one more night. " "If I had restrained my body''s Qi, I would have possessed a little bit more." "Then! Why don''t you do that !! If you have a little more time, you might be able to do something !! !! !! " Shish¨­ ignores the question and proceeds with her story. But the next words completely blocked my question as I tried to continue. "I came here because I was betrayed by my family ..." "Eh¡­¡­¡­¡­" "I was framed by my sister, abandoned by my parents, the surroundings spit on me, so I fled to this continent." Then, what Shish¨­ told me was a story about Shish¨­ that I had never heard before. I had heard about her family, but she never told me that such a thing happened. Truly, I didn''t feel it at all. When Shish¨­ talked about her family, she looked very happy and found out that she loved her family. "You and I are surprisingly similar. Betrayed and ridiculed by others and ran away." It may be as Shish¨­ says. After being dumped by Lisa, I trained to escape, and Shish¨­ actually fled the country. "I didn''t mind dying anymore. That''s why I retired to such a place." Shish¨­ strikes the length of her own hearts. I was just silently listening to Shish¨­''s words. "I have nothing left. But I met you. At first, I was frustrated as if I was looking at my own alter ego, but unlike me, You didn''t give up on living. And I felt you had something that I didn''t have." "Nozomu, this is my last selfishness ......... I have something I want to convey, this is the last time I''m running away." She said so and begged me with a crying face. "Please, my last wish. Will you accept it?" ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Shish¨­''s words woke me up. In the end, She wants to decide her own path in front of me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ It''s easy to talk to Shish¨­ here and persuade her to live. But isn''t that a twist on her will? She said that she had to tell him even if she cut her last time. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I admit it, I''ve been running away all the time. From everything that surrounds me at the school. Run away, run away, "escape" from reality and run away¡­¡­¡­¡­ But ¡­¡­¡­¡­ When I saw Shish¨­''s face, her face seemed to overflow with tears, and she looked like a lost child. If I escape from Shish¨­''s wishes here, I will never be able to face her again. Above all, I don''t want Shish¨­ to look like that! !! !! Place my hand on the chain that binds me. If I release the ability suppression, I may be eaten by that jet-black dragon. But if I escape here now, I will regret it for the rest of my life! !! I tore the chain and released my true self for the first time. The next moment. My view went dark. I''m on the shore of the lake I dreamed of. A black giant stands in front of me. "Dragon King Tiamat" When he saw me, he lifted his forefoot and came to crush me. Jump back and lie down on the ground at the same time as landing to pass the shock wave. But the next moment, the tail of Tiamat which was swept away to the sideway is approaching in front of me. It''s obviously faster than the last confrontation! !! !! The tail hits directly without hesitation. "Ah !!!!" I got thrown into the air and my whole body is broken, and my consciousness flew with severe pain. With my good defense, the impact of being hit on the ground restores my consciousness, but my brain has exceeded the ability to handle pain. My whole body is so hurt that I don''t even know if I still have a body, but I manage to get up by overworking my whole body muscles. Tiamat is opening his mouth and trying to release his breath. Unlike before, He comes to kill me from the beginning! "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" With a roar, I thrust towards Tiamat! Considering the difference in ability between him and me, I fell short on time. But, more importantly¡­¡­. "I''m not calling you! My opponent is not you !!" I can''t see you right now! !! Tiamat breath is released. The huge flame approaches my eyes, I try to avoid it by twisting my body, but I cannot avoid it with this tattered body, and the right half of my body that the flame touches disappear. However, I don''t mind it and jumps with my left foot. I plunged into Tiamat while receiving roaring sounds and shock waves behind me, but there he is opening his mouth. As soon as I jumped in, his mouth is closed and his fangs tore me. My lower body is cut off and my head is half-scraped. Penetrating my whole body, my body has become a bloody lump of meat. However, perhaps because of the spiritual world, I feel conscious of the injuries that I was supposed to be dead. Even if it''s ephemeral. While my whole body is messed up, I observe the front, it glowed in my bloody field of vision. The light is colored in 5 colors of black, red, blue, green, and yellow. It''s small but I could feel tremendous power through it. Perhaps this is his power. I reached for the light and touch it. The lower half of my body has already been lost, and my internal organs have been drained. My right arm was lost, my left arm has also been cut with fangs, and it is half torn. I am almost unconscious, and only a moan is heard from my mouth. Still, I reach out. When my torn hand touched the light, the light overflowed and my vision dimmed again. When I noticed, I returned to where I was. "Guu !!!" Power overflows from my whole body. The power is too great and will erode my spirit. I have no time. If I prolong it, I will be eaten by this power, or at worst I will die out of control! Looking at Shish¨­, she looks so happy there. Holding the katana. Blood still flows from the wounds cut by Shish¨­, but I don''t mind it. "Here I come!!!" "Come !! Foolish disciple !!!" Shish¨­ holds a katana and releases more energy than ever. Accept all of Shish¨­. With that intention in mind, I confronted Shish¨­ again. *** The two of them activate the "Instant Move -Kusemai-" again and collide with each other. Draw an intricate curve in the dark night and let the moonlight sparkle the sword flash. The speed had reached an area that even top-notch warriors could not follow with their eyes. Each other''s appearances were as intertwined with each other as before, but the superiority and inferiority were distinctly different. Nozomu''s blow numbs Shino''s arm, Shino''s attack is parried by Nozomu, and on the contrary, it is likely to be blown away. Although Shino''s skill lies in her skill, Nozomu''s physical ability, which has no restraint by releasing his suppression, clearly surpasses her. Shino gradually became inferior. A trace of bitterness comes out of her mouth. "Ku! Can''t you be a little more gentle on a woman! This foolish disciple!" "What are you talking about! At least there is no frail girl who has never been kind in front of me !! Think about your own age !!! "What did you say! A woman is a woman no matter how old it is! A guy who doesn''t understand a woman''s heart, no wonder he''s abandoned by his lover, this is a mess!" "Na! What do you mean !! I don''t want to be told by a hikikomori in such a place !! That most likely lacking in social skills! This naive !!! "What do you mean by lack of social skills! What did you say to your master !! Get over here! I will beat that guts!!! "Bring it on! I was fed up with your tantrum! You struck me with kijutsu because of a petty joke !! How many times do you think I died !!" "I''ve been properly going easy so you''re not going to die! Just barely return from the Sanzu River !!" "That''s not the problem! Why do I keep dying just because of Tsukkomi !!!" "Don''t worry about every detail! It''s okay because you came back!" "It''s not good!" Fight while blurting out bad things about each other. It is an extremely advanced exchange of skills and an extremely crappy war of words. The high-speed battle with "Instant Move -Kusemai-" has exceeded Nozomu''s physical ability, and Shino changes her hand, perhaps because she thought it would be bad as it is. "Chii! I can''t purge this boy as it is !!" "Cho! You said to purge me just now !! I''m gonna kill this grandmother !!!" "It''s obvious !! I already said that at the beginning !! It''s a good idea to reflect in hell for the crime of smashing a maiden''s heart!" Shino puts her hands on her hips and compresses her Qi. Her compressed Qi is released as she pushed out her hands. Qi technique "Cannon" It is a technique that releases the compressed Qi in one direction and blows away the opponent. Shino chased after Nozomu, who was thrown by the Cannon. "Take this! Maiden''s enemy !!!" Shino unleashes a technique she had prepared before. Qi technique "Phantom". Nozomu is already in a stance to intercept, An extremely compressed Qi is ready to be released, "That''s a remark of fraudsters !! Age fabrication and violence are crimes !!!" It is the same Qi technique "Phantom" that is released. The two techniques collide in the middle of each other and cancel each other out. As Nozomu did earlier, it was the concentration to the utmost limit that made it possible to offset the phantom with the same phantom. When he once fought Tiamat and was dying, he was so focused that the time around him seemed slow. Thanks to this concentration to the utmost limit, the sword slash of a super-class swordswoman named Shino was completely cut off. The two cuts through the remnants of the Qi scattered around and connect it to the next technique. "Remember the greatness of your master !!!" "I''ll overthrow you !! Natural criminal !!!" Qi technique "Phantom -Return-" The extremely compressed air blades collide with each other, causing the surroundings to bloom again with Qi and sparks. The two then connect to the next technique. Use the momentum of the return blade to rotate the body. While delivering the sword, point the sheath butt at the opponent and hit it at the same time as the sword is delivered. Qi technique "Breaking Strike" An internal destruction technique that destroys the opponent''s body by simultaneously driving Qi and shock waves into the opponent''s body. If It hits properly, the internal organs will be messed up. Each other''s skills are canceled with a banging sound. The impact of the techniques colliding with each other slightly separated them from each other, but it led to the next technique as it was. The two turned around and sent their Qi to the hand that did not hold the katana. The enveloped Qi was so enormous that it could not be compared with the previous kijutsu. The fists of each other hit and sent a lot of Qi to the ground. Then the central ground between the two exploded, and a pillar of light erupted. Qi technique "Light of Extinction" The Qi that hit the ground is released at the feet of the enemy, the opponent is launched into the air, and destroyed by the torrent of light. It has the maximum range of effect and high annihilation power among their skills. The two rushed through the ground and collided as they were. Push each other on the ground as it was. "Still a long way to go!!!!" "Of course!!!" The two connect their skills further. They thrust into the other party with their katana delivered to each other, and engage in a physical battle using their limbs. Use fists, legs, elbows, and any part of your body to hit as if they were dancing. Their form is similar to each other. Eventually, changes appear around the two. A grain of light appeared, and it began to gather in a spiral. Actually, they were already activating an existing technique. Ritual body technique "Rinne Kaiten" There is a magic called ceremonial magic. As the name implies, it is magic that is activated by performing a ritual and interfering with the spirits of the outside world. As Norn Altina said in the magic class, the origin of ceremonial magic is the ritual of praying and giving offerings to the gods and spirits. Originally, "Dance" was dedicated in the same way during the Shinto ritual. Utilizing this, the ritual technique was created by fusing "Dance" and "Martial Art". Attacking the opponent while offers it as a "Dance" to establish a ritual, and interfere with the surrounding spirit. Deploying ceremonial magic. This "Rinne Kaiten" absorbs the surrounding spirits and repeatedly strengthens the body. The more you dance, the more powerful you will be. However, since the ritual physique is inevitably tied to a fixed pattern, there is a possibility that it will become inferior as soon as the pattern is cut off. The clash between the two, who had been repeatedly strengthened eventually caused the surrounding trees to tremble with a shockwave. The dance of the two continues nonstop, and the light of the spirits gathered around them to honor the dance. *** Shino¡¯s POV Qi suddenly falling out and the vision became dark. To counter the extraordinarily strong disciple, she had to use all of her Qi and magic, and use all of her skills to push the limits. Even so, somehow her hands are full just to make it par. The loss of Qi that exceeded the limit caused the sleep death disease to progress at once. The recovery and loss of Qi are reversed and will not recover anymore. My death is settled. (Well ¡­¡­¡­¡­ It''s okay) Looking at my last disciple while thinking of such a thing as if it were someone else''s problems ¡­¡­¡­¡­ He becomes stronger. This kid has really gotten stronger. Only a few people on this continent can beat this kid when he unleashes the bind. Even those people may be overthrown in some cases. This child confronts the enormous power hidden within himself at his own will. A powerful force that can easily crush such a small child. An ordinary person would go mad with fear. Or swallowed by that power. For the last request of such an old woman, he faced the power and fought it. This will be the last, but ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Thank you. Nozomu. *** Nozomu¡¯s POV He clenches his teeth and endures the force that is likely to burst. He can''t release it for a long time. His reason is scraped off, and his body is rattling due to too strong force. This ability is overwhelming, but I can''t attack. Repeated attacks are balanced and only time passes. The movement of the surrounding spirits accelerated further, and the dance is approaching the end. Feeling the end approaching, the things that have happened since I met Shish¨­ come to my mind. A chance encounter in the forest. Hell-like training. Pointed out that I was running away. She said, "Welcome back". The place where the master was, definitely a "place to return". But, it will be gone soon. It is very sad ¡­¡­¡­¡­ It seems that the inside of my chest would be torn apart with sadness¡­¡­¡­¡­ It was the last request of Shish¨­! I can''t show her my unsightly appearance. Soon, it will be the last one, but ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Thank you, Shish¨­. *** "Dance" has finally come to an end. Two kicks that have been strengthened to the limit collide. The surrounding ground is rolled up by the shock wave and blown away. The big trees were bending and screaming. Using the impact of the collision, the two rotate their bodies like a spinning top. Simultaneously, returns the katana to its scabbard, and send all of their Qi to the scabbard and compress it to the limit. Qi technique "Phantom -Flash-" A technique that releases one''s fastest batt¨­jutsu (drawn-sword technique). A technique that just puts their own feelings into it. The katanas carrying the thoughts of the two people crossed. The silence has returned to the forest. Nozomu''s katana has only a handle left. The drawn-sword collided at the center of the two, and at that moment. Nozomu''s sword was shattered. Immediately after, Shino collapses on the spot. "Shish¨­ !!!" Nozomu rushes to Shino and hugs her, but her face is pale and lifeless. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Nozomu. Hey, You''ve become stronger ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I don''t think I can teach you about sword anymore ¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± "Shish¨­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­." Even Nozomu, who had no knowledge as a doctor, understood. She is dying already. "I am happy. Accepting the last request of such an old woman. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Please accept my feelings." The inner corner of his eye became hot. In the face of an unavoidable farewell, Nozomu couldn''t control his tears. "Nozomu, just remember this" "Even if you run away. Even if you stop. Don''t avert your eyes to the fact that you''ve run away, you''ve stopped. If you forget it, you won''t be able to move on as I do." Perhaps she can no longer see with her eyes, her gaze swims in the air, and her body gets colder and colder. "Even if you run away, even if you stop. If you don''t forget it, you should be able to move forward someday..........." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I, yes. Shish¨­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" She smiled as if she was relieved to hear Nozomu''s words. "I''m glad ... I''m satisfied with this." She looks up at the moon. It is a peaceful and gentle moon to watch over. "Nozomu .......... I''m a little tired ............ I''m going to sleep ..........Someday again." "......... Yes Shish¨­ .... Good night." She is satisfied, slowly closes her eyes, and falls into a deep, deep sleep. To a deep sleep that will never wake up. All that was left behind was the voice of someone who repressed his voice and sobbed. *** It''s been a week since then. Nozomu was promoted to the third year. His promotion exam was just barely as usual, but ...... Nozomu thinks about himself now. He''s still halted even now. About Lisa, about the school. About himself. He may run away again. He may remain halted. But it''s over if he looks away from that fact.With the teachings of his master and the sprout of his new determination, he set out for the gates of Solminati Academy. Chapter 2 Character Introduction & World Setting Irisdina Francilt A talented woman with the highest overall score in the third year, she is a beautiful girl with long glossy black hair, neat appearance, and perfect body proportions. The Francilt family is a long-serving Aristocrats in the Kingdom of Forsina, a great power in the western part of the continent, and she is the next head of the Francilt family. She has quite high magical power, and can also use dark magic which is only very few users can use it. The weapon used is a rapier, and her physical technique is also considerable. It seems that she has one younger sister, and she takes care of the child from an early age. She is popular in school because of her well-organized face and dignified behavior. Ability : Immediate Deployment The ability to instantly activate the magic she thinks of. It is possible to cast it as fast as spirit magic, but the magic power that is deployed depends on the image of the caster. It requires a deep knowledge of magic and high thinking ability. Rank A. *** Somiriana Francilt Irisdina''s younger sister, 10 years old. An energetic girl with the same black short-cut hair as her sister. She respects her sister and has a goal. Her arm is decorated with a small bell, and She cherishes this bracelet as a proof of family ties. *** Tima Lime Irisdina''s best friend, a Rank A student which is only a few in the school. She possesses an enormous amount of magical power, and the amount is definitely at a legendary level in humans. In addition, She holds aptitude for 4 attributes, earth, water, fire, and wind. This ability is called "Four-scale Concerto". However, she is not very good at fighting because her personality is not very strong and her magical control is a little low. Her brown hair is trimmed at the shoulder and her eyes look a little timid, but she has a nice face and is very popular. It seems She has a fleeting impression of boy students Ability : Four-scale Concerto An ability that gives high aptitude to the four attributes of earth, water, fire, and wind. Rank A *** Mars Dickens A swordsman who belongs to the 10th class. Although his ability is high even in his year, he belongs to the lowest class due to his bad behavior. He hadn''t really thought about Nozomu, until He lost in the mock battle at the end of the second year. Ability : Blessing of The Wind Spirit An ability that gives high aptitude to wind-type magic and kijutsu. However, it has bad compatibility with no attribute technique. Rank B *** Ena Dickens Mars''s sister. A pretty solid girl, she has been troubled by Mars''s behavior for a long time, so she will not forgive him. Her house runs an inn with a restaurant in a commercial district, where she also works. There are times when she goes to work temporarily at other stores in the commercial area, and she is a girl known in the commercial area together with the "bad" Mars. *** Hannah A middle-aged woman who manages the inn "Ushitotei" with her husband, Dell. Mainly managing books and lodging rooms. She is a very generous, so-called soulful mother. *** Dell He runs an inn "Ushitotei" with his wife Hannah. A giant with a stern look, he is mainly in charge of cooking in the kitchen. *** Rugato A butler who serves the Waziart family, one of the seven clans of the Dizart Empire, and one of the old vampires who has lived for over 500 years. He can use multiple magic at the same time, and he is good at destroying his opponent with a tremendous amount of effort. He is not very good at close combat and made up for it with long-time experience. He also has a unique ability to transform into a bat, which is a characteristic of vampires. *** NEW APPEARING COUNTRIES Forsina country A large country located in the western part of the continent, a country that proposed the establishment of Solminati Academy to each continent. In addition, it was the first to respond to the great invasion 10 years ago, and it is famous all over the continent, let alone Solminati Academy. *** Dizart Empire It is a country located in the northwestern part of the continent, and the land itself is not large. The country is divided and ruled into seven by a famous family called the Seven Clans. The emperor who governs it is also selected from the seven clans. It has one of the best military powers on the continent, and it successfully repels the demons that invaded the country at the time of the great invasion 10 years ago. We can see the tremendous power of their forces, given that other nations had to form allied forces with other nations, Also, all the existing SS ranks belong to this country. Originally, this country was founded by a group of races that were despised on the continent, so it was almost isolated from other countries, and before the invasion of demons became active, it had frequent skirmishes with neighboring countries. Chapter 2.1 The morning sun illuminates the city of Arcazam. Townspeople start their day, listening to the birds chirping in the morning sun. The city streets are full of people, and they work hard to make a living on their own. A boy is walking along the road where such people go. His name is Nozomu Bountis. A student who belongs to the third year of Solminatei Gakuen, the center of this Arcazam. It''s been a month since he finished the confrontation with his master. He managed to get promoted to the third grade. "Well ......... I was able to get promoted properly." The confrontation with Shino was two days before the end-of-year exam, and due to the injuries he suffered at that time, he couldn''t make it to the final stage, making the exam more difficult than expected. His improved physical ability could not be utilized, and his practical test was almost wiped out. His written exam didn''t go well because he remembered Shino, and as a result, he ended up taking three supplementary exams. "That''s why I ended up at the bottom ... well, I managed to pass it, so it''s still okay ..." By the way, the number of supplementary exams he took is undoubtedly the highest in the history of the school. Because of that, his class is again the lowest, the 10th class. His scores at the time of going on to school are also the lowest, and he is still treated as a dropout in the class. (But it might be better to keep it as it is now ¡­¡­¡­¡­ that dragon-slaying power ¡­¡­ is too great ) Yes, he has released the power of dragon slayer in the battle with Shino. But, to be precise, the release of ability suppression was not done in public. In his third year, he had unleashed Ability Suppression several times at Shino''s hut, but he couldn''t control it. Although the released power dramatically increased physical strength, too strong of a power strengthening in every skill is still too much, and it wasn''t very easy to use in his student life, not to mention the skill that originally has a strong killing ability. It isn''t usable anymore. "Rocks become very small pieces just by hitting them, awfully unusable." (And ......... there is also that guy) He remembers Tiamat, the King of the Dragon, who is inside him. Every time he released the suppression, Tiamat rampaged in his body, trying to devour his body. He once fought in the spiritual world and succeeded in capturing Tiamat''s power, albeit in part, so he wouldn''t be eaten as soon as he released it, but even so, two minutes is the time limit to release his suppression. In fact, that two minutes were when Nozomu managed to hold back his power even after being released. If released without any control, his mind would be crushed by the force and his body would collapse in a dozen seconds. "Anyway, I have to think about what to do from now on." About the school, about dragon slayer, about Lisa. He met Lisa several times after being promoted, but she still either ignored him or struck hostility. He couldn''t say anything to her and could only stand in front of her. (......... I''m still running away ... ) Nozomu hasn''t moved forward yet. However, although he is still running away, he has become fully aware of the fact that he is running away. What Shino told him about his life was certainly starting to sprout and take root in him. *** 10th class in 3rd grade. Nozomu Bountis is still treated the same as usual in this class. "Why is that guy, why is he still here?" "Because of him, we''re treated at the same level as him, please take responsibility." "That''s right, he took the supplementary exam three times, he''s only thinking about his own vessel." When he entered the classroom, they still swearing at Nozomu. While listening to such voices, he sits in his seat, takes out his textbook, and begins his preparation. After a few minutes "Hey Mars, let''s go to that store today, that girl is there. It''s okay right." "Did you aim for that store''s daughter? You can''t do it. Just stop it." "......... You guys sure don''t get tired of it ..." It was Mars and his entourage who came in. Apparently, they were talking about where to stop by after school, but Mars doesn''t seem to be willing to talk about it. "Hey Mars, what happened recently? You''re having a bad mood." "That''s right, You have become quiet recently." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Shut up, it''s nothing.¡± Mars goes to his seat without hearing the two of his entourage''s complaints. Along the way, he noticed Nozomu. "Mmm ..." Mars looks at Nozomu. His eyes were so serious that he could see and discern something, not the eyes he used to scorn and despise Nozomu. "Everyone ~~. I''ll start the morning homeroom ~~~~" Anri-sensei came and the students in the classroom took their seats. Even after the morning assembly was over and the lesson started, Mars is still thinking about Nozomu. *** Mars¡¯s POV There is the guy. That''s natural because this is the class he belongs to. But I couldn''t get rid of my doubts inside. Why is he in this lowest class? With his current ability, at least, he should be in a higher class than the 10th class. In the mock battle at the end of the school term, he is able to drove and brought me down. I was losing to him at that time. I was deprived of my composure and defeated. On the actual battlefield, I would have been killed by him at that time. However, I do have a lot of practical skills. That''s enough to bypass four grades. Why is the guy who can beat me in the 10th class? "By the way, he seems to have been injured before the exam, and it looks like he was carrying luggage and was thrown down the stairs." "Idiot ~~. Well, He sure is a fool." ¡­¡­ Injured? That guy is? Such thing? I feel doubt started to swell within me. No matter how much he falls down the stairs, he won''t be so seriously injured. Even though it was a dummy sword, he wasn''t hurt much when he was blown away by my greatsword, which was strengthened by Qi, and he took classes the next day normally. Did he get hurt before the most important exam, such as the end-of-year exam? At that moment, I was convinced that something was going on with him. *** The morning class is over and the lunch break begins. The students are spending a moment of peace with their friends. Nozomu is looking for a place to buy bread and eat it. By the way, this school has a fairly large cafeteria for students, and the canteen for students is correspondingly large, but there are not enough quantity of popular items for hungry beasts such as students, and it is always on a battlefield-like state. Moreover, since the students have the same ability, in some cases it can become a real battlefield where magic flies. However, unpopular products are easier to get. Nozomu always bought unsold bread and walked around the school building. When he suddenly looked at the courtyard, he saw a crowd, and two maidens were eating in the center. Nozomu knew the two. Because they were famous students. One of them is Irisdina Francilt. Long glossy black hair that reached up to the waist and a well-organized appearance. Dignified expression and black eyes that resembled that hair. She is a student of the 1st class in the same grade as Nozomu, and is called "Black Haired Princess", and is the best talent in the grade in terms of overall scores. The other one is Tima Lime. Like Irisdina, she is a student of the 1st class in the third grade, and she is a talented woman called as "Four-Scale Spinner." She has brown hair trimmed at her shoulders, and her appearance is rather ephemeral, unlike Irisdina. She has an extremely huge amount of magical power, and that magical power is said to be at the legendary level. Her ability is also called as "Four-Scale Concerto" because it gave her a high degree of aptitude for four attributes of earth, water, fire, and wind. They are the students who represent the third grade, and they are also the students who have reached the A rank, which is only a few in this school. By the way, Nozomu''s rank is still D-, not to mention in 3rd grade, it is considered as a lower rank even in 2nd grade. "Nozomu ku~~~~n, I found you ~~~~" (Gee, this voice is) When he was looking at them, he was called out with a voice from the side. Looks like Anri-sensei and Norn-sensei approached him. Anri-sensei was energetically waving like a child, and Norn-sensei was watching at such Anri-sensei with a bitter smile. "Nozomu-kun, haven''t you had lunch yet ~~? If you''re okay with it, won''t you eat together with us ~~" "I''m sorry, Nozomu-kun. Anri really wants to eat with you. Would you please go with us?" Anri-sensei and Norn-sensei invite him with a smile. Both of them have a fascinating smile, but apart from Norn-sensei, Anri-sensei has a strong atmosphere that is the exact opposite of her smile. The atmosphere clearly states that even if she is failed, She will definitely bring Nozomu. (Anri-sensei ¡­¡­¡­¡­ so, you haven''t given up yet ¡­¡­) Anri''s smile caused a cold sweat, but Nozomu couldn''t reject them and was taken away. The place where Nozomu was taken is the infirmary, the workplace of Norn-sensei. Actually, Nozomu was sometimes caught by Anri-sensei and brought to this infirmary after he became a 3rd grader. The reason is, "Hey Nozomu, why did you get that kind of injury during the second year''s final exam?" "Therefore Anri-sensei. As I said before, "Did you really fall down the stairs?"....... That''s right." Lunch is going fairly well, Anri began to question Nozomu. Yes, she has been asking him for the past month about his injuries after the duel with Shino. "Lying is not good ~~. Because that wound is a sword wound. I can''t leave it be if you get injured like that" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "As Anri says, Nozomu-kun. We can''t overlook it if you''ve been injured so many times and there''s an obvious slash from someone." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu does not answer anything. He couldn''t really talk about what happened with Shino and his own dragon-slayer power. However, he can''t escape from it anymore. He didn''t know how to make any more excuses over the past month. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ What would you do if I couldn''t do it? Would you hand me over to the military police and makes me spit out the details ?¡± Because of the irritation that things didn''t go well, abusive language came out from his mouth by mistake. "It''s not that~~! I''m just worried ~~~~~~ !!" "That''s right! I and Anri are simply worried about you !!" (Oh, I''m running away again. I didn''t mean to say this ...) "......... I''m sorry ... I said too much." "No, it''s okay. We were also a little too aggressive." The unpleasant atmosphere fills the infirmary. "......... Hey ~~, Nozomu-kun. Are we so unreliable?" Anri-sensei asked with a sad voice, and Nozomu feels painful seeing her expression. (Such foolish escape, I am) Nozomu hated his compassion. He just can''t move on. He may have been a little on edge because he had been ridiculed until now. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ I don''t want to make her face look like that ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I can''t talk about everything, but.... I''ll try to talk about what I can tell.) That face is a little, overlapping with Shisho''s face. Her face was almost crying because she couldn''t convey her feelings. "It''s not unreliable. I know sensei are both worried and caring about me ... I''m purely happy about that ... I don''t know who would eat lunch with me like this." Nozomu slowly but firmly began to convey his thoughts. He doesn''t want Anri to look like Shino. "At that time, I certainly had a lot of things going on. There were so many things that I still couldn''t organize myself." He stared straight into the eyes of the two and spun words one by one. "But I learned something important. In order for me to move forward ......... It''s necessary for me to do that .......... I''m sorry, I can only say this for now." Nozomu bows deeply. He gets angry at his weakness that he can only talk about this much, but nevertheless, he should do his best. "......... I see. Anri, as he says, we''ll wait until he talks." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ But ~~¡± "I know you''re worried, but it''s not good right now, because he hasn''t organized it yet." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I understand ¡­¡­¡± He seems to have managed to convince Anri, but she still looks at Nozomu with anxiety. "I''m sorry Anri-sensei" "......... I know ~~. Nozomu had a hard time ~~~~. I''m sorry ~~. You were forced to talk ~~" "No ... I am happy to be worried on." "Norn-sensei too, thank you." "It''s okay. We were a little too impatient. I knew there was something wrong with you, but I didn''t know what to do about it." The atmosphere softened, and the facial expressions of the three people became smiles, albeit a little. "Now, let''s tidy up this lunch. The bell for the start of class will ring soon, and I can''t remain so carefree. Teachers can''t be late when they meet the students." "Fufu, that''s right ~~. Let''s eat it fast ~~" "Yes, there may be rumors if you don''t eat it fast. Bring it on." They joked with each other, the atmosphere became peaceful, and the three started to enjoy the rest of the lunch. However, at that time, there was a shadow rushing into the infirmary. "Excuse me. Norn-sensei, looks like she is injured. Can you treat her?" What came in was a beautiful girl with long glossy black hair and deep jet-black eyes. Irisdina Francilt is there lending her shoulders to a student who was suspected of being injured. Chapter 2.2 "Excuse me. Norn-sensei, looks like she is injured. Can you treat her?" Irisdina Francilt is there lending her shoulders to a student who was suspected of being injured. Looking behind her, her best friend, Tima Lime can be seen, and she is carrying luggage that seemed to belong to Irisdina. "All right, let the injured student sit in that chair first." Norn-sensei immediately goes to see her students, and Nozomu also takes out a set of treatment tools such as medicines and bandages from the shelves and goes to her. "What happened ~~~~" Anri-sensei is listening to the situation from Irisdina and others on behalf of Nozomu and Norn which are treating the injured student. Apparently, she was involved in a battle of students competing for popular items in the canteen. "Hmm, She has sprained her leg, but her bones are normal, and her muscles seem to be okay. If she rests for a few days, it will heal. Let''s apply the ointment for the time being." While Nozomu helped Norn-sensei taking care of her promptly, he met Tima Lime. "!!" As soon as she meets Nozomu, she turns her eyes away and hides behind Irisdina. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ Did I do something to her?) Nozomu is a little depressed and skeptical about being blatantly avoided by a girl he''s never spoken to, but now that he''s still helping Norn-sensei, he decided to concentrate on that. "It''s okay with this. For now, just rest for a while." ""Thank you very much"" The schoolgirl and Irisdina thank Norn-sensei for her treatment. She wasn''t involved with her, but when Nozomu saw that she helped the injured and brought her to the infirmary, and thanked the person who treated her. He can see the personality of Irisdina as a person. Irisdina is the daughter of an Aristocrats in the kingdom of Forsina, a great power in the western part of the continent, and she can''t be disregarded by teachers of this school, but she does not mind about it, and she has a hard-working personality. Anyone in this school knows about it. "Well then, as sensei said, you should be quiet for a while." "Yes !! Thank you !!" When Irisdina called out to the schoolgirl, she blushed and replied with her energetic voice. By the way, it was Nozomu''s childhood friend, Lisa Hounds who fought evenly with her in the first-class mock battle of the second year. Lisa is also called as "Red-Haired Princess" because of her appearance and her fiery red hair, and they seem to be rivals in practical skills. "Thank you for your help" Irisdina thanked Nozomu. "N, no, I just happened to be here." Nozomu''s response became somewhat awkward, staring at her overly organized appearance and deep-black eyes. "Ai. It''s about time for class ¡­¡­¡­¡­" Suddenly, Tima, who was behind Iris said so. Certainly, the lunch break is nearing its end, and it''s time for afternoon classes to begin. "N, I see. Then sensei. We''re going to go back to the classroom. Thank you for your treatment." "I see. Nozomu-kun, thank you for your help. You should go back to the classroom too." The girls said so and thanked them again and left the infirmary. Looking at the clock in the room, it''s only a few minutes until the lunch break is over. Looks like, He doesn''t have time to eat the rest of his lunch. "Okay I understand, I''m going back to the classroom." Nozomu answered so and returned to the classroom. *** Iris''s POV In the corridor, way back to the classroom, I, Irisdina, asked about the strange behavior of my best friend in the infirmary. "Tima. I knew you weren''t good with men, but I think your attitude towards him was a bit exaggerated." What I say is about Tima''s attitude towards a boy named Nozomu in the infirmary. Tima is certainly not good with boys, and when she stands alone in front of a man, she can''t speak well. However, her attitude towards him was too excessive. "I, I''m sorry Ai. But that boy. That person, he toyed with Lisa-san ..." Lisa is a female student who belongs to the first class of the same third grade as us. She is an excellent student who has reached the same rank A as us, and she is one of the few people who can compete with me in practical skills. By the way, when she was in the first grade, I had heard such rumors. I heard that she was dating her childhood friend, but she was cheated on and she was betrayed. Was he that person? "But as far as I hear from the rumors, his character didn''t match the rumors at all." It''s not something that I hear from rumors, such as preparing medicine for an injured person or helping with the treatment. "Un, but I was scared at that time ..." Tima is depressed and casts her eyes down. She''s kind, but she''s a little timid, and she cares too much about her surroundings. She was overreacted because she had heard the rumors. "Well, if you have a chance to meet him next time, just apologize at that time. Don''t worry too much, Tima." "¡­¡­¡­¡­Un" The lesson is about to start. I hurried to the classroom while comforting my best friend. *** "All right~~, let''s start the afternoon lesson~~." Anri''s extended voice echoed in the training ground. The afternoon lesson of the 10th class was about a comprehensive combat technique. Unlike the one-on-one mock battle so far, this lesson involves forming a party to fight, so not only individual fighting ability but also teamwork is the key. In the first place, fighting against a powerful demon beast alone is extremely dangerous even for a veteran knight. Also, since there are few rewards, freelancers such as adventurers basically organize parties of several to dozens of people, and when subduing a powerful demon beast, they sometimes form a team with another party or asks for a helper. Therefore, in order to develop the judgment ability to respond in each role and various situations, the school has introduced many classes such as group battles starting from the third grade. However, while the classmates formed a party, Nozomu is still alone and could not form a party with anyone. (I knew this already, but this sure is bad) This lesson is meaningless without several people, but even if Nozomu tried to speak to them, his classmates did not respond and ignored him instead. (If it''s like this, it will not be a lesson as it is) If nothing is done, the party cannot be formed, the lesson itself cannot be held, and it will be meaningless for Nozomu. However, his classmates have already formed a party, and there was no room for Nozomu to enter. "Hey, if you don''t have a party, would you like to join us?" At that time, there was a student who called out to Nozomu, but that person was a person that no one else expected, let alone Nozomu. It was Mars who called out to him. His entourage is astonished and his classmates started to buzz. "O, oi Mars, are you serious?" "Why do you bother to put in this useless?" It would be a natural reaction. Mars is one of the students in the class who was particularly flared up by Nozomu. He was the first to be excluded from the candidates for humans to invite Nozomu. Nozomu didn''t talk to them because he didn''t think they would come to him and invite him instead. Mars''s entourage complained, but Mars didn''t respond, he is just staring at Nozomu. Nozomu also stares at Mars. Nozomu doesn''t know what Mars is thinking, but he had no choice. "......... I understand. I''ll enter." "... OK" In this way, the most unlikely party in this class, with Nozomu, Mars, and his entourage is completed. The lessons are still in a mock battle format. There are four people in Mars and Nozomu''s party. Two of Mars''s entourage are one who uses a bow and the other who uses magic. The opponent also consists of 4 people, there are two boys who use swords, one boy who uses a spear, and one girl who uses 2 daggers. Along with the signal to start the mock battle, the opponent''s swordman and spearman first cast strengthening magic on themself and started to approach Mars. "Hmm!" Mars pulls out his greatsword and receives the attack of two people. A high-pitched sound of metal clashing reverberated, and an attack whose power has been raised by strengthening magic attacks Mars. But Mars, who had strengthened his body with kijutsu is completely unwavering. Nozomu tries to attack the two who have stopped moving, but suddenly a blade of the wind passes in front of him and his attack is blocked. Looking in the direction of the wind blade, a dagger-wielder is chanting magic. The blade of the wind hit again and He got separated from Mars. Apparently, the opponent intends to separate Mars and Nozomu and destroy them one by one. Certainly, given that Mars has the highest fighting ability at this party, it would be strategically necessary to separate him. Another swordsman of the other party is approaching the separated Nozomu. "I got you!! " Nozomu immediately pulls out his katana and parries the opponent''s sword. The momentum of the rush was strong because he was strengthening his body, but being parried by Nozomu causes him to lose his posture. Nozomu immediately tried to chase after him, but suddenly a fireball rushed in from behind and exploded, and he got blown away. "Aghh!" "Oi oi, is that okay? He also got involved." "It''s okay right. That kind of unusable guy can only be a decoy." It was Mars''s entourage who shot the fireball. For them, Nozomu was literally a decoy, and it didn''t even hurt or itchy for them if Nozomu was involved in the attack. "Damn!" Nozomu got up and got ready, but the opposing swordsman immediately drew near. With one dual dagger-wielder added, Nozomu will be on the defensive side against two people. While parrying three blades, he repeatedly moved so that two people will not attacking at the same time. "Take this!" "Hahaha! Easy target!" The two entourages also attacking Nozomu by magic and a bow, as if it can''t be helped. Nozomu got swept away by the ranged magic attack, and the gap is pierced by accurate shooting with a bow. The attacks of the two entourages were compatible with each other in the sense of a long-range attack, and the strengths were well intertwined. The magic casting time and the gap between the next arrow, which was a drawback of the attack, were successfully eliminated. In a situation of 1 against 4, Nozomu has no way of dealing with it, but if he tries to counterattack, the entourage behind him will attack him, so he will have to deal with it. And He is in a loop of being attacked again by the other party. However, this situation collapsed soon. Nozomu feels a fierce chill from the side, uses his legs, and leaves with all his might. Mars who swinging up his greatsword is reflected in Nozomu''s field of view. Mars, after defeating his two opponents, rushed with a quick movement into Nozomu and Nozomu''s opponents which were in a state of turmoil Mars, who wields a giantsword enveloped with wind blades, swung his sword to the side with all his might. With his enhanced strength and wind blades, Mars''s surroundings were swept away, and the remaining two of the opponent''s party were blown away, making it impossible to fight, and the mock battle is over. Nozomu and Mars glare at each other silently. Nozomu is clearly angry with Mars who was clearly mowing down at him, and the two entourages who were attacking him. Until now, Nozomu has turned a blind eye to everything happening at the school. He would have immediately turned his eyes away and stayed everything within himself. Nozomu himself is unaware of such a change, but he is clearly changing. Nozomu is angry, but soon a question came up in his heart about the unusual behavior of Mars. Mars was mowing down at him, but he couldn''t see the color of Mars''s eyes that despised him until now. Nozomu didn''t understand the reason, but at least he knew it wasn''t hostile. When he thinks about it, the behavior of Mars towards Nozomu has obviously changed since the third year. He wasn''t swearing at him, and he wasn''t poking at him during the lesson. (What is going on?) There is anger in Nozomu''s heart, but more than that, He is worried about the change in Mars. However, they do not talk to each other and remain silent. The entourage talks to Mars, but he doesn''t respond to them, he just continues looking at Nozomu. Eventually, the bell that signals the end of the lesson rang, and the lesson is over. Nozomu left the training ground without finding an answer to the question that had sprung up in his chest. *** Mars¡¯s POV After the class is over, Mars thinks about the mock battle while walking in the school corridor. "He ... is changed" He remembers Nozomu who was willing to get involved and glared at him who attacked. The old him wouldn''t do that, he would just look down and turn his back. Mars didn''t know what happened to him, but he could have guessed that his feelings had changed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ But what kind of training did he do?¡± Mars admired Nozomu''s movement, which was actually 1 against 4 in the mock battle. He was able to catch a glimpse of it during the battle because he was only against two opponents, but there was no waste in Nozomu''s movement, which was handling the attacks of four people. Mars wouldn''t be able to handle attacks from four people in a suppressed state like him. It seemed that the people around him, including those who were dealing with him, didn''t notice it. The movement itself was slow but it was a terrifyingly accurate movement. He always moved to the opponent''s blind spot and always moved around in a one-to-one confrontation. Moreover, in that situation, he sensed Mars''s surprise attack and moved immediately. There is no doubt that he has a fairly wide field of view. "He''s pretty used to combat. Where did he get such experience?" The only way in this city where he can gain combat experience is to receive a request from the school or the guild. There is no one willing to deal with him at the school, and he is not high-ranked enough to receive the subjugation request from the guild. Students have to hold a certain rank or form a party with multiple higher rank people in order to receive requests such as subjugation from the guild, otherwise, only miscellaneous requests can be received. The students of the school are, after all, a group of inexperienced people, and the school side wants to avoid the loss of valuable human resource candidates, so such an arrangement is made. "......... Is he, maybe, goes to the forest alone?" The only place where he can gain such combat experience is the forest, but it''s just reckless for a student to enter the forest where demon beasts are dominant, and no one has done that. No matter how strong those demon beasts near the city were, it wasn''t absolute, and there were cases where travelers were actually attacked. But otherwise, the accuracy of his movements cannot be explained. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Should I check it out?¡± Mars made such a decision and quickly walked down the corridor. Chapter 2.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After school, Nozomu, who finished his lessons, came to the central park of Alcazar. This park was built around the school, where students make various stories bloom here on weekdays, and various stalls lined up on holidays, became a place for citizens to relax. The reason Nozomu came to this park was simply to think. As he lay down on the park bench, he thought about what he had been thinking many times. About his past and his future. His relationship with Lisa, the words left by his master, and the power of the dragon within himself. But no matter how much He thinks about it, Nozomu doesn''t know what to do from now on. Of course, that''s natural, because he has just begun to look at the "present time". Looking back on his escape, he doesn''t think it''s okay to leave it as it is. But ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Nozomu remembers the giant dragon inside him. An entity that can swallow, eat, and destroy everything. Even after the battle with Shino, Tiamat still boasted an overwhelming presence in Nozomu. Nozomu''s face is distorted. His expression looked very painful even when viewed from the side. When he was found out of that overwhelming existence, he couldn''t imagine what would become of him later on. Solminati Academy was established and maintained with the investment of each country in the continent. Since the human resources trained at the school will affect the international situation in the future, the school is attracting attention from the governments of each country, and political bargaining is always carried out on the front and the back. If a dragon slayer that hadn''t appeared for hundreds of years appeared in such a hotspot ¡­¡­¡­¡­. For Nozomu, Tiamat that was driven into his spirit is too big of a burden mentally as well as physically. "What are you doing, Nozomu-san?" Nozomu is suddenly called out by a voice as he thought about his troubles. Looking to the side, a girl about 10 years old is peeking at him with a black cat in her arm. "It looks like you had a very difficult face, are you okay?" The girl looks very worried. Nozomu hurriedly fix his expression and smiled at the girl. "Un. I''m okay, Somia-chan." Her name is Somiliana. The encounter between Nozomu and her goes back to the time when Nozomu managed to advance to the third year. Nozomu went out for a walk in the town on a fleeting holiday when the school was closed for a while due to the change of the year. After somehow passing the supplementary exams of the end-of-year exam and the advancement was decided. He stopped at a food stall in the park to buy lunch. He bought wheat breads with vegetables and sausages sandwiched between them. As he was walking around and eating the bread that he bought from the food stall, he saw a girl nervously looking up at a tree in the park. She had no one around, and she didn''t seem to be able to do anything by herself. There was no other choice for Nozomu to went to the girl''s side and called her out. "What''s wrong?" "Eh" The girl noticed Nozomu''s voice and looked at him. She is about 10 years old and has shiny black hair trimmed around her shoulders, a beautiful girl with deep jet-black eyes. Her facial features are still young and suitable for her age. "Well, I was actually playing with Kuro-chan ..." The girl said so and looked up at the tree. When Nozomu looked up at the tree, there was a black cat on the branch of the tree, and it seems that the cat was the black cat. The black cat was playing with something on a tree branch. "That is my arm decoration, Kuro-chan it doesn''t suit you. Please give it back already Kuro-chan." Perhaps the black cat really liked the arm decoration, she chose to play with the arm decoration over the girl. "It can''t be helped" Nozomu put the half-eaten bread into his stomach and began climbing the tree. The black cat raised its tail and felt cautious as it notices him. "Give that back quietly." Nozomu climbed to the same height as the black cat and tried to catch the cat, but it threatened him with "Fusha" and swung its claws to resist. "Hey!! Don''t struggle!!" "Fugya!" The cat resisted further and finally jumped at him. Unable to move on the tree, Nozomu was scratched by the cat. "Aw aw aw!!!! This d*mn cat !!!" A great brawl between Nozomu and a cat takes place on a narrow tree branch. He couldn''t move because he was on a tree, and the cat just scratched him as if saying, "It''s none of my business!" The balance of Nozomu was gradually lost, the branches squeaked, gradually can''t bear it, and finally snapped. The branch broke with the sound. "Uwah !!" "Nyanya !!!" Attracted by gravity, Nozomu and the cat fell head-on toward the ground. However, as expected of a cat. The black cat quickly turned around in the air and fit in the girl''s arms. Compared to that, Nozomu did not regain his posture and crashed into the ground awkwardly. He crouched on the ground with a miserable groaning, "Buh!". "... A, Ano ... are you okay?" "......... Un ... I''m okay" Nozomu managed to get up while put up with it and replied so. She looked at him with anxiety, and Nozomu just remembered his previous disgraceful behavior and felt miserable. "More importantly, is the arm decoration okay?" The black cat was still attached to the arm decoration inside the girl''s arm, but the arm decoration itself seemed to be okay. "Thank goodness. Thank you." The girl seemed to be relieved from the bottom of her heart, and she smiled like a flower. For the first time in a while, Nozomu returned a natural smile to her innocent and pure expression. Nozomu''s heart may have been tense without even realizing it because Shino died and he lost his place to belong. "I''m sorry. I didn''t introduce myself. I''m Somiliana. My friends call me Somia!" "I''m Nozomu Bountis. It''s okay with Nozomu. Somia-chan ... Can I call you as such?" "Yes! Please treat me well, Nozomu-san!" "Same here, treat me well." Although they introduced themselves to each other, Nozomu noticed her clothes. Her clothes are Ecross''s uniform. Ecross is an affiliated school of Solminati Academy, and mainly children around 10 years old attend. The purpose of the school''s founding is to educate prospective children at an early age to develop human resources with higher abilities. Children from all over the continent and children with rare abilities are gathered and educated. "Somia-chan, you''re a student of Ecross right." "Yes! That''s right. I''m in fifth grade this year." Ecross is a 6-grade school. This means she has been educated for at least five years. Entering Ecross is equivalent to having her talent already recognized by many countries. Nozomu thought, there was a big difference with him, who had fallen behind for at least ten thousand years. "But Nozomu-san, you''re a student at Solminati Academy right!" She struck him with a sunflower-like smile on her face. "Un. Well, I''m an inexperienced person, still a long way to go. I''m at the bottom of the 10th class." "Is it like that? Then it''s the same as me! Still got a long way to go too!" Somia replied shyly, sticking out her tongue. She is a very expressive girl. When he saw her smile, Nozomu was also mysteriously energized. (Somehow, Somia-chan seems to be a match with Anri-sensei.) Nozomu remembered the face of his class teacher. She seemed to be in gear with her laid-back personality and her sun-like smile like Somia. Her laid-back personality which looks like the sun seemed to fit in with the gears of Somia-chan. "By the way, does Somia have any goals? You said "still a long way to go", so somehow I felt you have." "Ah, Yes! My older sister is my goal!" When asked about "her sister," Somia became more talkative, and her smile was even more with a 50% increase. "Ane-sama is strong" "Ane-sama is cool" "Ane-sama is kind" The person in question seems to be quite capable, and Somia-chan also loved her "Ane-sama" from her heart, and it was very clear that she was longing for her. At the same time, Nozomu felt worried. Worried that she would be overwhelmed, injured, or caught by a weird man. As far as he heard from the story, she seems to be similar to her "Ane-sama", so they really are sisters. "By the way, this black cat. Did it still playing?" When Nozomu saw the black cat in Somia-chan''s arm, the black cat was still playing with the arm decoration. He looked closely and found that the arm ornaments were delicately decorated and also had small bells that were similarly decorated, which was of considerable value to the untrained eye. "This arm decoration seems to be quite valuable, but what is it?" "Oh, this arm decoration seems to be handed down from generation to generation. It seems to be a tradition, and it is said that if you have this, you will surely be able to meet again someday even if you are separated." "Hee, that tradition sure makes you very happy." "Yes! It used to gather dust in the warehouse, but ane-sama gave it to me! I hope our bond will continue even if we leave the house." She happily talks about her arm ornaments. She may want her family ties above all else, as does her tradition for her. She wants to feel her family ties by always wearing the arm-ornament of the tradition. She was talking about it, but then she remembered the black cat that stuck with the arm ornament and she picked it up. "Oh, right. Kuro-chan that''s enough." When she picked up her arm ornament, "give it back, give it back" the black cat was fluttering its arm like a baby whose toy was picked up. "Even so, it''s a very naughty male cat." "Eh!" "Because he picked up the owner''s belongings and played a lot with it, and he still hasn''t played enough ..." "... Um ........." Somia-chan was trying to say something. "Um, Nozomu-san. Kuro-chan ... is a girl ........." "¡­¡­¡­¡­E?" "That''s why I told you, It''s a girl." It looks like this black cat is a female. It was so naughty and there was a brawl with Nozomu on a tree branch, so he could only think of it as a male. (Usually, Kuro is a name given to males) "Um ... why named it Kuro?" "Well, somehow I felt it''s cute, isn''t it? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ I see.¡± Looks like, her naming sense is a little off. "Besides, I''m not Kuro-chan''s owner, perhaps, I believe this child got strayed." It''s been told in the story that she''s been seen around the Ecross school building from time to time, and then Somia-chan was started playing with her. "Hee, so she''s a stray cat? It seems that she''s very fond of Somia-chan, so I wonder if Somia-chan trying to keep it ..." The moment Nozomu reached out to Kuro after saying so. "Shah !!!" "Aw !!" Suddenly Kuro scratched Nozomu''s hand. "Ah! Are you okay? Kuro-chan is really hard to please and difficult to accept people." "Aw aw aw. Is that so?" "Yes, all the boys in my class didn''t work. But the girls are okay ..." (Is it that only boys are no good ...) Somehow, this black cat seemed to be fond of only girls. When Nozomu looked at Kuro while rubbing his scratched hand, he is quiet in her arms and exactly like a borrowed cat. When Kuro noticed Nozomu looking at him, he turned away and began to relax inside Somia''s arms. (Th, This guy!) Nozomu glares at Kuro, but Kuro ignores Nozomu completely. He tried to snatch back Somia''s arm ornaments again. "Wa, wait, don''t do it Kuro-chan!" In a sense, it is a very cat-like behavior. After that, a great scuffle between Kuro who tried to play with the arm decorations, and Nozomu who tried to stop it happened, and then the two got along well when preached by a 10-year-old child. *** That was the encounter between Nozomu and Somia. After that, they met in this park several times and had a small talk. Sometimes there is a big decisive battle between one person and one animal. "By the way, Somia-chan. It''s almost your birthday right." "Yes! I will be 11 years old soon!" She said so happily with the usual smile, but the next moment her expression is fading. "But, it seems like my father doesn''t come back even though it''s my birthday." According to her story, her father is always busy and rarely comes home. It seems that her mother has already passed away, and she only has an older sister as a family. "Bu, but Ane-sama will hold a birthday party for me!" Somia smiled again, keeping her loneliness in her chest and behaving cheerfully. (... She is a strong child ...) When he thinks about it now, when Nozomu was about her age, he would have been more pampered by his parents. Seeing her behaving gracefully, Nozomu is impressed and saddened at the same time. It''s very painful for her to have no one to spoil when she wants to. Nozomu remembers about himself. He was isolated at the school, he couldn''t rely on anyone, he turned his eyes away, and he could break at any time like a taut thread. At that time, how many times he was saved by the word "Welcome back" and the hug which his master did. He was able to remember the love of those who had forgotten. His frozen heart was gently melted and was able to cry as hard as he could. He realized that he was not alone. Thanks to his master''s acceptance of him, he was finally able to accept that person''s wishes. He was able to talk in earnest, fought with all his might, and face that person seriously. And she taught him something important ... to move forward. "If it''s Somia''s birthday, maybe I should give presents too" "E, is that true ?!!" She asked with her big smile, maybe she didn''t expect Nozomu to prepare a present. "Yeah, I can''t prepare a big one, but I''ll prepare a good one." "Yes! I''m looking forward to it !!" There was no shadow of loneliness on her face this time, it was just like a "sun". (I''m glad. Nobody wants to see such a good girl with a dark expression.) Nozomu saw her smile and felt relieved. "By the way, was there something to do today?" Ecross''s time to leave school has already passed, and Nozomu didn''t understand why Somia is still here. "Yes, ane-sama coming to pick me up today!" (Speaking of her sister, the one who was praised by her when I met her, by the way, I hadn''t heard about her sister in detail.) Seeing her in the park beside the school after school, her sister may have a connection with the school. "Somia-chan, is your sister at Solminati Academy?" "Yes, ane-sama is also a student at Solminati Academy, the same as Nozomu-san!" "Hee (n, wait)" Nozomu looks at Somia''s face. She has shiny black hair, jet-black eyes, and a well-organized face. Nozomu saw the image of a person on Somia''s face. "Hey Somia-chan, maybe your sister is..." "Somia, I''m sorry to have kept you waiting." When Nozomu turned around to the sudden voice, Nozomu''s body is completely petrified. Long straight black hair that extends to the waist. With deep jet-black eyes, her appearance is too neat and unrealistic. Her face is dignified, and her limbs, blessed by the goddess of beauty, seemed to reveal an aura worn only by the chosen one. She is Irisdina Francilt, the top third-grader at Solminati Academy. Chapter 2.4 Heyooo, PolterGlast here. I should be posting 2 of my chapters tomorrow. But because I got quite busy tomorrow so I rushed it. So I can release it now. Thank You for your kind support. Especially for, StonksCoffee and Ko-Fi Supporter Thank You for the coffee. Your support means a lot to me. Here is your awaited chapter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A, Ane-sama!" Somia rushes to Irisdina and she catches Somia kindly. Irisdina''s face is smiling and it seems like she wasn''t the dignified girl at school, but more like the kind older sister. Somia is talking to Irisdina so eagerly, and Iris is smiling as she nodded to Somia''s words one by one, and the people around her smiled watching such a scene. (I see, Irisdina-san is Somia-chan''s older sister) Certainly, these two are very similar. Their hair color, eyes, facial features, and the atmosphere they wore, are very similar. (Maybe Irisdina-san and Somia-chan were twins that look like two peas when they were little) Because the person Somia was waiting for had arrived, Nozomu thought it would be bad to disturb the sisters, so he tried to go home, but Irisdina, who was pulled by Somia, walked here. "Yaa, You took care of my little sister." "Eh, a, aa ........." Irisdina talks to Nozomu with a smile. Nozomu is surprised that her face isn''t distorted like the disgust of people around always gave him. Above all, her smile is the reason why he got stuck in replying. Even just her appearance is as good as a work of art. If such a girl smiles then¡­¡­¡­¡­. It''s not the same lively smile that Lisa once gave to him, but Nozomu still couldn''t give a decent reply to such a pure smile like a clear stream. "...? Is there something wrong?" "No, no! It''s nothing!" When Irisdina talked to the petrified Nozomu again, Nozomu finally replied decently. Most of all, his reply was decent, but the voice itself remained stiff. "Kusukusu (sfx for giggling), Nozomu-san. You are fascinated by Ai ane-sama''s smile right." (Wa, wait a minute Somia-chan !!) Nozomu panicked at Somia''s comment. (It''s true that I was fascinated, but she doesn''t have to say it openly in front of the said person!) "Fufu, I see, that''s an honor." Nozomu panicked because Somia said something unnecessary, but Irisdina immediately answered without being agitated. It seems like, he has been played by the two. Nozomu stares at them with embarrassment, Somia sticks out her tongue to gloss it over, and Irisdina puts her hand on her mouth and smiles. Their expression is so cute that Nozomu forgave them for making fun of him. (... Beauty is advantageous huh ...) "By the way, you were in the infirmary for lunch today. Thank you for helping us at that time." Thinking that Nozomu was more friendly than she thought, Irisdina thanked him for his help during the lunch break. "No, I just happened to be in the infirmary ... and it was Norn-sensei who treated it." "Still, you have brought us the medicine as soon as you found out that the student we brought was injured." "Well, it''s not good to do nothing ... but, Irisdina-san also brought her to the infirmary even though a student unrelated to you was injured." "Well yes, I can''t ignore something as long as I notice it. It''s natural to help someone who is injured." As he thought, she must have a good personality. She helps if anyone is in trouble even if she is not directly involved. That seems to be her way. She said, "I will help if there are people in need", she doesn''t feel pushy or unnatural about it. I''m sure she is a person who can help people naturally. Such a girl looked dazzling and shining to Nozomu. *** Iris''s POV She is talking to the boy in front of her, but She still doesn''t think he''s the rumored person. She had recently heard that someone helped her little sister who got in trouble in the park, but she didn''t think it was him. The boy and the rumored person, whom her little sister talks happily, were far apart, the same as what she felt in the infirmary. Nozomu Bountis. At least no one takes this name in a good way. A former lover of my classmate, Lisa Hounds, and a traitor who betrayed her. When I asked his acquaintances and junior school girls, similar stories came up, and most of them were very angry with him. Lisa does not fall in love with his talent, and she does not tolerate unreasonable violence. She is an attractive woman from my perspective, and she is a good person. It was in the summer of the first grade that it was rumored that she was abandoned by her lover and childhood friend. At that time, our school was all about that story, and many students were worried and rushed to her when she was abandoned by her lover. Everyone who rushed to her was very angry at the boy who had abandoned her, and I heard that he had been bullied since then. As the same woman, when I heard her story, I also felt angry at the boy who betrayed her, but I thought it was too much. I see the boy in front of me. He''s an ordinary boy who doesn''t look outstanding and can be found everywhere. Maybe he''s indistinguishable if it''s crowded. I was a little surprised to encounter my little sister who made fun of him while smiling and seemed attached to him. My household is big, though I don''t want to say much, and it is said to be the so-called famous household. It has served the country for a long time and has served the country in important positions. Along with that, it came to have great power, and that power has a strong influence on this Solminati. Many bugs approached such a strong power to suck the sweet nectar. The bugs naturally targeted us, sisters, the legitimate daughters of the head, and approached us by hiding their polluted hearts with a smile like a "Noh mask". Perhaps because we have been surrounded by such greedy adults since we were a child, both my little sister and I became sensitive to the malicious intent inside people''s hearts, and when we talked to such people, we talked happily while made a big wall in our hearts. I and my little sister have learned such a tactic, but when playing with him, my little sister doesn''t have such a wall, and she exposes her true self as she is. Even if I talk face-to-face like this, there is no sense of caution in my heart. I don''t think I should say it myself, but my appearance looks pretty good. I don''t like boys of the same age because they tend to look at my chest and butt, at the same time I also feel their gaze of lust. However, I have not such discomfort with him. I was flustered when my sister pointed him out, but I was rather smiley and not feeling any source of discomfort. A mysterious young man. That was the first impression I had of him. *** After that, the sun went down and the sunset began to illuminate the park, so Nozomu said goodbye to the two and returned to the dormitory. On the way back, Nozomu is a little happy when he remembered the conversation with Irisdina. It''s been a long time since he talked naturally with people of the same age like that. (I don''t think we have a chance to talk, but I hope we can talk again) As soon as he returned to the dormitory, he prepared and left the dormitory right away. He is heading to Shino''s hut. As tomorrow is a holiday, Nozomu decided to train at night and stay in Shino''s hut. Shino''s hut is in the forest, so even if he releases his oppression, no one will notice it. Whenever Nozomu released his power of the dragon-slayer, he always did it there. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± Shortly after leaving the dormitory, Nozomu felt a strange gaze. Someone has been following him since he left the dormitory. Nozomu thought that was someone who didn''t like him at school, but it didn''t seem to be the case, because that person''s gaze wasn''t hostile. That person is still chasing him even after leaving the city. Looks like there is only one line of sight, so it seems that only one person is following. "I wonder if I can shake it off if I enter the forest" However, if he does it poorly, it will be troublesome later, so Nozomu goes into the forest as it is and heads for the hut as usual. He walked through the forest for a while, but when he felt that he couldn''t feel the gaze anymore, he stopped. "Hmm, it looks like he''s gone, but who was that?" Nozomu thinks about the owner of the line of sight, but there is no answer. Although he can speculate on why that person is so persistent, that speculation was not very accurate. (Maybe, Because I killed a dragon?) If that true, it will be bad for Nozomu. He can''t predict what each country''s authority will do to him. (But why he didn''t follow me till the end? I didn''t think he will stop tracking as soon as I enter the forest) Although he made various guesses himself, the current Nozomu couldn''t give an answer, so he went straight to Shino''s hut. *** Mars''s POV "As I thought, he went to the forest" It was Mars who followed Nozomu. After confronting Nozomu in the forest, he intended to make him talk about various things without being able to escape. However, when the other party entered the forest, he decided that it was dangerous to enter the forest alone, so he turned back in front of the forest. "He has entered the forest, but it''s okay. Fortunately, tomorrow is a holiday. It''s perfect for asking a lot of questions." Originally, Mars didn''t intend to enter the forest alone where the demon beasts were going rampant. If he could confirm the fact that Nozomu is in the forest alone this time, he thought that Nozomu should be questioned, but he is now thinking about other methods. It''s a pretty forceful method ..... *** Upon arriving at Shino''s hut, Nozomu puts his luggage down and cleans it. While cleaning, a memorial tablet and a katana placed on the shelf came into Nozomu''s field of vision. It is the katana that Shino used to wield. After Shino''s death, Nozomu, who was sorting the deceased''s belonging in the hut, found a will she gave to Nozomu. It just said, "I will give you my sword." From the beginning, she intended to convey everything and properly write a will on the verge of her death. When he saw the will, Nozomu thought that such a straightforward thing seems to be a very Shish¨­ way. However, Nozomu has not used the katana yet. There is another katana on his waist, which is Shino''s spare katana, which was stored in the storeroom. Nozomu is still running away, and he thought he wasn''t suitable for holding Shino''s katana. However¡­¡­. (Shish¨­ ¡­¡­ I can''t have this katana yet, but I''m sure someday ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­) After cleaning, Nozomu begins his practice-swinging. He immediately takes a drawn-sword stance from his natural stance. He draws the katana and attacks in the same stroke, the slash cuts through the air. He immediately returns the released blade back while shoots a reverse slash. It leads to a continuous attack without killing the momentum of the reverse slash. Left-side slash, reverse slash, horizontal slash ¡­¡­¡­¡­. The flow of weight shifts by sliding his feet, the muscles of his trunk are operated at the same time to link those slashes without waste. Nozomu is burying himself further while performing a series of attacks. Eventually, the sounds around him disappear, and he alters his slash, wielding his katana completely within his own world. This time, he activates his physical strengthening and mixes it together with Qi technique. When he pays attention to his katana and slashes it off, the katana is delivered immediately, released a violent shockwave. Then he switches to physical arts. A straight fist strike, stepping forward followed by an elbow strike, a foot-sweeping strike by lowering the waist and rotating the body, followed by a sheath strike. The continuous attack from the drawn-sword and the physical technique are linked together, and the dance continues. Finally, he swings his sword down at once. Nozomu is relentless as the air is torn and the calming breeze shakes his hair. Nozomu corrected his stance and closed his eyes when he put his katana back in the scabbard. From here on, he will die instantly if he is not careful. Nozomu is buried within himself again. Eventually, he can see the chains wrapped around his body. These chains are the embodiment of Nozomu''s ability "Ability Suppression". From now, he will release the Ability Suppression and control the power of dragon slayer. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Fuu ¡­¡­¡± Hold his breath and put his hands on the chain. If his control fails, the King of the Dragon will be released, and at that time, Nozomu will definitely not be forgiven. However, he can''t turn his eyes away. If he leaves it out of control and it becomes irreparable, it''s not enough to regret it for the rest of his life if it reaches not only Anri-sensei, Norn-sensei, Irisdina-san, and Somia-chan, but also everyone!!! Nozomu decides to remove the chain that binds him. At that moment, the released power fills Nozomu''s body in an instant, and it is overflowing from the body that couldn''t contain it. "Gu, Guuuuu!" Nozomu clenches his teeth and endures, but too much power causes Nozomu''s spirit to be swept away in a blink of an eye, causing greasy sweat to float on his body. Too much power can easily destroy the spirit of one tiny human being, but Nozomu''s spirit managed to endure it. By becoming a dragon slayer and gaining some of Tiamat''s power, Nozomu may have gained some resistance to that power. However, he still reached his limit. Nozomu desperately resisted but ended up becoming unbearable and the chain that bound him wrapped around his body again. "Ku! Haa ... haa ... haa ... haa ¡­¡­¡­¡­" When the Ability Suppression restraints Tiamat''s power, Nozomu collapses on the spot. His entire body trembled with greasy sweat from the sudden powerful reaction, and it didn''t seem like it would be settled soon. "As I thought, no matter how hard I tried, the limit is only about 2 minutes ......... D*mn!" Nozomu lays on his back as it is. The result is not good. After all, with the current Nozomu, 2 minutes is the limit, and there is no sign that it can be improved anymore. Nozomu''s facial expression showed impatience with his control power, which had no sign of growth at all. In the end, the training of the day could not produce any further results, and Nozomu went home the next morning. When Nozomu arrived in front of his dormitory room, a stranger greeted him. "Yo, You are so late." It was Mars who was leaning against the door of Nozomu''s room. "... Do you need something?" "Aa, lend me your face for a bit" Mars told Nozomu in a compelling tone. "What the hell is that? I''m on my way home from work so I''m sleepy." Nozomu lied that he was working until the morning because he couldn''t tell Mars that he was in the forest training the power of the dragon slayer there. "Hmm, work, are you doing it in the forest?" I bet you couldn''t get any job because you didn''t have enough rank for it. But why did you still go to the forest? " Mars''s words made Nozomu''s consciousness white for a moment. (How did he know? Maybe what happened yesterday was¡­¡­¡­¡­) "Perhaps, the one who followed me yesterday was ..." "Aa, that''s me .... As I thought you noticed me. Well, that''s fine, I have something to ask you. Follow me." Mars turns his back and starts walking. Nozomu had no choice but to follow his back. Chapter 2.5 Where Mars took Nozomu was the outer suburbs of the city. The sun has already risen high, and the rays of the sun were gradually spreading the spring weather across the city. Arcazam is surrounded by walls to prevent the invasion of demons and beasts that live in the forests around the city. The walls were built quite a distance from the city. This is because it allows large-scale troop deployments in the event of a large-scale invasion, and also serves as a storage area for supplies to maintain the troops. Also, because it is located far from the city, the possibility of being seen by people is quite low, although not as low as in the forest. There Nozomu and Mars are facing each other. Mars pulled out the greatsword on his back and suddenly started coming towards Nozomu. "Kuh!" Nozomu hits the side of Mars''s greatsword while drawing his katana out, and at the same time dodges it by circling the opponent''s side. Mars''s body is full of Qi, and he is clearly in a combat stance, it''s not the time to take it lightly. "Wait, what does this mean!" Nozomu doesn''t understand why and asks Mars. Nozomu thought he would be questioned about things in the forest and about himself, but he never thought Mars would suddenly hit him with his sword. "Nothing, I just want you to answer my question." "Then why did you point your sword!" Mars did not answer Nozomu''s question and started slashing. Nozomu is forced to intercept. The sound of 2 weapons clashing reverberated. Mars uses his enhanced physical strength to fire a series of attacks that make it look like he doesn''t wield a greatsword. He shot three consecutive slashes of vertical slash, horizontal low-strike, and reverse vertical slash. There is no delay in the movement of his slash, and it has sufficient power, suggesting that Mars''s ability as a greatsword wielder is at a considerable level. Continuous attack with heavy weapons such as a greatsword is a fairly advanced technique. With half-hearted physical strength, he would be swung around by the weight of the greatsword, and he could never be able to release a flowing continuous attack. However, Mars fired such powerful slashes at a considerable speed. Nozomu dodged the first slash by turning his body sideways and crouching down. In the final reverse slash, while raising the katana diagonally against Mars''s blade, he stepped forward, changed the vector of the force that he received from diagonal to lateral, and moved to the side of Mars while moving his body in the direction he was stepped on. Nozomu used the momentum of Mars''s slashes, however, Mars was also reading him, the greatsword interrupted the trajectory of the katana, and it is parried with a high-pitched sound. Nozomu doesn''t care that he was parried, and continues to shoot a series of attacks. There is a slight opening inside Mars''s greatsword space, and Nozomu''s katana almost reached him. Nozomu''s continuous attack is less wasteful than Mars''s, although he lacked speed and power, Mars could not counterattack because there was no chance. Mars, who couldn''t counterattack, had no choice but to use his greatsword dexterously to handle Nozomu''s continuous attacks. While holding his greatsword in both hands, Mars, whose hands were full, raises his body''s Qi and releases it at once. There is no name to this technique, it was just a release of Qi, but the release of Mars''s abundant Qi delays Nozomu''s continuous attack, albeit slightly. In that gap, Mars focused his attention on one hand and hit Nozomu. Mars''s fist, which has an excellent physical ability and is strengthened with Qi, is comparable to the blow of a demon beast. It''s a blow that can''t be ignored by Nozomu, who is under the influence of Ability Suppression and doesn''t receive much of the benefits of strengthening skill. Nozomu blocks Mars''s fist with his scabbard. And he flies backward to fend off the force. The moment Nozomu lands, Mars pursues. He closes the gap with a quick move, he activates the Qi technique "Dust Blade". The wind blade enveloping the greatsword tries to hit Nozomu, but at the moment of landing, Nozomu activates his instant move like Mars. He focuses his Qi on his legs, strengthens his leg strength to the limit, and screams at Mars at once. "Naa !!" Mars didn''t expect Nozomu would rush in from the front. It would be natural. Even though Nozomu has been attacking until now, but he had always been focused on parrying more than attacking. Nozomu rarely attacks even in mock battles. This is because the instantaneous power required to attack was limited due to the influence of Ability Suppression. Mars swings down the greatsword, and it''s so strong that Mars could not take any other action. But, Nozomu''s speed exceeds the speed of the greatsword that approaches overhead and erodes Mars''s opportunity. That unexpected movement of Nozomu causes Mars''s sword to blunt slightly. Before Mars''s sword reached him, Nozomu invaded the inside of the greatsword''s space. Nozomu hits Mars''s arm, which is still swinging the greatsword, with his elbow. "Guh!" Mars''s expression is distorted because he was attacked on a part that was not protected by the gauntlet. Mars releases one hand from the greatsword and focuses his attention on it, creating a mass of wind in his fist. Mars releases the mass of wind at a close distance to Nozomu. Qi technique "Wind Mass Palm" A wind-type Qi technique that releases a mass of wind at once and blows away the opponent. It is a technique that can be applied effectively, such as increasing the striking force. The released wind blows away Nozomu, and the distance is widened again, so it is back to square one. They gaze at each other beyond the gap and measures the distance between them. However, only time passed without moving with each other. *** Mars¡¯s POV Mars is once again admiring Nozomu''s skill. (I see ... As I thought, he is better at pure sword skills ...) Although I was overwhelmingly superior in power, I couldn''t attack. After the first slash, I fired a series of speed-oriented attacks, but they were avoided or parried. If I tried to push it all the way, he would immediately released a counterattack. My sword hunted him down, but I couldn''t reach him. I want to know. The reason he can be so strong like this, so I can also become stronger. More, and more, stronger ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Therefore, I have to know. About this guy who became incredibly strong ¡­¡­¡­¡­. *** They turned their swords at each other, kept their eyes on the other, and remained ready for battle. However, Mars sheathes his sword in, and dissipates his Qi while exhaling with "fuu". "It was my bad. Suddenly slashing." Nozomu doubts that Mars, who was so motivated, sheathed his sword, but for the time being, he also sheathes the katana. "... I have something to ask you .......... When did you start entering the forest?" Mars stares straight at Nozomu. His eyes clearly said he wouldn''t let it go. Honestly, Nozomu had no concrete idea what to do after he killed a dragon. He thought it would be unpleasant to be known, but he couldn''t think of what he wanted or should do with that power. He realized that he had been running away and thought that he shouldn''t stay like this, but he lost the purpose of "supporting Lisa''s dream" and lost the reason for being in this school. He had no idea what to do. The loss of this "purpose to become stronger" as well as the "escape" was also a concern for Shino, and now that he is aware of his own "escape", the loss of this "purpose to become stronger" becomes the biggest factor that Nozomu still could not move forward. That''s why Nozomu gives a strong admiration for those who move forward toward their goals, like Irisdina who said "I''ll help if I find someone in need" and Somia who said, "I want to catch up to my sister". "That''s right ... I started entering the forest from the first-year summer season .......... Well, at that time ... Lisa ... there were so many things going on..." With Mars''s pursuit, Nozomu decided to talk about something unimportant for the time being. If he thinks about it, the sign that Mars had been following him yesterday disappeared when he entered the forest, so Nozomu thought that Mars did not directly see the power of dragonslayer. "......... I am shocked. Did you enter the forest alone since that time?" Mars was amazed at Nozomu who nodded and looked up at the sky. Because it is dangerous for students, the school does not allow them to enter the forest unless they meet the requirements, and students did not do that either. Sometimes, some students got crazy enough to go and ignored the warning, but most of them were badly injured, or at worst, eaten by the demon beasts and disappeared. After all, the students are inexperienced. No matter how high their grade and fighting ability are, they cannot survive unless they can make an accurate judgment. That fact was made known to students each year at the expense of some reckless students. "I''m quite convinced, that you''ve cultivated that extraordinary precise movement and judgment in the forest." Certainly, Mars is correct. After studying under Shino, he was running through the forest for a while and was naturally attacked by demon beasts. All of the demon beasts that attacked were low-ranked demon beasts. At that time, Nozomu had the same physical ability, but his swordsmanship, Qi technique, tactics, and judgment were all immature. No matter how low the rank the demon beasts were, there were no elements to win. That is why, it was important to know how to get away from any circumstances. Enter the river to eliminate the odor, attach leaves on the body to mimic the surrounding, and climb the tree to get through. Nozomu''s judgment on the battlefield was naturally acquired as he thought, judged, and executed various things in order to live at that time. The same was true for movements during the group mock battle the day before yesterday. Repeat one-on-one while constantly moving so as not to be surrounded. This was acquired while fighting against the group of demon beasts such as the Wild Dog. And the mock battle with Shino. The battle with Shino who had extraordinary abilities. He would faint immediately if he acted even a little late, and if he made a mistake, he would sink to the floor. He was in such an environment. He couldn''t chose even if he didn''t like it. "So Mars, why did you call me here? No way, just because you wanted to hear such a thing, you suddenly started slashing at me, Oy" Nozomu glares at Mars. Naturally, there is nothing wrong with Nozomu. It''s a natural reaction. He was suddenly called and suddenly slashed. "Uh, well, that is... what is it?" Mars''s tone becomes muddy. He may be aware that he has done something insane. "???" Mars suddenly stutters. As far as Nozomu can see about Mars''s atmosphere, he doesn''t seem to know that Nozomu is a dragon slayer, he simply feels awkward about the sudden slashing. When he saw that Nozomu had entered the forest, He didn''t seem to have hesitated because he was convinced by Nozomu''s sword and his power. Nozomu is a little relieved because Mars doesn''t seem to know he is a dragon slayer for the time being. "In, In other words, what I want to know is..." "Ahhhhhhhh! On¨©chan, what are you doing !!" "-Ge, This girl!" The sudden ringing loud voice interrupted Mars''s words. Looking at the source of the voice, a girl with a face similar to Mars rushed over here. She has an angry look on her face, and her gaze goes toward Mars. Looks like, this girl is Mars'' little sister. "Onii-chan !! What were you trying to do by calling someone to such an unpopular place !!!" "I, I didn''t do anything! By the way, why are you here!" "On¨©chan went out in the morning with a face full of grimaces, so I thought it wouldn''t be a good thing, so I followed him. Then, as expected, he is trying to do something bad in a place like this ...... " The girl said so while lifting her eyebrows, Mars argued that she was out of her mind. "That''s not it! Why am I doing such a bad thing !!" "It''s a natural conclusion considering what on¨©chan has done so far! Just think how many times I and obasan have bowed to the people who on¨©chan bothered!" "Uh!" It is true that Mars is recognized as a defect that cannot be touched by the people around him. Although he has the ability to be in the upper class, he is still in the 10th class, which shows how bad his daily behavior is. On the other hand, Mars has been blamed since earlier, perhaps because he is weak against his sister. Even if he argued a little, he will immediately be killed by the correct theory, and Mars himself knew that his behavior was bad and knew that he was annoying his family, and eventually he could not argue anymore. A one-sided word attack by his sister is developed. "I was banned from my favorite shop because On¨©chan went wild!" "I was treated as a boss by a child of the same age in the neighborhood because of On¨©chan!" "I apologized to the neighbors all day and night because of On¨©chan!" Mars moaned "Gut!" or "Muu!" every time she talked, and it seems that something like a spear is stabbed into him. Eventually, it shifted to Mars''s embarrassing past story. "His last bedwetting was slower than me." Or "He said he wanted to ride a horse, and when he jumped on a horse-drawn carriage, the horse was surprised and went out of control. It became a big catch for all the men in the neighborhood." Mars can''t bear it anymore. Perhaps because of his shame in the past, he hangs his head and puts his hands on the ground. Although he did it himself, it is still pathetic to see. After confirming that Mars had sunk, the girl who was making fun of Mars came in front of Nozomu. "I''m sorry. My foolish on¨©chan caused you inconvenience." "A, no, I don''t mind ......... Is your brother okay?" "Yes. If I don''t do this, my brother won''t regret it. And because of him, I''ve had a lot of trouble. This is his natural punishment." "I, I see ........." Mars, whose heart was broken, looked pitiful, and Nozomu tried to appease the girl, but the girl cutting in as to cast it aside. Nozomu was angry at Mars who suddenly slashing at him, but no matter how bad he was, the girl had cast her brother away and abandoned him. "Oh, I''m late to introduce myself. I''m Ena, the younger sister of a foolish brother who died there." "Oh, thank you. I''m Mars classmate Nozomu Bountis." Unlike Mars, she is a girl who greets people properly and politely. She is a very solid girl, probably because her brother made her struggle a lot. "I''m sorry for the inconvenience caused by my brother today. I''d like to apologize, so would you please come to my house? We have an inn with a bar so you can have lunch. " She wants to apologize. Nozomu said she didn''t need to apologize, but Ena stubbornly said, "I have to apologize properly because of the inconvenience." He thought it would be a bad idea to refuse, so Nozomu decided to accept her invitation. "Well it''s okay, but what about Mars?" "Oh, that''s right. On¨©chan, you''re in the way, so walk fast!" Ena kicks Mars. Mars gets angry, "What are you doing!", but he is depressed by his sister''s glaring eyes, then he followed her trudgingly. Chapter 2.6 Heyy, PolterGlast here I want to say Thank You to Tuan for the coffeeYour support is very much appreciated And here is a new chapter for you ===================================== Ena guided them to a corner of the commercial district. As merchants from various countries gathered at the place, there were inns here and there so they could rest, and there were various inns from luxury inns for large merchants to cheap inns for the poor such as porters. The inn, where Nozomu was brought in, was an inn with a sign called "Ushitotei" (Ox Head Pavillion). The first floor is a place to eat, and the second floor seems to be rooms for staying. "This is the inn "Ushitotei" that we are running." Ena says so and disappears toward the entrance of the inn. Nozomu followed her, and a wide-physique aunt with an apron greeted them. "Oh, welcome home Ena-chan. Did you find Maru-boy?" "I''m home, Hannah-san. I scolded him properly because he was disturbing others. Oh, and this person is the one that my brother made uncomfortable with "A, I see. I''m sorry for the trouble caused by this foolish boy. Wait a minute, let us treat you as an apology, it''s on the house." "No, It''s okay. I don''t really care about that, and she already apologized properly, so I don''t mind anymore." "I''m glad. Then enjoy your time here. Come on! What are you doing !! Disturbing people again !! Come here for a moment !!" "Aw aw aw !! Let me go !! Hey !!" Hannah grabbed Mars''s ears and disappeared into the kitchen, then, "Goi-n", a sound of a pot hitting someone''s head rang throughout the inn. After a while, Hannah came back with a tray. Bread and brown meat are on the plate of the tray. And salad is also served. "Here it is. It''s a dish that Ushitotei is proud of, a platter of rabbit steak and salad. This is an apology for what that foolish boy caused, free of charge." Having said that, Hannah placed the food in front of Nozomu. The aroma of the meat and the overflowing gravy stimulates Nozomu''s appetite. The time is already lunchtime. Nozomu himself felt hungry. Hannah urges Nozomu "just eat it already", so he reaches for the dish she prepared for him. Digger Rabbits are rabbits that live in the forests and grasslands around here, and as the name suggests, they lived by digging holes in the ground and were mainly hunted for food. The steak of the Digger Rabbit is soft because it is prepared well and then cooked, and it has a nice scent of sake or what it was baked with, and the gravy is abundant, so the food went on by itself. The salad and bread that had been prepared also went well with the meat, and it seemed like he could eat his heart out by dipping them in the gravy. "Thank you for the food. It was really delicious!" When Nozomu, who had finished eating in a blink of an eye, thanked them, Hannah and Ena also laughed with happy faces. "No, it''s okay! Don''t worry. This was for the nuisance. And I wonder if I made it tasted so good." "That''s right. Originally, that foolish brother was the cause. Nozomu-san doesn''t have to worry about it. What was he thinking by suddenly inviting and slashing." "Currently, that idiot is disciplined by my husband inside. He won¡¯t do it again, so can you forgive him?" "Well, I don''t mind about it anymore, so that''s fine ..." He was angry that he was suddenly attacked, but Nozomu thought, it should be enough after seeing Ena''s mental attack to expose Mars''s past shame in a loud voice. "I see ... I''m glad then.......... Ena-chan, I''m sorry, but my husband is about to prepare for the night, so please help him." "Eh ......... a, yes, I understand." Ena, who noticed Hannah who was trying to say something, disappeared into the kitchen with an empty plate. "... say Nozomu? I have something I want to talk about ......... Is that okay?" "What do you want to talk about?" "That child, Mars and Ena. What do you think of them?" "Hmm?" Nozomu tilts his head because he doesn''t understand the meaning of the question. However, when he saw Hannah, her eyes were serious, and he couldn''t think of it as a joke. "... Well ... I can''t say anything because I just met Ena-chan, but I thought she was a solid child. Maybe Mars had a big influence on her." As for Ena, He is not sure because Nozomu had just met her, but he thought she had grown up to be such a solid child because of Mars''s bad behavior. "About Mars ... I don''t really know about him. He didn''t really think about me and didn''t try to hide it. But ......... at the end of the second year. I felt that something was wrong with his attitude. " Mars was defeated by Nozomu in a mock battle at the end of the second grade to the point of cornered to the wall. Since then, Mars has stopped swearing and ridiculing Nozomu. Nozomu himself was aware that Mars''s attitude had changed, but he did not know the reason. However, Hannah, who heard about the mock battle, muttered as if she was convinced. "I see ... as I thought" "What is it?" "I knew about that child''s weird behavior, and when I heard Nozomu-kun''s story, I understood the reason." "Reason ¡­¡­¡­¡­ is it?" "Well, yeah. But I''m relieved. There is someone who can still be a friend with that child." "... E, what does that mean?" Hannah speaks happily, but Nozomu was skeptical of her words. Although Mars has become docile recently, looking at Mars''s reaction to Nozomu so far, at least Nozomu didn''t think they could become friends. "That child, he didn''t hate you coming here. Maybe, he doesn''t consider you''re bad anymore, right? From what he has heard, Mars has never brought his entourage or the bad guys with whom he has a relationship to this inn. Nozomu was also surprised at this. (He seems to know at least that what he''s doing is bad, and maybe he''s not as bad as Nozomu thought ...) At least for Nozomu who has been harassed by Mars and his entourage, Mars''s actions to keep his family out of his actions seemed fresh, and Nozomu felt like he knew a little about Mars. *** Going back in time, when Nozomu was eating Hannah''s food, Mars and a giant with a stern look were facing each other in the kitchen. The name of the giant man is Dell. Hannah''s husband and the owner of this inn. Mars had been preached by Hannah until recently, and when Dell finished cooking and his wife delivered it to Nozomu, Mars was finally released from the preaching. However, Mars had a big lump on his head because he was hit by Hannah with a frying pan, and tears were floating in his eyes, probably because it was hurt. "Good grief ... how long are you going to do something like this?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± The innkeeper was amazed when he heard about what Mars had done to Nozomu. Mars also thought it was too much, so he had no choice but to shut up. "Is it because of him that you''ve been crazy lately?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "From your point of view, maybe, to him ......... to Nozomu-kun. Did you lose to that child?" "Na !!" Mars is surprised to be told about the facts. He had never told anyone about the mock battle with Nozomu. "How many years do you think I''m taking the place of your parents? You¡¯re annoyed by how many times you lost...." "That''s not it!" "Then why did you become such a bummer?" Mars turned away and muttered, "... I just wanted to know why he got stronger ..." With that said, Dell sighed, "Haa ...". Mars had some difficulty with Hannah and Ena. He must have pride. He had the awareness that he can protect himself. However, there was a time when Dell talked honestly to some extent. For Mars, Dell is an irreplaceable family, a "reliable father" and, in a sense, one of his goals. Even if they have no blood connection ... "Why don''t you just say that? You just have to ask him about it from the beginning." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Why did you just tell me that thing now? Besides, I thought he was just a failure and not a decent guy" As expected, it seems that Mars couldn''t suddenly accept someone he had been swearing at until recently. Well, that would be a normal reaction. "Why? Did you make sure yourself that he was really a bad person?" "Are you making a fool of me!" "Iya, impressive, when I''m always looking at you, I wonder if there''s an electric jellyfish in your head ..." "N,na, How can I know !!" Mars turns his face bright red and denies it, but Dell feels a little relieved to see it. Mars has had a good relationship with the bad guys, but he has never brought them to this inn. Maybe because they only think about themselves. Even though Mars is a bully, Mars was not against it when he saw Ena took him to the inn, Dell knows that Mars also accepts Nozomu. By the way, Electric Jellyfish is one of the demon beasts that live in the sea, and it floats while riding in the ocean current, and the electric current generated by the long tentacles numbs the prey and preys on it. Although it is as large as an adult human, it has no means of movement, so it can only float in the sea, and it is said that there is not much danger. Dell is happy that Mars has friends, hence, he told him to do what he had to do. "......... At least apologize for what you did." "I, I know ..." Dell''s expression naturally loosened up to Mars, who was listening to what he had to say while averting his gaze awkwardly. *** Nozomu, who had been fully cared for, thought it would be bad to disturb them any longer, so he decided it''s about time to leave. "Excuse me for disturbing you. The food was delicious." "It''s okay. Please come again. It was quite a lot of food to eat right. This one was worth making too." "Nozomu-san, my brother may cause you trouble again, but please take care of him." Dell answers with his smile that doesn''t look good on his stern face, and Ena also bows and thank Nozomu. "Look, Mars. You have to send Nozomu properly because you caused trouble for him." "I know¡­¡­¡­¡­" Mars lazily responded to Hannah, who urged him. Nozomu thanked Hannah and others then went back to the dormitory with Mars. On their way back to the dormitory, the two remained silent. Until now, Mars had only cursed Nozomu, and Nozomu never had a decent conversation with Mars, so it was reasonable. While silence dominates, Mars speaks first. "Ah ... I''m sorry ... for various things until now" Mars apologized to Nozomu awkwardly. "No, I don''t mind anymore." (As expected, I can''t hurt someone who has been so tattered) Nozomu remembers Ena, who made a fierce mental attack at that time, and Mars, whose heart was shattered by her. As expected, Nozomu could not pursue further after such a mouth attack. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­. Oi, Did you think something strange just now?¡± Mars asks Nozomu because he senses a disturbing atmosphere from him. "No, as a human being, why don''t you blame the person who was shattered by his own sister ..." "Bastard! You''re thinking hard huh !! How did you remember it so well !!" "No, I can''t just forget something that has such an impact ..." "Forget it! Forget it now !! Forget it immediately !!!" "Wait, hey! What are you doing !!!" Nozomu leaves in a hurry and Mars rushes to Nozomu, but he feels that the distance between Mars and himself is getting closer. (Somehow it feels nostalgic. There are only a few people besides Shisho who talk like this) The two are going along while screaming. No matter how others look at their back, they can only see them as bad friends, but he feels that the distance between Mars and himself is getting closer. Chapter 2.7 Within a few days of reconciling with Mars, Nozomu''s treatment in the class had changed considerably. Mars, who hated Nozomu the most, began to talk to him a lot. Students in the 10th class are basically treated as drop out by students in any other class. It is the harmful effect of Solminati Academy, which advocates a complete meritocracy. Their outlet, which was treated as such a dropout, was Nozomu, the lowest rank in all grades. However, in the 10th class, when Mars, who was in the upper grade, talked to Nozomu, those who had been cursing Nozomu could not get out of hand, and as a result, they took a stance not to get involved with Nozomu. Mars has also become more distant from his entourage and has always teamed up with Nozomu in his practical lessons. Inevitably, Nozomu spends more of his time with Mars ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "I''m so happy~~! Nozomu-kun and Mars-kun are getting along with each other ~~~~ !!" The infirmary at noon. Nozomu was abducted by Anri-sensei today and had lunch together in the infirmary. By the way, Mars, who was beside him, was one of her targets, so he was captured in the same way. Anri-sensei''s tension is in a climax state from the beginning, and she is sprinkling the happy atmosphere around her more than ever. "Oh, thank you ¡­¡­¡­¡­" Nozomu is a little drawn to Anri-sensei''s overwhelming tension, but he knows she''s genuinely happy, so he''s honestly grateful for her feelings. "¡­¡­¡­¡­Hmm" Mars is eating his lunch lazily. "Now now. I''m happy with Anri. Nozomu-kun and Mars-kun became friends. Anri was concerned not only with Nozomu but also with Mars." "What does that mean?" "Anri said Mars was a clumsy but kind child." "After all ~~~. Mars-kun. You reassessed Nozomu-kun at the end of the second year and reflected on what you did to Nozomu-kun right~~~?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "Such a child cannot be a bad child ~~." There is a smile on Anri-sensei''s face, and she guessed right what Mars was thinking about decisively. Mars is so surprised about this. Well, if he always sees her sloppy atmosphere, it''s hard to notice that she''s actually a sharp person. Nozomu had previously been noticed and pointed out by her to some extent. The confrontation between Nozomu and Shino at the end of the second year and the changes that had occurred in Nozomu. That is why Nozomu was not as surprised as Mars, about Anri-sensei who pointed out the change in Mars''s mind. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Mars turned away, but his face was red and it was clear that he was shy. "Fufu .... By the way, Nozomu-kun, what are you making right now?" Norn-sensei finished lunch early and spoke to Nozomu who was doing something on her desk. Nozomu took out a set of crafting tools on the desk and made something. "This? It''s a birthday present for a friend." "Hee! Is that so? Who will you give it to? Norn is a little surprised because she thought that Mars was the only friend of Nozomu at the school, and she was also interested in what Nozomu was making. "I''ll give it to an Ecross student I met the other day. I can''t tell you what it is, because the first should know about the gift is the child." Nozomu thought that it was not necessary to hide Somia, aside from the presents he was making, so when he talked about his encounters with her, Norn-sensei and Henri-sensei were very surprised. "Hee! I didn''t think Nozomu-kun would even get acquainted with the daughter of the Francilt family." "What made you so surprised?" It seems that Mars doesn''t understand very well, but the Francilt family is one of the Aristocrats who have existed since the founding of the great power of Forsina in the western part of the continent. In addition, the Country of Forsina quickly dispatched an army to a group of demon beasts during the great invasion 10 years ago, and that army became the core of the later formed Allied forces and repelled the great invasion. It became a big driving force. It is also the country that has proposed the establishment of the Solminati Academy to every country, and its existence is huge on this continent. Most human beings have nothing to do with such well-known families. Especially getting acquainted with the daughter of such a family. "I only knew she was a Francilt family member recently, even though I knew her and met her, I didn''t know she was such a famous family member. Well, I don''t really mind it. But she seemed a little worried about what she was hiding. " Nozomu continues to say something while moving his hands. "Isn''t it reasonable considering her upbringing?" Well, a well-known family may have its own worries. When Norn sees Nozomu''s face while she is working, his expression has a slight smile on his face. (Un, It''s okay with this) Perhaps, thinking about giving a present to the other party, it is unavoidable to feel happy. When She saw Nozomu, she became happy, and naturally, a smile blooms on her face. *** After school, Nozomu and Mars are heading to the outskirts of the city. After reconciling, the two had been arranging bouts there about once every two days after school. "In the end, I couldn''t beat Mars before ... As expected of the current me, I''m not strong enough to deal with you ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± As the result of the bout, Mars has a higher winning percentage so far. Nozomu one step behind Mars because he didn''t use attacking techniques such as "Phantom", so he lacks the deciding factor. Nozomu''s attacking technique with Qi still has a high killing ability. This technique is to surely kill the opponent by efficiently using less energy. It was necessary for him to survive because he had exchanged lives with the demon beast in the forest. However, when it comes to school life and mock battles, the story is different, and these techniques with high killing ability must be adjusted. But, since Nozomu does not have a lot of Qi, it is inevitable to reduce the density of the Qi used in the technique in order to adjust it. Thus, the technique used would become an inadequate technique for killing opponents. If the density is lowered, it would not be powerful enough to kill the opponent. Although his Qi has improved a little, the effect of Nozomu''s ability Suppression is great, and the effect of auxiliary Qi techniques such as physical strengthening and quick move is low, so it is still insufficient to deal with a person as strong as Mars. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Still, it''s strange when you have beaten me several times.....¡± "Is that so?" Mars murmured against Nozomu''s remark, but Nozomu''s reaction to it was plain. Using common sense, there is no element that Nozomu can beat Mars on a one-on-one basis. The difference in physical ability and Qi between Nozomu and Mars is clear, and since Nozomu has almost no magical power, he cannot rely on magic. Even so, when he beats Mars, who was supposed to be in the upper class to some extent, it just shows how high-level his swordsmanship is in the school. However, Nozomu is not aware of it. The standard of swordsmanship for Nozomu is his master, Shino. This is because most of the people he has dealt with so far have been her. This is due to the narrow friendships of Nozomu so far, and it would have been a little different if there were any friends at the school who could help him. If such a monster-like talented person became the standard, it would not be possible to accurately measure the position of one''s own ability compared to the surroundings. In addition, Nozomu himself underestimated his own ability. This is due to his Ability Suppression and the results of mock battle so far. Due to the influence of his Ability Suppression, he always loses power in combat and rarely wins in mock battles. For this reason, Nozomu is in a state of "getting used to losing". *** Mars''s POV (This guy, what are you saying even though you have sealed such a vicious technique !!!) To be honest, Mars had been shown Nozomu''s Qi technique "Phantom" only once, but when he saw it, he was terrified and trembling. The released air blade passed in front of Mars in a blink of an eye and cut off the target big boulder without difficulty. Incredibly compressed and sharpened blade. The flight speed was extremely high, and Mars could not even see the afterimage of the blade that passed in front of him. And the control power that took only about half a second to make such a blade. If that blade was fired at him, he would be cut off along with his defense without being able to dodge at that point. (Hmm ... I think my loss at that time was definitely confirmed) Mars remembered at the end of the second year when he was cornered by the man in front of him, but if it was this technique that was released at that time, he would not have been in the world. *** (Well, I can''t use it during such a practical lesson) When Nozomu was convinced that he had never used the attacking technique until now, three girls walked from the front. When one of them saw Nozomu, she waved at him. Nozomu also waved back, and the three came at him. "Good afternoon! Nozomu-san" "Good afternoon, Somia-chan. You''re with your sister today." "Yaa, Good afternoon Nozomu. Long time no see ..... it''s not that long yet though" "Go, good afternoon............" It was Irisdina, Somia, and Tima who came. Maybe Tima isn''t good at this, as usual, she''s a little meek. "Come on, Tima. You have something to say to Nozomu right?" "U, un" "???" Prompted by Irisdina, Tima stood in front of Nozomu. Looks like, there is something she wants from Nozomu. "A, ano! I''m sorry when I was in the infirmary!" ¡°¡­¡­ Eh? What are you talking about?¡± "Well, I''m rude to Nozomu, because I''ve heard it..., I''ve heard ... rumors, " She said so and dropped her shoulders. She was so depressed that it looked bad. She must have been very concerned about that time. "I''m sorry, Nozomu-kun. Tima is a little weak on men. She held back a little because she heard your rumors." "... Ah! About that time? It''s okay. She has already apologizing now, and if she was listening to my rumors, it''s reasonable ..." Certainly, if they are listening to Nozomu''s rumors, it makes sense. At the time he was dating one of the leading female students in his grade, no one had a good impression of him when they heard rumors that he had an affair. When he heard Tima''s story, Nozomu''s chest hurts. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ As I thought ¡­¡­ It¡¯s painful ¡­¡­¡­¡­) He made friends and felt less hurt than before, but when he remembered it suddenly, the pain eroded Nozomu''s heart. (......... I''m still running away as expected .... Every time I remember Lisa .....) Nozomu has not overcome his broken heart with Lisa and he had been despised so far. As he met Somia and Irisdina, reconciled with Mars, and formed new relationships, naturally, he only had less chance to remember. "Ano. Nozomu-san. Who is this person?" Nozomu was silent, but Somia noticed Mars next to Nozomu and asked. "Aa, this is Mars. My classmate." With Nozomu''s introduction, the three of them looked at Mars, but Mars still staring at Irisdina and others in a Buddhist style. "¡­¡­¡­¡­What is it" "Hiu" Tima screams a little at Mars''s intimidation, but Mars may not like it, and his gaze becomes even tighter. Tima is even more frightened by Mars''s facial expression, but Mars''s facial expression becomes even harder, and Tima sees that facial expression caused a vicious cycle of further atrophy. "Calm down Mars. What''s wrong?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­It''s nothing ¡­¡­¡± Mars answered Nozomu''s question as if nothing had happened, but in fact, he didn''t like Tima''s frightened attitude. She is an A-ranked student above Mars''s B-ranked, which can only be given to those who are more powerful than Mars. She is a rare person in the school. However, her appearance of being frightened by him was unacceptable to Mars, who believes in her strength. But, Tima doesn''t know Mars''s belief. For her. Mars had a good physique and known for his badness, was more of a horror than a demon beast. "Oh, that''s right. It''s about Somia''s birthday party, but I wanted Nozomu-kun to come if possible ..." When an unpleasant air was about to flow between Mars and Tima, Irisdina shook the topic of Somia''s birthday party to Nozomu in order to change the atmosphere of the place, and Nozomu responded to it. "Um. Is that okay? If it''s a birthday party for the daughter of the Francilt family, famous people will come from all over the place. Can we go to such a place?" The Francilt family is a well-known family on the continent of Arcmeal. When it comes to the birthday party of the young lady in such a place, the prominent figure of every country will come. Nozomu found it a shame to join them, who were only one student. What''s more, there were rumors that he wasn''t good at Solminati Academy. But Irisdina said she didn''t care about it at all. "It doesn''t matter. I was planning to hold this birthday party only with my relatives. And Nozomu-kun is a friend of Somia right? No problem." Irisdina laughed and blew away Nozomu''s worries as if it had nothing to do with her. She had no lies or fabrication in her expression, and she really thought so and decided to do so. Nozomu decided to join in her smile. "... I understand. I will participate." "I see! I''m glad. Somia too, look forward to it." "Yes! Nozomu-san told me that he would prepare a present!" With her big smile, she spread her hands all the way, and her arm ornaments clinked. Irisdina and Somia smiled with satisfaction, confirmed the date and place of the birthday party, and broke up on that day. *** Nozomu''s POV On the way back, Mars and I were walking and looking back on the previous thing. "What about Mars? Will you participate?" "... I was invited. I''ll just participate." Mars was also invited by Irisdina-san. She also invited him because he is my friend. "Even so, you were poking at Tima-san for a long time." Mars''s attitude towards Tima-san was clearly strange. He tends to be emotional, but his attitude towards her was close to his previous one towards me. "......... That girl is the most frustrating. Even though she''s strong, why is she so scared to that extent ..." "... Only the person herself knows what she is so scared of. You don''t know about her right..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Only the person knows what is painful the person. What painful for her is different from Mars''s, but Mars''s expression remained stiff, and his face remained until he eventually arrived at Ushitotei. *** Iris''s POV "... Tima, are you okay?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­Yup¡­¡­" I comforted my best friend, but her expression was not good. Tima was born with high magical power and was therefore shunned by the people around her. She wasn''t treated very well, especially by boys of her age. Also, her appearance seemed to have been good since her childhood. Therefore, she continued to be exposed to various gazes from many. Envy, awe, jealousy, and hatred. For her, who still couldn''t handle her own magical powers, those gazes were the most psychological burden. As a result, she became strongly uncomfortable with the gazes, especially men, and her emotional instability directly led to her lack of magical control. Her magical power is more than anyone else, but she just can''t control it. "Well, about Nozomu, he doesn''t seem to mind, but he ... Mars. He''ll do something about that too." "That''s right! He is Nozomu-san''s friend, and I''m sure it''s going to be okay!" "... Un... I''m sorry Ai, Somia-chan ..." "Tima, I''d be happy if you could thank us instead." "That''s right! "thank you" in such a case!" I feel a little playful, Somia answers with a full smile. "... Un, thank you, both of you." Tima''s face smiled in response to me and Somia. In the end, her expression never really cleared up, and we had no choice but to arrive on our way home. Chapter 2.8 Hello, PolterGlast here.There''s still no fighting scene in this chapter, buuuutttt....Finally, Lisa will appear in this chapter. Also, as usual, I want to say thank you for your supportEspecially for nestorventura and HDanny7Here is your chappy *** Chapter 2 Part 8 Sometime after Nozomu and Mars parted ways with Irisdina, they arrived at Ushitotei. "What were you doing! Onii-chan !!" Mars was preached by Ena at Ushitotei. Ena, who noticed Mars returning with a moody face, questioned Mars and Nozomu, and it was because he got angry at Tima. "Why did On¨©chan get mad at someone right away !!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.Shut up! Why are you complaining! It has nothing to do with you !!¡± "What are you talking about! What would you do if this caused trouble for Hannah-san again!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­Let me see¡­¡­" The quarrel between the two is intensifying, and Nozomu was already out of the net. "You don''t have to worry about it. It''s a daily occurrence for those two." "Hanna-san" Hannah, the proprietress of Ushitotei, put a glass of milk and a light meal on the plate in front of Nozomu, and she said as if she didn''t mind the turmoil of the two. "For those two, this kind of fight is like a skinship. Tomorrow they will be back to normal, so it''s useless to worry about it." Looking around, some of the customers in the store weren''t trying to stop the two fights, they were just smiling. It seems to be the usual sight at this inn. "Why does On¨©chan always do useless things like that! Maybe On¨©chan likes Tima-san !? Is it like how a kid does mean things to seek attention !!" "Don''t judge other people like that! Don''t fabricate my emotions for your own convenience!" The massive tongue fight that broke out in a small inn was gaining momentum, and Nozomu couldn''t do anything about it anymore. The window glass of the inn shook at such a loud voice, and there were ripples in the milk of Nozomu''s cup. To be clear, it is so noisy that even if it is said that demons are fighting each other, it is convincing. (But the customers aren''t moving at all ¡­¡­¡­¡­ just how much) Even in such a state, the appearance of the surrounding customers does not change. Seeing that the military police do not rush even with such a noise, it seems that even the military police are aware of the quarrel between brother and sister. What makes it amazing is the local residents who can be normal in such a big turmoil, or the brother and sister who have made such a scene recognized as "normal" .... Bakii! !! !! !! Nozomu looked around and was stunned, a loud noise suddenly rang from the two fighting people. (Wha, What is it !!) When Nozomu hurriedly looked in the direction of the noise, Ena lifted the counter chair and slammed it on the floor. "Wha, what are you doing suddenly !!" "Whatever I say On¨©chan won''t understand! If it like this then, I''ll make you understand by exercising my true strength !! Be prepared!" Ena grabs the chair''s legs with her hands and holds it with a "seigan-no-kamae" (TL : posture in kendo). But, that posture was so strange. "Teyaa a a a a !" Ena swings the chair down toward Mars''s head. Mars avoids the chair that was swung down in a hurry, probably because he was about to hit the chair on his head, his face is looking strange. "Do, do you want to kill me !! If it was a little late, my head would be cracked !!" When Nozomu saw Mars who had barely avoided it, his body seemed to be enhanced. Looks like, he even used physical strengthening. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ Wait a minute. How does Mars, who has strengthened his body, only able to barely avoid it?) Nozomu feels strange, and when he looks at Ena, she seems to be enhanced her body. Looks like, she uses physical strengthening unknowingly. (......... How? I heard that Ena-chan hasn''t had any combat training such as physical strengthening though?) According to Hannah and her colleagues, Ena has never mastered combat techniques. Seeing her unconsciously strengthening her body despite that, she may be quite talented, just like Mars. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Rather, she is too unreserved. She shouldn''t hit her relatives with her enhanced physical strength. (Although unconsciously, Mars would really die if he wasn''t good at dodging it¡­¡­¡­¡­) "Wait a minute! Did you just telling me not to use violence while you use it yourself !!" (Well ... it''s a reasonable line for Mars who was about to be killed .........) Mars is completely losing his nerve. Ena is 14 years old and her height is by no means tall. However, her current spirit is completely in control of this place. At this rate, Mars could really be killed. I thought it was bad, so I called out to appease Emma. "W, well, Ena-chan. I think it''s really bad ..." "Don''t disturb Nozomu-san! This is the only way to rehabilitate On¨©chan! Maybe he will be shocked and have a decent personality!" "No no no! Before that, Mars''s head becomes different in another sense! Let''s calm down a little!" When Nozomu looks at Mars as he soothes Ena, Mars shakes his head up and down violently. As expected, Mars probably realizes that the current state of Ena is bad. "It''s no good! I''m sure I will regret not doing it right here !!" (No no no! I''m sure you''ll regret it if you do something like that!!) Ena is about to jump on Mars, and Nozomu tries to catch her and stop her from behind, but Nozomu is about to be shaken off by Ena''s strength as she strengthens her body. (Wait, it''s powerful !!) Nozomu naturally uses his physical strengthening, but probably because Ena''s physical strengthening is done unconsciously, there is no adjustment at all. Mars was completely lost in fighting spirit and was cornered in the corner of the room. Seen from the side, it is a view of a husband being violent to his wife and her daughter trying to stop it. Needless to say, the violent husband is Ena and the wife is Mars. The daughter who is trying to stop them is Nozomu. The customers watching the three started laughing out loud. It seems that the cast is wrong, but it may be good as a comedy. However, the people in question are very serious ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. At the end of the comedy, Mars was eventually hit by Ena''s chair. But, because Nozomu managed to resist, Mars did not die, he fainted and was dragged by Hannah to her room. Mars purge¡­¡­ No... rehabilitation? Ena has returned to the customer service completely unperturbed. (... Un, let''s not make Ena-chan angry .........) At the sacrifice of his best friend, Nozomu imprinted one unforgettable rule in his heart. ¡­¡­¡­ However, if the cause is reformed, Mars, paying his own mistakes then......... The mess was finally over and Nozomu took a breather and sat down on his chair. The turmoil of the past seemed to attract customers rather than keep them away, and the customer seats at the store were almost full, and only the table where Nozomu was sitting is vacant. (The people living here are too energetic...) When Nozomu was thinking about that, the door of the store opened and new customers came in. "Ah, please come in. Welcome to Ushitotei!" Emma welcomes new customers with a cheerful voice. It''s hard to believe all of her Qi''s power she used earlier. (... Ena-chan is tough .........) When Nozomu was half impressed, he saw a customer who came in, and Nozomu''s expression was petrified. "Hey Ken, is this the store?" "Yeah, it is. They serve pretty good meat dishes." It was his childhood friends Lisa and Ken who came in. "I''m sorry, the seats are full now, is it okay if it''s a shared seat?" "Is it okay? Lisa" "It''s okay" "Thank you very much. Then, please seat here." Ena said so and came with the two. Eventually, the two noticed Nozomu and screamed in surprise. "Huh? Nozomu?" "!!" The moment when the eyes of the three crossed. Lisa''s expression became steep in an instant. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yaa¡± Nozomu manages to squeeze out his voice, but his expression is awfully stiff. "A, ano Nozomu-san, do you know them?" "Y, yeah. We are childhood friends..." "Is..... that so? Is it okay to share the table ...?" "Yeah ... I''m okay ..." Ena hesitated in the gloomy atmosphere of the three childhood friends, but Nozomu agreed to share the table because there were no other seats. "A, ano ... are you, two customers, okay with it too?" "I''m okay ..." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­fine¡­¡­" Ken answered while watching the state of Lisa, and Lisa also agreed. *** Nozomu¡¯s POV The three sit facing one table. The atmosphere is not good. Meanwhile, Nozomu remembered their past. Before it became like this, the three of us often went out and talked about various things while going around various places. About things at the school, about the family in our hometown, and about our dreams. Lisa always wants to have an adventure. I should go with Lisa, and Ken can''t help it and said, "so should I come too?" At that time, we didn''t have any doubts about being able to stay together, even if it was difficult. However, we are no longer together. To be precise, I was the only one left out. I still don''t understand why Lisa pushed me away. Lisa is still showing me her stiff expression, her sun-like smile is no more, and only burning anger is left behind her eyes. I can''t say anything when I see that face. "So Nozomu is also in this store. Do you come often?" Ken talks to me. The voice wasn''t strangely stiff, and I was honestly grateful to him for understanding me because I don''t know how to deal with Lisa. I know that it has led to an escape, but I thought it would at least trigger some kind of conversation. "Well, I''ve been coming lately. My friend''s parents are running this store, and the clerk was my friend''s sister." "Hee. By the way, I heard that the meat dishes here are good, but what do you think?" I still remembered the rabbit steak that Hannah had treated me. The gravy that overflows with the browned meat. Certainly, that was good. "That''s right. You can expect it." "Is that so! I''m glad. My friend introduced me to a delicious restaurant, so I thought I''d eat with Lisa and expect it." "......... Is that so ... that''s good then..." Ken''s words "together with Lisa" hurts my heart. It''s been shown since Lisa and Ken started dating. She walked with Ken. She smiled next to Ken. And she fought back to back with Ken. I found that she had a lot of faith in Ken, and that made me even more miserable. ¡­¡­¡­.Then I ran away, for training, and to my former dream that I couldn''t fulfill anymore. Close my eyes, try to imagine that important person. ¡­¡­ That person who made me realize. She took her life and made me realize that "you are running away." She told me ... "It''s okay if you don''t forget that you''re running away." When I heard that, I felt that I was able to accept my weak self. I haven''t been able to move forward yet. However, I decided to face the fact that I was running away. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ So I''ll try to ask her again. ¡°Why ¡­¡­¡­¡± "Hey Lisa. Why did I get dumped by you?" "!!!!!!" Lisa opens her eyes wide and she immediately cast her eyes down. Her body trembles and her emotions are uncontrollable. "Nozomu, that is ........." Ken tries to stop me, but I ignore his voice. The fact that I''m running away also includes the reason why I was dumped. In order to face the fact that I was running away, I had to ask Lisa why. Otherwise, I might not be able to move forward when I decide to do so. "Hey, why am I..... " ... Don''t screw with me." "Eh" "Don''t screw with me !!!!!!" She yelled at me, hit the table, kicked the chair, and stood up. "Now! Why now! Don''t screw with me !!!" I can''t say anything to her voice. Her voice was full of hatred, full of anger, and ... above all, it was sorrowful like tearing her own heart. *** Midnight at Arcazam Central Park. A shadow is illuminated and projected by the moonlight in the darkness. "Just a little more" It was an old gentleman that was projected. He is dressed in black butler clothes and is playing with something with his hands wrapped in white gloves. "Even though the Lord says he''s not interested, he always tells me to take it home ..." While feeling a contradiction in the life of his own Lord, he turned his eyes to a corner of the city and started walking while muttering without changing his expression. "... I don''t like violent behavior, it depends on the other party. If things are done in a peaceful manner ... " A city where everything was swallowed by darkness and surrounded by silence. While no one was moving, only the gear of fate was slowly starting to move ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Chapter 2.9 Hello PolterGlast hereI''ve been quite busy these daysMaybe I can''t post any chapter for the next weekbut, I''ll post double the usual (4 chapters) for the next one (next, after next week)and, Thank you StonksCoffee for your coffee *** Nozomu¡¯s POV "Now! Why now! Don''t screw with me !!!" "Lisa!" I can''t say anything to that word. There is hatred on her face, and she is slamming me with a cursing gaze. She turns on her heel and leaves the store. Ken hurriedly chases after her, but my legs can''t move and I just sit still. "Lisa ¡­¡­¡­¡­" I knew it. What she thinks about me. I''ve been struck by her since I was dumped. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. It''s hard. It''s hard to understand. I have always liked her. I fell in love at first sight when I was little, I keep thinking for a long time. I thought I could finally reach her¡­¡­¡­¡­. The atmosphere inside the store, which seemed to be fun until earlier, has calmed down and is dominated by the awkward air. That''s how much her threatening attitude was. "A, ano. Nozomu-san ¡­¡­¡­¡­" Before I knew it, Ena was by the table. She had a slip in her hand and she probably came to take the order. "... I''m sorry, Ena-chan. I made a ruckus." "A, ano. That''s fine, but ......... Is it okay to not chase?" She stares between the door where Lisa rushed out and me alternately. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I shake my head. Unlike Ken, I couldn''t chase after Lisa. I couldn''t step into her threatening attitude too much. I already knew she would hit me with her hatred. She used that gaze towards me every time I accidentally met her. It was still good if it was just that. I was the only one who was hurt. But this time it was a little different. When Lisa''s cry echoed and she turned on her heels. I caught in her eyes and saw her spilling tears. When I saw the tears, I couldn''t move. I knew that not chasing her here was my "escape", but when I was pointed out that my existence was driving her to that point, my legs just couldn''t move. .. In the end, I drove her to the wall and couldn''t do anything. "......... I''m going home today. I''ll leave the money here." "A, Nozomu-san !?" I put the money on the table and went out of the store. It sounded like Ena was saying something behind me, but I didn''t notice her as tears flickering in my eyes. "Haa haa haa haa haa ..." I didn''t look back and just ran through the night in the city. The emotions are swirling in my heart. The emotions are so crazy that if I don''t hit something, it will easily overflow. In order to manipulate it, I had no choice but to keep running without thinking about the destination. I wondered how long I ran. I stopped running when I came to the field on the outer periphery of the city. Breathing roughly, legs quivering, shoulders up and down violently. "Haahaaha~aha~a¡­¡­¡­¡­ fu ~e¡­¡­..." The strength on my legs is no longer there, tears flow endlessly and my waist crumbles by the pain. There are no people around. Maybe because I was relieved that no one would ask me, tears overflowed. "Gusugusu¡­¡­¡­¡­ fu ~e¡­¡­ hick ¡­¡­¡± *** Lisa¡¯s POV I remembered the time when I was betrayed. A year ago, I was dating him, but at that time there was a rumor that he was having an affair. Of course, I didn''t believe that. When it came out, it was said that it was in fact groundless rumor. But a friend told me that he saw him walking with a woman he didn''t know. Although I thought that was not the case, I went out to the city at night to check it, and as my friend said, I saw him walking with his arms crossed with an unknown woman. Nozomu and a stranger woman were walking cheerfully and happily. Eventually, the faces of the two gradually approached each other, and when they overlapped, I couldn''t see them anymore and turned my back on them and started running. "Fu~ue¡­¡­ gusu¡­ ue ~e~e¡­¡­." "... Lisa" A figure appeared from behind me who was crying. Looking back, it was Ken. He was chasing me all the way. "... Ken" "Are you alright?" Ken snuggles up to me and speaks to me. The kindness made my chest warm, but the tears shed from my eyes didn''t seem to stop. "Gusugusu¡­¡­¡­¡­ I, I''m sorry Ken. I''m crying ... I''m sorry for the date ... But I ... I couldn''t stand it when I heard that ... " "Lisa, it''s okay. It''s alright." Ken hugged me, whose face was crumpled by tears. But I just kept crying and apologized to Ken. Only the spring bugs were staring at us as we snuggled up in an empty field. *** Nozomu was walking around the city at night. The footsteps were uncertain, and Nozomu was about to fall over and over again. Lisa''s facial expression kept spinning around Nozomu''s head. (In the end, I .........) Lisa seemed desperate to hold it in, but she was clearly crying. He should be chasing after her. However, Nozomu was not chasing her. It was pointed out that he continued to torment Lisa because he kept running away, and it was a heavy burden in his mind. "... it is suitable for those who keep running away ..." The voice of self-deprecation leaks. He was able to face his escape, but in the end, it hurt Lisa and continue to hurt himself. His head is messed up and Nozomu doesn''t know what to do anymore. However, there is no place for him beside her. That was what Nozomu was able to reconfirm. "No ~~ zo ~~ mu ~~ ku ~~ n" As Nozomu sank into the sea of ??thought, he was suddenly called out and hugged from behind. "Uwa! A, Anri-sensei ?! What are you doing suddenly!" "What ~~~. I''m getting a piggyback ride ~~~" "Gu, smell, sake ..." It was Anri, the teacher, who hugged him. Her breath smelled of sake, and her face flushed, indicating that she was drinking a significant amount of liquor. "Are you drinking? Sensei ..." "That''s~~right. Because I''m an adult~~. I can drink until night~~." With that said, when Anri puts a lot of effort into her arm around Nozomu''s body, her abundant breasts are pressed against Nozomu. "Adults don''t suddenly hug their students from behind ..." He carries a beautiful woman on his back and is pressed against her breasts, which is a "dying to get" situation for a man, but now Nozomu doesn''t even have the energy to enjoy it. "Boo ~~~. Why does Nozomu treat his teacher as a child ~~~~" She swells her cheeks and protests like a child, a big child. (This person really doesn''t change ¡­¡­¡­¡­) He thinks of his relationship with Lisa, which has changed completely, that kind of impression comes to his mind. But Anri''s current "never-changing" made Nozomu happy, and Nozomu''s face smiled slightly. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.Un! Did you feel a little better?¡± "¡­¡­e?" "Somehow~~, Nozomu-kun was walking while being downhearted, so I thought I''ll cheer you up ~~~!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­Did you understand?" "Un!" After all, she seems to have noticed that Nozomu''s appearance was strange. Well, it would have been strange to see him walking around like earlier. Only the person himself who does not know. "... Anri-sensei, I am ........." "Un." ¡±¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. No, it''s nothing ¡­¡­¡± He tries to talk about it, but Nozomu''s chest feels stuffy. "¡­¡­¡­¡­Is that so!" But she doesn''t seem to want to listen to anything. Nozomu felt a little doubtful about the situation. Previously, after the fight with Shino, She had asked so many questions that he was afraid ... ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Are you not going to ask anything?¡± "U~~n. I want to hear about it~~~ Nozomu, aren''t you suffering now?" "... Ee" "I think it''s easier to talk, but ... Nozomu-kun, don''t you think you can''t talk yet?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­Yes" As she said, it was unlikely that Nozomu would be able to tell what happened with Lisa earlier. In fact, it takes a tremendous amount of willpower for a person to expose his or her heart to others. Especially if what is in the heart is big. It also requires a great deal of willpower to face one''s past. This is especially true of unpleasant memories for the person, such as past sins and shame. Nozomu decided to "face the reality that he escaped" means to face what he had unconsciously avoided. In other words, it means facing mental distress that causes him to escape unconsciously. The current Nozomu was forced to bear an extremely heavy mental burden due to the overlap of these two events. "So you don''t have to overdo it now. The previous time, I didn''t know that Nozomu was still having a hard time, so I asked you a lot ...,that, is, why, if you want to talk, just talk! " "¡­¡­¡­¡­Okay" That''s why Nozomu is pleased with her because she is caring and behaving as usual. *** "Good evening, Nozomu-kun. I''m sorry, Anri seems to have caused you trouble "again"." "What do you mean by "again" ~~~~! That''s not tru~~~e" After a while, Norn-sensei came. Apparently, she was drinking with her best friend today. "Yes, She hasn''t bothered me. She just talked a little." Nozomu said with a smile. His expression is still a little awkward, but it''s much better than before. ¡°¡­¡­.. Fufu, that¡¯s right.¡± "Yes, that''s right." Norn smiles at Nozomu''s smile and they stare at each other. What makes it unattractive is that it happened when there was an adult-child on Nozomu''s back. No, is it a child-adult? "Bu ~~~~~~~~" The figure that swelled her cheeks looked like a child, but to be honest, she was pretty cute. Nozomu and Norn began to giggle at that appearance, but Anri began to rampage on Nozomu''s back, perhaps because it wasn''t interesting for her. But such a gesture was childish and only made Nozomu and Norn laugh. "Mo ~~~! Two people laughing at me ~~~~!" "I, I''m sorry ... pfft" "Kusukusu, I''m sorry Anri. You''re so cute ......... Fufu" "Mo mo mo !! Both of you are terrible ~~~~~~" While repeating such a story, three people return to the city at night. "By the way, Anri. Why don''t you get off Nozomu''s back and walk on your own?" "E~~~~~~" (Oh, right, I''m still carrying her) Talking to Anri made Nozomu feel a little better, so he once again recognized his current condition. (Um, this is bad. Anri-sensei''s chest is ...) Now he noticed Anri''s chest pressed against his back, and Nozomu''s face turned red in a blink of an eye. While Nozomu was frustrated by the feel of his back, the conversation between Anri and Norn continued. Norn, who persuades her, Anri, who refuses to get off, may have liked Nozomu''s back so much. Anri made a dissatisfied voice, but was persuaded by Norn and reluctantly got off from Nozomu''s back. The soft-touch on his back disappears, and Nozomu is a little disappointed ... "Oya, did Nozomu-kun still want to carry Anri?" "N, no. Th, That''s not true." It was completely detected by Norn-sensei. Nozomu answers Norns''s mean questions while hesitating. Norn, who tries to play with him while looking at Nozomu with a grinning face, is honestly quite a devil. "???" However, it seems that Anri is still doesn''t know what the two are doing. "Now then, I enjoyed playing with Nozomu-kun, but is it too late today to go home?" "That''s right ~. There will be school tomorrow, and I wonder if it''s about time to open ~~~. Then Nozomu-kun, at school tomorrow ~~~" "Then have a nice sleep. Be careful and go home." "Ha~~~. Have a nice sleep." Nozomu parted ways from the two and headed to the dormitory. His gait, which was heavy and staggered until earlier, is considerably lighter. *** The next day, Nozomu swung his sword in the dormitory yard early in the morning. This is not training, it is just a confirmation act that keeps him talking inside himself. It is necessary for Nozomu. Swinging his sword and burying him in his own world, organizing them while remembering about yesterday and the past. What he learned yesterday is that he is still hurting Lisa. In the end, the underlying reason was unknown, and Nozomu''s heart was rather painful. He thought that knowing the reason for being dumped was to "face the reality that he kept running away." But that action itself was hurting Lisa. He can''t take any further steps and keep running away. Even if he faces the reality that he is running away, nothing changed. "And there are still other problems" A chain wrapped around him that he can see when he concentrated on his consciousness. The power of a giant dragon lurking within himself. And the tragedy and unpredictable future it may cause. Honestly, it is a problem that exceeds the processing capacity that a person can solve. Not a problem that can be solved by Nozomu alone. However, he can''t even talk to people if he imagines what they could cause. In the first place, Nozomu only has very few friends. Also, since Nozomu himself has been rejected, the thought of "what to do if rejected again", prevented Nozomu from exposing himself. In the end, no matter how much he swung his sword, no answer was given, and only time passed ... Chapter 2.10 A few days after the incident with Lisa. Nozomu returned to a normal life, but at that time, there was no clear answer to what happened at Ushitotei. However, even if Nozomu himself stopped, time would go on regardless of him, and he would have to return to his daily life. In a sense, it may have been good. Both Nozomu and Lisa were able to distract the problems they had in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. In the school courtyard during lunch break. There, Nozomu and Mars were talking about Somia''s birthday party, which was just around the corner, while eating lunch that they bought. "But today is Somia-chan''s birthday. Irisdina-san said she would have a party after school." "Oh. That''s right ..." However, the behavior of Mars is strange. It''s strangely restless from the morning. He was warned by the teacher who gave lectures several times during the morning lesson. "? ... What''s wrong with you? It''s like something feels suspicious." "N, no. I''m okay. It, It''ll be back to normal after school ..." "Is that so? It''s good then. By the way, what about Ena-chan? It feels bad to say that we are the only ones to attend the party ..." "It''s okay, right. In, In the first place, she wasn''t invited. It would be bad for an uninvited person to suddenly go ... " "Certainly so ..." Certainly, Mars is right. It''s normal for Ena not to attend because she wasn''t invited to the party in the first place, but Nozomu was worried about Mars, who was strangely restless. The cause came to light after school when he went to Irisdina-san''s house to attend the party. *** The northern part of Arcazam. The political institution of this academic city exists here, and it manages the city politically. At the same time, the residence of the person who administers it was also built in this section, and the residence of the Francilt Family was also built in it. However, its size was not comparable to the other mansions in this area. There is a site that is more than two times larger than other mansions, and the site is surrounded by a fence that is more than three times the height of a person. The mansion itself is also large, and it will be large enough for the residents of a small village to sleep in. By the way, the owner of this mansion seems to be Irisdina, the next head of the Francilt Family. The mansion itself was built when she decided to enroll in Solminati Academy. It is unthinkable for ordinary people to prepare a mansion for their daughter''s move. After school, Nozomu and Mars, were in front of the main gate of the party venue, Irisdina''s mansion, but they were just overwhelmed by the size. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ It¡¯s wide.¡± "¡­¡­¡­¡­Aa" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. The venue is here.¡± "¡­¡­¡­¡­Aa" "It''s a really big mansion. Don''t do anything strange again, On¨©chan." Nozomu and Mars were stunned in front of a mansion that had nothing to do with ordinary people, but they came back to reality after hearing a familiar voice heard from the side. "... By the way, Mars. Didn''t you say that Ena wouldn''t participate?" "U!" Next to Nozomu and Mars is Ena, who shouldn''t attend the party. Nozomu asks Mars a question, but Mars awkwardly turns away from him. Ena began to explain her circumstances, whether she couldn''t see her brother. "Don''t get me wrong, Nozom-san. I didn''t come to attend the party." "E, then for what?" "I''m here is to apologize to those who have been involved with On¨©chan during this time. I feel uneasy if it''s just On¨©chan alone..." Apparently, Ena followed Mars to apologize to Tima-san, who was involved during this time. Mars in question is holding his head. This may be the reason why he looked strange at school. "Mars ... you ..." Nozomu raises a voice that seems to be amazed. It would be pitiful for him to let his sister accompany his apology. "No! What are you thinking about! This girl just came along!" "What are you talking about! If it''s just On¨©chan again, you would just say something strange again!" "Give it a rest! Are you my mother !!" "H, hey, both of you ..." Brother and sister joking around with each other as usual. Naturally, the people around paid attention to the two of them. Nozomu is embarrassed, to say the least. He calls out to them several times, but they are engrossed in tongue-war and didn''t notice. It''s natural to stand out if they yell in front of such a big mansion, but Nozomu knew that it was impossible to stop the quarrel between this brother and sister, so he ignored them and walked toward the gate. When Nozomu approached the gate, the gate opened, and a maid who seemed to be working in the mansion appeared from inside. "Excuse me. Please refrain from making noise in front of this mansion." "Oh, I''m sorry. Today is Somia-cha... I was invited to Somiliana-san''s birthday party." "Are you ...?" The maid clearly sees Nozomu and others with eyes full of suspicion. Nozomu and Mars are dressed in Solminati Academy uniforms, but the turmoil behind them makes them look suspicious to the maid''s eyes. By the way, the reason for wearing the uniform was that neither Nozomu nor Mars had a suit that could be worn to a daughter''s birthday party from a famous family, even though she was an acquaintance. "......... I''m sorry to trouble you, but I can''t let such suspicious people in the mansion." "Yaa Nozomu-kun, so you came." "O, oj¨­sama! !! " It was Irisdina, the organizer of the party, who appeared from behind the maid who was trying to send Nozomu and friends home. Behind her is her best friend Tima. "They are my friends. It''s okay to let them through. I''ll guide them, so you can go back to work." "Y, Yes" "Th, thank you Irisdina-san" The maid left in a hurry, and Nozomu was relieved because he thought he would be driven back. "Fufu, I can''t just send away the guests I invited in front of the gate .... By the way, how long have they been doing that?" Irisdina answered Nozomu with an elegant and charming smile on her face. However, the brother and sister behind him were still worrisome. The two are still quarreling without noticing this. Not to mention, they seem to be completely unaware that there is a crowd around them. "Those two ......... Oi !! I''m going inside! How long you''ll be doing it !!" ""¡­¡­¡­¡­e?"" Nozomu yelled out and called the two, and it looks like they heard him this time. When they looked at him with a stupid voice, they came in a hurry as if they had finally noticed their foolery. "Nozomu! Let me know earlier!" "That''s right, Nozomu-san! Isn''t it embarrassing!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­. E~¡± Nozomu had no choice but to be troubled by the two who said something too unreasonable. Irisdina and the others looked at these three people with interest. "Fufufu. It looks fun. But if it''s okay, Nozomu-kun, can you please introduce her?" Irisdina''s line of sight is directed at Ena who was beside Nozomu and Mars. "Oh, now that you mention it, it was your first time to meet Ena-chan." "Well yes. You may have heard of me, I''m Irisdina Francilt. Nice to meet you." "Y, Yes! I, I''m Ena Dickens." Encouraged by the atmosphere of Irisdina, Ena introduced herself in a tense manner. Then Tima, who was behind Irisdina, introduces herself. "Fufu, Tima Lime. Please treat me well, Ena-chan." "A, are you Tima-san? I''m sorry for the inconvenience caused by my foolish brother." Ena bowed deeply and apologized when she found out about the person involved with Mars. Tima was a little taken aback at the situation. "It, It''s okay. You don''t have to worry about it ..." "No, that''s not the case ... or rather, On¨©chan should apologize too! Originally the bad one is On¨©chan !!" "That''s why! Are you my mother! Isn''t it difficult for me to speak because of you!" "What! On¨©chan can''t apologize by yourself anyway! That''s why shouldn''t we apologize first!" "That''s why it''s superfluous !! Rather, it''s counterproductive !!" "Wa, wait a minute you two! Fighting at the birthday party in someone else house is bad!!" "Pu, Ahahahahaha" Nozomu managed to stop the two who were about to start fighting again, but he was surprised by the laughter of Irisdina who was watching them. She was dignified and unwavering, as Nozomu had seen so far, and her atmosphere felt like a human being somewhere different from themselves. However, she who laughs in front of him does not have such transcendence, and she was just a girl of the same age as them. Mars and Ena, who saw such Iris Dina, forgot about the quarrel they were doing and looked at the black-haired girl with their mouth wide open, and Tima who was behind her also surprised. "Fufu, sorry. They''re sure very close to each other .......... Oh. Was it Ena-chan? Would you like to join my little sister''s party?" "E. B, but ......... I''ve never been to a party like this, and ..." Ena is quite hesitant. She seems to be uncertain about attending the party because she originally came intended to accompany her brother. But Irisdina doesn''t seem to care about that, she says it doesn''t matter. "You don''t have to be so stiff. This time it''s a party only for relatives, so take it easy. And I think my sister would be happy if there are a lot of people." "Well ... I think it''s okay to join because the organizer herself says so." ¡°¡­¡­¡­ I understand. Please let me participate if you are not bothered by me." Nozomu agreed with Iris''s opinion, and Ena thought it was bad to keep refusing her, so she decided to participate. *** When we arrived at the party venue, there were various people, but most of them seemed to be working in this mansion. The party itself seemed to be a stand-up style, and various dishes were lined up on the table at the venue, and it was clear at a glance that all of them were elaborate by the chef. The guest of honor, Somia, is in the center and is surrounded by children of the same age in Ecross uniforms. They are probably her school classmates. When Irisdina goes to Somia, Somia notices her sister and jumps into her chest, and Irisdina gently catches Somia who jumps in. An older sister holds her younger sister with a smile like a goddess and a younger sister hugs her older sister with a big smile. The scene is very gentle, the people around them naturally smiled, and the party venue is wrapped in a warm atmosphere. "Thank you for celebrating my dear sister''s birthday today. I want you to forget your usual duties and have a lot of fun today." The party started with the speech of Irisdina, and everyone started to enjoy themselves. Nozomu is watching the venue while enjoying a meal with Mars and others. There is a crowd around Irisdina, Somia, and Tima, and everyone is talking happily. Somia is talking to her classmates, but when she noticed Nozomu and the others, she waved her hand and came here. "Good evening! Nozomu-san" "Good evening. Somia-chan. Happy birthday." "Yo" "Thank you. Thank you for coming today!" Somia answers cheerfully. She is so happy. She is more energetic than ever. "Nozomu-san. Who is this person?" Somia turned her gaze to Ena, who was next to Mars. "Nice to meet you. My name is Ena, Mars Dickens''s little sister. Today, I was invited by Irisdina-san to participate. Please treat me well, Somiliana-san." "A, just Somia is fine. I''d be happy if you call me that way, don''t mind it so please call me that way!" "I understand. Regards, Somia-chan." "Okay!" Then they start talking with a smile. As far as self-introduction and the current situation are seen, it seems that they are quite a hit with each other. The two are talking about their sibling now. The story seems to be lively, probably because they both have older families. Ena talks about how hard her brother has been, and Somia completely follows the story about Mars, who is often talked about. Mars protests her sister who belittles him and retorts back to her. Tima joins Somia, who hears the noise and tries to stop the big tongue battle that is about to start three times. Nozomu was watching the situation from a distance, and Irisdina came there. "Yaa, Nozomu-kun. Are you having fun?" "Yes, there aren''t many opportunities like this. Is it okay not to stop them?" "It doesn''t matter. Mars and Ena seem to be doing the usual thing, and Somia seems to have fun with that. Tima seems to be a little troubled, but sometimes like this is okay." She is looking at the turmoil happily with giggles. Her appearance is age-appropriate, unlike the dignified girl at the school, she has a very attractive smile. "~Tsu!" "? Is something wrong ?" "N, no. It''''s nothing!" "? Is that so ?" Nozomu became embarrassed to see her smile and just turned his eyes away. Irisdina draw closer to the strange Nozomu, which made Nozomu''s heart throbbing. "By the way, I haven''t thanked you yet." "Thanking me?" Nozomu inclined his head at Irisdina''s words. He didn''t understand why he was thanked. "Our mother gave birth to Somia, and she died at that time. That''s why I was trying to be Somia''s mother ... I wonder if she misses her real mother, Somia was somehow sad when her birthday was approaching." Nozomu listens to her story seriously. Nozomu did not know that her mother had died. "But this time it''s not the case. I think it''s because she met you guys. Somia talked a lot about you in the mansion. She met a strange On¨©chan." "Is.... that so" Looking at Somia, She is trying to stop the quarrel between Mars and Ena in a hurry. It seems to be difficult, but there was no unpleasant atmosphere there, and it made her smile somehow. "Please don''t be distracted! Ane-sama! Nozomu-san! Don''t feel intimate in such a place, please do something about this---." Nozomu and Irisdina laughed at Somia''s voice when they looked at each other. "Well, let''s go now because the princess is calling." "Yes, I will stop Mars for the time being." The two nodded to each other and ran into the turmoil. *** The main gate of Francilt Mansion. An old man in butler''s clothes stood there, and when he rang the doorbell, a maid who warned Nozomu and others appeared. "Yes, who is it?" "I''m sorry to bother you late at night. Can you pass on my message because I have something to do with the owner of this mansion?" "I''m sorry. Today, a party is being held to celebrate the birthday of the Lady''s sister, so no one can act as an intermediary. If you have a request, I will deliver it to the Lady later, so can you forgive me?" The owner of the mansion is Irisdina. When the maid sees the old man, he is well dressed and polite in his language, but something is wrong. She asks about the important matter, but the old man says he must speak in front of the Lady and never gives up. The old gentleman repeatedly asks the maid to meet the owner of the mansion, but she gently refuses because the maid is concerned about the life of her master. "Hmm, it can''t be helped ¡­¡­¡­¡­" Eventually, the old man sighed, straightened the collar of his butler''s clothes, and snapped the fingers of his right hand. Suddenly, the maid''s body is weakened, and she collapsed on the spot. "I''m sorry. This is also the Lord''s order." The old man hugs the collapsed maid and gently laids her back at the gate, and swiftly runs the fingers of his right hand into the air. At that moment, a huge magic square appeared at the feet of the old man, an enormous magical power covered the mansion. *** The fun time had passed and the party itself has closed, so the people who were attending the party were either going home or cleaning up the venue. However, Nozomu and his friends were still at the venue, waiting for Somia and the others. For them, the birthday party wasn''t over yet. "I''m sorry to have kept you waiting, everyone!" Somia rushes to Nozomu and his friends. Behind her are Irisdina and Tima. The reason Nozomu and his friends were still there was to give a present to Somia. Others were giving presents during the party, but Nozomu and his friends didn''t have the opportunity. By the way, the cause was the big quarrel between Mars and Ena. Nozomu was acting as a "stopper" throughout the party as the two made a turmoil, so he missed the opportunity to give the present. Somia looks at Nozomu with excitement. The eyes of her urge Nozomu as if to say "quickly". He laughed at the situation and tried to give the present. However, the next moment, the door of the party venue opened with a clicking sound, and an old man came out from the entrance. The old man is dressed in black butler clothes, has silver hair tied behind him, has red eyes, and wears monocles. Irisdina sees the person and frowns at him. Neither Irisdina nor Nozomu and the others has seen such a person at this party. Looks like an outsider. "Who are you? It seems that you weren''t the one I invited to today''s party." "I''m really sorry to have disturbed you in an unscrupulous manner. Actually, there is a message from my lord to the owner of this mansion ... I''m late to say, I''m Rugato, a butler who serves the Waziart family of the Dizart Empire. Do you see the owners of this mansion, Irisdina-sama and Somiliana-sama? " Irisdina asked the old man with a strained voice. He bows his head deeply and keeping the smile on his mouth without changing. It is an ideal expression of gratitude as a servant. "The Empire of Dizart ... Sure, in the northwestern part of the continent ..." Nozomu speaks the name of the country as he mutters. "... Certainly, I''m the owner of this mansion, Irisdina Francilt, and this child is my little sister Somiliana ... What on earth did Rugato-dono come for?" "My purpose is to retrieve the treasure "Furnace of Spiritual Flame" that we lent to the Francilt family before." "Furnace of Spiritual Flame?" Irisdina tilts her head to words she has never heard. Apparently, she knows nothing about the treasure. "Yes. That is a treasure that can take in the souls of others and own their power, and it belongs to the Waziart Family that I originally served .... Looks like, it is now fused with the soul of Somiliana-sama. I''ll get it back now. " "Na~ !!" Everyone who was there doubted their ears. According to Rugato''s story, it seems that the "Furnace of Spiritual Flame" is fused with Somia''s soul. And he says he''ll get it back. "Then I will fulfill the contract." "Wa, wait !!" Irisdina, who had no idea what was going on, called out to Rugato to stop him, but at that moment, a tremendous amount of magical power covered the entire mansion. Chapter 2.11 A tremendous magical power covered Francilt''s Mansion. Magical power filled the surroundings, enveloping the bodies of Nozomu and the others, and intense drowsiness assailed them. "Tsu! Kuh!" Nozomu''s drowsiness suddenly disappeared when he raised his magical power by strengthening his whole body with Qi. Looking around, the color of the scenery outside the window had changed. "Wh, What''s going on?" Somia asks her sister in an uneasy voice. "Maybe it''s barrier magic ... The effect is." Barrier magic is one of the battle-formation techniques, it has a long effect time, and depending on how it is used, it can maintain an advantageous state for a long time, but basically, it takes time to form a formation, so it is a magic that requires a very strategic operation. Also, the wider the coverage area, the less the duration and effect. Looking at the others, Mars, Irisdina, and Tima seem to be okay, but Ena is breathing painfully. "I''m very sorry that I made a rough behavior suddenly. However, this is also a contract. In order to return the treasure, I will pull out Somia-sama''s soul." Nozomu and the others doubted the words of the old man named Rugato. "... Pu, pulling out my soul ... what do you mean?" Somia asks Rugato with a quivering voice. The facial expression of Irisdina next to her is also rigid. From their point of view, the old man in front of them was nothing but a suspicious person. "That''s right. The contract was made 300 years ago. With the help of the Waziart family to solve the problems that the Francilt family had at that time. At that time, one of the magic tools given as help was the Furnace of Spiritual Flames. And ... this is the contract that was signed at that time. " The old man then took a piece of old parchment from his chest and spread it out so that it could be seen by Nozomu and the others. The paper did state that the Waziart Family would help the Francilt Family by presenting the magical tools possessed by the Waziart Family in return for a huge amount of goods and a Furnace of Spiritual Flames. Also, in order to protect this contract, make two arm decorations to mark the contract protection, and when either house breaks the contract, the servant will forcibly fulfill the contract. It was written that way and the place of the sign also had the family crest which only the head of the Francilt Family allowed to use. "Such thing¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" "Ane-sama¡­¡­¡­¡­" Irisdina and Somia were shocked to find out that the contents of the contract were genuine. "Then, I will complete the contract." "Wa, wait!" Rugato said so and took out a black ball from his bosom. When he raises the ball reminiscent of a deep abyss in front of him, he begins to put in his magical power. The black ball beating and pulsing with the magical power poured into it. When a wavy ripple appears on the surface of the sphere that begins to emit black light, Somia''s arm decoration also emits the same black light and begins to vibrate in small beats as if it resonates with the contract. The next moment, a black light swelled from the arm decoration, and a hooded shadow emerged from the darkness. The appearance of the shadow was, in a word, a grim reaper. Shabby hood and skeletonized body underneath. The part of the eyes glows red, and in his hand, he holds a scythe about the height of his body, which is a symbol of Grim Reaper. "It is the familiar who controls this contract. It is the watcher of the contract and the guide of the soul. This familiar will guide Somia-sama''s soul." "E, kyaaaa!" Rugato puts the contract and the black ball on his chest, and when he declares that, a chain suddenly comes out from under the hood of the Grim Reaper and ties up Somia. The Grim Reaper raises the scythe worthy of its name and tries to swing it down to her. "I won''t let you!" Irisdina unfolds her magic in an instant. A black chain appeared in the air and captured the familiar. Restraint Magic "Yami no Baku Kusari" (Binding Chain of Darkness) It was intermediate magic of darkness attribute, and the most notable thing was the speed of activation. She didn''t need to chant to use magic, and she was activating magic without drawing a formation. "Hoo, that deployment speed. Is it the ability of immediate deployment?" Ability "Immediate Deployment" Originally, when using magic, it is necessary to build its own magical power using formation and chanting to deploy it in the physical world, but those with this ability can activate magic without going through that process. However, it seems that alone was not enough to capture the Grim Reaper. The chain that bound the familiar squeaks and cracks innumerably. "Ku!" Irisdina pulls out the rapier on her waist and begins to attack the familiar, but the grim reaper quickly destroys the chain that restrained it. It deflects her with the scythe in its hand and tries to reach Somia again ... "Guu! Tima !!" "Un!" However, the grim reaper could not move. Four-colored magic formations were deployed around the grim reaper, and then a larger magic formation was sewn on the top of the grim reaper. In the short time Iris earned, Tima ended her chanting and cast more powerful restraint magic. The magic that she activated is "Yon Mawari no F¨± Bakujin" (Four Circumference of Sealing Formation). Each of the four attribute magic formations was intertwined with each other to form a complicated magic formation, and the familiar was completely trapped in that formation. "Hoo, it''s a wonderful magic, each attribute circulates without repulsion, forming an even stronger restraint. I have lived a long time, but I have never seen a human who can use magic like that. The magic of Irisdina-dono is also wonderful. Immediate deployment can easily reduce the effect of magic, but my familiar can be restrained, albeit temporarily. " Perhaps deeply impressed, Rugato''s voice contained pure praise for the two girls. "But no matter how many times you stop the familiar, it won''t be a solution." A strong magical power springs up from Rugato. Irisdina and Tima were judged to be obstacles to contract enforcement, and they will be eliminated. Rugato stretches out his left hand and draws a formation in the air with his index finger. Then, a magic bullet was released from the drawn magic formation and hit Tima''s shoulder directly. *** Tima''s POV "Kyaa!" A shock ran on my shoulder and I almost fell down, but I managed to hold on. The clothes where the magic bullet hit are torn and blood came out. But I don''t care about such injuries, I just concentrate on maintaining the magic. If I can''t keep the magic, Somia-chan''s life will be hunted! My dear best friend''s little sister and an important friend for me Since I was a child, I was gloomy, introverted, and unable to stand in front. The first family of friends for me who never had friends. I still remember. Since the first year, my magical power has been attracting attention, and I was feeling out of place in the class. I''m not good at talking to people, and the distance between me and my classmates has increased ... At that time, Ai talked to me and became a friend. I met Somia-chan and became friends. Both of them were shining, unlike me, who was gloomy. Their eyes shine brightly in the night sky, like the first star that guides travelers. Somia-chan is like the sun illuminating the dark night. Thanks to them, I am no longer alone. "Are you still trying hard? It seems you have a lot of mental strength." While saying so, that old man ... Rugato-san''s left hand draw five magic formations in the air. Looks like, one finger is drawing one magic formation ... "I won''t let you!" Ai says so and starts to approach the old man, but he draws four magic formations with his right hand, two of which are the same magic formations and the other two are different magic formations. No way, how can he change the magic formation drawn with each finger ... A bright red blood-colored sword emerges from the two magic squares and is released. The blood sword moves freely in the air, attacks Ai, and stops. Looking at the complex movement of the fingers drawing the remaining two magic squares, it seems that those fingers are controlling the blood sword. When I thought so, five magic bullets were fired from the five magic formations on his left hand and hit my body directly. "~Tsu! Aa! Ku~u!" The pain made my vision turn white, but I still had magical control. The lips that were bitten were torn and an iron taste spread throughout my mouth, but I bit my lip even more strongly. Enduring the pain of having my body hit by magic with pain injuring myself. Ai and Somia, the stars and the sun that guided me. I wouldn''t want to lose it, I would continue to maintain the magic, but when I felt the powerful magical power and looked at it, five more powerful magical bullets were made and aimed at me. Ai shoots magic and slashes, but it is blocked by the magic released from the 3 fingers of the old man''s right hand and the blood sword controlled by the other 2 fingers. Five magic bullets on the left hand were released, but I couldn''t move from this place because I was full of hands to maintain the restraint magic. If I lose my concentration even a little, this familiar will be released! I made up my mind and glared at the approaching magic bullet. An inevitable attack that cannot be avoided. However, the magic never pierced my body. Just before it hit my body, a shadow was cutting in and hitting the magic bullet. *** Mars¡¯s POV When I noticed, I interrupted the magic line of fire that was about to hit her and hit the magic bullet with my fist-enveloped-wind. "... Mars ... -kun?" I wonder if it was strange for me to help, she muttered my name with a stunned voice. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ At first, I didn''t like her. Even though she is A rank, She has no motivation to say back to me who had taken an unpleasant attitude by looking at her complexion. But she clearly showed her feelings on her face now. "Don''t give up." "... Why are you shocked? You should concentrate on the magic. I''ll do something about that old man''s magic." I told her... Tima. To keep her eyes on that old man, and put her own will into it ... Then, sending Qi to the fists of my both hands, and prepare it. Qi technique "Wind Mass Palm" Qi technique to put the compressed wind on the fist and increase the striking power. The sent-in Qi gathers the wind further, creating a mass of wind that is clearly visible to the eye. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.Un! Please!¡± The mouth loosens involuntarily with a clear voice. "Nozomu, evacuate Ena and bring our swords." "Eh!" When we entered the mansion, we left the swords we had with the maids. As expected, the maids did not allow people armed with a sword at the birthday party. Ena has fallen asleep due to the magic of the barrier developed by the oldman. If she were here, she could get involved in the fight. "But I don''t know where it is stored!" "The storage place is the small room on the right side of the entrance of the mansion! If you have this, you can enter it!" Irisdina-san throws a key to Nozomu. It looks like the master key of this mansion. Neither I nor Nozomu has their weapons. It''s impossible for only Tima-san and Irisdina-san to be this old man opponent, and we all need to participate in the battle to overcome the current situation. "I understand! Everyone, I leave it to you!" Watching Nozomu leave the room with Ena on his back, I exhale. Witnessing the strength of the old man, my unconsciously tense body loosens moderately, and blood runs around my whole body. The old man in front of me easily handles two people of A rank. The Qi that exudes from his body is almost the same as Jihad Roundel, the strongest swordsman in the school. His ability is probably S rank. "S rank" It is a title for a strong person with only a dozen people on this continent. And the Dizart Empire he was talking about. That country has little diplomatic relations with other countries, but it has tremendous military power. Even at the time of the great invasion 10 years ago, the demons who had invaded their country have been driven out by only one country. In front of the strong man in such an unscrupulous country, my feelings were irresistible. My feelings were excited in front of the strong man from such a nonsense country. "¡­¡­¡­¡­ So, what are you going to do?" "That familiar is summoned by Rugato-shi''s black ball. That means ..." "There is no choice but to do something about that black ball. Is it necessary to go to the old man for that? " That old man is a ridiculous guy who can manipulate ten magics at the same time. The magic we have now and long-range attacks with my Qi technique won''t reach him. There is only close combat to find a way out. "But it''s not easy to get close." "Aa, the effort is on a different level." For now, the magic that he has been using was "Magic Bullet", which is a beginner''s magic that only collects and launches magical power. Looking at the fact that the blood sword used two fingers for one, it may be possible for him to use multiple fingers for higher-level magic, even so, isn''t the speed too amazing. "Even so, I will win !! Mars-kun, I leave Tima in your care!" "I know" Irisdina declares. Naturally. I don''t feel like losing. No matter who you are! Nods to each other and faces the old man. The opponent is one of the top dozen people on this continent. If he fights seriously, he can get rid of us easily. The old man spreads his hands. It''s like an orchestra conductor. We''re certainly weaker than you, even so ......... we will win!!! With definite intentions, we faced the strong man in front of us. ============================================ Nozomu''s POV Nozomu recovered his katana and Mars''s sword from the storage and ran down the hallway to return to the battlefield. Along the way, Nozomu was thinking about Rugato. (Rugato-san is probably a person with the same rank as Shish¨­ ...) I remember Shish¨­. Although the orientations of magic and sword are different, Rugato-san had the unique atmosphere of the strong man that Shish¨­ had. And at the same time I was convinced. (Maybe ......... Irisdina-san and the others can''t win ...) I understand because I was closer to Shish¨­ than anyone else and fought with Shish¨­ for my life. When comparing Rugato-san''s ability with Irisdina-san''s and the others. I quickly realized that they couldn''t win head-on. Moreover, now they have to suppress the familiar that accompanying Rugato. (If I don''t hurry! ... But can we win? Without me using "that" ...) The first thing I came up with to win was the release of Ability Suppression. But the fear of the great power ingrained in my heart made me hesitate to do so, and I couldn''t move forward. Frightened by the power released, seen with a fearful gaze, referred to as a "monster!", and rejected. When I thought about it, my body trembled. I wonder if I will return to that dark, alone place. Will I get involved in the fight against those who will aim for this power? "Tsu! Damn it!" I hate my weakness that keeps running away. I could only speed up to disguise it. *** "Guu! ~Tsuaaaa!!" Mars keeps repelling the approaching magic bullet storm with his fist. Rugato mercilessly shoots Tima with magic bullets, but Mars, who cuts in between, acts as her shield and prevents Rugato''s magic. However, it is not easy to repel magic bullets with bare hands, no matter how hard he strengthens them. Moreover, even though it is a beginner''s magic, it is the magic of an S-rank powerful person. The skin of Mars''s hand was already shattered, his fist was bloody, and some white bones were visible. Even so, he wields his fist. Blood splattered on the floor each time, and a field of blood was formed on the white floor. "Wa aa aa!" Irisdina was similarly inferior. It wasn''t as noticeable as Mars, but she couldn''t get close at all. Rugato responds instantly to her immediate magic deployment and quickly builds a formation with his multiple fingers. He activates and offsets her magic as fast as she does. At the same time, he also manipulated his blood sword, blocking her approach. "Haa haa haa!" "Ku ... Mars-kun. Are you ... okay?" "Haa haa ... Shut up, concentrate on maintaining the magic rather than me ..." Tima talks worriedly, but her complexion makes her look like she''s about to collapse. (I can''t do it, it takes a lot of magic and concentration to maintain this kind of high-class magic) Tima''s magic is extremely advanced magic that uses 4 attributes at the same time. She needs enormous mental power to activate and maintain the magic. Furthermore, her body is receiving several Rugato''s magic bullets. She is by no means strong. Her wounds are jerky and painful, gradually but surely eroding her concentration. The three are gradually pushed, and finally, the limit is reached. The next magic bullets are fired where Mars''s posture collapses as he cannot handle the approaching magic bullets. "Gaaaaaaa !!!" With a scream, Mars is blown away and slammed against the wall. "It''s over" "!!" Because Mars was defeated, there is nothing to block Rugato''s magic, and multiple magic bullets are shot at Tima. "Kyaaaaaaaaaaa !!" There is no way for her to avoid it, and the magic bullet hits her directly. She fell down on the floor as if collapsed. At the same time, the "Circumference of Sealing Formation" that restrained the familiar is released, and the grim reaper is released. "Tima! Mars-kun!" "Guu!" "Tsu~tsu~tsu!" Irisdina shouted, but the two couldn''t answer and just moaned. "Ku!" She tries to rush to Somia to stop the grim reaper, but her foot is stopped by a magic bullet passing in front of her at high speed. Rugato fires a magic bullet with his free left hand and controls the blood sword with his right hand. Irisdina is completely stuck in a dense attack that is incomparable to the previous one. The Grim Reaper stops in front of Somia and swings the scythe up. No one could stop the grim reaper anymore and Somia''s death is confirmed. "Somia !!!" "A, aa..." An older sister who desperately calls her sister''s name and a younger sister who is swallowed by the fear of death. Her fate has already been confirmed ¡­¡­¡­¡­ it should have been. The moment when the grim reaper tried to swing the scythe down. Both arms with the scythe were flying in the air. "¡­¡­Eh." The thoughts of everyone who was there stopped, and the time stagnated for a moment. A shadow was running through that time. The shadow swiftly plunged into the grim reaper, flashed his sword, and released a death blow. Qi technique "Phantom -Return-" The extremely sharpened slash cuts the body of the grim reaper and shatters his core armor. The grim reaper whose core was broken disappeared like a fog, and crushed pieces of arm decorations were flying around. "Nozomu ... san?" Somia muttered to confirm. Nozomu faces Rugato without answering Somia''s question. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ Shish¨­. I ¡­¡­ what should I do ¡­¡­¡­¡­) Still without an answer ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Chapter 2.12 Somia''s POV I, Somiliana, can only be frustrated, important people are hurt in front of my sight. Tima-san and Mars-san are full of wounds trying to help me who couldn''t do anything. Ane-sama is still fighting, but her beautiful body has a number of scars running on it. An incarnation of death that descends in front of me, ignoring my older sister and trying to reap my soul. My body trembled and my voice became hoarse due to the impending death. "Fear" Fear clings to me with the Grim Reaper¡¯s chains that binds me, and the coldness as ice and snow deprives my body of freedom. The scythe was swung to tear my body apart. "Tsu!" I close my eyes tightly as to escape from the pain that causes me to die. I could only close my eyes and escape from reality. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ But no matter how long it takes, the pain does not come. When I wondered and opened my eyes, there is a man''s back, not a grim reaper. The back is not big at all. But above anything else, for me, it looks big and reliable. *** Nozomu was laid Ena down in a vacant room, brought out the weapons, and returned to where Somia and the others were. He saw Rugato''s familiar, who was about to swing his scythe down. Nozomu immediately sends his Qi to the katana, cuts off both arms of the familiar with "Phantom", and cuts the familiar with the returning slash. "Nozomu ... san?" Somia called out to Nozomu to make sure, but he couldn''t afford to answer that question. He is not allowed to be negligent towards the opponent in front of him now Rugato looked at Nozomu, who had cut off the contract familiar, with a surprised expression. "... How come, the contract familiar can be defeated with one slash..." Both Irisdina and Tima have their eyes wide open. Only one person, Mars, was looking at him with a stunned expression. Nozomu lowers Mars''s greatsword on his back and kicks it towards Mars. The greatsword slides on the floor and reaches Mars''s side. "Good grief ......... You''re late ..." Mars picks up the greatsword while complaining. However, his hands were bloody and his legs quivered, making it impossible to continue the battle. "¡­¡­Sorry" "¡­¡­¡­¡­Hmm" "But I defeated the contract familiar. Now the contract is ..." When Nozomu muttered, the fragments of the arm decoration, which was the core of the familiar he crushed, floated and began to gather in the air. "Na!" The fragments gathered in the air were dyed jet black and became a mass of black light and began to pulsate. From that state, Nozomu and the others could see that the grim reaper was about to revive. "Wh, Why ........." "The familiar will be revived as many times as I have the contract." "... Are you going to take Somia-chan no matter what?" "Yes, that is the decree of my Lord." Rugato answers immediately without hesitation. He has no doubts about what he is trying to do. Nozomu''s voice naturally becomes rough due to that attitude. "Why! The people in question didn''t know anything about the contract 300 years ago! Do you think that such a contract will be accepted !? The content of the contract is only to return the Furnace of Spiritual Flame! There is no mention of bringing Somia-chan''s soul! " Nozomu does not understand the obligations of the noble family or the circumstances of the Francilt Family 300 years ago. But Nozomu finds it unacceptable to sacrifice Somia unilaterally, who doesn''t know anything and leave everything to the child. "To be honest, I wasn''t informed until I confirmed it right now that the Furnace of Spiritual Flame was fused with Somia-sama''s soul. My lord also doesn''t attach much importance to this contract. Rather, I should say He''s not interested ... " "If it''s the case!" "But the contract has already been signed. Once it has been signed, it is absolute." Rugato made a clear statement without waiting for Nozomu''s words. "It''s true that the Furnace of Spiritual Flame has merged with Somia-sama''s soul and probably can''t be peeled off anymore. But that doesn''t mean we didn''t have a contract. Once a contract is broken, it can be blamed on the credibility, dignity, and in some cases, hostility of both parties. Even if He''s not interested, my Lord wouldn''t be silent if the contract was unilaterally violated. The Francilt Family also wants to avoid making this secret agreement public ... " "I don''t care about that! Let go of Somia!" Rugato puts a threat in polite words, but Irisdina dismisses it. For her, her little sister in front of her is the most irreplaceable treasure, more than the people in the household who were drowning in money and power. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Rugato''s atmosphere who was watching the situation changed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.. In our country, strength is the most important thing.¡± It was for that reason that the Dizart Empire was founded, the stronger it is, the more revered and respected it is. Even if you suffer damage, it is forgiven if the other party is strong. It''s their national custom. "If you can''t accept this contract then..." Magical power overflows from Rugato''s body. That attitude was clearly stated, "this is the final warning". He will definitely come to kill if Nozomu and the others resist any further. "Prove yourself stronger than me!" "Just break this contract with your strength", Rugato declared. In front of Rugato who became serious, Nozomu also holds his katana. Irisdina also came to Nozomu and talked to him. "... Nozomu-kun. How many more times can you use the previous technique?" "... There aren''t many. The limit is a few more shots." Nozomu''s Qi is low under the Ability Suppression. No matter how much he wants to use it, he can''t really use the technique that works for that opponent. "... I''m sorry, but I can''t beat Rugato. I''m counting on you. Rugato''s black ball is probably manipulating the contract familiar ... Please. Destroy his blackball." "... I understand. I will go." Nozomu responded to Irisdina''s sincere wish, but his voice was trembling somehow. His opponent is a fierce man of the same S rank as his master. He hesitated to fight such an outrageous opponent (I will fight now. I have no choice but to fight !!) Forcibly suppressing his own hesitation using the current situation as an excuse, Nozomu sprinted toward Rugato, while applying physical strengthening to himself. Rugato''s ten fingers move as if playing an instrument in the air and draw a formation again. Ten magic bullets are fired at Nozomu from the formation drawn in the air. The ten magic bullets approached trying to wear Nozomu out, but they were prevented by the five magic bullets that flew from behind Nozomu. Irisdina, who was behind Nozomu, immediately deployed five magic bullets to offset Rugato''s magic bullets. However, she was able to offset only 5 magic bullets, and the remaining 5 were approaching Nozomu. Nozomu thrusts into Rugato, focusing his attention on his legs, and explodes. Qi technique "Instant Move -Kusemai-" Nozomu runs through between the five magic bullets and approaches Rugato. He slashes as it is, but Rugato quickly draws a magic formation and forms a blood sword. Hold the sword in his right hand to prevent Nozomu from slashing. Nozomu took it for granted that he could be prevented, so he fired a series of attacks. Diagonal slash, left round up, right slash, left slash. He uses his whole body muscles without waste and connects his movements without stopping. On the other hand, Rugato uses a blood sword in one hand to quickly prevent it. The movement is certainly fast, but unlike Nozomu''s movement, it is straight and uneven. Perhaps Rugato isn''t very good at close combat. Nozomu is better than him for pure swordsmanship. However, Rugato, who has extraordinary physical ability, does not make such a difference in skill. By correcting his useless movements, calculating and moving even the time spent on the useless movements, Nozomu''s continuous attacks can be prevented. That work can be done because of his overwhelming experience. "Ku!" Despite the distance that the opponent is not good at, Nozomu''s face is distorted because he can''t attack. Rugato draws a formation with his left hand, that does not have a sword. Nozomu sees the magic formation drawn at his feet and breaks away with a quick move. At the same time as Nozomu left, a dark flame erupted from the magic formation. If he had stayed there, his bones would have been burned. Due to the wide distance, Rugato shoots magic bullets at Nozomu in rapid succession. Nozomu cannot repel the magic bullet from the front like Mars, so he hits the side of the magic bullet and deflects the orbit. However, due to the large number of magic bullets that could not be handled, and before he was pushed out, he repeated the full speed movement with an instant move. Rugato tries to chase further, but this time Irisdina slashes from the other side, so Rugato handles with the blood sword of his right hand. "Waaaaaaa!" Irisdina wields her rapier continuously. It is elegant and there is no waste to her movement. Her rapier is shining faintly, perhaps with enhanced magic, and every time Rugato handles it with his blood sword, magical elements and sparks scatter. When Nozomu sees Rugato, who has stopped moving, he sheathes the katana he had pulled out. Immediately after the katana was sheathed, he sent his Qi to the sword and compressed it in just half a second. Rugato, who was slashing with Irisdina, also noticed this and deployed a magic formation with his left hand. Double the magic barrier in half a second. Nozomu pulls out the sword. The extremely compressed air blade flies at high speed and lands on the magic formation developed by Rugato. The blade cuts through the first barrier and explodes in the middle of the second barrier. The barrier is fatally destroyed and dispersed. Nozomu''s returned katana slashes at Rugato, but Rugato''s left hand moves faster, and the constructed magic formation creates a blood sword. The "Phantom -Return-" released by Nozomu in pursuit is parried by sending a huge amount of magical power to the blood sword. The two teamed up to sandwich Rugato from both sides, but despite Rugato''s only using one hand, Nozomu and Irisdina couldn''t push him. "Hha!" "Uwa! Kuh" When Rugato put his strength in for a moment and turned his body, Nozomu and Irisdina were blown off like a toy. As soon as Rugato let go of his blood sword, he built a formation with both hands. Shoot countless magic bullets at them. The two managed to handle it, but by all means, they were almost have nothing left. Nozomu''s energy is exhausted because he is fully strengthening his body, and the number of times he can release phantoms gradually decreases. Irisdina is also very tired because she has been fighting with all her might. When he noticed, they were separated by a considerable distance. He doesn''t have enough power anymore, he has to settle it with one more blow. Nozomu kept the idea in his chest and spoke to Irisdina. "Ha~aha~a......... Irisdna-san, how much more can you attack with all your might?" "Fu~¨± .... Well, I think it''s limited to one more time." Nozomu tells Irisdina so that his thoughts cannot be heard by others. She was surprised at first, "......... I will open the path. After that ... I leave it to you." "¡­¡­¡­¡­All right" After confirmation, Nozomu thrusts into Rugato with a quick move. Immediately, a magic bullet approaches, but Nozomu tries to dodge it with Instant Move -Kusemai- but the number of magic bullets is too large to dodge and he got hit. "Kuh!" Severe pain ran in the area where it was hit and blood came out, but Nozomu continued to dodge it by enduring the pain. On the other side, Irisdina continues to dodge the same magical bullets. It''s the same one-sided development as before, but this is also assumed by Nozomu and others. The question is how to escape the rain of that magic bullet and bring it into close-quarter combats. The method has already been set up in Nozomu''s mind, but the problem is Qi. The technique he is going to use is a bold move beyond his Ability Suppression. With one use, most of his Qi will be exhausted. If he uses it in the current state of being exhausted in battle, he may die himself. Return the scabbard to the waist belt, raise the left hand, and send a large amount of Qi into the left hand. Because he concentrated on one point, which was several times more than the previous phantom, it emits a fierce light with the Qi of the left hand. "Mu!" Rugato''s expression changes to the scene, but Nozomu slams his left hand on the ground regardless. Qi technique "Light of Extinction" At the next moment, Rugato''s feet burst, and a torrent of light wrapped Rugato. *** Nozomu''s POV "Gu~u~u~uu~u~u!" I¡¯m in a state of danger to my own life activity due to the release of Qi beyond the limit, as the Qi suddenly disappears and the line of sight becomes dark. Light of Extinction has the greatest range of effect among the techniques I have. If Rugato-san is within this range of effect, he will not be able to attack us and will have no choice but to defend himself. Irisdina-san is already preparing for the next attack. A number of magic formations emerged on her rapier, and black magic light undulates violently on the blade. It is a simple decision for her to do. It is a stack of enhanced magic. By applying the strengthening magic many times, the explosive power is finally launched. It''s the same kind of technique that I have, "Rinne Kaiten". However, the activation time is incredibly fast and accurate. It takes a considerable amount of time to maximize the power of the "Rinne Kaiten", but she has the ability of Immediate Deployment, and she activates the strengthening magic at a speed that is incomparable to me. Magic sword "Lunar Eclipse" Eventually, her magic is completed. A magic sword was created there. The jet-black magical power wraps around the blade, although it emits waves of darkness, the blade of the sword itself shines white, like a comet shining in the dark night. Irisdina steps in. I canceled the Light of Extiction at the timing when she wielded her sword. A comet wrapped in darkness cut through the remnants of the torrent of light. "Na~!" Irisdina leaks her voice and stops moving completely in an unexpected situation. There was no Rugato in the space she had torn. Her whole magic sword only cut through the void in vain. "Wh,where ... kyaa!" A magic bullet rushing from her blind spot in a hurry, overlooking the surrounding, lands and blows her away. Four magic formations are deployed around her, and the magic formation summons chains. It has detained her. "Wh, what is this ... guh!" Nozomu is confused by the unexpected situation, but in the meantime, like Irisdina, he was restrained by magic. When Nozomu looked around, black shadows were flying around. If you look closely, it was a bat that was flying around. The flying bats eventually gathered in one place, from which Rugato appeared. He turned his body into bats and escaped the Light of Extinction. He restrained Irisdina in the gap of a big move. Nozomu concluded that Rugato had transformed into bats. Perhaps he is ... "Vampire¡­¡­¡­¡­" "Yes, that''s right, I''m a vampire." Vampire. There are a wide variety of races on the Arcmeal Continent, but among them, the vampire is a race that has top-class potential. Extraordinary physical ability, enormous magical power, extremely long life, and a wide variety of different abilities. The ability to turn one''s body into bats is also a vampire''s unique ability. Although the number of individuals is small, its ability is extremely high. However, because of its high ability, it has a history of being persecuted for fear of having to drink the blood of others in order to live. In fact, the Dizart Empire itself is a country founded by a group of such persecuted races. Nozomu looks at Rugato again. His crimson eyes are certainly one of the characteristics of a vampire. However, everything was too late as he learned now. Everyone has already been detained or forced into incapacitated and there is no way to do it anymore. Looking at Nozomu and the others who couldn''t do anything, Rugato went to Somia. *** Iris''s POV The old man goes to Somia, and I can''t do anything in front of it. "Ku! Get off! Get off!" I desperately tried to remove the magic that restrained me. Maybe this magic has the effect of suppressing the opponent''s magical power, and I can''t refine my own magical power. When the old man activates his magic, the contract familiar is revived. "Ah ... stop, stop it ..." Remembering what the familiar in front of me would bring, I became very emotional. "Stop! Stop it! If you want a soul, take my soul! So stop taking Somia''s !!" Desperately begging, but the old man and familiar did not seem to stop. When the familiar turned its hand to Somia, Somia''s soul slowly popped out. Perhaps she hasn''t been completely disconnected from her body yet, part of her soul is connected to her body, but Somia''s complexion is lifeless. "Ah ... st, stop ........." The most important treasure. It was Somia that kept me from losing sight of myself in a house swirling with desires. Somia who was following me from behind while saying Ane-sama, Ane-sama. My irreplaceable little sister who always smiled and said she loved me. Somia''s death. Her body collapses in front of me. I have no strength in my whole body and can only keep watching the sight of my little sister being killed. Please. Anyone is fine, you can do anything to me. My body, my soul, everything I have, I can give it all! So ... so, please ......... "Someone ... please. Help me ........." *** Nozomu''s POV Nozomu bites his lips. There was an element that could be inferred that Rugato was a vampire. However, he overlooked it and it became an irreversible situation. No, if he had released the Ability Suppression from the beginning, neither Mars nor Tima might have suffered any extra injuries ... Only regret tightens his chest. That''s always the case. I can''t do anything important. I can''t move on from my relationship with Lisa. Knowing the power of dragonslayer, I''m afraid of being rejected, and I can''t tell people who are worried about me. After all, it''s self-protection. By "keeping an eye on the fact that I''m running away" that Shish¨­ taught me, I became aware that I had run away, but even in such a case, I can''t move forward. Suddenly, when I looked up, I saw Rugato standing beside Somia-chan and Irisdina-san who kept screaming. When Rugato drew a formation, the familiar that had become a mass of black light in the air revived. When it goes to Somia-chan, it points its hand with only white bones toward Somia-chan. Then, a lump of white light slowly popped out from Somia-chan''s chest, which was silent in fear. The light is connected to Somia-chan''s chest with a string that also glows white. Maybe that is her soul. Somia-chan''s face turns pale and she is unconscious. It is a dead face ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yes, the same as Shish¨­ at that time ¡­¡­. I still feel sad when I remember that time. I couldn''t help Shish¨­. Even if I get the power, I still couldn''t help Shish¨­. But I didn''t regret it. Shish¨­ was laughing at the end. She was "satisfied," she said. She said she had no regrets. It''s still sad that Shish¨­ died, but I was able to accept Shish¨­''s feelings. Then how about now? Is it okay to just watch Somia-chan''s death as it is? Somia-chan lost her vitality after her soul being pulled out. Irisdina-san who hangs her head down. It''s not good. At least I can''t accept this ending!!! At that time, there was a sudden voice. "Someone ... please. Help me........." What I heard was Irisdina''s worn-out plea. A weak voice that can''t be imagined from the usual her. The moment I heard it. When I noticed, I released all the anguish I had so far and released my Ability Suppression. *** Rugato''s POV Explosive power overruns the surroundings. A torrent of Qi that easily swept away my magical power and rampaged as if to say, "Don''t do as you pleases." "Na!!!" When I turned to the source of the raging power in a hurry, there was a boy who cut off the familiar of the contract. The boy tears off my restraint magic like scraps of paper, and he wipes it out of the spot. The next moment. The boy is above the familiar. The katana held in his waist is pulled out, and the familiar is torn again without my knowledge and disperses. I hurriedly took a distance and saw the boy. His appearance hasn''t changed, but his power has risen by orders of magnitude. Certainly, I was impressed with his skill. Excellent swordsmanship and outstanding control of Qi. The contract familiar is a powerful familiar that has only been created by the former Lord and can reach A rank if ranked. I knew he had enough weapons to watch out for, given that he had defeated it with one slash, but, I didn''t think he could beat me. His movement was accurate, but it was too slow. His skill and his physical ability were not balanced, and he was excessively mismatched. However, I couldn''t see his movement even though I wasn''t careful about the previous movement. Looking at his companions, their faces were also astonished and petrified. They also seem to know nothing about the boy''s current state. I recognized him as an enemy that should be defeated immediately. I use ten fingers to cast multiple spells at the same time. A storm of magic bullets attacks the boy, but the boy leaves with a quick move. The speed is orders of magnitude faster, and I can see almost no afterimage. The released magic bullets land on the wall or floor without grazing him, and it only vacantly rolls up the rubble. I activate magic in quick succession regardless. I not only shoot magic bullets, but also shoots flames from the floor and manipulates blood swords to slash him, but he draws a fast and complex curved trajectory and dodges all the magic that I have released, or handles it with a sword. I couldn''t believe the sight. I''ve never seen anyone move at such a high speed and make such a complicated curve movement. I know that his technique is an instant move, but with such an explosive acceleration, he should only be able to move linearly! Agitated that my magic is slightly less accurate. The next moment he rushed in without hesitation. Despite this magical interception, he erased the distance between us and started slashing. I took my blood sword and tried to push him back ¡­¡­¡­¡­. (Ku !! I can''t push him at all!) My specs as a race should be far superior, but I can''t push him. No, rather, I''m starting to be pushed, and his sword is gradually approaching. If it remains as it is, I thought I would be pushed out, I poured excessive magical power into the blade of the blood sword and exploded it. I was blown away by the impact of the explosion, and my body was innumerably injured, but as a vampire, if I have such injuries, it will heal immediately. In that gap, I tried to get further away, but the boy cut through the smoke of the explosion and slashes. Given the boy''s skill and current ability, I have no chance of winning in close-quarter combats. While concentrating my magical power on my feet and leaving, I cast magic, but he still dodges and dealt with it. I''m not very good at close-quarter combats, I give top priority to getting away from him, and devote all my magical power to speeding up. We are slashing at each other while moving at high speed, but the exchange is completely won by the boy. For me, who is moving in a straight line and the shortest distance, the boy takes a curved movement, so the distance traveled should be longer than mine, but he is caught up and attacked unilaterally. "Gu! Ttsu! ~Tsua!!" The boy''s slashing while entwining like a snake was extremely fierce, and wounds were carved into my body without being able to handle it. "!Oh no!" And finally, my destination was predicted and he was ahead of me. My foot was stopped and I was slashed as it was, completely, I was no match at all. While further wounds were carved into my body, I suddenly transformed my body into innumerable bats. The boy''s slash slashes the sky without reaching the countless bats. I just sent the bats to the boy. Countless fangs and claws attack the boy, who skillfully uses his sword and scabbard to shoot down the bats. However, he begins to be pushed by the overwhelming number of bats, and the boy''s body is gradually damaged. The bats rushed to swallow the boy as it was. However, the moment the boy slammed his fist on the ground, the lights burned down the bats. "Guaaaaah!" I got literally burned, I return from a bats state to a humanoid. Smoke rises from my whole body, and the smell of burning meat fills my body. The boy was ready to pursue when he noticed that the pain was so severe. An enormous amount of Qi was sent to the sheathed sword. I feel chills like never before and I do my best to develop barriers. I have developed four magic barriers that can withstand advanced magic. Generally speaking, only the largest ceremonial magic attack that can break through this barrier. However, that only my wishful thinking. The sword that was pulled out and the extremely compressed blade that was released at the same time cut the quadruple magic barrier effortlessly and cut the black ball and the contract together that on my body. *** Nozomu''s POV The Qi technique "Phantom" cuts off Rugato''s body. It seems that the black ball was cut off together, and the familiar who was trying to revive disappeared, and at the same time, the chain that bound Somia-chan disappeared. It seems that Irisdina-san has also been released, and she rushes to Somia-chan. Her facial expression, which was tense at first, looked relieved when she checked Somia-chan''s appearance, so she seems to be okay. When I turned my eyes back to Rugato-san, I walked towards him. He is surprisingly still alive, even though he was cut off from his right shoulder to his left hip. "Fu ... fufu. A vampire like me ... heart ... innards ... brain ......... unless it''s destroyed ... I won''t die." I was surprised and relieved at the same time. No matter how one-sided it was, it wasn''t pleasant to be a murderer. The question is whether he is still aiming for Somia-chan ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Fufu, don''t worry. You ... beat me. That''s why ... I won''t take Somia-sama ... anyway ... to manipulate the familiar. The magical tools were also destroyed along with the contract. This effectively made the contract fulfillment ... impossible. The rest ... will be settled in discussions between the Waziarts and the Francilts. " Nozomu exhales at Rugato''s words and sits down as if it was finally over. Suddenly, the Francilt sisters holding hands come to us with the others. Regardless of how difficult it is to explain my strength, I was happy that the two smiles were protected now. Chapter 2.13 Nozomu''s POV I''m dreaming. A bright red dream. But I didn''t think of it as a dream. The place is probably Solminati Academy. However, the school building reminiscent of a castle wall has collapsed, and the surrounding area has become a burnt field with scattered rubble. "U! O ~e" Things that used to be humans are scattered around. It was already carbonized to the point where it was hard to tell who it was. The smell of burning meat sticks to my nose, and I irresistibly vomiting what is in my stomach. There is a dragon in that hell. A jet-black body with five-colored wings. A giant dragon that should have been inside me, which cannot be mistaken. It''s Tiamat. His mouth is moving to chew. He seems to be eating something. "Haahaahaahaa¡­¡­¡­¡­" I had a bad feeling about the scene. My breath gets rough and my heart is pounding. My instincts told me "Don''t look!", But it was too late when I thought so. "A, aa¡­¡­ aaaaaaaa!" It was long hair that was sticking out of his mouth. When the owner of the hair shook her head, I screamed and plunged into him. The next moment, a huge black flame appears in front of me. I couldn''t dodge it and be swallowed by the flames of chaos. *** "~Tsua! Haahaahaa¡­¡­¡­¡­" Nozomu is on the bed when he noticed. Looks like, he woke up from his dream. "~Tsu!" Nozomu grabs his face and holds his head. The dream was so real that he had to make sure it was a dream. As time went by, Nozomu gradually regained his composure. And he understood what had happened to him. (I see, after that battle, I ran out of Qi and fainted ...) Nozomu remembers what happened after that battle. When Irisdina and Somia walked over to him, he was so happy and relieved that he lost his strength and his eyesight became pitch black. Perhaps he fainted at that time. "How long time has passed ..." With that said, Nozomu looking around the room in which he was sleeping. There are no stains on the white wall, and besides the bed, there are desks, chairs, fireplaces, chests of drawers, and other items. These items are almost not decorated, but they are strangely elegant and to Nozomu, seems to bring out the dignity of this room reasonably. Nozomu can see a large garden from the window of the room. Looks like, this is the mansion of the Francilt Family. When Nozomu was looking around, the door of the room was knocked, two girls came out. When the girls saw Nozomu, they smiled like flowers. "I''m glad, you woke up ..." "Are you okay? Nozomu-san" They, Irisdina and Somiliana, talked to Nozomu with a relieved smile. "How long did I fainted?" "It''s about half a day ... but I''m glad. I was worried because you suddenly fainted." "Is your body okay?" Perhaps it was due to the release of his Suppression and the considerable exhaustion after the use of previous Light of Extinction. Sudden exhaustion also has a serious impact on life support activities. "So ... what about Rugato-san?" Nozomu asked what happened after that. Rugato-san, as he said just before Nozomu fainted, was unable to fulfill his contract because Nozomu destroyed the familiar¡¯s black ball and the contract. After that, he returned to the Dizart Empire to report this matter to the Lord he served. By the way, it seems that the lower and upper body, which was cut off by Nozomu, completely healed after a few hours. He has a tremendous ability to regenerate, but he said, "I was slashed very beautifully, and the wounds were so beautiful that it healed very quickly." "Tima and Mars-kun are going to school now, but they will come here when the class is over. I want to talk about a lot of things, is that okay?" "... Yeah, well ........." Nozomu stagnated a little in that word. At that time, there was a sound like "Guu ~~". It was Nozomu''s belly that rang. It seems that his body wants nourishment because it was so exhausted. The two who heard the sound began to giggle. Nozomu is embarrassed and diverts his eyes. "Fufu, that indicates you are okay. I''ll bring you a meal now, so wait a minute. Somia, help me." "Yes, Ane-sama! Then, Nozomu-san, please wait for your meal." The sisters said so and left the room together. After seeing them off, Nozomu lays down on the bed again and thinks. He doesn''t know how to explain himself, but now that he''s hungry, he''s looking forward to the meal he was asking for. In the evening, it wasn''t twilight yet, but as the sun began to set, the people involved in yesterday''s case were gathering in a room of the Francilt Family. First of all, Irisdina began to talk about the secret agreement between the FranciltFamily and the Waziart Family, which was the beginning of this incident. It seems that the Francilt Family was in a power struggle with other influential families 300 years ago. However, in that conflict, the Francilt Family gradually became inferior, and they couldn''t help themselves. The head of the Francilt Family at that time relied on the Waziart Family as a means to overturn the inferiority. The Waziart Family is a family of vampires, and the Francilt Family was eliminating hostile forces using their unique abilities and the power of magical tools. In return, they paid a huge amount of money to the Waziart family and made a contract to lend them their magic tools for 300 years. By the way, according to Rugato''s story, the familiar of the contract also has the role of randomly cursing and killing one of the direct lines of the family of the Francilt Family, it seems that the contract was broken when the contract could not be fulfilled. At the time the contract was signed, according to Rugato''s story who witnessed, it took 300 years in between. But he had no direct relationship with them, and it seems that he intends to give sincerity to the Waziart Family by dedicating himself to the direct son of the Waziart Family. Also, since the Waziart Family is a long-lived vampire, it seems that the time of 300 years was not really matter for them. "... As I thought this is..." "... Those worms wants to run away" When they heard this story, Nozomu and Mars were angry that their intestines were about to boil. Tima, who is usually quiet, has a terribly hard face. "... Indeed! Above all, I don''t like the idea that it doesn''t matter for them if we are the only ones." "Really ... I''m not very angry, but I still can''t forgive this." Neither Irisdina nor Somia tried to hide their strong resentment. "And the Furnace of Spiritual Flame mixed with Somia-chan''s soul ..." "Aa. That ... Honestly, it seems impossible to separate the Furnace of Spiritual Flame, which has been mixed with Somia''s soul. It seems that it is not supposed to be used in this way ... I do not know why such things were mixed in Somia''s soul in the first place ... " That means that we don''t know what will happen in the future. Everyone who was there is silent. "... Irisdina-san, is it okay for you to told us this story?" Nozomu had been thinking about the difficulties that might hit Somia from now on, and suddenly wondered and spoke to Irisdina. This story must go unpublished for the Francilt Family. However, Irisdina doesn''t mind Nozomu''s questions, and she replies. "I don''t mind. This time, you helped us, even though we got you involved in our situation. I don''t want to hide it from such a lifesaver. I know this, but I won''t let the people in the household get their hands on it. " Irisdina says she doesn''t mind at all while folding her arms. She has no hesitation in her expression. "Let me thank you again. Thank you for your help this time. It''s thanks to you guys that I''m not losing Somia. Really ... I''m grateful ... thank you." "Really ... Thank you very much for helping me!" The Francilt sisters bowed down and thanked them. Nozomu is feeling uneasy with their pure feelings. Suddenly, Mars become shy with a stern red face, probably because he had the same feeling. "Aa, no. It''s nothing to care about..." "That''s not the case! It was really cool when you helped me from Shinigami-san!" "Fufu, that''s exactly what Somia says." Somia excitedly said so as she leaned forward, and Irisdina also praised Nozomu. "I, I don''t want to be overly complimented .... and I ........." Nozomu is worried that he was wavering until the end of that battle. His facial expression naturally becomes hard. Mars, who was watching Nozomu, comes with a serious look. Perhaps what he wants to hear is ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "......... Nozomu, can I ask you? What the hell did you do at the end of that battle?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Irisdina and others are silent on a single question from Mars. Perhaps they were also interested, all the eyes in this place gathered at Nozomu. "I know you are much stronger than people say at school, but you were not normal at that time. What the hell did you do then?" While silence dominated, Nozomu slowly begins to speak. "That is ......... the release of Ability Suppression ..." "Release of Ability Suppression?" Somia is tilting her head, but Nozomu continues to explain. "Do you know about my ability "Ability Suppression" ?" "As the name suggests, it is an ability that keet the person''s ability below a certain level." "Yes, I have that ability and I''m limited in Qi, power, and magic." While affirming Irisdina''s words, Nozomu explains his abilities. "I haven''t heard of it, but at the end of the second year, I was able to unlock this ability." "... Perhaps. At that time you were injured because ..." "Aa, yeah. At that time, I was able to release my Ability Suppression. Well, because of my injury, the practical exam at the end of the year was terrible ..." "Then, why didn''t you ever use it?" "That is¡­¡­¡­¡­" Today''s dream scene resurfaced. The smell of Arcazam, which has become a burning field, and the people of that burning city. And she was eaten by "that guy". "~Tsu!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Nozomu-kun?¡± "Aa, no ... sorry. I was dazing .... I didn''t use it because I couldn''t fully control it in open state, and when I released the Ability Suppression, I could only release it for about 2 minutes." Nozomu answers by glossing over the anxiety inside himself. His answer didn''t tell the whole story either. "Even the rocks are crushed just by hitting it. I can''t handle it with humans." "......... It''s certainly not easy to use .... I mean, your technique is just like that." "... I''m well aware" In the end, even after that, Nozomu couldn''t tell that he is a dragonslayer. After a while, twilight dyed the sky, so Nozomu and others decided to go home, and Irisdina and her friends has come to see them off at the gate of the mansion. "Then, we''re going home." "See you" "Aa, see you at the school ..." "Un, see you" Nozomu and others finished their goodbye. Suddenly Somia who was near Irisdina grabbed Nozomu''s hand. "Wh, what''s wrong? Somia-chan" "Nozomu-san! Thank you for helping me! At that time, I thought I couldn''t see Ane-sama anymore ... but I''m very happy to be with Ane-sama again now!" Somia once again thanked Nozomu for something. Then Irisdina also held her other hand and thanked him again. "If, if you didn''t help me at that time, there''s no doubt Somia will be taken. I ... I''m sure I couldn''t stand it. ¡­¡­ truly thank you" Nozomu is a little relieved by the words of gratitude given by the two. There are many things he couldn''t talk about, and he has a lot of anxiety in his heart. But at least at that time, the release of his Ability Suppression seems to be not a mistake. "... By the way, I haven''t given this to Somia-chan yet." "???" Somia tilts her head to Nozomu''s words. Nozomu takes it out of his pocket and presents it with words one day late. "It''s one day late, happy birthday" He took out a birthday present that he was planning to give to Somia. The white and black strings are tied up in a ring shape, the strings are attached to the ring, and the bell commonly used in the east is attached to its end. It was made in reference to her arm ornament, which she cherished as a bond of her family. "I used that arm decoration as a reference, I thought it would be a good idea to give it, but I wasn''t good at making crafts so..." "No! I''m very happy! Thank you, Nozomu-san!" Somia says so and puts on the bell arm ornament. It is disproportionate to her good appearance and is by no means a good product. Even so, Somia is very happy and shy. Irisdina also watches over her sister with a smile. Both Tima and Mars have smiles on their faces. A turbulent day. A smile that he thought he would never be able to see again at one point. It certainly is a sight that everyone here wants to protect. Chapter 3.1 Hey, PolterGlast here.I want to inform you that Proofread Version of Dragon Chain Ori Chapter 1 Part 1 has been released.Special thanks to Karlsen for your help in editing and proofreading Also, I decided to change Nozomu''s skill which is previously Phantom -Return-, now to Phantom -Recurrence-. Phantom -Recurrence- A technique of re-sending the Qi to the katana that was swung earlier and shoots a repeated blow. Because it is released in the same orbit as the once released Phantom, it is possible to cut through the opponent''s body more deeply. The power of a single blow and the cutting power are the same as the Phantom. Based on this description, it is more suitable to use -Recurrence- Here''s your chappy =================== Arcazam boulevard in the early morning. Many students were walking along this street leading to the main gate of Solminati Academy. Among the large number of students, there were two male students. One is Nozomu Bountis, a boy with a katana on his waist. A male student with the lowest overall grade in the third year of Solminati Academy. The other is Mars Dickens, a large boy with a greatsword on his back. Like Nozomu, he is in the third year, and although he has the ability, he is a student in the lowest class because of his poor behavior. As they walked toward the school, students who were also attending school were talking about a rumor. "Hey, did you hear that? It seems that a magic item went out of control at Irisdina-san''s mansion." "Yes, I heard. It''s a big fuss in town, but I''m glad that no one was injured or died." A few days after the Francilt Family turmoil. That turmoil began to be heard in different forms at Solminati Academy and Arcazam. A magic item that was in Francilt''s mansion went out of control. The mansion was completely blocked by barrier magic, and the human beings inside were trapped. However, the magic item caused it was destroyed by Irisdina-san. It was said that the situation had settled down ... *** Nozomu''s POV "Nozomu, the incident at that time, somehow it becomes a strange rumor. .......... This rumor, do you think it was circulated by the Francilt Family?" Mars came to me with a small voice that can''t be heard by the surroundings. "I don''t know. Irisdina-san herself may not mind that this matter will be going public, but the Francilt Family, I don''t think the people around her will remain silent." The case a few days ago was something that the Francilt Family didn''t want to be known about. Perhaps in order to deceive the truth, it is possible to make up something like that. "......... But, it''s all right now, at least because Somia-chan was safe." "Well, yeah" Mars replied to agree with my opinion. I don''t really understand the inside of the Francilt Family or the obligations of the aristocrats. I fought at that time simply because I wanted to protect my friends. I once thought it was no good, but as a result, I was able to see her smile again. However ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Somia-chan, I wonder if she''s alright ... I hope there are no aftereffects." Even though she immediately returned to her original state, she was once pulled out of her soul. Moreover, a suspicious magic tool is fused with her soul. Nozomu is worried about the side effects. "From the doctor''s story, it seems there is no problem ... As I thought, are you worried?" "... Yeah. I''ll ask if I have the chance next time." Even with that incident, Solminati Academy itself is still teaching as usual. The morning lesson is a magic lesson by Norn-sensei. The content is about additional magic applications. Nozomu himself couldn''t neglect it even if he couldn''t use magic, as he managed to advance in the written test. By the way, Mars, who is good at practical skills, is not good at this kind of lesson, so he is groaning during the class. Mars himself has a lot of magical power, but It is difficult content for Mars, who is a musclehead, because lessons about magic use his head, such as the construction of techniques, interference between attributes, etc. In the classroom at noon after the morning lesson was over. Classmates are having lunch as they please. Since their reconciliation, Mars and Nozomu have often eaten together unless there is something to do. "Nozomu, what are you going to do for lunch?" "I bought it for the time being. What about Mars?" "I have a lunch box I brought from home." With that said, Mars raises a package containing the lunch box. Nozomu remembered the rabbit steak he had eaten before. The lunch box of the owner of that Ushitotei would be quite delicious. (Let''s eat at a suitable place for the time being ...) "Mars, where do you want to eat....." "Excuse me, Nozomu Bountis are you there?" "Eh" He was called by a voice that he has been hearing a lot lately, so when Nozomu looks at the person who spoke, there are two beautiful girls there. One is Irisdina Francilt, a girl with jet-black hair, perfect limbs, and an aura full of confidence. The other is Tima Lime, a girl who had her brown hair trimmed neatly on her shoulder and looked as good as Irisdina. """" ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ """" The classmates in the classroom were all petrified. Certainly, talented girls like her didn''t have to come to the lowest 10th classrooms, and that never happened. What made the classmates even more confused was ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Hey. Didn''t she call his name just now?" "Aa, aa. I heard that too." "Why does he know the black-haired princess ..." The name she called was Nozomu''s name. If you think about it normally, you can''t imagine that Nozomu, a mediocre at the bottom of the year knows a beautiful girl at the top of the year. Nozomu is completely frozen in a situation that he had never expected. Looking around the classroom, Irisdina sees Nozomu and comes to him with a smile. The classmates pave the way like people watching a royal parade. While everyone is paying attention to that, she ¡­¡­. "Good afternoon. Have you guys already had lunch? If not, why not eat together with us? " She threw a bomb called as meal invitation. """" What''s that? """" A moment later, the classroom exploded. " ... This became a huge commotion ... " Mars muttered as if he was amazed. In such a commotion, Nozomu hurriedly gave his consent to Irisdina and escaped from the exploding 10th-class classroom with Mars and others. With her words, the Classmates who were in the classroom literally screamed. Irisdina has many men and women longing for her because of her appearance, her talent, and her personality, and there is no end to those who wish to have a relationship. However, she never received their feelings, and she is a "Flower on a high peak" (TL: something out of one''s reach). We came to a corner of the courtyard. Four people started eating at this place, but ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "He''s definitely the 10th-class dropout." "Why does she know that lowest?" The eyes of the passers-by first went to Irisdina and then to Nozomu and Mars, obviously, they glare at Nozomu with a "Why is this guy" look. Some people struck lines of sight full of deathly curses. The line of sight to Nozomu is particularly terrible, most of them purely hostile. If you think about it, in the sense of students, neither the classroom nor the courtyard is related. (Th, there''s no taste!) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Chi!¡± Even Nozomu, who was accustomed to negative gazes such as resentment, is in a difficult situation now. He doesn''t even know the taste of what he is eating now because of the hostile gaze that pierces him. Mars is frustrated by their unreserved annoying gazes. "... I''m sorry. I suddenly rushed into the classroom ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Sorry. Was it annoying?¡± The two who noticed the strange expression of Nozomu and Mars apologize. "N, no. I was just surprised by the sudden thing." "I, it''s bad. But it''s not your fault ..." It is certainly not their responsibility. Nozomu and Mars hurriedly apologize to Irisdina and Tima. Nozomu thought it is a good opportunity, so he asks Irisdina what he had been interested in since the morning. "By the way, how is Somia-chan?" "Aa, no problem. She is still going to Ecross today." Nozomu considers the surroundings and listens only to what he wants to hear. He couldn''t hear anything devious, as the incident was supposed to be a rampant magic item. She has her soul extracted, albeit temporarily. When he met her the next day, nothing seemed to happen, but he didn''t know what would happen after that, so Nozomu asked about Somia, but it seemed to be okay. The anxiety has not disappeared because the Furnace of Spiritual Flame could not be taken out from Somia''s soul, but for the time being, Nozomu feels relieved, strokes his chest, and resumes eating. After eating with four people for a while, Irisdina asked Nozomu as she remembered something. "... By the way, what will Nozomu-kun and Mars-kun do after school?" "Well, I don''t have any plans today, so I''ll train ..." Nozomu has never missed training. He had been training recklessly to escape from the fact that he was once dumped by Lisa, but for whatever reason, the training that had been going on for more than a year and a half has become a habit. Also, for Nozomu, who has a low basic ability, it is of utmost importance to fills the gap and sharpen his skills through his daily training. "I see ... if it''s okay, would you like to go out with me after school today? I want to thank you for that time ..." Irisdina asked Nozomu to take some time after school. She wanted to thank Nozomu with any form of gratitude expression. Her father wiped out the case with the Waziart Family, even the fact that the mansion was covered with barrier magic, and has completely changed the truth. As a result, it became impossible to formally thank Nozomu and Mars as the next head of the Francilt Family. That''s why Irisdina wanted to thank him at least as an individual. To him who helped her important little sister ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Thanking me... you don''t have to worry about it." "That''s not the case. You did that much .... I think I''ll at least give you my feeling of gratitude, will you accept it?" Irisdina spins her words to ascertain what Nozomu''s state is like. (Nozomu-kun ... looks like he''s all right today ...) Irisdina was also concerned about Nozomu herself. When she asked him about his power in the fight against Rugato, he was obviously strange. (There is a reason why he is hiding his own power) Realizing that, Irisdina couldn''t tell her father about Nozomu''s hidden powers. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ I understand. What about Mars?¡± "Why do you ask me? This should be what you receive right? In fact, you were the one who stopped that old man." After Nozomu accepting Irisdina''s words, Mars asks, "Why am I?" For Mars, it was Nozomu who actually stopped Rugato, so he thought it would be a mistake to receive her gratitude ... "No, you too. At that time, you were protecting Tima, so Nozomu-kun came in time." "Th, that''s right. If Mars-kun wasn''t there at that time, I would have been hit by that magical bullet''s rain. If that was the case, Somia-chan would have been taken away ..." Irisdina and Tima deny Mars''s idea. It was Nozomu who stopped Rugato, but he would never have earned the time needed for it without Mars. "¡­¡­¡­¡­I know" Mars accepted that fact and decided to go out after school. Eventually, the bell that signals the end of the lunch break rings, and the students begin to return to the classroom for the afternoon lesson. Nozomu and the others also begin to return to their classroom, but there is a shadow staring at their back. "Hee, isn''t that interesting?" A male student came out from behind the school building. His mouth is smiling happily. "Did they think that there will be no one who envies them to eat with that Black-Haired Princess and Four-Scale Concerto, that lowest and naughty boy ~" The boy looks like a child finding a new toy and looks at Nozomu and others returning to the classroom. "Well, I found a fun thing in this unpleasant school for the first time in a while. You''ll entertain me to the fullest." The boy checks the situation of Nozomu and Mars again, then turned his heels. His head and hips, walking away in the opposite direction of Nozomu and others, has stunning golden ears and tails. Chapter 3.2 PolterGlast here, Thank you to my patrons for your supportand also Thank you CoolManMTD for your coffee Here''s a bonus chapter :) *** The events of the lunch break spread throughout the school like an avalanche. A male student invited to a meal by a beautiful girl who everyone in the school knows. Moreover, the male student is a student who can''t keep up in school since school started. After the lunch break, Nozomu returned to the classroom and was greeted by the countless gazes of his classmates. "I think we have already learned that in addition to the abilities that are manifested in individuals, there are abilities that are manifested by races, but depending on the race, the effects of these abilities are also known that there are superiority and inferiority in the acquisition of skills such as magic. " Jirojiro ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. (TL : sfx for Stare) The eyes of the students are full of jealousy and hostility, and they are not favorable at all. "During the great invasion 10 years ago, because a single race, the elf country "Nebra", which stands out from other races in terms of protection, was destroyed before the invasion of the demon beast. It became clear that a single race could not counter this invasion. That is why this school was founded, and the familiarity and cooperation of various races ...... " By the way, the content of the lesson is history. It is a class about the history of the continent before and after the great invasion. As expected, no student was involved with Nozomu during the lesson, but that was just the story during the class. When it''s time for a break ... "Damn, what is that ..." "Why is he ........." "¡­¡­¡­¡­kill" He can hear voices of resentment. "... If you have something to say, come from the front." Mars complained, but Nozomu had no choice but to laugh bitterly. "Mars, the teacher is calling." "What''s with that?" One male student tells him that the teacher who was teaching earlier is calling. "Isn''t it better to hurry Mars? That teacher will make a fuss if you are late." "I know. I''ll go for a bit." When Mars left his seat and disappeared from the side of Nozomu, the surrounding malicious gossips became blatantly louder. (Well ... this is, it can''t be helped) Nozomu knows enough about what the students at this school think of him. He has been cursed and despised for nearly two years. It was particularly terrible during the first year, and before the rumors with Lisa went down, he was assaulted by lynching. He was summoned to the back of the school building and beaten, kicked, and sometimes attacked with magic by multiple students. His belongings were hidden and shattered with abusive words. Because of those treatments, the pain that ran in his mind and body, the days when he was emptying his heart and spending time like a doll ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Hey, drop out" When Nozomu''s thoughts were reminiscing about the past, Nozomu noticed a voice calling him. Classmate boys are gathering around Nozomu''s desk. The number is about 10. The one who talked to him is a student who used to be around Mars. "Come for a bit!" "Hey, what are you doing!" Male students grabbed Nozomu''s chest and took Nozomu out of the classroom by force. Mars is called by the teacher and he is not in the classroom. Perhaps the schoolboys were aiming for a time when Mars would leave Nozomu. The other students didn''t seem to help. Nozomu resisted but couldn''t compete with their strength, and he has been taken out of the classroom while being dragged away. *** Mars is in the instructor''s office when Nozomu has taken out of the classroom. "What is it? errand?" Mars asks the teacher in charge of the lesson about the matter, but his attitude is not very nice toward the teacher. "? ... do you need something?" "Haa? You probably asked the students for a message to me that I had something to do." "? I don''t remember doing that." "¡­¡­¡­¡­what!" What does this mean? Surely, I heard that I had something to do and that Nozomu heard that too. However, he says he has no business. "I''ve been thinking about it for a long time, but what''s with your attitude? You have no attitude toward the elders. In the first place ..." ¡­¡­¡­¡­Wait. Why was it a message in the first place? At that time, it was just after the class was over. He doesn''t have to ask for a message, he can say it himself. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Maybe the purpose is not me ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Are you listening! Why are you so" "It¡¯s bad! I should do something !! "Oi, come back here! " *** Nozomu was taken to the back of the school building. The students block the path of his retreat so that Nozomu cannot escape. The students who surrounded the area uniformly glared at Nozomu and struck killing gazes. "Hey, spill it out already! What on earth did you do!" "Why are you with Irisdina-san!" And the one-sided questioning begins. They only think that Nozomu has deceived or threatened Irisdina. For students, Irisdina is a longing existence. She is a girl of the same age as them and has reached the rank of A, which is a first-class standing. Moreover, her appearance is so beautiful that she seems to be a goddess. They may have different feelings towards her, but no one would think that a man like Nozomu, who is said to be a dropout is suitable for her. "This bastard, it''s decided that the black-haired princess will be victimized this time, like when he was with the red-haired princess. It''s necessary to re-educate him well before it becomes something like a year ago... " The classmate who brought up the rumors with Lisa. They grinned and approached Nozomu. Recalling about Lisa, Nozomu''s chest squeaked and Nozomu''s face is slightly distorted. "Keep quiet. We''re not demons, and we''ll finish it right away." "Ku!" When the student who was around Mars said so, Nozomu was suddenly hit. Nozomu squeezes the fist approaching his face with one hand. Perhaps he is frustrated by being parried by Nozomu, the male student hit him continuously but since the previous movement was completely comprehended, Nozomu continues to avoid it unharmed. Now Nozomu can exchange punches with Mars if he concentrates. It is unlikely that he will be hit by the fist of a 10th class student on a one-on-one basis. "Chi, Wait, don''t move !!" Perhaps he is frustrated that his fist keeps being avoided, the movement of the other party becomes even more sloppy. Nozomu moves forward, at the same time straight aiming at his face, he put the center of gravity of the opponent on the waist and pulled the opponent''s arm that stretched out at once. He turns forward the other male student with the same momentum, the male student''s back is slammed on the ground and moaned like a crushed frog, "Gue!". "This guy!" "I''ll torture you till death" Nozomu''s unexpected resistance hits the students around him. Nozomu moves around in the same way as the group battles so far and handles while moving so as not to deal with multiple people at once. Surrounded from the beginning, the back of the school building is not very large, and it is not possible to maintain one-on-one at all times, so it is a fairly close balance. The situation makes the boys even more frustrated. For them, Nozomu is nothing more than a scarecrow to relieve their irritation. They were also always looked down upon by other classes as the lower class humans of the 10th class. So far, they had vented their anger on Nozomu, who was the lowest in their bottom class. The resistance of Nozomu was unexpected for them. When they used to persecute Nozomu, Nozomu was almost not resisting. However, now Nozomu is directly resisting the boys who are hitting him. Moreover¡­¡­ "Fu~!" In the gap where he evaded the big hook, he strengthens his fist with Qi and strikes the opponent''s solar plexus, and a male student who was struck at a vital point faints in agony and collapses. Until now, Nozomu was not very aggressive about attacks, but gradually he became more aggressive. Nozomu was frustrated when he remembered the mock battle with Mars at the beginning of the third year, but now he has come to use his own skills to the extent that there is no problem in some cases. However, his technique is still very deadly, so it''s still difficult to use ....... That was the growth of Nozomu. He has been running away, stopping with his dreams as an excuse, and looking away from his surroundings. He realized that he is still running away, and he couldn''t move forward, but when he got a friend and used his power in public, it is proof that he started to move, albeit a little. (Ku! As I thought, there are too many!) However, no matter how good Nozomu''s skill is, many people are out of his control. Moreover, his katana is left in the classroom. He also has a bad place to fight. The back of the school building is small and difficult to move around. Although he managed to handle it, Nozomu, who had a handicap in physical ability and did not have any advantage, had no way to overcome it. (Anyway, I should get out of this place one way or another) "Goun!" (Wh, what !?) He was wondering how to get through this place, but suddenly he felt a vibration of magical power, and when he looked in the direction, one male student was trying to activate his magic. "This damn guy! I''ll kill you !!" The boy who was trying to use magic was the student who had been beaten by Nozomu and was in agony. His eyes were bleeding and apparently lost his composure. "What!" "Damn! Do you want to get us involved!" The magic was activated at the same time as the other students surrounding Nozomu left the side of Nozomu all at once. The magic directed at Nozomu is the *Earth-Snake Whip*. The soil of the earth rolled up, and multiple whips were constructed from the soil, and those whips attacked all at once. "Dangerous!!" Nozomu jumps out of the spot. Immediately afterward, the earth-whips passed by Nozomu, literally rampaging like snakes. "Crush him! Garbage waste bastard !!" However, it is not over yet. The snakes that passed by Nozomu shook themselves and attacked Nozomu again. However, due to the instability of the caster''s mind, the movement of the earth snake is indiscriminate. There is no mercy in each blow, and every time the whip hits the ground, the soil rolls up and pebbles pop around. Nevertheless, it''s not justifiable to strike Nozomu, whose effect of the Qi technique is weak. "Kuh, this, uwa!" Nozomu dodges a group of unorthodox whips with full strength and physical handling, but the earth snake''s movement itself is faster, and finally, he is surrounded. "It''s the end!!" Along with that voice, the earth snakes flooded Nozomu all at once. The orbit of the whip urges Nozomu to be swept away from four directions: front, top, left, and right. There are no gaps to dodge, and there is no advantage, so he can''t overcome them. "Still not enough!" Nozomu still resists. If there is no gap to dodge, then he will make it! Nozomu rushes towards the front whip. Accelerate at a stretch with the Qi technique "Instant Move", send Qi to his left arm with full power, and extremely compress it. He attaches his right hand to his left arm and sticks it forward, sliding the earth whip that attacks from the front. "Guu~u~u~u~u!" An earth weapon that can easily beat a person, scrapes off the skin of his left arm, but the whip slides over his extremely compressed left arm, diverting its trajectory and passing over Nozomu''s head. Nozomu rushes towards the student who was using the magic. "Wha, no way !!" "Uoooooooo!" The opponent did not think that Nozomu would avoid his magic and was completely defenseless. Moreover, the magic of this kind of system rendered the caster immovable while still using the magic. Nozomu tries to hit him with his right hand while keeping the momentum of the rush, but...... "Don''t become conceited! Drop out !!" Suddenly, magic bullet attacks from the side. Nozomu turns around and dodges, but more magic attacks him. He couldn''t dodge and was blown away and slammed against the wall of the school building. "Gua!" It was the other students who used the magic, students who were evacuated because they were about to get caught up in the "Earth-Snake Whip". "What are you going to do, drop out ..." "It''s bad ..." When the boys who pulled Nozomu confirmed each other, they see Nozomu blown away. Nozomu managed to get up, but he was obviously injured and his movement to get up was awkward. "I''m having a hard time." When the male student who was about to be defeated by Nozomu complains, he shoots a magic bullet. Nozomu avoids it by rolling on the ground, but the classmates who saw it fired magic bullets at Nozomu one after another. "Look. That awkward appearance!" "It''s dirty, can you avoid it a little more decently?" "Hahahaha! How long can you avoid it?" As if the appearance of Nozomu desperately avoiding was very interesting, the students fired magic while sneering. Although it is not a beautiful way to avoid it, Nozomu keeps avoiding and resisting. (Not yet, I can''t just give up because of something like this!) What drives the current Nozomu is the intention to "resist". It was pure anger at the unreasonable treatment. However, his limit is coming. Being hit by an inevitable magic bullet causes his posture to collapse, and a swarm of magic bullets approaches. The power of each one is low, but there are many, and if they hit him properly, he will be seriously injured. Still, Nozomu didn''t give up. He has seen something even more incredible than something like this. Tiamat''s giant flame. Shino''s skill. Rugato''s multiple magic. Knowing that the magic bullets approaching him were a threat, did not cause him to look away. The moment when the magic that was approaching in front of Nozomu seemed to hit him. An arrow ran through Nozomu''s eyes and swept away the swarm of magic bullets. "What!" "Who! Who disturbed us!!" When the classmates shouted and looked in the direction of the arrow flying, a maiden is holding a bow. "What did you do? What are you doing in such a place?" A bell-like voice echoed around. The maiden has long, bluish straight hair fluttering, and her bangs fastened with a black cloth headband ... "I''ll ask you again. What were you doing here?" Above all, her long ears were visible through her hair. Chapter 3.3 Nozomu''s POV "I''ll ask you again. What were you guys doing here?" The girl said so while looking over all the people in this place. The voice of her has the coldness of an ice spear and made them feel her quiet anger. Her bow already had the next arrow on it, and its strings were taut and ready to be fired. Furthermore, the arrows emit a faint light, and it can be seen that some kind of magic is applied. I remember the arrow that ran through in front of me earlier. Given that with just one arrow, she has slaughtered multiple spells, albeit at the lowest rank. The classmates will be blown away like leaves by simply releasing her finger, which is now holding an arrow. "W, well... it''s nothing important ... ri, right?" "Th, that''s right. W, we are just playing for a bit..." They probably know what each other were thinking. The classmates who were bullying me turned their faces blue and backed off. "In the first place, fighting activities other than the designated place should be prohibited. Do you all want to be kicked out of this school?" The girl says so and smiles. She smiles like a flower blooming in a lovely field, but the intimidating feeling from that smile is considerable, and it makes me feel a part of her ability. At least for students in the 10th class, it seems certain that she is too much of an opponent for them. "L, let''s go ........." "Y, yeah ..." They said so and quickly left. When they are gone, the girl also releases her magic and lowers her bow. "Thank you, I was saved." I went to her girl, thanked her, and was surprised again. To make a long story short, The girl is so pretty. She has bluish long hair and blue eyes. Long, slender legs, slender limbs, and a surprisingly white and well-organized face. From her appearance, I felt, she is like the vitality of vegetation spreading all over the field with a blue sky. She looks as good as Lisa and Irisdina. And long ears peeking through her long hair. One of the races that live on the continent of Arcmeal. It''s the characteristic of elves. *Elf* It is a race that is said to have received the most blessings of spirits and is known for its longevity and good appearance as a whole. However, the most famous thing is that they can interact with the spirits. By responding to the spirits around them, they can receive various benefits such as seeing and hearing events from the distance. Originally, they lived in a country called "Nebra" centered on the Foskia Forest in the northern part of the continent, but since it was destroyed by the invasion of demons in the great invasion 10 years ago, they have become a nomadic people ever since. "... You don''t have to worry about it. I just passed by." Even if she told me not to worry about her, but her expression is stiff, and her gaze is no different from that of the classmates who were persecuting me earlier. I was a little perplexed by her expression. "Well, once again, thank you. I am..." "I know. Nozomu Bountis, right. " "Why, my name ...? " "Rumors of the day. I think everyone who came to the school today knows." ¡­¡­¡­¡­ That was certainly the case. Events with Irisdina during the day have already spread throughout the school. It''s no wonder she knows. "I''m Shiina Yuliel, 3rd year, 2nd class, but the reason I know you aren''t because of today rumors, but because of what you did to Lisa when you were in 1st year." Her eyes, which she said so, become even more severe. "In the first place, if you don''t have an affair with Lisa-san, they wouldn''t have been so hard either." Those words pierced my chest. When I was dating Lisa, I was surely told by the people around me, but there was no violence like lynching. I started receiving it after I was dumped by Lisa. "This may have come from them, but be aware that you are the cause in the first place." She tells me so and turns her heels. Perhaps she has nothing to say anymore, she goes straight back to the school building. I was staring straight at her back. (I knew it. I already knew that) I knew a long time ago, I understood why people around me had a worse attitude toward me. I have no affair at all. I''ve been thinking about Lisa for a long time, and I could only think of her as a woman by my side. However, the rumor that I had an affair has already become a fact for the people at this school. It might not the case when the rumors first began to rise, but over time it was imprinted on the students of the school as the truth. The cause was probably because I could only think of an escape called training at that time and did not try to resist the rumor. If I was fighting without running away at that time, and yelling "I didn''t do that!", maybe my relationship with Lisa will not so complicated as now. But I ran away. Did not try to correct the wrong perceptions of those around me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­.This is also the continuation of my escape ¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.I am aware that the reason was my ¡°escape¡±. The reason was that I didn''t try to face the people around me ¡­¡­¡± Only the voice I throw away echoes behind the school building. At that time, I suddenly noticed someone''s presence. Someone is looking at me. The presence itself is weak, and there is no hostility or killing intent, and the presence disappeared immediately. The presence was felt from the bush behind the school building. When I looked into the bush, I found a piece of paper with an unfamiliar pattern stuck on the tree. "Oi Nozomu! Are you okay!" When I look at the source of the voice, I can see Mars running. Once again, I looked at the paper stuck to the tree, I took the paper and put it in my pocket. Then, I started walking towards my friend. *** ???? POV "... I see. Looks like, that guy is not as weak as they said." The roof of the school building. The opening bell had already rung, and there is a schoolboy with golden ears and a tail in this place where no one was supposed to be. The male student, who was looking at Nozomu from a distance during lunch break. Probably, he is using some kind of long-distance vision technique. A formation is drawn at his feet, emitting a magical light. A mark is floating in front of him, glowing faintly in the same gold color as his fur. Normally, the back of the school building is in the shadow and cannot be seen, but he seems to have been stealing a glance the previous exchange between Nozomu and his classmates with this technique. "But, he is still holding out, isn''t it. Even though he is a 10th-class student, he can do his best with 1 against 10. I was wondering what would happen if I separated that naughty boy, but the result was surprisingly interesting~. Well, I didn''t expect Shiina to get in the way ... " Looks like, it was this guy who used a male student to pull Mars away from Nozomu and to make him leave Nozomu alone. In front of him, the figure of Nozomu facing Shiina is projected. "But I don''t get it~. Sure, his skills weren''t bad, but it wasn''t strong enough for the black-haired princess to look at him ... Is there still something? " The student keeps watching Nozomu with his eyes while scratching his head. "U ~~ n, should I observe the situation a little more?" Having said that, he erased the technique he was using and returned to the school building, but he didn''t notice that Nozomu was expressing his mind, because the technique was released slightly earlier. Nozomu noticed the technique and found the mark that was scattered. *** Nozomu''s POV After the day''s lesson was over, Mars and I were in Ushitotei. Irisdina-san and the others who asked me to go after school were also with me. No one was staying at the inn right now, the entrance to the shop was hung with a notification as a reservation, and it was only us and Hannah in the shop. Under such circumstances, It was Irisdina-san who first opened her mouth. "First of all, let me apologize to both parents. I''m sorry that we, the Francilt Family, have put your son in a dangerous situation." Irisdina-san bowed deeply with that word of apology. For Francilt Family, increasing the number of people who know the truth of the case would not be good for the household, but Irisdina-san said, "We did a cover-up for that incident, even so, I want to talk about things and show my sincerity." She explained the incident to Hannah-san and Dell-san, including the secret agreement with the Francilt Family 300 years ago. She is still dignified as usual, and she is looking straight at Hannah-san''s and Dell-san''s eyes. I was purely fascinated by her appearance. I don''t have such upright strength like her¡­¡­¡­¡­. She seemed prepared to be abused by Hannah-san and Dell-san for involving Mars and others ... "What the, you can actually stick out your body to protect such a beautiful girl!" With that said, Hannah-san started beating Mars'' back with a smile. Tima-san, who was protected at that time, turned her face red, cast her eyes down, and nodded a little. She''s pretty cute...... "It hurts! What are you doing !!" Mars did not notice Tima-san''s appearance and complained to Hannah-san whether it hurts so much. But his face is red, and no matter how we looked at him, he is shy. Seeing that, Hannah-san is in a better mood. "Indeed, On¨©chan, I hope this will always be the case. I still can''t be relieved yet. There are too many criminal records after all." Ena is still merciless to Mars, but her cheeks are so loose that she can''t hide them. She is happy that her brother to be praised even though she usually hates and slams him. "Ah by the way. Nozomu-kun. Is the timing still alright? I want you to go out with us for a bit ..." "Hm, I don''t mind. What are we going to do?" "It''s nothing important. It''s a great opportunity, so why don''t we take a walk together? I''ve never been to this area of the commercial district." "Yes~~s ... I also agree~~!" "I ... don''t mind" Somia-chan cheerfully answered Irisdina-san''s suggestion, and Tima-san agreed. "Well, it''s okay. I can guide you around here ..." "I''m not good. There is preparation for the night ..." Mars gave his consent, but Ena-chan couldn''t go, unfortunately. Ushitotei is a restaurant during the day and a bar at night. She needs to prepare for it. "It''s okay. Ena, just go." Hannah-san recommends Ena-chan to go with us. "Eh, but the preparation is ..." Unlike Mars, she is a serious person. She is hesitating. She may be confused between giving up her duties to help out or going to play. "It will be okay. Please go because your friends invited you." "... Y, yes!" Hannah-san tells Ena-chan with a smile. She was at a loss at first, perhaps she was encouraged by Hannah-san''s smile, she came here with a smile. "I need to monitor On¨©chan, so I''ll go! Treat me well, everyone." "Hm, don¡¯t mention it" "Please treat me well~~" "Yup, my pleasure." "Why is it monitoring me ..." "Now, now... Likewise, Ena-chan" *** Nozomu¡¯s POV Six of us walk side by side in the pathway of the commercial area. The appearance of attractive beautiful girls walking side by side is quite conspicuous, and the passers-by are looking at them in various gazes. Their reaction to those gazes also varied. Irisdina-san is completely unmoved by the myriad of gazes and does not lose her dignified appearance. Perhaps Tima-san is embarrassed by their gazes, she looks down all the time and her face is red. Somia-chan enjoys going out with everyone, she doesn''t care about her surroundings and she smiles a lot. Ena-chan doesn''t seem to be able to do the same without worrying like Somia-chan, but she''s laughing next to her. Mars glared at the gazes directed at him, on the contrary, he is attracting opponents. "Ha ha ha ... nevertheless, it''s powerful ... this lineup..." A bitter smile leaked to the reaction of several men. The commercial area is lined with quite a few shops, as various goods are carried from various countries. Crafts and lacquerware from the eastern part of the continent, teaware and clothes from the west, textiles and spices from the center, and bottled fruits from the south. In addition, travel merchants are also enthusiastic about doing business, setting up stalls, and repeatedly promoting their products. It''s lively and it seems that we can enjoy it just by walking. Irisdina-san and others are looking around various stalls and shops, and the story is blooming. Looking at it, I once again feel that the girls who seemed unreachable at the school are also just young girls. When I think about it, I have never walked around the city like this since I came to this school. I was always devoted to training and work, and after being dumped by Lisa, I became more absorbed in training. Although I have lived here for more than 2 years, there are many things I don''t know ¡­¡­ No, I didn''t try to know ¡­¡­¡­¡­. As I walked for a while, buried in my thoughts, I was suddenly pulled by my arm and taken to the back alley. It was Irisdina-san who pulled me in. "W, what is it?" "Sshh" Suddenly a white finger closes my mouth which was trying to raise a voice. She made a silent gesture and asked me to look at the other side of the road, so when I looked at it, Ena and Somia were there. Looks like, Ena-chan was drawn in without knowing, and her eyes were fluttering. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hey, what does that mean?¡± I don''t want to raise my voice too much, so I talk to Irisdina-san in a quiet voice. "What, I want to leave Mars-kun and Tima alone" "Why is that?" "Tima is not good with boys, so I want her to get used to it even a little. And she seems to be okay with Mars-kun and you than other boys ..... Above all, Tima wants to thank Mars-kun, and it seems embarrassing for her. So, I took some forceful measures. " I see, that''s why I was forced to be alone. Perhaps Somia-chan is also doing the same thing. Looking towards Somia, she smiles and waving her hand. "... So that''s it. If that is the case then, what would we do now?" I thought it would be bad to re-join Mars and Tima. She won''t do anything like peeping with just two people, right. As I thought something like that, she said something ridiculous to me. "Then, let''s go on a date together" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Yes?" Chapter 3.4 Tima''s POV (Wh, where did everyone go !!) I''m so nervous that I''m about to die now. My heart is also screaming, "Help me, help me." (Why, I''m alone with Mars-kun before I knew it! Far from Ai and Somia-chan who were next to me, Nozomu-kun and Ena-chan were gone too before I knew it! Why! How come!!) Honestly, I don''t know what to do!!! I was screaming in my heart, but in reality, I couldn''t speak anything, and I was so nervous that I was overwhelmed. "What happened to Nozomu and others? Before we knew it, they were gone ... Did we deviate?" "Yea~h, I think so, too..." I managed to answer with a small voice, but I''m so nervous that it ended up with a high-pitched voice. (Wh, what should I talk about! ... I''ve never talked to a boy alone like this ... Ai! Help me!) In my heart, I asked for help from my bestfriend who is not even here. I''ve never walked around the city alone with a boy like this. Whenever I went out, I was with Ai and Somia-chan. I had been confessed to by a boy, but I never accepted his feelings, and I never go on a date before. "Chi, they got us. The roads are complicated around here, so it''s difficult to find if we deviate from them ....... It can not be helped, if we can''t find them after walking for a while, let''s go home and wait. Is that okay?" "Y, yup. Please ........." With that, Mars-kun started walking, and I followed him a few steps behind. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We walked in silence for a while. I honestly don''t know what to do, with my face down, I looked at the boy walking in front of me as if I was looking inside of him. When I first met him, I was very scared. He was suddenly glaring and intimidating me. My legs were quivering, and my hips might have been loose without Ai at that time. The next time I met him, he was with her sister at Somia-chan''s birthday party. I was scared when I was waiting for Nozomu-kun and others at Ai''s mansion, but it was until I saw him when he was having a quarrel with his sister in front of Ai''s mansion. The two had a big quarrel in front of another person''s mansion and were the focus of attention from the people around them. What''s more, even though they had been fighting for a while, as soon as they noticed the crowd around them, they put it aside, and the two, brother and sister, asked Nozomu-kun "Why you didn''t stop us?" When I saw such a scene, my tension was naturally loosened, and I was giggling without even noticing it. And that incident happened. In order to help Somia-chan whose soul was about to be pulled out due to a past contract, I caught the contract familiar with my strongest binding magic, but Rugato-san couldn''t leave me alone, and I was about to be killed by his magic. It was Mars-kun who helped me at that time. I never thought he would help me, I was completely stunned, "...What are you stunned for. You should concentrate on your magic. I''ll do something about that old man''s magic." Mars-kun turned his back on me and confronted Rugato-san. Although he hadn''t tried to hide his frustration from me until now, at that time, I clearly felt that my and his feelings were united. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. What''s wrong?¡± "U, uh! It''s nothing!" "¡­¡­Is that so¡­¡­" Maybe he noticed my gaze, Mars-kun stopped, looked back, and talked to me. I say nothing, I''m nervous and awkward. Silence flows between us. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ It was my bad at that time ¡­¡­¡± "¡­¡­¡­¡­eh¡­¡­" "That ... I got irritated when I first met you ......... I haven''t apologized properly yet ... " He scratched his cheek and apologized for the first time we met. Perhaps he was still worried about that, his expression was a little dark and awkward, his gaze was looking down a little. "It''s okay! It''s doesn''t matter anymore! Also, at that time, you helped me ¡­¡­¡­¡­" I was surprised at his strange behavior that was different from the usual him who was always full of confidence. I thought he wasn''t the same as Ai, but just like her, he was as confident in his actions as she was. It seems that Mars-kun was worried that he didn''t apologize to me, but I haven''t thanked him yet ¡­¡­¡­¡­. I always lack courage and hide behind Ai. Even during the lunch break, I couldn''t thank him by myself, and I could only say it when I was accompanied by Ai. But now I feel like I can say thanks to him, face to face. My heart is still throbbing, but I dare to raise my face. "I, I haven''t said thanks to you properly yet ... A, at that time, I think I couldn''t help Somia-chan if Mars-kun didn''t keep up." "Y, yeah ¡­¡­¡­¡­" Mars-kun looked surprised, but I was so nervous that I didn''t notice it. His voice turned inside out and may seem like a very weird kid, but he just screamed what was in his own heart. "Th, that''s why ... that ......... thank you ........." I was finally able to convey my words to him with my own voice. *** Mars'' POV Tima raised her face and said to me, "Thank you". After saying that word, Tima''s face is not the dark, unconfident, and gloomy expression I have seen so far, but a natural smile that is truly relieved from her heart, and it was completely aimed only at me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I don''t know why, but my face feels hot. I can''t see her face properly. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I moved my mouth to say something, but the essential voice did not come out at all. I¡¯m almost like a fish on the verge of suffocation. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..Mars-kun?¡± Perhaps she noticed something was wrong with me, Tima''s expression gradually darkened. It''s bad if I didn''t say anything!!! "Y, y~eah, is that so ..............." (No, it''s not that! What''s this! It''s not a decent reply!! Why at such a time! ) When I was searching for the next word while I was thinking inwardly, for some reason Tima smiled with a deeper smile on her relieved face. It was the first time. I saw her heartfelt smile. (¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­) This time, even my thinking stopped. Not only my face but also my chest gets hot. At the same time, my whole body feels like hit by lightning and I''m suffocating. I found out that something is wrong with me, and I turns my back on Tima because I didn''t want to be suspected by her. Contrary to my actions, she is still worried about the guy in front of her. "? Is something wrong??" "... N, no. It''s nothing .......... It''s about time we go now." "Ah~, y, yup ..." I started walking with my back turned to disguise my feelings, Tima hurriedly followed me. Once again, we continued walking silently to each other. But unlike before, Tima is walking side by side next to me instead of following me from behind. *Thank you* How long has it been since someone else said that to me? Maybe this is the first time. Since I was a kid, I was strong, and when I fought, most of the kids of the same age were crying and going back and forth in a quarrel with me. At that time, the adults around me were scolding me, but as I grew up, neither children nor adults confronted me head-on but started to hit my back without my knowledge. Those things affected my offense to increase further. I didn''t like everything, those who couldn''t say anything by themselves but sneaky in the shadows, those who looked at my complexion with depression, and those who return remarks many times, such trash. That''s why I kept getting stronger and venting my irritation to the surroundings somehow. I knew it was a nuisance to Ena, Dell, and others, but I just couldn''t recognize their weaknesses, I couldn''t admit it. Did I overdo it? Even the meritocracy Solminati Academy is out of hand, I was dropped into the lowest class, but I still didn''t want to admit that weakness. But what is it? At first, Tima was just as irritating as the others, but the word "thank you" she just said made my uncontrollable irritation gone like a lie. It''s not only that, what is it ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. I stare at the girl walking next to me, looking sideways so that she doesn''t notice. Her drooping bangs were hiding her face because she was looking down a while ago, but she wasn''t looking down anymore, exposing her true face to the sun. Her small face and big eyes, her nose-lined contours, and her hair beautifully cut to her shoulders show a white nape under her hair. The thunder-like shock that ran through my entire body had disappeared, but this time, my heartbeat of *badump, badump* hits my ears. I don''t know why, but it seems that my heart is beating faster and faster. (What is it? This is ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­) "B, By the way, do you have siblings?" I continue to have emotions that I don''t even understand and talks to her as if I had something to say. Anyway, I just wanted to do something to deceive my feelings that I had never felt. "Y, yup, I have one younger brother ..." Tima joins on my story. Somehow the appearance of her is also strange. Her face is strangely red, and her movement is more jerky than usual. It looks like a bad golem. "Is, is that so?" As I thought, my reply is also strange. I can''t make a voice, my legs are heavy, my heart doesn''t stop beating (no, I''ll die if it stops), and everything is wrong. We walked towards the main street while making strange movements, and during that time, my heart didn''t calm down at all. *** The main street of the commercial district. The direct road from the outer edge of Arcazam to the vicinity of Solminati Academy in the center, and is the only one place where many shops lined up inside the commercial district. When two girls, Somia and Ena, were walking side by side on this main street, many store clerks talked to them. Both Somia and Ena are beautiful girls, but they mainly talked to Ena. "Yaa Ena-chan. Are you on holiday today? If you eat this you will be healthier." "Ena-chan. I have delicious meat, please bring it with you." "Yahho Ena. I appreciate your efforts in taking care of Mars. I''ll give you this, so please continue your hard work!" The people who talked to her gave her various things, so in a blink of an eye, the two small arms were filled with souvenirs. "Woa~~~. It''s amazing. To get this much ..." "Well, On¨©chan was always rampaging, I wonder if it was because I help various stores in stopping him¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡± As with helping, in her case, she also plays a big role as a stopper for the rampaging Mars. Ena was relied on by the people of the commercial district as one of the few who could stop her brother, Mars. "But was Mars so violent? I thought he was a moody person, but I think he''s a kind person deep inside" "Well, Somia-chan hasn''t seen On¨©chan rampage ... I''ve been watching Onichan for a long time, but he picks fights with various people wherever he is. I wonder why did he become such a violent person ... I hope he didn''t do anything terrible to Tima-san. " Ena is worried about Tima because she knows Mars'' behavior so far, but Somia wasn''t too worried. "But I don''t think it''s such a terrible thing. You¡¯re just worried about Tima-san after all." "You''re right, but¡­¡­¡­¡­" Ena knew that Mars was concerned about Tima, but she still felt uneasy. At that time, a wave of people rushed over with a loud noise. The two hurriedly evacuate to the side of the road. "Wh, what is it !!" "Fu, Fue ~~~~~!" The rushing people flee like mice that predicted a big earthquake. "Sorry, please step aside!!" "Kyaaa!" "Aah! My store!" The big tsunami of people overrun the main street, involving street stalls, goods, livestock and even carrying horses. When they noticed, there is no one on the main street, and all the open shops and stalls are gone. *** Mars and Tima arrived at the main street while passing through a complicated side road like a spider web in a commercial area. This is the only commercial center of this city, and there are many lively shops and stalls lined up. The crowds make Tima, who had lived in the city for several years, a little overwhelmed. "As I thought, It''s amazing ..." "For now, Let''s go back to Ushitotei through the main street, hopefully, we''ll be able to meet Nozomu and others along the way, also, Irisdina and others will stand out, if that the case, you may have seen them." When Mars took a step forward, he met a clerk at a nearby store. "Ma, Mars ......... I, I''m sorry. The store is closed today!!" The clerk who met Mars suddenly said that the store would close and started closing the store. Other stores that heard it also started closing in a hurry one after another. "I''m sorry! I''m out of products today, so it''s closed!" An aunt at a general store started closing the store even though there were still many products on the shelves. "U, uo, there''s a hole in the bottom of this pot! Can you sell such defective products? !!! That''s why the store will be closed! " The blacksmith''s father retracted into the back of the store, perhaps because he found a hole that couldn''t be seen in a pot with a solid bottom. "It, it hurts! I have a stomachache! It looks like I was selling rotten products ... That''s why I will be closed for a while !!" A butcher shopkeeper who disappears from the store at a speed that does not seem to be a sick person, spitting out words that are likely to cast a shadow on future business. The strange behavior of the surroundings is not limited to the store clerk ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Oh! I remembered my errands !! I have to hurry home !!" "Th, that''s right! It was my sister''s wedding today! I have to hurry home !!" "Oh right, it''s my date right now!" "I feel like my grandmother is in critical condition! Need to go home !!" The customers who were shopping at various stores a while ago suddenly run away. Tima was completely standing in such sight. People are disappearing in front of them as if the tide is pulling out. What''s different from the tide is that those who are gone will not come back. Mars walks to one of the stores. "Awawa wa! I, I have to hurry ... now!" Crash !! The shopkeeper was in a hurry trying to put away the products, perhaps because it took time to close the store, on the contrary, he knocked down the products. He hurriedly tried to get it back, but by that time Mars was already in front of the shopkeeper. "¡­¡­Oi" "A, aa aa! I''m sorry! I''m sorry! Please don''t break the store !!" "...... Listen to my stories ... " The shopkeeper begging loudly to block Mars'' words. Mars was completely releasing malicious air by his desperation. At that time, someone with a nice voice spoke to him "What are you doing? On¨©chan" "Eh? The stores suddenly closed, what happened?" It was Ena and Somia who came. For some reason, they have a glass of sweets and food in their hands. The shopkeeper saw Ena as a savior. It''s a big difference from the sad face he used earlier. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.On¨©chan. Did you do something again ?!¡± "Haa ... I didn''t do anything ......... I just tried to ask if he saw you ..." Ena, who alternately looked around Mars and the shopkeeper, thought that Mars had something to do, and began to question him, but Mars'' reaction was pale. He''s always aggressive towards her, but today he''s strangely quiet and obedient. Ena stares at Mars, who is too strange, with a suspicious look. (Somehow On¨©chan looks different from usual) "......... What''s wrong, On¨©chan? You''re kind of weird, isn''t it?" "Is it so strange that I answer honestly ¡­¡­¡­¡­" Mars, who is said to be strange even by his younger sister, drops his shoulders as if he had endured it. "Given what On¨©chan has done so far, the actions of everyone in the town are natural. How many stores do On¨©chan ran over and destroyed?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Mars can''t say anything to Ena''s words. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I have no intention of doing something like that ¡­¡­¡± Mars murmured while somehow grieving. For him, this is where the irritation in his chest disappeared and he became calm. Honestly, he was keenly aware of what he had done and was depressed. "......... But, that On¨©chan would be so obedient ..." Ena mutter so as cannot be heard by the surrounding. Beyond her gaze was Tima, who looked anxiously, and behind her was Somia who tighten her feeling and said, "How was that!" "W, what is it?" "Y, yup, it''s nothing. It''s about time for dinner, and I have to help the store ..." Mars looks at Ena with a suspicious look, but Ena shakes her head and says it''s about time. Certainly, the sky was colored red and the wind was getting colder and colder. "That''s right ... but Nozomu and Irisdina are still" "A, ane-sama!!" "Wait, Wait a minute! Somia-chan !!" ".... Looks like we found them." When Mars looking beyond Somia''s waving hand, he saw Nozomu and Irisdina walking from the other side of the main street. Mars dropped his shoulders as if relieved, and when he exhaled, he saw Tima, who was smiling at Somia. Mars and Tima gaze meet, and Tima diverts her gaze for a moment, but she looks back at him and smiles. Mars naturally smiles back at her. Somia started running toward her sister. Ena, Mars, and Tima, looked and smiled again at each other and started chasing after them. Chapter 3.5 Nozomu''s POV Invited by Irisdina-san, she and I were walking together in a section of the commercial district. Many stores were built on the street, and probably because each store was preparing for dinner soon, a good smell was beginning to drift from here and there. I can see some people on their way home, perhaps after finishing their day''s work. I had no knowledge about the land around here because I had been devoted to training in my school life so far, but Irisdina-san, who should be a young lady of a famous family, walks swiftly instead. "E, erm, you''re moving ahead without hesitation, does Irisdina-san often come to this area?" I asked Irisdina-san, but my voice had become stiff, probably because I was strangely nervous. It can''t be helped. I can''t imagine being invited to a date by the black-haired princess... "Yea, sometimes I go out to commercial areas and civic areas with Somia. Actually, I''ve never been to this area, so I''m really looking forward to it." "Hee........." I was a little surprised. Since Arcazam is a city that each country attaches great importance to, the number of military police patrolling is large and the security is quite good. However, that is not absolute, and there are some unsafe places in commercial areas where many people from outside the city gather, and I think that people who are related to government officials and aristocrats do not come here very often. "It''s true that commercial areas are not safe, but there are many things coming there from all over the continent. Sometimes I and Somia can see things we have never seen, and I like to go around those places." At school, she has always been a model honor student, like a sharpened knight''s sword. At least no one has the image of her innocently parading through a commercial district. "......... It''s a little surprising. You didn''t have the image of coming to such a messy place when you were at school." "Isn''t it exciting to walk in a place you didn''t know? Well, some of the people in my household are noisy, and I''m just too stiff myself, I''ll just get suffocated if I stay there." Irisdina smiles with a happy, innocent face. Looking at that smile, my cheeks also loosened. "And also, I know how to protect myself." When Irisdina-san says so, she taps the handle of the rapier on her waist with a triumphant face. Well, she is one of the highest-ranked students in the school, and her ability to reach A rank is not just for show. Nozomu also got a glimpse of her ability in the battle with Rugato. At that time, her opponent had a big difference in strength, so she was defeated, but if it was the average opponent, she wouldn''t be defeated. It''s not often meeting thugs in this safe city with good public order. "Alright, let''s go" I hurriedly chased after her who started walking again after saying that. The commercial district is a place that accepts many people from outside the city, such as travelers, and various merchants that buy goods from other cities and sell their products here. There are many stalls, here and there. Little children and lovers are walking around on the paved cobblestones. "As I thought, there are various stores here... Is that a candy seller?" Irisdina-san found a stall selling a variety of candy crafts. On the shelves and desks, not only animals such as birds, rabbits, and cows, but also figures such as travelers, dancers, and various things that imitate lovers are made with colorful candy craft. There are many children around the store who probably live in this area. In the back of the store, an uncle with a wide physique, who is probably the owner of the store, is making a new candy craft, and the sweet smell of melting sugar has enveloped the store. "Hey, hey, next time make a knight''s candy for me!" "Eeh! It''s my turn next! Hey uncle, I want a princess!" The children are making a lot of noise and trying to get the shopkeeper to make their own candy. "Please be patient. I''ll make it without rushing." The children around him were rushing and said "quickly", perhaps because they couldn''t wait, and the owner of the store was struggling to make candy with the children. At that time, the line of sight of me and the shopkeeper suddenly met. "Aah, you guys! Give me a moment please?" When the shopkeeper suddenly stands up, he pushes his way through the children and came here. "Hey, can you help me a little? There are too many children. It''s okay even for a moment. Of course, I''ll return the favor. Can you please help me?" "Isn''t it okay? Looks like the children are about the same age as Somia, so there is no problem. How about Nozomu-kun?" "It''s okay, well, I''ve never made candy myself, but I can cook, so I think I can help." "Alright !! It''s bad, but I''ll ask for your help." The shopkeeper guides me into the stall, and Irisdina-san heads for the children. I''m not sure, but the candy craft itself is my first experience. I''m a little worried, but it''s a great opportunity. Let''s do it anyway. *** Iris'' POV I am now surrounded by children. When I asked if they would like to talk because it still takes time to make the candy, the children suddenly get into it. "Heey, heey, On¨¥san. Is On¨¥san a student at that big school?" The children started listening to me because I''m a student at Solminati. The beautiful school uniforms based on white are quite noticeable. And if they live in this city, they can''t be unaware of Solminati Academy. Children may see the students of the school many times in their daily lives. As soon as they realized I''m a student at the school, the colors of the children''s eyes changed. "Aah, that''s right. I''m studying a lot over there." "Amazing! That''s the school for becoming a knight ?! Then, will you become a knight in the future? You''re so lucky, I want to go too!" One boy was amazed, saying "amazing, amazing", and the eyes of the other children are shining like the boy. Perhaps the Solminati Academy is a place for children to admire. Children are about the same age as Somia. They, looking with the same pure and innocent eyes as my sister make me very happy. It is true that many of the graduates of the school have been summoned to various countries and have held various important positions, and the countries of the continent have established this school and provided a large amount of support to develop such advanced human resources. Knights are one of the positions of those who serve the country, and some go on that path. It is incorrect that the children thought students of Solminati Academy = knights, but in a sense, it is also not entirely wrong. "I see, then why do you want to be a knight?" "I want to be strong !! Get stronger, defeat the bad guys, and protect everyone!" The boy answers my question without hesitation. His eyes are shining. "I see, it''s good to have a goal, but you have to do a lot to reach your goal." "Yup. That''s why, when I grow up, I''ll go to On¨¥chan''s school!" I listen to each children''s future dreams. All the children happily talked about their dreams. ¡°I want to be a knight¡± ¡°I want to be an adventurer¡± ¡°I want to be a candy shopkeeper¡± "I want to make a lot of beautiful clothes" The children who told me their story were all full of dreams, and I was strangely happy listening to them, and it is as if they were sharing their strengths. (Yes, I want to protect many people, including Somia, and above all........ I want to continue to be Somia''s goal) That''s my goal and the reason I keep going. Somia was never held in her mother''s arms. I tried to be her mother replacing her deceased mother, and above all, I wanted to be the sister she is proud of. For that reason, I was able to devote myself to the harsh training and endure it. Suddenly, Nozomu-kun, who is making candy in the street stall, caught my eye. What is the reason for him to fight? What is the reason why he continued to keep going even after he was sentenced to be unable to become stronger due to the manifestation of Ability Suppression? And the rumor with Lisa that flowed during the 1st year, and what happened to him after that? I met him only a few weeks ago. I and he didn''t have enough time to understand each other. *** Nozomu''s POV When Irisdina-san was dealing with the children, I helped the shopkeeper to make candy and to put the candy in the bowl on the fire to melt the candy. I have never made sweets such as candies, I lived alone, cooked for myself at Shish¨­''s place, and cooked simple meals even in the forest. However, it was limited to when a safe place could be secured in the forest. All I''m doing is putting a fixed amount of syrup and ingredients such as sugar in a bowl, stirring them, and heating them to boil. The shopkeeper looks at the stickiness and color of the candy that I boiled, takes out the candy from the bowl at the right time, uses a wooden stick, and quickly makes work with his familiar hand. There is no momentary stagnation in his hand, and in a blink of an eye, a candy craft of a princess and a knight is made. By the way, I also tried to make one, but I couldn''t handle the soft and dripping candy with a wooden stick, and it became messy. "... It''s an amazing handiwork ........." "Well, I''ve been a candy shopkeeper for a long time. I''m used to it." I''m not sure about candy craft, but I felt that his technique for skillfully making various things into candy craft was great. In fact, the candy I made wasn''t a craft, it was clearly an object of avant-garde art that went too far. "Ermm, why are you running a candy store?" I was wondering why he had so much refined his candy crafting skills. Candy craft obviously needs a lot of effort, and the price isn''t high compared to the trouble. It won''t pay for the effort he spend. "Originally, I love to eat rather than make. I bought various candies and compared them. Of those, I wasn''t satisfied with just eating them. I started making various candies myself. I was surprised to see the candy I made, and I was happy to see everyone''s smile when they ate the candy. So before I know it...... that''s about it." The shopkeeper does not stop his work while talking. The softened candy swells as if it were alive in the hands of the shopkeeper. "But as I thought, it''s the most fun when I''m making candy. Sometimes it''s not very profitable and sometimes it''s painful, but it''s fun so it doesn''t bother me at all. I want to do this job all the time." The shopkeeper''s face is lively while making delicate work with candy. I think he really likes candy. It''s a smile that only for those who are doing what they really love. "What I want to do ......... a dream, is it? ..." A dream I had before. A dream that I have lost and turned my back on. I''m a little jealous of the shopkeeper who could talk about his dreams like that. "Hoi, It''s done. Please don''t fight, just eat peacefully" "Waa~a~a !!" "Amazing! It looks just like in the picture book princess and a knight !!" Children flock to the candy that was made. It was like ants swarming in sugar. Not only Irisdina-san and the candy shopkeeper, but also the people passing by naturally smiled at the appearance of children chewing on the candy with smiles. Looking at them makes me feel a little more energetic. A scene that I never saw when I was alone. Before I knew it, I was naturally smiling. Chapter 3.6 Nozomu''s POV Nozomu and Irisdina were walking down the streets again. In their hands is a candy that the owner of the candy store gave them as gratitude. When they try it, the sweetness melts in their tongue and the sweet scent spreads in their mouth. "This candy is wonderfully crafted, and it tastes good." "Yes, If you bring it for Somia-chan, she will be happy too. " "Yea, but she doesn''t have an eye for sweets. She is worried about cavities." While showing her appearance as an older sister instead of a mother, she looks strangely cute as she holds the candy and smiles, and Nozomu''s cheeks loosen like hers. At first, Nozomu was nervous, but now his nervousness has been released, albeit a little. "But was that okay? Irisdina-san''s candy over there is..." The candy she was licking was an ill-shaped candy that I made, and it couldn''t even be called a craft. "Yup. Isn''t this your first work? Rather, was it okay for me to eat it? " "Yes, of course, it''s okay. The taste will probably not change, and it''s a waste to throw it away just because it didn''t work." "That''s right! In that case, I might as well enjoy it!" After being convinced, Irisdina chewed the ugly candy. Nozomu continues walking on the road, which is gradually becoming more crowded while looking sideways at her eating candy deliciously. "Oh! The beautiful lady over there! If it''s alright, Would you like me to forecast your fortune?" "Hmm, what?" "Well, a fortune-teller?" When we turned our eyes to the person who was suddenly called us out, there was a small store on the side of the road, and the signboard of the store said "Fortune-telling". There is a white-haired old man with a white beard inside the store, and he smiles at us ... "Um, I''m called Zonne, as you can see, I''m a fortune-teller." "Hmm, fortune-telling¡­¡­¡­¡­" (Is he really a fortune teller?) Nozomu had doubts about the appearance of the store. There are many strange things inside the small store. A jar full of crystals, cards, and thin wooden sticks, which are supposed to be used for fortune-telling, is randomly placed on the desk. On the wall of the store, talismans that seem to be from the East and things that seem to be amulet accessories are hung without gaps, and for some reason, there is even a skull of a ram. It''s no longer a fortune teller, but a suspicious magical organization or a recruitment place for religious groups. Besides, the atmosphere of the old man is also strange. From the old man''s presence, Nozomu felt familiar with the same presence as the one he known. "Oldman. What can you foresee?" "Anything. I''ll show you everything, your future, tomorrow''s weather, tonight''s dinner, and your lover''s affair!" (The content of the fortune-telling is too crazy !! Or rather, can you really tell by fortune-telling that we have an affair!?? It can''t be helped to be branded on for something like an affair) Nozomu doesn''t know where to start, but Irisdina, who is surprisingly curious, seems to be enthusiastic. "Come on, young lady. Why don''t you try it?" The old man persistently invites Irisdina since earlier. (This old man obviously ignoring me !!) The old man''s gaze is completely fixed to Irisdina, and he doesn''t care about Nozomu as much as his hair. "Well, it looks interesting, so let''s do it. What about you, Nozomu-kun?" "Aah, I''m....." "Come on! Let''s get started!" "... I''ll refrain from doing it ... " (... I''m convinced. He''s the same kind of person as Shish¨­ ...) Nozomu, who felt that the old man have the same presence as his master Shino, swallowed the complaint against the old man. This kind of old man doesn''t listen to what he says, his words will only flowing from right to left, he''s such a wild person. Nozomu thought that wasn''t the case, but looks like, the world is just a small place. "Then show me your palm." Taking Irisdina''s hand, the old man takes out a magnifying glass and begins to stare intently at her palm, but he obviously has a grin on his face, and his touch is strangely nasty. "... So, old man, what''s the result?" "Hmm~, it takes a little longer~" An old man caressing Irisdina''s hand with a grinning face. Nozomu''s anger gauge goes up to the old man''s behavior. "Hmm, it''s hard to see. This time, the other hand..." "Divine Punishment ??!!!'' "Gehaa !!" (Ah, crap. I forgot to adjust it ¡­¡­¡­¡­) Nozomu knocked his knife-hand strike down on his head, perhaps because he couldn''t stand Zonne''s behavior trying to touch Irisdina. This kind of old man couldn''t be stopped by words, so Nozomu finally went out to exercise his strength. Perhaps, because Shino was in his head, Nozomu dropped his knife-hand strike with all his might ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Wh, what are you doing! To the elderly!" However, seeing him who could still complain loudly, the old man seems to have no problem at all. Nozomu is convinced in his heart that he doesn''t need to go easy on someone like the old man. "What are you saying! This ero-geezer !! You''re already old, why don''t you think about it for a moment!!" "What did you say, young man! If you see such a finest flower, it''s a man''s nature for wanting to touch it! And only the truest man is the one who tries to get that flower no matter what!!! I couldn''t do anything like you, after all, so I just touched it instead! And you can go now, it''s a flower that beyond a runny-nosed kid like you!! " "You''re crazy! A walking obscene material! That kind of thing, I''ll throw it away in the toilet together with your dentures !!" Nozomu had already thrown away his refrain and started to quarrel with the old man. Nozomu''s voice is strangely powerful, probably because the old man said the same thing as Shino. They were swearing at each other, but during the quarrel, a voice like a clear stream came in. "......... By the way, old man, how long do you intend to hold my hand?" Irisdina''s voice itself was quiet and clear enough to be heard by everyone, but Nozomu''s body cowering in intimidation, and his back was tingling with cold sweat. She has a smile on her face, but her cheeks were twitching and she was clearly annoyed. "Ah! N, no, it''s over. Hahahaha ..." Perhaps the old man, who is feeling her intimidation upfront, feels the danger more than Nozomu, his face is pale and his voice is trembling. His gaze wanders around, he seems to be trying to escape, but he can''t escape because he''s still holding her hand. "That''s right. Let''s fortune-telling one more time." "That ... I humbly declined ........." "It''s okay. I''ve already got the result .... The results are..." "Fu ~o!" *Crack* Somehow, a sound was heard from the old man''s hand that was being held by her. "Hurts, it hurts. M, My lady it hurts a little ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± *creak creak, crack!* The sound of tightening of the grip gradually became louder, and at the same time, the old man''s face turned purple. Perhaps the old man realized that he could no longer escape on his own, he threw away his own nature and began begging Irisdina. "Wait, I''m sorry! It was just my sudden impulse! Please, young lady! Don''t make it any stronger! As expected, my hand will break!" However, Irisdina does not accept the old man''s appeal. With her icy smile, she puts more force on her clenched hands. *creak creak! snap!* (Ah!!) "Fu ~ouoooooo!!" Finally, the limit was reached, with the sound the bones seemed to be broken, Zonne collapsed. He was blowing bubbles from his mouth, and when viewed from the side, he seemed to go straight to the casket, but the cause was all due to his own behavior, and Nozomu couldn''t sympathize with him. (This old man. I''m sure he won''t be disciplined with just this level ¡­¡­¡­¡­) Nozomu remembers his teacher, Shino. She was undoubtedly the best in terms of sword skills, but in her daily life, she was strangely childish and didn''t listen to people. She was exactly like the old man dying in front of him, where she was so self-centered and would tantrum when he opposed her. (But Shish¨­. No matter how many times my katana was gone inside the forest, to leave me alone is a bit too much¡­¡­¡­¡­) Nozomu drops his shoulders, remembering his past. When he had a quarrel with Shino, he had previously been left overnight after his weapon was picked up by the demon beast''s rampage in the forest. It was dusk at that time and soon became dark. Nozomu couldn''t see anything in the dark night and be frightened by the howling of the demon beast. He had no way to protect himself if he was attacked at that time, and he had no choice but to escape. In fact, he has had the experience of being attacked by a demon beast around midnight and escaping from his life. "Now, my preaching to the mischievous old man is over, it''s about time for us to go now." "A~, yeah, let''s go ..." Nozomu was sunk in his past trauma, but Irisdina''s voice brought him back, and the two returned to the city while Zonne lying down on the desk. All that was left behind was the pitiful old man who had lost himself due to lust. When the two left Zonne and returned to the main street, the sunset sky was gradually darkening and the night curtain was beginning to fall. "Fufu, but I was surprised. Didn''t expect Nozomu would make such a loud voice ... " Perhaps because he saw the unexpected side of Nozomu, who usually doesn''t shout. While giggling, Irisdina put her hand on her chin and began to laugh. "Ah, no. That old man was very much like a nasty old lady that I knew. Maybe that''s why I don''t need to hold back, or rather, I wonder if I can really holding back ..." Nozomu replied sloppily while looking away and scratching his head, perhaps because he remembered his past abomination. "I never thought you would be so loud." "Irisdina-san too. I didn''t think you would go into such a suspicious store." "Ah, well ........." Without losing, Nozomu also counterattacked. He didn''t expect Irisdina to enter such a suspicious store herself. Perhaps she''s embarrassed because of the pursuit of Nozomu, her cheeks are red and her gaze is wandering. The two turn their eyes away from each other and their faces turned red. A strange silence is flowing between the two. "Well, I was also able to see the unexpected side of Irisdina-san. By meeting you......" Nozomu talks to Irisdina to try to manage the strange atmosphere, but when she hears his words, she looks at Nozomu with a frowning face. "Ermm ... Irisdina-san?" "By the way, I''m curious, why are you always use honorific to me? Why are you talking to Somia normally?" Irisdina presses into Nozomu to answer with her imposing eyebrows, but Nozomu doesn''t know what''s wrong. (Looking at her eyebrows ... She''s kind of angry, why?) "N, no. It''s nothing. It''s just, for some reason..." She begins to think about Nozomu''s words. "......... Hmm, it feels like I''m more distant than Somia. You can say that understanding human relationships can be done by the mention of their name, okay! Let''s try to call each other out, I will also call you by name." "Ha~a!!" "Oh yeah, don''t use honorifics. You and I are classmates of the same age, so don''t use honorifics. Aah, my name would be hard to call, so call me by nickname. " "Eehh!!!" She had been thinking for a while with her arms crossed and her hands on her chin, and suddenly she told him to abandon her honorifics. What''s more, she suddenly told him to call her by her nickname. "H, how should I call you with a nickname?" "Ai is fine, same as Tima says" (¡­¡­¡­¡­ Isn''t that too difficult for me? I feel like I''m skipping a few steps ...) "Let me see¡­¡­¡­¡­" "That''s right! It''s okay for you to think about it. It doesn''t matter which one. Can you try to call me now?" Irisdina laughs and asks him to call her using a nickname. She also tells him to think of the nickname. When he sees her urging with a smile, she clearly enjoys seeing Nozomu''s reaction. Unlike the unwavering girl when she was in school, she changes her expression and looks into Nozomu''s face. Her chasing look is a sight to see, but Nozomu''s head was already full. (Is she really that "black-haired princess"? Well, I recently found out that she''s not the person we thought she was, she''s a girl of my age who laughs, mourns, and gets angry same like us ...) Nozomu felt the same admiration for her. Same as Lisa, his first love, and Ken who were standing next to him before. Her dignity to face the other day''s incident, which should be inconvenient for her own household. She has the strength to face Dell and Hannah head-on without deceiving them. Nozomu genuinely respected her strength and liked her as a human being. "E, ermm ... I understand. A, Ai ... risu-san ..." As expected, I hesitate to call her "Ai" suddenly, and since my heart is not ready yet, I decided to call her "Iris-san". "Aa, please treat me well, Nozomu. And I don''t need the ''san''." It''s just her usual name, but she still laughs happily. "A, a. Ai ... risu........." In the end, Nozomu decided to call her without honorifics. "Fufu! Well then, let''s go find Somia and the others." "Wait! E, eeh!" Irisdina suddenly took Nozomu''s hand and started running. Suddenly feeling the touch of her soft hands, Nozomu panicked and flustered. He is forcefully pulled by her. The setting sun sets on the horizon, and the first star begins to shine in the sky. Day and night, the two lights lit up, his hand pulled by her with a big smile and he looks awkward but it is kind of fun. Chapter 3.7 The commercial district where the night curtain descends. Originally wrapped in the dark night, silence should dominate, but in the commercial area, lights are lit here and there, and many people are still coming and going. However, the people who come and go on the road are very different from the people who come and go in the daytime, adventurers with swords on their waists and women in bewitching costumes. In order to get what they wanted, they went out to the city at night, which had a different atmosphere from the daytime. Here, at Ushitotei, many men and women of all ages gathered for their food and sake. "Okay! The ordered lamb soup and much more are ready! " Hannah, the proprietress of Ushitotei, puts the hot soup on the counter with a dashing voice, and the waitress Ena begins to carry the dishes with her accustomed hands. The petite girl has so many dishes that it looks like she can''t carry them, but with her solid footsteps, she carries the dishes one after another without fail. "I''m sorry to have kept you waiting! This is the dish you ordered!!!" Ena puts the ordered item on the table with a clear voice. The guests sitting at the table swallowed their spit, perhaps the scent rising from the freshly prepared dishes stimulated their nose and appetite center. "Oh! I''ve been waiting!" "I''m hungry~" "This looks delicious!" Perhaps the customers were very hungry, they immediately caught the food and put it in their stomachs one after another. Meanwhile, a customer talked to Ena. "Ena-chan seems to be in a good mood. Did something good happen today?" "Eh, does it look like that?" "Yea, somehow your voice is more cheerful than usual, your face is brighter, and I understand it well." "Eeh, well. Actually....." "You! Come on, say it one more time!!" "Ah, again ..." The customer who was talking to Ena looked at the person who shouted, two customers who were drinking at the counter were arguing. Perhaps their blood is rising in their heads, it seems like they were about to start beating each other. "Haa, it''s okay to drink alcohol, but I want you to stop using violence ..." "Good grief, fighting at this store will make them can''t eat meals here for a while." However, the two did not seem to be particularly concerned, as they were only amazed when they saw the customers. The two who were fighting heated up even further. "I''ll say it over and over again !! At that time, I had to leave because the load has been stolen !!" "Huh? It was probably because you made a detour and didn''t deliver it straight away!!! " Not sure what the story is about, but it seems that the cause was that the load they were carrying was stolen. However, they made such loud noises, it would not be good if they caused violence. The regulars at the store will never do that. They know well that it''s inexcusable for them to do that. When Ena tried to talk to them to stop their quarrel before things got worse, a familiar voice broke between them. "Oi, cut it out" It was Mars who interrupted between the two who were in a quarrel. His voice echoing deep inside their belly and gave them a magical curse, and the two who were just in conflict are petrified like statues. "I know that alcohol makes your head feel a little loose, but fighting is not legal here. If you''re going to do more, I''ll force your wallet and body to pay a nuisance fee, what would you do?" When Mars threatened with some kind of words and actions, the two customers laughed, taken out of their wallets, handed over their money, and quickly went out of the store. It feels that the money given was lacking in prudence. "Hahaha! Did it just happen? They were lucky. If they make a fuss at this store when he''s here, he couldn''t be satisfied with just that much if they weren''t good at handling it ... " Actually, Mars has beaten all the adventurers who made a fuss at this store in the past. There was a big commotion due to the fact that the share of the reward within a group was broken. Some customers were caught up in the turmoil and some were injured. The other party who caused the commotion was about D-rank, and the number of people was 5, but Mars, who had already begun to show his talent, fight against the adventurers alone. As a result, three of the adventurers had their arms and legs broken, and two were beaten to the point where the shape of their faces could not be recognized. Since then, the law of violence when Mars was at Ushitotei has become an implicit rule among regular customers. The customers who did not know this were injured in their bodies and minds, were forced to collect nuisance fees and were thrown out of the store together with their friends, same as what Mars said earlier. "Right." (But I don''t think it''s just luck ...) Ena remembers her brother after going out with everyone today. When Tima and Mars were alone, she was worried that her brother would be rude to Tima. Even though Somia said, "It will be okay", Ena, who has been witnessing Mars''s rampage, was still worried if her brother would do anything bad. However, while she was away for a bit, her brother''s uptight atmosphere was fading. There is Mars, who is more straightforward than ever. He is less likely to be irritated when in conflict with her now. To be clear, Ena couldn''t believe her eyes and couldn''t help wondering if her brother had gone crazy. (I wonder if something happened with Tima-san?) Ena looks in her brother''s direction without being noticed. Mars, who has driven the quarreling customer away, is organizing the luggage at the counter, but unlike the usual him, Mars is somewhat calm. To be honest, Ena was quite curious about what happened between Tima and her brother. Tima changed Mars in less than half a day, even though Ena, Hannah, and Dell had spoken over and over again and spent years after years. Ena, who was always talking to her brother (sometimes a fierce mental attack), wanted her brother to change his mind. She is happy with the fact that Mars has changed. But on the other hand, she is a little disappointed. "... Geez, stupid On¨©chan ..." Her mutter was inaudible to anyone and was swallowed by the hustle and bustle of the bar and disappeared. *** Tima¡¯s POV The eastern district of Alcazar, called the Civic District, is lined with homes for many people living in the city. One of the houses, an ordinary house that is no different from other houses. A nobody, who could become a historic magician in the future, is living in that house. "Hey, Tima-n¨¥chan. Did something good happen today?" "Eeh, Why do you think so?" "No, It''s just, you''re smiling more naturally than usual, and you''re giggling so freely. Didn''t n¨¥chan never do something like that?" "Is, is that so..............." With my brother''s words, I thought of a boy of the same age who was walking next to me today. At first glance, he looks scary and violent, but the boy has been worried about the incident since that time. I''ve been bullied by a boy in my neighborhood since I was a kid, and I couldn''t make friends with girls, and I couldn''t talk to anyone other than my family until I met Ai. I was terrified when I was alone with him today, but before I knew it, I didn''t feel the fear anymore of being with another boy. "What happened to me ¡­¡­¡­¡­" Somehow the inside of my chest is warm. It feels different than when I was with Ai and Somia. It''s been smoldering in my chest since I walked around the city with Mars today. *** Iris¡¯ POV The northern section of Arcazam is the political center of the city. There''s a mansion in that section. Inside a room in Francilt''s mansion, a maiden was throwing her limbs onto the bed in a luxurious bedroom. The maiden is wearing a purple see-through nightie. The moonlight shining through her window illuminates her long, lustrous black hair, projecting white skin like fresh snow in the dark night. It was already late at night and the days were about to change, but the girl was lying on the bed and she was pondering all the time. I threw myself into my bed and remembered about today. In order to leave Mars-kun and Tima alone, Nozomu and Ena-chan were separated from them by me and Somia. It was a bit of a forceful method, but as a result, it seems that the two of them were able to make up properly, so it was good for me. Well, when Mars and Nozomu weren''t there, I was told something by her, but when she remembered about what happened today, she will start to get bashful. That''s cute, but¡­¡­¡­¡­. "... I¡¯m curious about Nozomu ........." His appearance at that time is still deeply imprinted in my eyes. A benefactor who saved the life of my sister. At that time, I was about to lose Somia and I tried to break the restraint, but before such a strong person, I was too helpless. Since I was a child, I decided to protect my only sister, and I have been studying everything, not just sword skills and magic. I think that my power is certainly my own blood and flesh, and I was evaluated as an unprecedented human being in this perfect meritocracy Solminati. However, such a thing did not work against the old man. I couldn''t even hurt the old man who tried to take my dear sister, and it seemed as if everything I had done was pointed out as meaningless. Somia and I were trapped in despair when we were faced with a reality that we couldn''t do anything about. It was a single sword that rescued us. The swinging sword pierced the abyss of despair and saved our hands that were begging for help. Since that time, I have been thinking about him. Gaze at my own hand. Today, this hand held his hand and ran around the city. His hand was bigger than I expected, and as he kept swinging his sword, it became stiff, and there were sword calluses in some places. He was angry at the old man who touched my hand without hesitation, showing his emotions as much as he could, unlike his usual quiet self. To be honest, It''s a shame that he missed the timing because I punished the old man earlier than him at that time. "I wonder what is it ..." The palm of my hand was slightly warm, and the warmth vividly reminded me of when I was holding hands with him. I remember many things. His face when he was making candy with a serious expression, his face when he was having a tongue battle with an old fortune-teller, and his face that was troubled when I held his hand. While remembering his face, I gently squeeze the hand that was connected to him in my chest. I shouldn''t let my precious things escape ..... "Fufu! I feel my heart is throbbing ¡­¡­¡­¡­" *** Nozomu''s POV Nozomu and Irisdina parted ways at Ushitotei, and Nozomu returned to the dormitory. The sky seen through the window in the dormitory corridor is already near to darkness. It''s probably because various things happened today. Nozomu''s face is a little tired. (Various things happened today.) Climbing the stairs to his room, Nozomu remembers about today. Irisdina, who suddenly came to the classroom during the lunch break, invited him to a meal and caused a big uproar in the classroom. "Well, if those two suddenly come, everyone will be surprised ..." The two, Irisdina and Tima, are the people that everyone in the school knows and is aiming for. The turmoil broke out throughout the school, and Iwas taken to the back of the school building unwillingly by the classmates and was about to be lynched. Nozomu also resisted, but as expected, many were out of his control. In addition, the students began to use magic even though it was not in a training ground. At that time, Nozomu, who didn''t have any advantage, would have been seriously injured without Sh¨©na''s help. Sh¨©na dismissed the boys who surrounded Nozomu, but she turned to Nozomu with contempt. She told Nozomu, "you reap what you sow" and she immediately turned her heels back and left. She probably didn''t like being with Nozomu. Her attitude itself represented her feelings. (Well, that''s reasonable ¡­¡­¡­¡­. It''s because I haven''t take any action and tried to change anything ...) Most people in the school will have the same feelings for Nozomu as Sh¨©na. A student who can''t keep up is not suitable for the school. A bastard who played with a woman''s heart. The evaluation surrounding him hasn''t changed as he turned to face it. He still couldn''t decide what to do next, and while it''s painful to continue to be bullied by others, Nozomu was slowly beginning to accept that it was his reality. Thanks to Shino, he was able to notice the fact that he had been running away, turning his eyes away, and closing his ears from the surrounding. However, after realizing that he had escaped, he gradually accepting his escape because he is no longer alone, Shino is no longer in the world, but now there are a few student in the school who can be called as friends. When he was with them, Nozomu felt that the dull pain that had been eroding his heart every time he was abused by the surroundings had now eased, albeit a little. *Ba-dump* "Eh !!" Suddenly, a heartbeat was heard by Nozomu''s ears from the back of his chest. The heartbeat becomes quiet once it makes such a loud noise, and nothing can be heard anymore. (What was that just now, perhaps ...) That heartbeat is not Nozomu''s heartbeat. The "Tiamat" inside him was reacting to something. (What on earth¡­¡­¡­¡­) Nozomu doesn''t know what the guy inside him has reacted to. However, the heartbeat informs Nozomu of the existence that has been sealed inside him and forcibly reminds him of the bloody nightmare he had after releasing the suppression. The bloody nightmare that burns everything down. Nozomu has finally begun to take a step, but the road is still surrounded by deep darkness. *** ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± One figure is looking up at the dormitory where Nozomu is. The lights of the surrounding houses had already gone out, and only the stars illuminating the night sky reflected the presence of the figure. Various emotions are mixed in the eyes of the figure. Anger, hatred, and regret. But even if we can read his emotions, we probably can''t know the source of those emotions. The shadow doesn''t do anything, it just keeps looking up at the dormitory. Keeping his eyes on Nozomu who disappeared into his room. Chapter 4.1 "Waa~!" "Fu~!" In the suburb of Arcazam City. Two people, one men and one woman are slashing at each other in the field leading to the outer edge. One is Irisdina Francilt, a girl with long black hair. She dances gracefully like a butterfly flying around the field, slashing with the rapier in her hand and thrusting it into her opponent. Her speed is just like a flash. The girl is slashing at a speed that even ordinary people could not see. The other is Nozomu Bountis, a boy holding a katana with Seigan-no-Kamae (TL : posture in kendo). He handles the series of flashes of light with his katana that only seen as afterimages. However, the boy gradually backs off, perhaps because it is difficult to handle it completely. Irisdina''s mowing attacks gradually broke Nozomu''s defenses, and Nozomu gradually became unable to handle her. Her rapier began to graze his body, even so, Irisdina''s attack still can''t reach the boy in front of her. (Kuh! As expected, it''s fast! I can''t handle it completely !!) (As I thought, it''s amazing! To handle my attacks this far, which is overwhelming with my ability ¡­¡­¡­¡­) While retreating, Nozomu transmitted the momentum of his foot and his trunk to both of his arms. He skillfully parrying Irisdina¡¯s slashes, who is superior in physical strength. With his opponent''s physical abilities drastically enhanced by strengthening magic, it is difficult for Nozomu to fight head-on. Her physical ability is not as good as Mars''s, but her ability to master not only swords but also magic is troublesome. And Nozomu doesn''t know all about the skills she possesses. That''s why Nozomu was initially trying to get away from her, even just a little. Because he was fighting in the vast area, Nozomu used that space to handle Irisdina''s attacks. If the two were fighting in a small room, Nozomu would not have been able to do that. (However, the sword is not the only weapon I have! Nozomu!) At that time, the ground at the feet of the boy suddenly rose. The raised ground has shaken off Nozomu and his foot stops. However, Irisdina, who wields a sword in front of Nozomu, has not chanted or created a formation to activate the magic. Still, the reason why her magic was activated is due to her ability, "Immediate Deployment". "Ku!" Nozomu, whose momentum was destroyed, immediately abandoned his previous purpose. As he rolls on the ground, he manages to avoid the approaching Irisdina''s sword. If his decision had been delayed for a moment, her sword would have reached Nozomu''s body. (I thought the victory is decided by now. His judgment is extraordinary ...) (It was ridiculous. There is almost no time lag in magic activation. Her ability to deploy magic immediately is so troublesome ...) Irisdina pursues further. She shoots the rapier against Nozomu who hasn''t got up yet, but Nozomu catches her rapier with his katana while standing on his knees, he takes advantage of the curve of his katana''s blade. Then, he parries her rapier upwards. (This time it''s my turn !!) "Waa~!" After parrying Irisdina''s slashes, Nozomu stands up and at the same time takes a step toward her and launches his katana. The katana that was launched will naturally be prevented by Irisdina, but Nozomu continues to launch it regardless. Unlike before, Nozomu uses the rotation of his hips, ankles, and knees to slash at Irisdina while moving his legs. The slashing dance without any stagnation was completely devoted to the basics. A high-pitched sound echoes and sparks of metal-to-metal collision are scattered. Nozomu''s slashing is sharp and accurate, but his opponent is the top-ranked in the third year. By swinging up her rapier, Nozomu''s katana is repelled sideways without any difficulty, and she cuts into Nozomu with her returning sword. "There!" "Ku~!" Irisdina tries to counterattack by slashing diagonally to Nozomu, but Nozomu steps back while trying to parry her. However, the next moment, a black magic bullet approached in front of Nozomu. Nozomu pulls out his scabbard and defends against the magic activated by the ability of immediate deployment, but he is blown away by the impact and greatly loses his posture. The magic of Irisdina pursued Nozomu who was out of shape. Several ice arrows about the size of an adult''s arm are formed in the air. The magic activated by Irisdina is *Icicle Dance* Forming several icicles and launch them. It''s a magic that skewers the opponent. The icicles waiting in the air rushes toward Nozomu with the command of Irisdina. Nozomu activates the instant move with all his might. When the flying icicles collide with the ground, the impact rolls up the soil and shatters it into pieces. Of course, since it is a mock battle, the tip of the icicle is rounded by tampering with the technique, even so, if he got hit by it directly, he will be in agony because of the pain. "Not good enough, Nozomu!" (It''s bad! This distance is an easy target !!) This time, a magic formation is drawn at Nozomu''s feet, and dark chains are entwined around both of his feet. It is the "Binding Chain of Darkness" that restrained Rugato''s contract familiar in the previous incident. "Wha, my legs!" Furthermore, Irisdina pursues. A lump of wind is formed in front of Irisdina. The roaring green vortex that engulfed the surrounding wind eyed a prey called Nozomu in front of it. That specialized skill is like a hungry beast waiting eagerly. Nozomu''s feet are completely trapped by the chains of darkness, and it seems very unlikely that he will be able to evade the magic of Irisdina. The contract familiar that the dark chain previously bound is equivalent to rank A. In common sense, there is no way for Nozomu, who cannot use magic, to break this bind. "Here I go!" The beast of the wind is released with the signal of Irisdina''s shout. The released wind spirals cut through the surrounding atmosphere and rush to overrun and eat up the prey called Nozomu. *Wind Tunnel of Hungry Beast* The magic of wind spiral runs through while overrunning any existence in the direction of travel, the magic got this name because the compressed and swirling wind makes a roar like a beast. As long as both of his feet are already restrained, it cannot be avoided, and Nozomu, who cannot use magic, cannot take defensive measures such as putting up a barrier. (But it doesn''t mean I don''t have an option!) In front of the beast of wind rushing towards him, Nozomu puts his sword in his scabbard and slams his scabbard butt against the "Binding Chain of Darkness" that restrains his leg. Qi technique *Breaking Strike* Originally, it is an internal destruction technique that directly drives into the opponent''s body and shatters the internal organs. He hit this technique into the magic formation at his feet instead. The magic formation shattered with a high-pitched sound due to the "Breaking Strike", and the dark chains were scattered. Nozomu activates the instant move at the same time as the shackles disappear. While plunging into the "Wind Tunnel of Hungry Beast", he sent his full power of Qi to the katana that was returned to its scabbard, and at the same time, extremely compressed it. Nozomu changes "Instant Move" to "Instant Move -Curve Dance-" in front of the "Wind Tunnel of Hungry Beast" in front of him. Without slowing down, he turned away from the approaching magic, ran through the side of the "Wind Tunnel of Hungry Beast", and Nozomu approached Irisdina as it was. However, as expected, she is the top-ranked. She was already holding her rapier and ready to confront him. Nozomu pulled out his katana and let go of the extremely compressed blade ...... "~!" A red dream flashes back in front of him, and he hesitates to pull out his katana. And thus, there is no victory for those who are wavering in the match. By the time Nozomu noticed, the rapier that Irisdina had swung down was already approaching in front of him. *** The previous mock battle ended with the victory of Irisdina. After the mock battle, the two are sitting on a section of the meadow, including Mars, Tima, and Somia. Today they are talking about the training they did early in the morning, and they came to this outer edge where there will be no problem even if it was a little noisy. "It was a good match" "Is... is that so?" For Irisdina, it''s a pure compliment to Nozomu''s tenacity, but Nozomu, who hasn''t fully understood his own abilities, just gives a vague answer to her words. As for Nozomu''s feeling, he was pushed all the time and his counterattack was completely prevented, so he didn''t think it was a very good match. "That''s right. It would be rather strange for you to hold out when you haven''t released your ability suppression." Mars agrees with Irisdina''s words. Mars is now opening a book while sitting on the grass. He is reading a textbook related to magic. He is willing to open a textbook, which is something he doesn''t usually do, but he may have had something to think about after the fight against Rugato. Tima and Somia were sitting beside Mars. Both of them were watching the mock battle between Nozomu and Irisdina. The black cat, Kuro, is rounded in Somia''s arm, and Tima is stroking Kuro in Somia''s arm beside her. Kuro is dozing in the sunny weather, occasionally yawning with a big yawn. "Yup. I haven''t seen many people who can fight Ai that much...." "That''s right! Ane-sama has a fighting skill that is as good as the regular knight of Forsina, so I think it''s good for you to have confidence." Mars''s words followed by Tima and Somia. The rank of Irisdina is A. This is a rank that a first-class human can have, and if you think of it as a knight, it is equivalent to a royal guard knight. Nozomu himself saw her ability in the fight against Rugato and felt that her skill was no different from that rank. "Hmm, is that so?" However, it seems that his self-evaluation that has been ingrained until now cannot be easily overturned. In fact, Nozomu is not that strong. To be precise, it is correct to say that his ability cannot be easily evaluated because it is too uneven. Actually, it''s strange when he can fight with Mars and Irisdina, who are overwhelmingly superior, while in the presence of ability suppression. At that point, Nozomu''s sword skills were far beyond the student''s level. However, there is a limit to how much skill he has when he is under ability suppression. Just as a dragon, who is an overwhelming existence, blows away a first-class swordsman like garbage with just a slight swing of his arm, a pure ability difference appears as an overwhelming difference on the actual battlefield. Moreover, for Nozomu, not only physical strength is limited by the ability suppression, but also Qi and magical power. The amount of Qi, the number of times of use, power, range, etc, are greatly reduced. There is almost no magical power, and the means of magic cannot be used from the beginning. In other words, it''s like putting weight on his whole body and running before fighting, and Nozomu constantly fighting in that state one after another. He never felt comfortable. Even if his ability to fight only in such a state was evaluated, Nozomu would only feel a sense of discomfort. "And in the end, I won, but Nozomu didn''t use that technique. I didn''t know what would happen if he used that technique in the actual battle." "Well, that''s right." Mars agrees with Irisdina''s words. That technique she was referring to is Nozomu''s "Phantom" technique that she saw in the previous incident. That technique has incredible speed and cutting power, and once released, it is extremely difficult to defend and avoid. Sure, Irisdina was pushing all the time in the mock combat, but Nozomu had a way to overturn that inferiority and didn''t use it. No, to be exact, he couldn''t use it. " ... All right, let''s talk about this, so what is Mars doing? " Nozomu diverts the conversation and stares at his friend beside him. Nozomu has never seen Mars, who is not good at studying, reading a textbook by himself. To be clear, it feels strange, but he is glaring at the textbook as if he were looking at something important. "Well, I also have something to think about. I don''t think it''s going to work tho." "Then, is that about magic?" "Yea" Until now, Mars has only used Qi in his combat training, aside from class. This is partly because his trait is more suited to use Qi technique than magic, but it is correct to say that there was nothing that drives Mars. Even though Mars''s ability is high even in the upper grades, since his class is the lowest which is the 10th class, the opponents he fights against are always lower than himself. So he had never really been cornered to the limit. However, being cornered by Nozomu at the end of last year and being beaten up by Rugato in the previous incident may have been an opportunity for Mars to reconsider himself. "Guh, the interrelationship of attributes? The effect of terrain and geological conditions on magic? ¡­¡­¡­¡­ What kind of code is this?" However, as long as Mars is still steaming from his head, it looks like his future still has a long way to go. Aside from his practical grades, his written and other exam grades are not flattering. He has a strong desire to become stronger, and he was more suited to wielding a sword than reading a book. He was able to feel that his physical skill acquisition and study became stronger. However, his writing grades are terrible and is wandering around the bottom of the year. By the way, Nozomu, who used to take additional exams because his practical exam was not good, may be in the upper grades if it''s only for the written exam. "That''s right! Why don''t you ask Tima to teach you? Tima has a lot of knowledge about magic, isn''t it more efficient than studying alone?" "Ehhhhhhhhh!" Irisdina suggests to Mars that he should be taught by Tima. Tima is surprised and shouts with a loud voice, but her face is slightly red, probably because of her feelings. "What are you saying, please think about Tima''s convenience." With a stunned face, Mars was shocked by Irisdina''s suggestion. "I said it after thinking. And Tima herself doesn''t seem to mind ..." "Well, ermmm ......... uuu" When Irisdina tells Tima such a thing, Tima turns her face down, which was about to turn from red into crimson. She''s just shy at first glance, but Mars sees her gestures in a completely different way. "Look, don''t overdo it even though you don''t like it." Tima herself wasn''t completely satisfied with teaching Mars to study, but he said something completely wrong. Tima hurriedly corrects Mars'' words. "I, I don''t really hate it! I just wondered if I could do it ......... Ermm, if Mars-kun is okay with me then, would you like to study with me?" "Ehh, is that okay?" "Y, yea. I think I can teach you about magic ... but of course, if Mars-kun is okay with it..." "I, I have to say, you saved me" "Yup" In the end, Tima teaches Mars, who was struggling to understand the textbook. The wall between Mars and Tima when they first met had disappeared after a forced date by Irisdina and Somia. Instead, they have a strangely messy atmosphere now ... "Ane-sama, isn''t it about time?" "Eh, is that so. Well then, let''s go to school now." Irisdina answers Somia''s words. The sun is completely out of the horizon, and its light is beginning to illuminate the earth. Nozomu and his friends start walking toward the school. And today a new day has begun. Chapter 4.2 Nozomu and his friends were walking down the main street leading to the school. Students who are attending school, in the same way, are chatting around, and each topic is in full bloom. White-based uniforms stand out quite a bit on this street, where many people come and go, but among them, Irisdina, Tima, and others are stand out by far as usual. The passers-by look at them every time they pass each other and then they look at Nozomu and Mars with jealousy and doubts. Nozomu feels like he has a lot of eyes on him, but it''s reasonable. Mars''s appearance is not really that bad. His gaze is a little bad, but he is tall and rather well-organized. His younger sister, Ena, is also considered a beautiful girl full of vitality. Until now, Mars was always frowning and wearing a dangerous and tense atmosphere. Now that he''s calm, his original good looks stand out. (Well, certainly, I am the only one who is considered normal among them...) Nozomu, on the other hand, looks quite normal. His appearance and height are normal. We can just bring the face of a random person around, stick it on, and it will be done. Inevitably, he was exposed to jealousy more than Mars. (By the way, about the talisman that I found in the back of the school building before. I knew that it was an oriental-style, long-distance vision technique, but I didn''t know who was using it ...) Nozomu suddenly remembered the talisman he had found behind the school building. He still had the talisman he found at that time, and when he looked it up in the library, he found it was one of the long-distance vision techniques, "Eyes of Spatial Connection" but he didn''t know who was using it. Nozomu''s friend relation is small, and he didn''t know much about students in other classes. Considering that this talisman was in the direction where he felt the line of sight and also that Mars was invited by someone, he immediately thinks that the owner of this talisman is the cause. (... If it''s Iris and Tima-san, they may know about it) "By the way, I have something to ask Iris and Tima-san, is that okay?" "What is it?" "It, it''s okay ... what is it?" Nozomu shows the talisman he collected from behind the school building. "Do you know what this is?" Tima was the first to react to the talisman that Nozomu showed. It was a quick reaction, perhaps because she is a magician and has a good education. "This is a talisman. It is used as a magical medium in the eastern continent countries." "I wonder, do you recognize it?" She squints her eyes and stares at Nozomu''s face, but her expression is not good. "Hmm. I understand that it''s one of the long-distance vision techniques, but ..." "I also don''t know. In the first place, only a few people use the Talisman Technique at this school. People in that country don''t go abroad very often. At least they should have been in the third class or above." Irisdina, who was watching next to Tima, is also unfamiliar with it. At the same time, she wondered how Nozomu had such a talisman. She knew that Nozomu couldn''t rely on magical powers such as magic. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Rather, Nozomu. What''s wrong with this talisman?¡± "Eh! Ermm, that''s ........." Nozomu stagnates at Irisdina''s sudden question. Actually, Nozomu did not tell Irisdina and others that he was taken to the back of the school building. He didn''t want to make Irisdina and others worry, and there was nothing wrong with what Irisdina and Tima did for the fact that he was brought to the back of the school building. Irisdina and Tima just came to invite their friends to eat. It was Nozomu''s classmates who made the turmoil. When Nozomu heard that Mars was intentionally separated from him, he thought it would be better to tell Irisdina and others after finding the culprit and then resolving everything. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Are you hiding something?¡± "¡±... Is that true?"¡± As Nozomu was pressed, Irisdina and others were sensitive to the fact that Nozomu was hiding something. Probably they feel that the cause has something to do with them. Irisdina''s gaze became sharper, and strangely, Nozomu feels suffocated. "Ermm....." "This guy was taken to the back of the school building after you came to our class the other day." "Wait! Mars!!" ¡° ¡­¡­¡­¡­ What do you mean? " "Nozomu-kun ... " "Nozomu-san ... " Nozomu manages to escape, but Irisdina and others pushed him and press Nozomu with a three-way gaze, saying, "Lies are no good." Irisdina''s voice has dropped and turned into an intimidating voice. Her eyes become even sharper, and her stinging gaze pierces Nozomu. The faces of Tima and Somia staring at Nozomu became harsh, and Nozomu''s ears seemed to even hear the sound of the piercing gazes, *Stare--------*. "... Umm. That''s........" "Are you willing to talk?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­Yes" In the end, Nozomu couldn''t stand the gazes of the three, and the events behind the school building were told. When Irisdina heard that, she seemed to be angry. Her beautiful eyebrows are frowning, and her deep black eyes are swaying in her anger. Her anger was directed at the students who attacked one person in groups, there was also anger at Nozomu for hiding it. "... Why didn''t you tell us?" "There is nothing wrong with Iris and the others in the first place. I thought it would be better to solve it by myself..." "That''s not the problem !! Good grief!" "That''s right, Nozomu-san! The problem is that you didn''t talk to us !!" "That''s right! It''s painful for me if my friends have such a terrible experience, but it''s even sadder if they didn''t tell me at all!" Nozomu is blamed by three girls. He doesn''t know what to says, but they couldn''t ignore it as long as they were involved, and even though he cares about them, the saddest thing is that he hid it from them. "Hehe~! Well, this time Nozomu is bad." Mars is looking at Nozomu, who is surrounded by three people, whispering like someone else''s problems. Mars stands on the sideline before he knows it, even though he is involved. His cheeks are loose and he clearly enjoys seeing Nozomu flustered. However, Irisdina didn''t forget about him either. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.. By the way, Mars knew that Nozomu was hiding it.¡± "Ah!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ That ¡¯s right. In this case, Mars-san is also guilty.¡± "... Mars-kun" "......... Umm. Oh right! I was on a day shift today ..." Mars realizes that Irisdina and others'' spear points toward him, and tries to leave the place by telling an outright lie. However, as Mars was about to rush out, he got pulled back by being grabbed by the neck of his uniform from behind. It was Irisdina who pulled Mars back. She has a very beautiful smile and gives off a feeling of intimidation like Hannya. Somia and Tima also use intimidation that doesn''t suit their delicate bodies. (TL : The Hannya (°ãÈô) mask possesses two sharp bull-like horns, metallic eyes, and a leering mouth) "Now, it''s preaching time." Nozomu and Mars couldn''t resist the three, and they decided to raise the white flag early. Eventually, the three sermons to Nozomu and Mars continued until the central park in front of the school. It continued until they came to a place where they parted ways with Somia who went to Ecross. "Nozomu, from now on, there''s nothing hidden from us." "Do you understand! Nozomu-san!" "Mars-kun, you too ..." "Y, yes" "... I, I understand ..." Both Nozomu and Mars have their shoulders dropped and have blue faces. It seems that their life journey up to this point has been significantly narrowed down. The child, Somia, was angry with her cheeks bulging and still cute, and Irisdina wasn''t the usual her who was always calm, she was making a loud voice. Nozomu didn''t think she would get so angry, he could only apologize in a hurry. Tima just stared at Mars with a sad look, but if an ordinary man continues to be sadly stared at by a fragile beautiful girl, he will feel very guilty. Mars was no exception, at first, he just turned his eyes away with an awkward face, but gradually he began to groan, such as "Uh~" and "Muu", and finally apologized with a small voice, "Sorry". "Oh! Isn''t that the lady at that time!" When Nozomu and his friends looked at the source of the sudden voice, they saw an old man with white hair and a white beard coming to them. It was Zonne, the ero geezer who touched Irisdina on the date a few days ago. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Why is the old man here?¡± When Nozomu asked Zonne a question, the old man began to answer triumphantly. "I smell a good scent coming from here. I thought that there were probably quite a few flowers, but then I could meet the young lady again ... I feel destined! " (Ermm, good scent ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Should I call the military police? Or a doctor?) As usual, the old man is all dirty mind in his brain. He could tell the place where the beautiful girl is by the smell, it feels like a mess. Nozomu began to think half-seriously whether he should hand him over to the military police as soon as possible and push him into a man-only prison. "What the! There is another beautiful young lady! How is it! Would you like to have tea with me?!" "Eh, me?" "... Eh!" When Zonne noticed Somia and Tima by Irisdina''s side, he started picking up girls without worrying about time or place. Since this place is near the main gate of the school, it will naturally be seen by many students who are attending school and those who are heading to work. The people around are looking at him, but Zonne doesn''t seem to care at all. "Hmm! There''s a good store near here! Anyway, you are pretty. Just like a white lily!" Zonne approaching Tima and Somia without hesitation. He is too indiscriminate. While talking to Irisdina, he tries to call her best friend in front of her. "E, ermm ......... but we''re going to have lessons ..." Somia doesn''t seem to understand well, but the problem is Tima, who is originally not good with men. Zonne was approaching so vigorously that she was completely swallowed by the momentum. "What, don''t worry about it! The most important thing is that we met here now! People meet once in a while. You may never meet the person you met here again in your life. Then this encounter is more valuable than any jewel! That''s why young lady. Immediately date with me." ""That''s enough!!! "" "Buhaa!! " The fist slammed by Nozomu and Mars hits Zonne''s head directly. The two perfectly synchronized fists slammed Zonne''s perverted head against the cobblestones, and the old man''s face smashed with a pitiful moan. "What are you doing!" "That''s should be my line, ero geezer! If you don''t cut it out, I''ll roll you up and hand you over to the military police !!" Zonne, who was thrown to the ground and his face swollen to red, as usual, continued to say something selfish. As expected, Nozomu was not reluctant to deal with this old man, so he had no hesitation in stopping him even if he took physical measures. However, as expected, the words he hears next make Nozomu perplexed. "... No, that''s not necessary. Let''s cut him up right now ..." "¡­¡­eh!" It was Mars who made a ridiculous proposal. He already has a greatsword on his back and is about to kill Zonne. If we look closely, his eyes are completely bloodshot, and he seems to have forgotten himself in anger. "Wha, wait! What are you going to do in a place like this !!" "It''s decided !! I''ll just make meat from the carefree old man in front of me !!" Mars takes a peek at the blade of the greatsword from his scabbard. Tima and Somia broke in between them, perhaps because they thought it was bad. "Wait! That''s no good, Mars-san !!" "Wa, wait, Mars-kun! As expected, that''s overkill!" "P, please help me~~!" "Ha! Oi wait for me! F*ck*ng geezer!" Tima and Somia stop Mars from jumping on Zonne. Perhaps the old man, who was the cause, felt the danger of his life due to Mars''s anger and ran away with lightning speed. (That''s fast! What kind of body does that old man have......) Zonne runs away at a speed that clearly does not seem like an old man. His appearance has already moved to the entrance of Central Park, and he does not look like a person who shorts on remaining life at all. However, if he thinks about it, Nozomu''s master was also clearly not necessarily an old person. Considering their appearance, Nozomu would be convinced even if it was said that they were a single individual race called "Shino". He wouldn''t normally be able to meet such rare creatures in a row. He may be happy with that, but considering that the other party is that "Shino", it may be unavoidable for Nozomu to feel dejected. "So you want to escape! Wait!" "C, calm down. Mars-kun!" "Ane-sama and Nozomu-san !! Please don''t just look, help us!" (Ah, I forgot about Mars ...) Nozomu, who returned to reality by Somia''s words, hurriedly started running to stop Mars. *** Mars¡¯ POV Nozomu and Mars parted ways with Irisdina and others, then walked towards the 10th class classroom. Mars is still frustrated because his anger at Zonne has not subsided. "Damn, that geezer ..." I still couldn''t get rid of the anger towards that geezer, and I complained and grumbled. In the end, the old man named Zonne was gone, and although they weren''t injured, there was a flame of anger swirling in my chest that I couldn''t even understand. "Well, I didn''t sympathize with that old man, it''s just ... Mars, isn''t it settled yet?" "¡­¡­Hmm!" Nozomu calls out to me, whose anger hasn''t subsided yet. With blood still on my head, I just let out my voice to let go of it. Why am I so angry in the first place? When that old man approached Tima, an anger that I had never felt before came up inside me. Unlike when I''ve been messing around, a feeling of frustration as if my heart was grabbed instantly. In an instant, I recognized the old man in front of me as an enemy and tried to eliminate him from my eyes as soon as possible. I immediately felt it was overkill, but once the frustration that arose in my chest pushed my reasoning away, when I realized it, I was holding a sword in my hand. (What happened to me? ¡­¡­¡­¡­) My best friend in front of me worriedly stared at me, who looked different than usual, but I didn''t notice it. *** Nozomu sighs when he sees Mars, who is not yet calmed his own heart. In this situation, he may not even notice it even though he has arrived in the classroom. At that time, a male student jumped out in front of him. "Ah~" "Eh!!!" He tried to dodge in a hurry, but he couldn''t avoid it, and the shoulders of each other colliding. Nozomu was surprised to see the other party in front of him as soon as he regained his position. He has a slender and lean body, and his eyes are so thin that we can''t tell if he can see properly, but he has a well-organized sweet appearance and shining golden blonde hair. If anyone called girls out with that face, most women would probably go effortlessly. What caught Nozomu''s eye most was that the same golden tail as his hair grew from the student''s butt. "Ah, pardon me. I was in a hurry. Are you injured?" "I''m fine, but ... are you alright?" "It''s okay. Even if I look like this, I''m pretty well trained." That said, the boy put his hand on his waist and stretched his chest. A little childish gesture, but without negative emotions such as malice or irritation, but rather purely childish, Nozomu had a strange sense of familiarity with his atmosphere. "My name is Feo Rishitza. Third-year, 2nd class." "I''m Nozomu Bountis. Third-year, 10th class" "Fu ~~. I wonder if you''re "that" Nozomu Bountis." "Ah¡­¡­¡­¡­" When Feo hears Nozomu''s name, he squints his narrow eyes and stares at Nozomu. Nozomu has a stronger sense of familiarity with his peeping gaze. He is trying to dig up his memory. *clang~ clang~* At that time, the morning assembly bell rang. "Ah, it''s bad. If I keep going like this, I''ll be treated as late. Later, Nozomu!" Feo one-sidedly said goodbye and left. Nozomu had no choice but to start walking toward the classroom without wiping out the discomfort that had caught in his mind. Chapter 4.3 Iris'' POV After parting with Nozomu and the others, we were heading to our classroom, the 1st classroom. Next to me, my best friend talks to me as if she was betrayed. "Ai ~~. Why didn''t you help me ~~" In front of me, My best friend criticized me with tears for not helping her. Well, it can''t be helped, I can''t get into her assistance every time. By the way, when I couldn''t help her in the past, Tima''s magic, running wildly because of her mental strain, had blown away the other party. "Well, everyone was there at that time. And it was Mars who helped Tima with all his might, right? Tima was also feeling really happy isn''t it?" I give a mean reply. I''m sure my face also has a mean smile. Tima, who is the person in question, said, "Ermm, that is......... uu," and looked down with a bright red face. I still think that Tima is cute, and I envy her honestly. Perhaps because I''ve been trying to protect Somia since I was little, my language is manly and a little rough. Regardless of my appearance, I have no inner femininity. I''m no match for my best friend, who is bashful in front of me, and it''s the same for Somia, who is adorable like an angel. (He also ... would a woman like Tima be better?) I remember "him" who parted ways earlier. Recalling that he was hiding something, my chest feels stuffy. (Good grief, why he didn''t tell me at all ...) *grumble grumble grumble* An indescribable discomfort swirls in my chest. Perhaps because I remembered that he was hiding something, my facial expression has unknowingly become stiff. "Ai, calm down. I also got angry at that time, but because Nozomu-kun is such a boy, and if I think that my friends may feel unpleasant because of me, It can''t be helped to hide it, right? " "... I know ..." Although I understand it in words, as a matter of fact, my mood isn''t going to get better yet. Because of the irritation that I couldn''t understand myself, my steps toward the classroom naturally became quick and rough. "Yo. Irisdina" "... Kevin?" I was suddenly called out in the hallway in front of the classroom by a male student. A sturdy body, tall stature, and well-trained muscles pushed the uniform tightly, but there was no excess flesh. The most distinctive feature was that his head and waist have ears and a tail, which was proof of a beastman. Kevin Ardinal. One of the few students who belong to the first class of the first year and have reached rank A. He is a silver wolf beastman and overwhelms his opponent with his outstanding fighting sense and physical ability. Originally, the Silver Wolf tribe has the highest physical ability among the beastmen, but his fighting sense is particularly high among them, and in close combat, in the school, no enemy could match him except the S-rank Jihad Raundel. "I heard about yesterday. I heard you were with the "bottom" somewhere. I''m curious, such a useless thing would be nothing more than a waste of time." "......... No matter what you think about him, I have nothing to talk. I wonder how can your mouth speak something like that so easily." Kevin''s words and actions are so rude that my expression becomes even harder. However, Kevin ignored my feelings and approached me. Considering that he is a man, he is tall and bends down, and brings his face closer. "He~, even your angry face is still beautiful. I received a request for subjugation in the forest today, how about you lend me a hand? It would be very helpful if you were there." "... Sorry, I have something else to do today. Ask the other." I dismissed Kevin''s conversation, which was too impolite, and inconsiderate. I passed by him and entered the classroom. Certainly, dangerous beasts should be subdued if necessary, and by doing so keeps the beasts away from the settlements and towns. It can also be seen that unnecessary battles can be avoided. As a result, the damage to people without ability is reduced. At least I don''t want to fight with someone like Kevin who speeches and conducts showing contempt to another person in a straightforward manner. I absolutely don''t want to leave my back to such a person. At the very least, the person I can trust my back to must be a reliable partner in various aspects such as spirit and ability. Otherwise, there is a good chance of falling into the worst-case scenario. (Leave my back ... is it? Can I have such a partner someday?) To entrust your back in a battle means to entrust your own life and also to taking care of the other person''s life. (I wonder, what about Nozomu?) I remember a boy with a katana. He was the first person to come up with when I was thinking about the person who would take care of my back. The boy I''m most interested in right now. A male student who has been insulted as the worst human being. I still don''t know what he thought and how he gained that strength. Considering what he was doing the day after the Rugato incident, I could have expected that something would have happened, but since then he hasn''t seemed to reveal his heart. I know it can''t be helped. He has no one that he can talk to, and I don''t want to force him to tell me. (However, if he protects my back ... and if I also protect Nozomu''s back ...) Protect each other. Back-to-back on the battlefield where life can be lost. We are connected with each other with unwavering trust and overcome the difficulties in front of us. And even if we die, we share the same time until the last moment. If I could have such a relationship with him for a moment in the end, no matter how ¡­¡­¡­¡­. (... Wha, what was I thinking about .........) My face naturally turns red and my body becomes hot. A small and light *badump, badump* began to scream behind my bountiful chest that pushed up the white uniform, and I naturally put the hand that was connected to him on that day''s date on my chest. "Hmm?" I suddenly felt a gaze, when I looked at the side, a red-haired female student was looking at me. "She is¡­¡­" When the female student who was looking at me met my eyes, she quickly averted her eyes away, took out the textbooks from her bag, and started preparing for the lesson. *** The infirmary at lunch break. Here, Nozomu and Mars were waiting for Irisdina and others. Because Irisdina came to the 10th classroom and made a fuss before, it was decided that from now on they would have lunch here where there are only a few people. "Iris and the others are a little late." "... That''s right. Even though the lunch break is about half the time left, what happened?" "... Maybe the teacher asked them for something. Those two are highly evaluated by the teachers." "Well, it''s not impossible ... but I wonder if we wait any longer it''s already too late, shall we eat first?" "Well, that''s right. Time is limited and I think it can''t be helped." "Yeah ~. Both Irisdina-san and Tima-san are good girls to rely on, so the teachers will just rely on them completely~~. In the past, when I used to be their homeroom teacher and took a break due to illness, they were temporarily in charge of the first class~, and they helped with various things~. " "Anri. No matter how much those two of honor students were, don¡¯t rely too much on them." "It''s alright ~. I''m also a teacher ~~. That much is fine ~~" "... I hope so (Is it really alright?)" Even though Anri-sensei said it will be alright, Norn-sensei is quite worried inside. There are also Anri-sensei and Norn-sensei in the infirmary. The two best friends often eat lunch there. Both of them are having mainly lunch boxes, and sometimes they exchange side dishes. Anri-sensei, who was sitting while crossing her legs on a bed in the infirmary, spoke to Nozomu as she remembered something, saying "Ah." "By the way, Nozomu-kun~~. It seems that you weren''t able to concentrate so much in the morning lesson~~, is something wrong~~?" "Eh" With Anri''s words, Norn joins the conversation with a slightly surprised look. "It''s unusual. Nozomu-kun doesn''t concentrate on class, and Mars doesn''t know that is..." "Wait a minute!" "What does that mean! " "Norn ~~, that''s not true. Mars-kun listens to my class these days ~~ " "Is that so!? ... I''m sorry, Mars-kun, I just said rude things from my preconceptions." "N, no. It''s alright if you apologize ..." Norn probably thought she was a little overboard. She bowed and apologized to Mars. It''s no wonder that Mars, who has finally begun to listen to classes seriously recently, wants to complain about Norns'' words. But Anri followed up quickly that Norn was wrong, so Mars didn''t speak up anymore. Well, it''s only been a few days that Mars started taking classes seriously, so it may be unavoidable if she looked at Mars''s attitude in class so far. Norn-sensei, who apologized to Mars, is now looking at Nozomu. Nozomu put his hand on his chin and made a little thoughtful gesture, after which he slowly opened his mouth. "Well, I have a little thought ... Norn-sensei, do you know about a student named Feo Rishitza?" "Feo Rishitza? Ah, I know. He''s a boy in the same year as Nozomu." Feo Rishitza A male student who belongs to the second class of the third year and is a Fox Tribe boy. The Fox Tribe is one of the beastmen''s races, literally a race with a fox-like tail and ears. Unlike other beastmans, they do not have a large community and live in small family units throughout the continent. They seem to be a race with strong individualism, which seems to lead to not having a large community. As an individual, Feo Rishitza seems to have a free-spirited personality, and he sometimes skips classes. However, his grades seem to be quite excellent, as we can see from the fact that he belongs to the second class. His rank in the school is C. He can handle both the written test and the practical test evenly, and there are no subjects that can be called a weak field. "Erm, can that student use the talisman technique?" "Talisman technique? You''ve heard about unusual techniques again. I don''t know if he can use it or not, but the Fox Tribe is a race that lives all over the continent, albeit in small numbers. It wouldn''t be strange to know about the talisman technique in some way, but ... " When he listened to Norns'' words, the sense of familiarity he felt became clearer. Feo''s line of sight was exactly the same as the line of sight Nozomu felt behind the school building. (As I thought. It was probably Feo who was looking into me at that time .... But why does he need to do that? When I was looking into what happened behind the school building, I didn''t feel hostility from the direction of the line of sight. Even I didn''t feel any hostility towards me from the appearance of Feo I saw today.) What Nozomu felt from his gaze was not hatred or maliciousness, but a peeping gaze. In the forest where the monsters live, Nozomu repeatedly trains until he is half dead (forcibly) against the monsters who live there, and has been exposed to many hostilities in the school without allies. He has a fairly keen sense of such gaze. If Feo had been hostile to him, Nozomu would have noticed his gaze earlier at the back of the school building. (But there is no evidence. It''s over if I showed this talisman and he said, "I''m not involved"...) "Haa ........." Although the criminal had been guessed, there was no definitive proof, and Nozomu had no choice but to breathe out a sigh. *** Iris'' POV Went back in time, at the 1st classroom that has just started lunch break. Here, I, Irisdina, and my best friend Tima had just finished our morning lessons and were cleaning up our textbooks and other tools. Since we had promised to eat in the infirmary in the morning with Nozomu and others, we tried to leave the classroom with a lunch box after cleaning up, but a female student stopped us. "Do you have a little time, Irisdina-san?" (Ah) The one who called out was the red-haired female student who was watching us in the classroom in the morning. We know her very well. When she came to our side, she started talking with a serious look. "Lisa, what is it?" "......... I have something I want to ask, so is it okay to have some of your time?" Lisa Hounds. She was his former lover and childhood friend. The woman he liked the most. One of the people I was most interested in was standing there. Chapter 4.4 Iris'' POV "So Lisa, what''s your business with me?" When Tima and I were about to have a lunch break, we were called by Lisa to meet her on the rooftop. There was no one on the rooftop, The warm spring breeze strokes my cheeks, and I can only hear the chirping of birds and the voices of the students fluttering during the lunch break. "I''m sorry. To call you so suddenly .......... Irisdina-san, I hear that you''ve been with him a lot lately, is that true?" As I thought, what Lisa wanted to know was about him after all. I know her. Lisa Hounds A woman with fiery red hair tied behind her head and impressive mischievous eyes. She''s an attractive girl even to me of the same sex, and she''s so beautiful that no other boy would certainly leave her alone. She is a student who has reached A rank, which is only 5 students in the 3rd year, and is one of the few students who can compete with me even in practical classes by skillfully manipulates two sabers, long and short, with outstanding physical ability. It''s a well-known fact that She is dating A-ranked Ken Notice in the same year right now, and how many other girls wept because of that... She looks at me with a serious look. Her mischievous eyes lurked, and her eyes seemed to swirl with indescribable strong emotions. "Ah, it''s because he is my friend. Is it that strange?" The moment I called him a friend, her face was distorted as if she had bitten a worm. A look full of hatred that is not like the usual her. That alone shows how much she hates and detests Nozomu. "......... Irisdina-san, it is better not to be near him." My eyebrows moved with a twitch at the words she suddenly said, and Tima had a surprised expression on her face. Tima may have never seen her hate people so far. I also see her with such an expression for the first time. Lisa is a talented person who is in the top 5 in the third year, but she doesn''t boast her abilities and treats everyone equally. Earlier, when I was helping Anri-sensei carry the tools used for class at the request of Anri-sensei, a lower-class female student of the same year was picking a quarrel with upperclassmans under the window. After that, when I talked to the female student who was involved, It seems that the upperclassman was at a guild and was looking for a member to enter the forest, but couldn''t find one, and the upperclassman was not allowed to enter the forest. It seems that he was trying to take her by force. At that time, I gave a word to Anri-sensei and immediately went to the scene, but it took me a while because I was on the upper floor. However, when I arrived at the scene, Lisa, who had already rushed to the scene, managed to subdue the place. She broke in between the students who were in a quarrel with upperclassmans, and it seemed the upperclassmans have been dealt with without taking a single step. "E, erm Lisa-san ..." Perhaps worried about Lisa, the female student seemed to have called her name, and the upperclassman who heard Lisa''s name tried to invite her, ignoring the female student earlier. However, she rejects the invitation of the upperclassman. The extremely enraged upperclassmen tried to pull out his sword, but it seems that Lisa had a saber blade stuck to his throat the moment the upperclassman touched his sword. In the end, the upperclassman was threatened by her overwhelming ability and escaped in the process. She is a woman who can face wrong things head-on, even if her opponent is the upperclassman. At least that was what I felt about her. "Do Irisdina and the others know, what he did? I won''t say bad things. You had better stop being with him right away." At that time, Lisa, who faced the upperclassman with her resolute attitude, told me to dissolve my relationship with Nozomu in words that I couldn''t think of like her. I listened to Lisa''s words about Nozomu and asked her questions that never disappeared in my mind. "......... Is that.... because of what happened between you and Nozomu?" Neither I nor Tima knows what really happened between him and her. It was rumored that he was dumped by her because Nozomu betrayed her, but when I actually met him, he was very different from what I heard in the rumors. The question I have been feeling since I met Nozomu. The difference between him that I hear from rumors and him when I actually see, talk, and touch him. The difference between the rumors I was hearing and the actual truths. What happened between Lisa and Nozomu is the basis of that. The moment she heard my question, her face was even more distorted. Lisa is desperately trying to hide her swirling emotions within herself, but she can''t. She clenches her fist and appears to clench her teeth. "I''d like to hear it because it''s a good opportunity. What exactly did he do to you?" "We''ve been with him for a while now, but he didn''t look like someone in the rumors" "......... I don''t care. Anyway, I gave you some advice. You should get rid of him before it gets terrible ..." After saying so, she turns her heels back and goes out of the roof. Her back, which left quickly, clearly said, "I can''t speak anymore," and she seemed to say, "I don''t want to be asked anymore." *** "Ah, I arrived" "I''m late" After their conversation with Lisa on the roof ended, Irisdina and Tima came to the infirmary where Nozomu and others were. It was late, but the lunch boxes of Nozomu and others hadn''t been opened yet, and it seems that they waited until Irisdina and Tima came. "Ah. I''m sorry I''m late." "S, sorry ..." "Don''t mind it. I think you must have a sudden errand. We have a little time for lunch left, so let''s eat." "Then~, bon app¨¦tit!" When Nozomu said so, Anri said, "I''ve been waiting!", she opened her lunch box and started eating. After the two who were prompted by Nozomu also sat down on the chairs, they started eating their lunch boxes. Everyone was devoting themselves to their meals for a while, but Irisdina glanced at Nozomu with her sideways glance, she was worried about Nozomu. Nozomu also notices Irisdina''s gaze and asks her. "Hmm, Iris, do you need something?" "N, no it''s nothing ..." "???" Nozomu tilts his head to Irisdina''s behavior that is different from the usual, but when she returns to her own meal, Nozomu also resumes his own meal. "... Hey, doesn''t Irisdina look a little strange?" Mars talks to Tima in a whisper so that Nozomu and others can''t hear him. Tima quivered at Mars'' words, and she replied in a whisper, just like Mars. "Do you think so?" "Yea, It seems that Nozomu also felt something was wrong, did something happen? " "U, un" Tima recalls the interaction between her best friend and her classmates. That event was still shocking, Tima was completely immersed in Lisa''s dangerous atmosphere. At the same time, she thinks, "Maybe Mars knows something", and she decided to ask him. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Mars, can we talk after school today?¡± "... Ah, Nozomu said he had something to do today, so it''s okay. Is it okay for the place to be Ushitotei?" Mars senses Tima''s serious atmosphere and answers Tima''s question with a stiff expression. Irisdina also has the same atmosphere. He also felt that it was difficult for Nozomu to speak. "Yeah, please. I''ll talk to Ai later ..." The two make such a promise so that Nozomu and others will not notice it. Anri and Norn were staring at them. *** Anri¡¯s POV After Nozomu and his friends heard the bell and returned to the classroom, Anri and Norn, who remained in the infirmary, were talking about Mars and others earlier. "... Is it okay? If we don''t talk about it?" "About what~~?" "It''s about Nozomu, you know. At that time of the first year, there is only one person who can spread that rumor, and who do you think is that?" "¡­... I don''t think we should talk about it yet~. I think Nozomu-kun is getting better, but it looks like he''s still not ready to talk yet~~." Anri remembered when she saw Nozomu in the city before. Nozomu''s appearance has no soul like a dead person. At least for the current Nozomu, talking about this will only make him even more painful. Maybe Nozomu himself is trying not to think about it, unknowingly. "... Maybe Nozomu has too many things to think about~. He hasn''t been able to organize himself yet. But the same is true with Irisdina and the others. Even if we go to talk to Nozomu now, I don''t think Nozomu can tell us anything ~~. " (Let''s talk to Irisdina and others. It''s the best way to help the current Nozomu. They are now a little impatient. Their impatience may further drive Nozomu to the wall.) "But we can''t stay like this forever. Irisdina and the others haven''t noticed it yet, but if they know the true character of Nozomu, they''ll notice it eventually." "Well yeah ~~. I think, if it''s Irisdina-san, she will notice it soon ~~. The same goes for Nozomu." Aside from that, Nozomu who used to be in the shell before, his world is expanding now. Then he will realize the truth. Or, perhaps, he''s already aware of it. "If so, then....." "But we are teachers~. We need to watch over them~~." "...... Well, that''s right. We will intervene in the event of an emergency ... " Anri smiles and tells Norn, "It''s still time to watch." They are worried that Irisdina and others will run too far ahead, but the situation is not so bad for now. (Then we will believe in them. When they don''t know what to do anymore, we will go at that time.) Norn also listens to Anri''s opinion and shrugs her shoulders. (We are teachers. They are the leading actor.) Anri felt a little dejected, but at the same time, she was happy to know that Nozomu has friends who were so worried about him. (Nozomu-kun, do your best ~~. You have friends who are so worried about you ~~. I don''t know what''s binding you, but ... don''t lose) *** After school, Mars, Irisdina, and others met at Ushitotei. Beside Irisdina, there is also Somia in her Ecross''s uniform, who may have joined on the way. "Sorry, I am late" "No, don''t worry. I just got here too." "Then, please go to this table." Ena guided the three to the table in the back of the store. It''s shaded and invisible from the outside. "So what do you want to hear?" "Mars knows about Nozomu''s rumors right." "Is there anyone who doesn''t know the rumors at the school?" "Seems like it. Actually, it''s about that... " Irisdina starts talking to Mars about what happened on the roof during the lunch break. She was called by Lisa and was told that she had to cut ties with Nozomu, and Lisa¡¯s appearance at that time when Irisdina want to hear about what happened between her and Nozomu. Mars also had a serious look and was listening to Irisdina''s story. When Irisdina finished talking, Mars opened his mouth. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Is that really what you want to hear?¡± "Yea, we already know that the rumor is off the mark, but I don''t know why it happened." "... It seems so. I was worried about it too, but ... too bad, I don''t even know anything." Mars doesn''t know what happened to Nozomu at that time. He thinks the quickest way is to ask the person in question... "¡­¡­¡­¡­I see¡­¡­" Irisdina gave a disappointed voice to Mars''s words. (But it''s weird, something is stuck. The rumored him and the real him. What the hell happened ... not good, there''s too little information!) In her chest, an unfamiliar impatience swirls from the time of her meeting with Lisa. (I don''t know anything about Nozomu) That fact gradually erodes her mind. It''s the same with Mars. Even for him, Nozomu is his first forgiving friend. He is unaware of himself, but the fact that he invited Nozomu to Ushitotei, which his entourage had never approached, shows that Mars trusts Nozomu. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ As I thought we should ask him, and we should clear up Nozomu''s suspicion at the school) Irisdina doesn''t think Nozomu should stay as it is in the school. The other day, since she invited Nozomu to lunch, the people around have spoken to her, not only the students but even the teachers. "You shouldn''t be with that lowest" "That guy is not suitable for you, Irisdina-san." "I''m saying this only for your own good. I won''t say bad things. Just stop being involved with that inferior student." Every time she heard those words, her chest seemed to be tightened. "No! He''s not that kind of person!" She wanted to shout out loud. But every time, Nozomu''s face flickered. She is a smart girl. She is here now, said "it''s not true", and soon realized she didn''t trust her surrounding. When she saw them, she quickly realized that they completely believed in the rumor and had no doubt about it. Nozomu¡¯s evaluation has been completely established, and no matter what she say, it doesn''t help. Irisdina''s chest feeling the emotional pain further. She is indescribably frustrated and helpless. Wanting to sink the raging passion inside her chest, Irisdina suggests asking Nozomu directly. "... As I thought, let''s ask him directly." "Right. Then, will you go to Nozomu''s dormitory tomorrow morning? Probably he won''t come back until tomorrow morning." Mars agrees with Irisdina. They look at each other and nod, when they try to stand up ... "......... Wa, wait, both of you" Tima asks the two of them to wait. "What''s wrong Tima?" "Is there still something?" "......... I think it''s better to wait ... to ask Nozomu-kun." Surprised by her words, Irisdina and Mars stare at Tima intently. "But Tima ..." Irisdina tries to digest Tima''s words, but the two sisters who had been waiting interrupted them. "Ane-sama, I know how bad it is, but ... I also agree with Tima-chan''s opinion." "I think so, too" "Even Somia too..." "Why?" It''s a natural question from Irisdina and Mars. At least, if they don''t know what happened between Nozomu and Lisa in the past, they can''t help him. "Maybe, when Nozomu-kun is ready, I think he will talk ... and Nozomu-kun has been alone until now, isn''t he? " "That''s why ..." "Don''t be impatient ... Ai and Mars. You''re going to make Nozomu-kun telling you something very hard for him, right? Can both of you suddenly tell your friends something like that? At least we weren''t the parties involved. We should wait until Nozomu-kun ready to talk. " "......... On¨©chan, I think so too .... When Nozomu-san came to the store before, he had a chance to meet with Lisa. " Ena started talking about Nozomu''s previous meeting with Lisa at Ushitotei. Lisa and a man came into the store together and shared a table with Nozomu. Lisa came out of the store while screaming, and Nozomu was just hanging his head and looking down. He left the money and walked out before Ena tried to say something. "Nozomu-san at that time looked very painful. I thought I had to say something ... but when I saw that face, I couldn''t say anything ..." (At that time, Nozomu-san was desperately trying to act as if nothing happened. He apologized for making such a noise in the shop after that. I could tell by looking closely at the incident that he was far from all right ...... "You shouldn''t force yourself to ask Nozomu-san right now. On¨©chan should wait a little longer." Irisdina and Mars can''t say anything to Ena''s words. Certainly, as long as Nozomu doesn''t speak, all we can do is wait until Nozomu decides to speak. It''s best for him to speak with his own will and with his own mouth. "¡­¡­¡­¡­I understand" Irisdina acknowledged with a sunken expression, and Mars nodded a little, but his expression is still depressed. "......... By the way, what happened to Nozomu? I heard he has something to do ..." "... well, it''s him we''re talking about, maybe he''s going to the forest. He sometimes seems to go into the forest alone and train ..." """"Ehh!!"""" It is not sane to enter the forest alone, where demon beasts walk around freely. Even Irisdina and others are obliged to have a party when entering the forest. Irisdina and others didn''t believe that Nozomu was in the forest alone. "... Mars-kun, is that true?" "Yea, I''ve seen Nozomu go into the forest before. Well, that guy would be fine, he said he''s been in the forest since the first year. His judgment of the situation in battle is accurate and fast, and his combat experience is probably the best in our school year. " When Irisdina heard that, the questions she had felt inside swelled further. (Why didn''t you show that ability until now? Solminati is a complete meritocracy. If you showed that ability, you wouldn''t have been told as badly as it is now ...) "... Why was he in the 10th class, despite having that much ability?" "... I don''t know. It was at the end of last year that I realized his strength. At least before that, he was a gloomy rooted guy. He was always looking down, and no matter what I said, he just turned his back on me ... " Mars thinks about Nozomu again. (By the way, it wasn''t until the end of last year that he started to change ... we don''t know anything about him ...) Irisdina and others realize that they don''t know anything about Nozomu. In the end, only time went by, without deciding what to do. Chapter 4.5 Surprisee, I want to say thank you for your continued supportEspecially for my patrons This is a bonus chapter, enjoy *** There is a profession called adventurer. In this Arcmeal Continent where there is a threat of demon beasts, it is extremely dangerous for ordinary people to enter the territory of demon beasts, and only those who wanted to commit suicide or those who were unable to enter the city entered such places. However, it is certain that there are precious untouched materials and minerals with high rarity value in the area full of ??demon beasts. Adventurers are those who challenge such a dangerous territory with their lives, and they had a certain position in this continent in a way different from knights. The adventurer''s guild is the place where they gather, adventurers buy and sell various things and come to look for requests. The same is true in the Arcazam Guild, but you can see young boys and girls among the adventurers. They were students of the Solminati Academy, and they too were gathering here in search of the requests they would receive. In such a guild, there was a young man who left his back on the wall and looked around. He is a beastman with golden ears and a tail and in the uniform of Solminati Academy. He is the second-class Feo Rishitza of the third year. (Hmm~, it looks like that Nozomu isn''t here ~) He is looking for Nozomu Bountis, a male student of the same year who had recently begun to interest him. Feo heard that Nozomu was sometimes asked to do miscellaneous tasks in the guild. After school today, he saw Irisdina and her friends leaving school near the main gate, but Nozomu wasn''t there, and he guessed he was probably looking for a request in the guild, but he wasn''t. (Hmm~. Where is he ...) As Feo was pondering about Nozomu''s whereabout, there was a sudden voice talking to him. "Yoo. Fox guy. You''re going to sell your charm to another guy today?" The one who spoke to him was one of the students who reached rank A in the same year. Kevin Ardinal. Feo sighs with his inner heart. (Haa, this annoying guy ~) The Fox Tribe, which is the Feo¡¯s tribe, is very cautious and rarely forgives others except for relatives. Also, they are known to be surprisingly capricious. Their obsession with what they are interested in is fierce, but their obsession with what they are not interested in is quite sloppy. If that were the only thing, they would be isolated from other communities. However, they were very good at bargaining. Even if they were initially estranged, they were able to recognize themselves by sensitively sensing the emotions of others, conducting skillful negotiations, and doing various things dexterously. Feo is not any different. Even in practical lessons, he does not have a specific party and moves around from party to party. However, the way the Fox Tribe roamed around while adapting to their surroundings seemed to Kevin, the Silver Wolf Tribe, as if they were just selling their charms. The Silver Wolf Tribe is a race that takes pride in its strength, trains every day, and controls its own community with that strength. Kevin, the same silver wolf, also takes pride in his strength. He was obsessed with Irisdina because of her strength and pride. For him, the ideal way of Feo was not recognized. "You always had a party with different people, is it interesting doing nothing today?" "Who cares. And also, today I was going to refrain from being invited. " "Hmm? What does that mean?" When Kevin said so, Feo pointed to a place. There is a bulletin board with various requests written on it. Every part of it is used as a bulletin board, and something big was written in the center. "What is it... Kyclopes!" "That''s right. I heard that an adventurer''s party saw them in the depths of the forest yesterday. So it seems that the notice was hanging over there to make it known to the surroundings." Kyclopes are three-eyed giants, a higher ranking species than the one-eyed giants, the Cyclopes, and are one size larger compared to the Cyclopes. As a demon beast, it is said to have the danger next to the highest rank L¨®ng (TL : Chinese Dragon), and it is a dangerous demon beast classified as rank A. It has extraordinary strength, and its power is enough to easily pullout a tree from its roots, and the muscle that covers their whole body is harder than steel, and ordinary attacks are not that big of a deal for them. It is a demon beast that is extremely dangerous to challenge in close combat, and it is said that the standard practice to kill it is with a long-range magic attack. This is because the effect of muscle armor is weak against fire magic and lightning magic, and it is possible to kill them before they approached. However, that is not the only danger of this demon beast. The most alarming thing is their extraordinary ability of both Kyclopes and Cyclopes, which is called the "Demon Eye of Madness". Their extraordinary ability causes one''s instinct to run wildly and doubles the muscle strength of their whole body. When activated, their eyes turn red, and the muscles of their whole body strengthened. This is the most dangerous situation. If the power of the giants with extraordinary strength is doubled, even an average adventurer can''t compete. Furthermore, doubling the muscle strength means doubling the defense power of the giants whose muscles are their source of defense, and also doubling the agility of the giants who are moving with their muscles. "Well, that''s why, and it seems that the Silver Rainbow Chivalric Order is also on a business trip. " Silver Rainbow Chivalric Order It is a knight order being stationed in Arcazam, in addition, it is a group made by collecting selected elite knights from each country. This knight order was based on the knight order dispatched by the country of Forsina 10 years ago and absorbed the armed forces of each country while fighting against the invading demon beasts. It was reborn as a knight order to which humans from many different countries belong, and the establishment of the knight order brought together the armed forces of each country and played a major role in repelling the demon beasts. After that, the Silver Rainbow Chivalric Order was maintained, assuming that there would be another major invasion. Currently, the scale has been reduced compared to the time of the Great Invasion, but the quality of the human resources that make up the knight order has been further improved, and literally, only Mighty Men of Valor are allowed to belong. For humans who aim to become a knight, it is a knight order that they admired, and it is also the strongest knight order in substance. Jihad Roundel, a swordsman who belongs to the school, has been transferred from this knight order. He teaches at Solminati Academy and is the chief adviser to combat techniques in training younger generations. "Well, it''s okay. Looks like it''s in the depths of the forest, so if we don''t go too far, it will be alright." Kevin said so and left the guild with his party. Feo soon lost interest in Kevin and started thinking about Nozomu again. "Where is he now?" The most interesting male student right now. The person that the black-haired princess cares about. In the hustle and bustle of adventurers, the cheeks of Feo''s face, which was always smiling, were slightly raised. *** Nozomu was walking through the city when Feo was in the guild with Kevin. He was on his way to the woods to train himself in Shino''s hut. In that place, even if the Ability Suppression was released, there is no fear of being noticed by people because the surrounding area is only the forest. For Nozomu, who is afraid of many conspiracies to emerge when his concealment of dragonslayer powers are noticed, training there was indispensable. Nozomu was absorbed in his own thoughts as he walked around the city. However, the more he thinks about it, the more anxiety he can''t express. Nozomu was thinking about the rumors that had made him isolated from his surroundings. In the past, Nozomu turned away from everything at the school, but now he is gradually able to look around himself by making promises with Shino and interacting with Irisdina and the others. However, because he can see the surroundings, he has come to feel a sense of discomfort that he has not felt until now. It was something he never noticed when he was in his shell ... no, he consciously tried to not notice it, and Nozomu was afraid that something inside of him would be fatally destroyed if he knew about it. That morning in the past, Nozomu was meeting with Lisa in front of the main gate of the school. But when she appeared, she suddenly slaps Nozomu''s cheek. Lisa unilaterally said goodbye to Nozomu, who was dumbfounded because he couldn''t understand the reason, with her eyes full of cold hatred and disgust, then left. She disappeared into the school building without looking back. Then everything around Nozomu has changed. His classmates no longer deal with Nozomu and he is completely isolated. As a person who hurt Lisa, who was popular with both men and women, Nozomu was mentally and physically punished by students, both senior and junior, and both men and women, and as a result, his dreams and hopes were completely destroyed. However, when he thinks about it now, it was too unnatural when the rumor came up. Lisa is certainly a celebrity. Given that, the rate at which the rumors spread itself is understandable, but what is strange is that Lisa believes in Nozomu''s affair. Initially, other students believed the rumors because Lisa did not deny Nozomu''s affair. However, in the first place, Nozomu himself is not cheating. Nozomu and Lisa are childhood friends and from the same hometown. In order for her to believe in Nozomu''s affair, it needs enough evidence and a person who can infuse it. Also, the person who can do that must be a person who has a relationship of trust that makes Lisa believe so. And at that time, there was only one person in this school. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ No way ¡­¡­ Is it him?) Ken Notis name float across Nozomu'' head, another childhood friend from the same hometown. It is true that he would meet the conditions that Nozomu had in mind. In a relationship of trust with Lisa, it was Ken that she trusted as much as Nozomu at that time. (~Huh! So that''s why ... If he spreads the rumor, he can date her after that ...) He shook his head to shake off his own thoughts, but Nozomu already had the reason in mind. "If Ken was really the culprit, he wouldn''t change his way of speaking to deceive Nozomu in the first place." (¡­¡­¡­¡­ No way, is it to monitor me?) Because of the rumor, the person who feels the most uncomfortable and is struggling to solve the problem is Nozomu, who was dumped by Lisa. That''s why Ken blocked Nozomu''s movement and didn''t change his attitude towards Nozomu so that Nozomu didn''t feel uncomfortable with him. At that time, Nozomu, who was completely isolated from the surroundings, was desperately looking for a place to escape. There was an escape place called Shino''s training outside the school. When human beings are pushed to the limit of their minds, and as they continue to face pain, they will run on an easy path and manages to protect their minds. Ken was so immersed in Nozomu, who was desperately trying to protect himself and Ken did not change his attitude to watch Nozomu so that Nozomu doesn''t try to dispel the rumors. At this point, Nozomu cannot run away anymore. At least he has promised Shino that "even if he ran away, he will not look away from the fact that he ran away." (.........I have no choice.....but to check it...) "Yaa, Nozomu. What are you doing in a place like this?" At that time, there was a voice talking to Nozomu coming from the side. The voice of the person he was thinking about right now. The voice of a childhood friend that he trusted and believed from an early age. "... Ken" Ken Notis. A handsome man with fluttering blonde hair stood there. "What are you doing in a place like this?" Ken talks to Nozomu with a smile. As far as Nozomu could see from the side, he couldn''t be seen as a person who was tricking Nozomu. "N, no. It''s just ..." Nozomu was suddenly felt upset. Looks like there is no Lisa, he seems to be alone. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ken, I want to talk a little bit, is that okay?¡± "? I''ve promised to meet Lisa after this, but I can spare a little time. ¡­¡­What is it? " "It''s hard to talk here. Follow me ..." Nozomu turns his back on Ken and begins to walk. The destination is the outer edge of the city. The place where he was training with Mars and others recently is not good because there is a possibility that he might get in touch with them, so Nozomu heads to a place different from that place. Ken also follows Nozomu without saying anything. (Ken, it''s not the case, right ¡­¡­¡­¡­) Nozomu keeps walking while talking to Ken in his heart as if praying. *** "So, what are you going to talk about?" Ken asks Nozomu. The two were facing each other at the outer edge. The sunset illuminates the sky red and also dyes the two figures red. The sun''s rays setting on the horizon extended the shadows of Nozomu and Ken for a long time, reflecting the two facing each other on the dimly lit field. "Ken ... when rumors about me and Lisa spread inside the school. Why didn''t you change?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh?" Nozomu hesitates for a moment, but he then decides not to mind Ken, and asks his own question. "The content of the rumor was that I had an affair, I haven''t done that, but Lisa didn''t doubt I had an affair." Nozomu didn''t want to believe it inwardly, he can''t help but make sure. (That''s not the case.) (It''s my misunderstanding.) While wishing so inside his heart, Nozomu''s mouth continues to spit out his suspicions that had been pushed in until now. "Thinking about it now, it''s just too weird. In order for Lisa to believe in my affair at that time, she needs a good basis for it, and a person who can make Lisa believe it. " Nozomu diverts his gaze for a moment, but when he looks at Ken again. "......... And you are the only one who can do that." "What are you talking about! If so, didn''t my way of speaking towards you did not change!" Ken rushes to Nozomu as if it is "Upsetting" for him. But Nozomu keeps spinning his words regardless. "... Yea, I don''t want to believe it either ... But I can explain it enough. What you were most worried about after spreading the rumor was that I''ll dispel the rumor myself. It would have been possible to get rid of the rumors by pressing Lisa for an answer if the days hadn''t passed yet. Anyway, now the rumors are completely settled. That''s why you prepared a place for me, who was desperately trying to escape from reality. An escape place in the form of you who treats me with the usual attitude ... " He finally said it. Nozomu waits for Ken''s answers with a tense look. A few seconds passed after Nozomu finished spinning his words. But for him, it felt like a few hours. For Nozom, it was the longest time he had ever felt. His heart is pounding and making noise behind his ears. And Ken opens his mouth. The words he spun after that were exactly what Nozomu had expected. "......... What the? Did I get caught ..." "... Then Ken. As I thought, you are ..." "Ah, I made that rumor." Ken says that the rumor was spread by himself. His face was ugly and distorted, unlike anything Nozomu had ever seen. Chapter 4.6 "... Why ... Such a thing." "Why? It''s because I''ve decided. It is for Lisa. " While saying it''s for Lisa, Ken keeps his face ugly and distorted, "Isn''t that true? Lisa will surely be a great adventurer. She''s a person who will be seen by everyone. Do you think she will need a footwear like you next to her? That''s why I sent you away. " Nozomu''s body had solidified as if he were in a frigid place. His mouth is dry and his limbs are quivering. No matter how much he was prepared in his mind. Nozomu''s mind and body were completely solidified by the fact that his best friend was really the cause of everything. "But you already noticed. So I don''t have to pretend anymore." When Ken says so, he pulls out the longsword that was hung on his waist and casts strengthening magic on himself with a very natural movement. "I thought you were already giving up, but when I saw you pressing Lisa for an answer at the bar at that time, it seems that you haven''t given up yet. It''s just right, so I''ll just crush you right here." When he said so to Nozomu, Ken stepped forward in an instant and swung his longsword down to Nozomu. "Kuh !!" Nozomu''s countless actual combat experiences make Nozomu''s judgment to pull out his katana faster and stop Ken''s longsword. Ken quickly pursues Nozomu and swipes his longsword like a whirlwind. It''s no doubt that he has the ability to rise to rank A as a teenager. There is no waste in his physical strengthening magic, and it is clear that it gives him overwhelming power. Ken¡¯s slash had water torrent-like momentum and clear stream-like tranquility. Nozomu''s movement against Ken is slower than ever. Nozomu¡¯s posture is lost with a single blow, and his upper body is pushed away. There is no flexibility that he had until now. Nozomu''s consciousness could not concentrate on the fight at all. The balance between his consciousness and body has completely collapsed, and only his actual combat experience he had cultivated so far moved Nozomu''s body and managed to surpass Ken''s sword dance. "Haha! What''s wrong Nozomu! Did you think you could be with her with such a move? Don''t make me laugh!" However, it doesn''t seem to last long. Ken ridiculed the awkward appearance of Nozomu and started chanting while performing a slash. Nozomu hurriedly tried to disturb Ken''s chanting, but because he couldn''t maintain sufficient power, he was easily hit by Ken, exposing a large gap, and at the same time Ken''s chanting ended. A small water mass was held in Ken''s hand. In the small water mass, Nozomu felt a sense of crisis as if the hair on his whole body had stood up. *Piercing Water Fountain* Attack magic that launches the compressed water mass in one direction and pierces the opponent. Its appearance is just a small water mass about the size of a fist, but it is magic that can be unimaginably vicious contrary to the outside appearance. This is a magic that changes its power depending on the amount of compressed water, and if the amount of water is small, it only makes the opponent soaked, but if the amount of water is large, even a steel plate will be penetrated. The water mass produced by Ken is the latter, and if it hits directly, it will pierce and tear the soft human body like paper scraps. Ken releases the water mass without hesitation. The water that had been compressed is released at once and approaches Nozomu. Nozomu twists his body and tries to avoid the water stream, but it is Ken''s trap. "Wha !!" The approaching water stream diffused in front of Nozomu. It completely blocks Nozomu''s vision and hides Ken. "Ha~ !!" The longsword breaks through the diffused water stream and approaches Nozomu. Ken accelerates at once using his strengthened physical ability. He throws a stab at Nozomu. However, Nozomu manages to deal with it. Instead of forcibly regain his collapsed position, he collapses it further and avoids the tip of the sword that was thrust into the ground. At the same time, he puts one hand on the ground to hold his body and pulls one foot to that hand to make one rotation. He converted the momentum of his fall into the momentum of rotation and tried to strike his katana toward Ken. However, Nozomu stops his katana at the sight that jumps into his eyes. "Wha! Li, Lisa !?" What jumped into Nozomu''s eyes was the face of his childhood friend whom he loved the most. Ken''s face changed to Lisa''s face before he knew it, and Nozomu, who saw it, forgot that he was on a battlefield, and was stunned. And that was his fatal mistake. Ken''s longsword flutters and tries to slash Nozomu diagonally from his shoulder. Nozomu raised his sword in a hurry, but couldn''t prevent the longsword that gained momentum, and his shoulder was torn vigorously and he was blown away. "Gah!!!" Nozomu rolls on the ground and lets go of his katana. Ken smiles distorted when he sees Nozomu lying on the ground. The sight of Ken, a man with an eerie smile on Lisa''s face, looks very unreal to Nozomu. "Guu~u~u!" However, no matter how much the scene in front of him does not look real, the burning shoulder pain tells Nozomu that this is real. And the pain of being exposed to the hot iron makes Nozomu''s rigid thoughts moving again, trying to grasp the current situation. At least it''s not magic. Magic requires a rise of magical power when it is activated, but the only rise of magical power that Nozomu could feel from Ken was the *Piercing Water Fountain* and physical strengthening. Also, when using a Qi technique, it was necessary to raise the Qi inside one''s body, which he did not feel from Ken either. There is only one remaining possibility ... "Is that ... an ability ...?" "Aah, that''s right. My ability is *Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask*" *Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask* Ability to attach a film of water to the surface of the body and change the water to capture the other person''s appearance like a mirror. It''s a very rare ability that can completely change one''s appearance, unlike something that manipulates presence, and it''s an ability that has hardly appeared in history. Ken could have changed his appearance freely with this ability. "You made Lisa believe in my affair ..." "Aah, that was thanks to this ability" Then Ken told the truth about the rumors. He transformed into Nozomu''s appearance using the Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask and showed Lisa while he was with another woman, making her suspicious that Nozomu might be having an affair. At first, she said, "There is no way", but after she has already seen the fake affair scene. She is gradually swallowed by Ken''s words and the doubts that have arisen in her own heart. And once again, Ken showed Lisa where he was with the same woman in the form of Nozomu, broke her feelings, comforted her in her disappointment, and got her. Naturally, the girl who was having an affair may be pursued by the students of the school. However, the girl has nothing to do with the school. Ken called out to her on the spot, picked her up, and used her. The identity of the girl is not clear. Those around him had doubts at first, but after they saw Lisa''s threatening attitude toward Nozomu. They became more interested in the betrayal that Nozomu is supposed to have caused than the identity of the woman. Lisa doesn''t know about this ability. Ken manifested the ability at about the same time as Nozomu''s manifestation of Ability Suppression. Ken, who was already hatching a plan to deceive Nozomu by that time, didn''t tell anyone about this ability. The deeds spoken from Ken''s own mouth are not something he should be doing to his own childhood friend. The ugly and distorted negative thoughts that he had accumulated up to now, such as jealousy and superiority complex, could be seen in his face, which he proudly talked about. "Nozomu, I didn''t change my attitude towards you, not just for your surveillance. I wanted to show you. Who deserves to be beside her better !! " Ken slowly approached Nozomu and exposed his muddy heart that had accumulated until now. "And also, I was the first to meet her. I was the first to like her!" "Gaha~ !!" Ken kicks Nozomu''s belly when he says so. Nozomu can only bend his body and groan. Certainly, between Nozomu and Ken, Ken was the first to meet Lisa. Nozomu met Ken when he was introduced to Ken shortly after Nozomu started talking to Lisa As far as he can hear about Ken''s story, Ken probably had already liked Lisa since that time. "Well, it doesn''t matter anymore. Anyway, it''s been 1 year, if the rumors have been established so far, whatever you did would be impossible to overturn them. See you, Nozomu. Just leave her to me, you can just crawl from there." After telling Nozomu such a thing, Ken turns his heels back and returns to the city, but Nozomu still can''t move. He was struck in the worst possible way that he didn''t want to believe, and his mind was completely frozen. Nozomu mutters in his heart like a broken mechanical doll, saying, "It''s a lie, it''s a lie," and keeps refusing, but his tingling and aching shoulders ruthlessly brought him back to reality. Eventually, the darkness of the night arrived, covered the field, and completely enveloped the figure of Nozomu. *** When Ken returned to the city, he met Lisa at the central park. His face was clearer than ever, which after he completely defeated his love enemy, Nozomu. (I did it! I finally did it !! This will make him leave !!) His heart was full of joy, and he seemed to jump and rejoice at any moment. He has been watching and acting to keep Nozomu unaware of the truth, but he no longer needs to do it anymore. The figure of Nozomu who continues to recognize Ken as a friend without noticing that Ken was hatching a plan to deceive him. That figure satisfied Ken''s jealousy of Nozomu. Recently, the atmosphere of Nozomu is returning to the old days. When he thought it was about time to make a move, Nozomu started talking to him, so he was able to smash everything and completely beat Nozomu. ¡°¡­¡­¡­. Ken, did something happened?¡± "Hmm. It''s nothing." Lisa, who was walking next to him, asked Ken with a little reluctance, but he answered with a smile as if nothing were happening. While hiding his heart, He had a smile on his face before he knew it. His smile has been deceiving the two for many years, but perhaps because of his feeling of superiority which is "winning against Nozomu", his smile has begun to give off a slightly different atmosphere. "... Is that so" (......... I wonder if something happened?) Lisa feels a little uncomfortable with his smile, but she thinks it''s not a big deal because Ken looks happy, and she doesn''t care and keeps walking together. The two walk side by side on the main street, but Lisa is still a woman with attractive crimson hair, and the passersby looked back at her. Just thinking that he has a monopoly on such an attractive woman raises the feeling that he has won against Nozomu, and Ken''s heart is filled with a sense of superiority. In the old days, Ken and Nozomu were certainly on good terms. They were playing together and stayed at each other''s house. Even if they liked the same girl, when they were kids, they didn''t understand the feelings of love yet, because they were still young and didn''t realize that it was a feeling of love. It was at that time, the days when Lisa was a tomboy. She was abusing her power every day together with Nozomu. She had a big quarrel with the leader of juvenile delinquents and his entourage. By the way, Lisa was against the leader, while Nozomu and Ken were in charge of the entourages. Lisa, who go against the leader of juvenile delinquents single-handedly, was amazing, but Ken and Nozomu were showing a breathtaking combination against the surrounding opponents who outnumbered them. Sometimes they were overdoing it and the adults got angry, but the three enjoyed running around together every day. However, as his feelings grew stronger, Nozomu became an obstacle to Ken. When Nozomu and Lisa started dating, jealousy started to arise in his heart. He hated it so much that he wanted to kill Nozomu. However, as long as Lisa needed Nozomu, he couldn''t do anything about it, and every day he continued to suppress his impure and corrupted jealousy. That changed after they entered Solminati Academy. While Ken and Lisa were steadily improving their grades, Nozomu wasn''t able to improve at all. In addition, his ability was suppressed, and he fell to the bottom of the grade. And when Ken''s ability appeared, his corrupted jealousy finally overflowed. (I should be the one who stands next to Lisa, not Nozomu without ability.) When he thought so, he couldn''t hold himself back anymore. He thoroughly eliminated Nozomu and got Lisa. On top of that, he was monitoring Nozomu and made him feel the same way as he did. He carried out his plan at will, got Lisa, and today put an end to Nozomu. (This is it! This is really the end for him!! Ahahaha !!!) He laughs with joy. However, he who is so mad with jealousy does not realize. He never really stood on the same stage as Nozomu. *** Nozomu''s POV In the forest dominated by darkness, a figure is walking toward the depths of the forest while the animals are holding their breath. There were no other moving shadows, and only a small amount of moonlight shined through the gaps between the trees. Nozomu Bountis, arrived in the forest before he knew it. Faced with the cruel truth by Ken, he entered the forest with disappointment and was walking with a tottering and unconscious gait. He probably didn''t notice that his feet were finally facing Shino''s hut. "Ha ha, Why...." By now, I realized where I was going, a faint voice leaks from my mouth. I''m heading to the place where I was together with Shish¨­, not to my current friends, Iris and the others. (... Really, what should I do ...) I was told by Shish¨­ that I was "running away". Nozomu ridiculed himself, thinking, "I''m trying to escape to a place of my memory with Shish¨­ and about to trample it", even though Shish¨­ was thinking about me until she gave her life away. "You and I are similar. We were betrayed and ran away." Shino''s words come back to life. Thinking back, she probably knew long ago that it was Ken who deceiving Nozomu. "¡­¡­¡­¡­ Shish¨­. Everything is too similar ... " Betrayed by people who they believed and robbed of their loved ones. Then both Shino and Nozomu ran away. She fled to a distant foreign country, and Nozomu turned away from the reality in front of him and believed only what he wanted to believe. Although their methods are different from each other, the fact that they "run away" remains the same. Nozomu thought he was just running away from facing Lisa, but that wasn''t the only thing. There were still many things where Nozomu had escaped unconsciously. (I don''t care anymore¡­¡­¡­¡­) Nozomu''s heart now is on the verge of collapse. His head abandoned any thoughts. Nozomu couldn''t think about anything, and he didn''t want to think about anything. About Lisa, Ken, and the future. Anxiety about Tiamat, who nestled within himself. Suppressing and holding everything down unconsciously until now. The thread that was taut is finally broken. His heart is just empty. (Shish¨­, so that''s why you told me not to look away from running away ...) The last words Shino left in Nozomu''s mind are revived once again. "Even if you run away, even if you stop, don''t look away from the fact that you''re running away, the fact that you''ve escaped." If he thinks about it now, she probably knew everything and sent that word to Nozomu. If Nozomu started to move forward, he would eventually realize that the person who betrayed him was Ken. And between Ken and Nozomu, Ken is mentally more advantageous than Nozomu. Nozomu who kept looking away from the discomfort he should have felt and Ken who was trying to make him do so. Shino didn''t want Nozomu to keep looking away like her. That''s why the words were given to him. That is why he was entrusted with it. However, Shino''s words were too heavy for the current Nozomu, who has lost his spirit. He sits on the ground and puts his back on a tree. Nozomu holds his knees and buries his face. (¡­¡­¡­¡­ I don''t want to think about anything anymore ¡­¡­) Nozomu has abandoned all thoughts. His mind and body couldn''t do anything and were swallowed by the darkness. *** He wondered how long he sat already. Nozomu raised his face that was buried in his knees as something approached. Something is approaching from the depths of the forest. It''s not one or two. Nozomu stood up slowly, and when he stared at the sign, a pair of lights emerged in the darkness. Eventually, four-legged beasts covered with black hair appeared one after another. The number is about 15. Demon beasts that Nozomu knows well. It was Wild Dogs. The four-legged demons growl "Grrrrr" when they surround Nozomu. Looks like they are going to attack Nozomu. "Ku, hahaha ¡­¡­¡­¡­" Suddenly, while being surrounded by demon beasts, Nozomu began to leak a hollow voice. While being exposed to their bloodlust that pierced his whole body, something dark was beginning to spring up inside him. It swallowed his previously wilted spirit in a blink of an eye and began to burn his heart as if it were a dead tree. A fire that began to burn after being betrayed by his best friend. The flame, which once began to burn, dyes his heart with a chaotic flame, at the expense of the emotions he has accumulated so far. Nozomu glares at the Wild Dogs. The atmosphere he wore was changing drastically. His eyes carried the swirling fire inside his chest. (If you don''t kill them, you''ll be killed. Then, let''s just kill them.) Nozomu confronts the Wild Dogs with such a desperate thought. (For now ... I just want to rampage! Everything should be erased!!!) Nozomu is no longer understands his own confused heart. Hatred, anger, or sadness. Not even knowing that, Nozomu rushed out with his own impulse. Chapter 4.7 "U~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~on !!" One of the Wild Dogs is leading the way. The four-legged demon beasts kick the earth and rush to eat the prey in front of them. Nozomu, on the other hand, also strengthened himself and started running with both feet. The rushing Wild Dog jumped and tried to bite Nozomu''s throat, but Nozomu''s katana was drawn out faster. "Gahyu ¡­¡­¡­¡­" The katana that was drawn out deeply cuts through the throat of the Wild Dog that was about to bite, and a large amount of blood sprouted like a fountain, and it rained on Nozomu. (14 remaining ...) Nozomu''s mind calmly counted that the opponent''s strength has been reduced by 1/15. Even though he was struck by the fire that blew up deep inside his chest, Nozomu''s accumulated combat experience kept his reasoning intact and trying to see through his opponent''s thoughts. However, his eyes brilliantly shined with an unprecedented fighting spirit, and the urge that overflowed from the depths of his chest swept away the hesitation from using his power, and his remaining reason was directed to "how to slaughter the opponent". Despite the death of their companions, the Wild Dogs calmly surround Nozomu and examine the situation. The other Wild Dogs are not upset, and it can be seen that they are a fairly well-commanded pack. Looks like, the Wild Dog who jumped in earlier was just a scout, and the leader seems to have pushed only one head in order to measure the ability of the other party. "Gau!" "U~on!" "Gu~o!" This time, one from the front and two from diagonally behind, a total of three, attack Nozomu all at once from different directions. Nozomu pulling his leg back half a step and swipes his katana while turning his body once, but the three calmly fly back and avoid it. Then, another one appeared from the shadow of the one that attacked from diagonally behind and jumped using one that attacked earlier as a stepping stone. It tried to thrust its sharp canine into Nozomu''s neck. Nozomu quickly puts his sword between himself and his opponent, but that is a bad move. Right now, Nozomu is surrounded by Wild Dogs, and if he catches the opponent''s attack poorly, his movement would be stopped. And when he stops, the Wild Dogs that were superior in numbers would flock to him, and he would be devoured. That is their aim. Wild Dogs hunting in groups are familiar with how to kill opponents larger than themselves, which is the most efficient and least dangerous. At first, the flock drives the opponent away and makes them tired. Doing so diminishes the opponent''s way to counterattack. However, Nozomu went to confronts the Wild Dogs instead, so they couldn''t use this method this time. Nozomu did not escape, so they decided to send one of them first, stop Nozomu''s movements, and crush him with the group all at once. As the preceding one was hit by a counter-attack, the leader thought that it would work if the three of them distracted their opponent''s awareness, and then another one attacked in the form of a surprise attack. Actually, Nozomu was supposed to catch the attack of the Wild Dog and stop. However, the reality exceeded their expectations. Certainly, the surprise attack was successful. However, at the next moment, the attacking Wild Dog was bisected and thrown to the ground with the same momentum as when it attacked. The strange thing is that Nozomu isn''t even moving from his position where he was trying to catch the Wild Dog''s attack, and he doesn''t seem to have swung his katana. If we think about it normally, when he received the opponent''s attack, Nozomu and Wild Dog should have contended with each other, but that is not the case. It''s true that Nozomu didn''t slash with his katana. Nozomu''s katana is shining faintly. It''s proof that Nozomu was charging his Qi. Actually, Nozomu was using a Qi technique. Qi technique *Phantom -Clad-* A Qi technique that dramatically increases the cutting power of a sword while keeping the phantom inside the blade, which is originally released as a flying slash. It is a higher version of the Qi technique called "Matoi", and it is a technique that gives Qi to one''s own armor and raises its ability. Although the name may change, it is a technique that is widely used on the continent. However, the story changes when it comes to the "Phantom" level. Originally, "Phantom" is a slash that easily cuts even rocks, and if we put it inside a blade, the blade will become a rare magic sword even if it is just an iron knife. When he used "Phantom -Recurrence-" in the previous battle, he attached Qi to the blade, but it was only for a moment when he was about to shoot a slash, and he didn''t leave it inside the blade. This time, the highly compressed Qi is still attached to Nozomu''s katana, but the fluctuation of the Qi gathered inside the blade can''t be felt. Nozomu defended from the wild dog''s attack with this katana clad in Qi technique. The Wild Dog that has been rushing has gone to be cut off by itself in front of the blade that its cutting power had increased to the limit. The problem with this Qi technique is whether it is possible to compress that much Qi and whether it is possible to maintain the concentration. Originally, Phantom is a Qi technique that requires extremely high Qi control and concentration. It is a difficult technique, not something that even A-ranked and talented people can easily do, such as not only activating it but also maintaining it. Furthermore, Nozomu is now on the battlefield where life and death intersect with a single sheet of paper, and it is difficult to keep calm in such a situation. Nozomu''s skill, which enables *Phantom -Clad-* in such a place, is not half-hearted. However, this technique was originally Phantom with a high killing ability. This technique, which continues to clad the katana with phantom, is also very deadly, and Nozomu has never used this technique at school. Also, no matter how much Nozomu has extraordinary control power, maintaining this technique is extremely mentally exhausting. Nozomu rarely used this technique even on battlefields where he didn''t know what would happen, because if he lost his concentration, he wouldn''t be able to maintain his technique, and lack of concentration would lead to his own death on the battlefield. But, it''s different now. Nozomu, caught in his own blazing fury, couldn''t think of any risk awaiting him later. It was just a matter of giving up everything he had so that he could satiate his fury. "U~o~ooon!" The three beasts that were about to attack earlier, were in pursuit. Nozomu rushes towards the one in front. He slashes his katana with "Phantom -Clad-" attached to it and cuts down the Wild Dog. Nozomu quickly puts his attention into both of his feet. He stopped the momentum of his rush with the strength of his strengthened leg and activated the Instant Move. He turns in the opposite direction and swings his katana to the other two behind, attacking one opponent then immediately attacking another. Nozomu''s sword swing accurately captures the throats of the two beasts that were about to leap, and cuts their necks deeply. The two beasts whose throats were cut, collapsed while shedding a large amount of blood. The blood that flowed out of the throat synchronized with their heartbeats and gushed intermittently. Their bodies were convulsing every time the blood gushed out. Eventually, their convulsions began to subside and finally stopped moving completely. (10 remaining ...) In the meantime, Nozomu doesn''t even mind about the opponents he killed. If he was minding too much about it, he would be bitten to death. The Wild Dogs surrounding Nozomu has changed the way they fight, recognizing Nozomu as a difficult enemy because five of them were killed in quick succession. They stop throwing themself upon their enemy. Keep their distance while surrounding Nozomu, and glared at him. They realize that Nozomu, whom they perceive as their prey, is actually a formidable enemy. So they are trying to bring it into endurance rather than short-term decisive battles. Furthermore, each of them checking in turn and waits for their opponent to get tired. No matter how strong a person is, when the fatigue continues to accumulate and never escapes, the movements will always become sloppy and creating a gap. Nozomu is alone after all. He can''t keep holding on against the enemies that surround him forever. That is the wisdom that the Wild Dogs have acquired while surviving in this forest. A means to overcome their enemies stronger than themselves. The Wild Dogs trying to kill their "enemy" using everything they have. (If you don''t kill your enemies, you''ll be killed. If so, let''s just kill them.) At this place, that was the only thing that Nozomu and the demon beasts had in common. The Wild Dogs that surrounded Nozomu sometimes approached and sometimes left, trying to exhaust him. However, he understands the aim of the Wild Dogs. That is why Nozomu acts quickly. (If the situation doesn''t improve even after being delayed this much then, I need to change the situation by force.) Nozomu thought so and forcibly plunges into the siege of the Wild Dogs surrounding him with Instant Move. In the past, he was once defeated by them without a fight. Without Shino''s help at that time, Nozomu would have been digested inside their stomachs. However, the current Nozomu has acquired skills and experience that are incomparable to that time. He just hit them all with his fury. It was incomparably ugly and empty compared to the usual elegant sword technique he released. *** Nozomu''s POV Swinging the katana while fury still swirls inside me. A katana attached with "Phantom -Clad-" cuts off one of the Wild Dogs whose withdrawal was delayed, and its body part is thrown to the ground while spilling its internal organs. With this, there are 9 beasts left ... I didn''t stop my movement and slashes one opponent then immediately slashed another who was nearby. The Wild Dog that was about to be slashed tried to dodge, but it was unavoidable and one of its legs was cut off. With a wound like that, one would end up dying from heavy bleeding. This leaves 8 beasts left. "" Gau~ !! "" This time, two beasts leaped from behind. However, their appearance was completely visible to me. While turning around, I struck an elbow strike into the nose of one beast, put the katana along the side of the other beast''s body that leaped in, and slash it with the Phantom -Clad-. The Wild Dog, whose shoulders and flanks were deeply cut, was thrown to the ground, and the one who got hit with elbow strike staggered because his sensitive nose was smashed. After that, I slashed both of their necks and glared at the survivors. Six beasts remaining........ The Wild Dogs, which were reduced to less than half in a blink of an eye, were intimidated by my gaze and growled low. I returned the katana to its scabbard and about to end it. But, at that time... "U~ooooooon !!" Howls reverberated from the surroundings. Looking at the source of the sound, new Wild Dogs appeared from the other side of the bush. The number is about 3. Among them, there is a Wild Dog with an enormous body. Probably the leader of this pack. The surviving Wild Dogs rush to their leader and glaring at me again. Looks like, they regained their morale by joining their leader. Nine Wild Dogs, including the leader, confront me once again. Under the command of a powerful leader, their orderly line-ups are just like a cavalry unit trying to overrun the battlefield. They were united by a powerful leader and became one large creature, not a collection of individuals anymore. The moment the leader, who was the brain, tried to give a signal of assault ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I slashed the leader''s neck. The Wild Dogs'' time stopped for a moment. They don''t understand what happened. It''s reasonable. The moment when they were about to leap all at once to kill their enemy in front of them under their leader''s command. They noticed that their leader''s neck had disappeared. The Qi technique that I released was "Phantom". The extremely compressed blade that flew at such a high speed instantly killed their leader and remained unnoticed by the Wild Dogs. The blood sprouted from the leader''s neck dyes the surviving Wild Dogs in bright red, making the blood odor that fills the surroundings even stronger. The smell of rusty iron piercing my nose fuels discomfort, but I don''t mind it due to my fury, and I rushed towards the survivors while trampling on the corpses of the Wild Dogs that I had slaughtered earlier. *** Silence returns to the surrounding forest. Nozomu was standing in it. The corpses of the Wild Dogs are scattered around him. No matter how much a person is accustomed to blood, it was a spectacle that made others'' eyes squint. None of the five corpses lying on the ground were intact. The neck, legs, and some parts are missing, and the missing parts are thrown out somewhere. The blood and beast odors emitted by the blood and pieces of meat scattered around are terrible, and Nozomu''s nasal nerves were already paralyzed. The internal organs that were thrown out were still warm, and they were steaming by touching the chilly outside air. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Nozomu is standing still, staring at a certain point in the forest covered with darkness. In his thoughts, he didn''t think about the Wild Dogs who had already been slaughtered. An alarm is ringing inside Nozomu''s head as something is approaching from the depths of the forest. He hears a sizzling sound. The sound, which was initially heard in the distance, gradually became louder and closer, until the trees shook due to vibration. Eventually, "it" emerges from the darkness. A bronze-colored giant that is nearly three times as large as a person. The legs that support the giant''s body are thick, and they are rooted in the ground like a long-standing big tree. Its waist is wrapped in some kind of beast skin, and its torso is covered with muscles just like steel armor. Its arms are thicker than a child''s torso, and it has an adult-sized club in its right hand. And the most distinctive thing was the three eyes on its face. Kyclopes. A powerful demon beast classified as rank A. It was a giant with a danger that was incomparable to the previous pack of Wild Dogs. "Goaaaaaaaaaaa !!!" The roar of the giant shakes the atmosphere. Probably it came because of the battle and the smell of blood. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Kuku¡± When Nozomu sees the giant towering in front of him, he holds his katana and lift it up. It''s better for him to withdraw immediately. Confronting such a powerful demon beast poses a great risk to him, who is under Ability Suppression. Also, this forest is the home of demon beasts, and even if he survived, there is a risk of encountering another demon beasts. Nozomu understood that avoiding fights were necessary to survive, as long as he truly thinks about his safety. However, the current Nozomu is just looking for an outlet for his heart-breaking fury and is looking for a fight. His usual rational judgment is gone, and his thoughts don''t offer him the option of escaping, and he continues to search for a way to defeat the giant in front of him. He was exhausted in the previous battle with the Wild Dogs. He couldn''t hold his fury, and he was just delighted at the outlet that reappeared in front of him. (¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ eld. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ me) Something whispered from the depth of Nozomu''s chest. Furthermore, he was beginning to hear the pounding sound. Usually, his strong vigilance pushed the fury and the voice back. But his raging head couldn''t resist it, and he was rather willing to accept it. Chapter 4.8 Hello, PolterGlast here As usual, I want to say thank you to my patrons. Thank you for your continued support. Also, thank you Seraph for your coffee. This chapter should be released tomorrow but I decided to release it today so here you go :) *** Nozomu faced the three-eyed giant in a place filled with the smell of Wild Dogs'' blood he had defeated. Triclops. Although not as dangerous as a dragon that flies in the sky and spits breath, it is an extremely dangerous demon beast that is classified as rank A due to its extraordinary strength. It is difficult for ordinary adventurers and knights to deal with them head-on, and the ones who could defeat them were rank A adventurers or knights with concentrated magic attacks. However, Nozomu cannot even use beginner magic due to the influence of Ability Suppression, and there is almost no means of a long-range attack. He is clearly out of hand. The Triclops grinned at Nozomu. Perhaps, Nozomu wasn''t that big of a deal for him. In front of such an opponent, Nozomu is usually the one who withdraws immediately. Considering the risk of fighting such a powerful monster within demon beasts'' territory, it will not end with just win or lose. However, the current Nozomu cannot think of such a thing. (I want to go wild, enough for me to forget everything) Even though he was not looking away from himself, Nozomu, who was betrayed by his best friend, was out of his spirit. He held his katana to beat the fury that kept swirling inside him. Despite his mental state, he does not release his Ability Suppression because he still had the last hesitation left within him. Nozomu''s anxiety about Tiamat prevents him from being swept away by his fury and from being releasing his Ability Suppression until the last minute. However, that''s the only thing he hesitates about. The current him doesn''t hesitate to slaughter the giant in front of him. Perhaps the Triclops also felt Nozomu''s fighting spirit, it prepares a gigantic club that is as big as a human adult. The first to move was Nozomu. He sprints toward Triclops while strengthening his physical ability. The Triclops glances at Nozomu, who is heading towards him, and mowing its gigantic club down to drive away the disturbing small flies. Nozomu tries to parry the club that has been swung toward him with his katana. "Guu~uu!" Its power was so strong that Nozomu couldn''t fend it off completely. His upper body opens wide and his posture crumbles. Once again, the Triclops swung its club that had been fended off and tried to mow down the defenseless Nozomu''s torso from the opposite direction. Nozomu lays down on the ground and the approaching club passed him. While feeling the club that had been fended off passing over his head, Nozomu immediately tried to stand up, but the Triclops shot its club down at Nozomu who was lying on the ground. Nozomu stops and rolls sideways while lying down on the ground to avoid the club. The club hits the ground right next to Nozomu, the ground shakes due to the impact, the soil rolls up, and the scattered earth and sand are pouring down. Nozomu stood up using his rolling momentum and then fell back once with his Instant Move. It seems that he realized that attacking head-on was a thoughtless act. However, the Triclops did not give chase. The giant is snorting, "gufu, gufufufu!". Looks like, he is making fun of Nozomu''s disgraceful behavior. However, Nozomu cannot hear its voice. His thoughts were only thinking about "how to kill this giant". Nozomu keeps his thoughts while measuring the distance between him with the Triclops. Nozomu wasn''t hurt as he dominated the battle with the Wild Dogs from beginning to the end, but Nozomu''s mind was anxious as he continued to use his Qi without thinking. He should have avoided using Qi techniques thoughtlessly. It''s not without a reason for him not to use Qi technique with long-range attacks, considering his remaining amount of Qi and the lack of certainty. Since Nozomu cannot use magic, he has no choice but to fight in close quarters to find a way out. (When it comes to this then, as I thought, I should handle that club somehow ¡­¡­¡­¡­) Nozomu has no experience of engaging with Triclops. Such a powerful demon beast is usually deep inside the forest and does not appear in the place where Nozomu always trains. With that insane strength, if he receives the blow directly, the bones of his whole body will be broken. Since he has no experience of engaging with Triclops, he has no choice but to find a way out by comparing the knowledge he reads from books with the current situation. (The most dangerous thing is when it activates its "Demon Eye of Madness" ¡­¡­¡­¡­) *Demon Eye of Madness*. The unique ability of Triclops and Cyclops. It doubles their muscle strength, causes their instinct to run wildly, and losing their rational judgment. If the strength of the giant whose entire body is covered in muscles is doubled, not only its strength but also its speed will be doubled, and it will become an unbeatable demon beast. If that happens, Nozomu''s chances of winning will be even smaller. (Aim for one blow that will kill him!) In order not to activate the *Demon Eye of Madness*, there is no choice but to kill the giant with a single blow. There is no point in attacking the giant with a poor half-hearted attack. Fortunately, the Triclops had not yet seen Nozomu as a threat. (For that, I have to get closer somehow ...) However, he ends up facing a new problem. The physical disparity between Nozomu and the giant is clear, and in proportion to that, the giant has a wider gap because of its extraordinary muscle strength. The giant has never learned martial arts or how to swing a sword, but its extraordinary muscle strength has nothing to do with such knowledge. The power of the club that was swung down is just like a battering ram, and it cannot be parried with half-hearted defense. In addition, its muscle strength was quick to recover, and even a little carelessness was not allowed. "Goa~a~a~a~!" When Nozomu was thinking about how to subdue his enemy, the Triclops attacked Nozomu. It tries to crush Nozomu by shooting its gigantic club down. Nozomu suspends his thoughts and concentrates on avoiding it. The club-wielding giant roared and attacked Nozomu. Nozomu falls back and avoids the club that was swung down. An adult-sized mass passes in front of him, and the wind pressure shakes his hair. At the next moment, the club was struck on the ground and the scattered earth and sand are pouring down again. Nozomu''s field of vision is obstructed by the pouring down earth and sand. He reads the enemy''s movements from the giant''s body outline that can be seen faintly on the other side of the earth and sand curtain. This time, the Triclops swings its dropped club to the side. Nozomu lays down the same as before, but this time the giant swings its club diagonally in an instant. Nozomu moves to his left and avoids the club by shifting his body to the side. Offense and defense with no time to breathe. A long battle has begun that lasts until either Nozomu or the Triclops collapses. The battle between Nozomu and the giant continues, but it is the giant who is attacking from beginning to end. The giant used its body and the club''s range to attack Nozomu from outside of Nozomu¡¯s range. Nozomu, on the other hand, continues to devote himself to avoid the giant''s attack at a distance that is barely reachable. If he could take another two steps, he could get into the giant¡¯s space, but the giant''s attack was so fierce that he couldn''t get into its space. If Nozomu could use magic, or if he had a companion who could use magic, he wouldn''t have had a hard time this far. Triclopes boasts extraordinary strength, but their resistance to magic is not that great. If it is Irisdina who can use immediate magic deployment and Tima who can use large-scale magic, they can stop the enemy''s leg with restraint magic and then use magic with high killing power at their vital points. With fire or lightning magic, it can burn the giants'' steel skin and damage the inside. Even if they can''t finish it. They can do enough damage to their opponents, so the flow of battle will turn to them. However, that method cannot be used by Nozomu. That made the battle even tougher for him. "Guu~u~u~u~u~u~u~u!" Fortunately, the Triclops became impatient that its attack never hits Nozomu. The Triclops originally did not think Nozomu was a threat. It was frustrated that the person it thought could be crushed immediately was still hanging on. This is a good opportunity for Nozomu. The sweeping attack of the impatient giant gradually becomes larger, and the interval between attacks gradually increases. (Not yet ... It''s too early to act. Just a little bit more ...) Nozomu keeps avoiding the Triclops'' attack without haste and waiting for the right timing. His aim is the moment when his enemy''s impatience reaches the limit. And that moment finally came. "Ga~a~a~a~a~a~a!" The giant''s patience has finally reached its limit because its attack never hits. It swings the club upward and shoots it down to Nozomu from above. The club accelerates in an instant with a roaring sound, cutting through the cold air at night and approaching Nozomu. "Now!!!" Nozomu responds to the approaching giant by thrusting in from the front at the fastest speed. If seen from the side, it''s nothing more than a reckless act, and it seems that fear has finally gone beyond its limits and confuse him. However, Nozomu''s actions are not reckless. Long-handled weapons such as swords, clubs, and axes, large and small, have a circular orbit, so their power is concentrated on the cutting edge. In other words, the farther the target is from the cutting edge, the less powerful it becomes. Because the Triclops attack became impatient, its swing also become larger. Nozomu succeeded in stepping inward from the tip of the giant''s club. However, even if the power drops, the strength of the giant is powerful. It cannot be received head-on. Nozomu swings his katana downward from above as the giant did. Even though he was finally able to take a step into the giant''s attack range, he still couldn''t attack him directly because he was outside his own attack range. However, Nozomu''s purpose is not the Triclops, but the giant''s club itself. Nozomu struck his katana towards the upper part of the club that the giant swung down. In addition, he strengthens the muscles of his whole body with all his might, links all the strengthened muscles, and twists his body laterally. Then, Nozomu''s body flowed laterally from the katana he struck, and at the same time, the trajectory of the club swung down by the giant deviated slightly in the opposite direction. Nozomu realized that he couldn''t parry the giant''s club head-on. He handled the giant''s attack by moving his body while parrying. Applying the exact same force as the giant. However, if he made the slightest mistake, he would die instantly. If the timing of launching the katana is too early, the entire katana will be destroyed. On the other hand, if it is too late, the giant''s attack cannot be deflected properly and Nozomu will be crushed. He was walking on a tightrope, but Nozomu controlled the situation and finally stepped into his own opportunity. Nozomu sends his Qi to his katana and jumps while extremely compressing it. His aim is the giant''s neck. The moment when his katana which had turned into a magic sword was about to be sucked into the giant''s neck due to his overwhelming control power ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Nozomu''s body was blown away. *** Nozomu''s POV My deadly slash did not hit the Triclops'' necks, it only scratched the giant''s cheek. The giant shook me off with one hand as if to shake off a fly. Even though it was only that, my body was blown away like a leaf blown by the wind. "Gaha~! Gu~!" I was blown away and was slammed on the ground. My whole body is squeaking and severe pain ran around in my body. "Gu~, gefu~!" The taste of rusty iron spreads in my mouth. I feel dull pain when I touch my abdomen. It may have hurt my internal organs. I drank the healing potion I always put in my pouch. In the battle with Tiamat, all the items including the recovery items were used up, but it is possible to buy the recovery items. Although the abdominal pain subsided, the pain that spread throughout the body did not disappear. (Gu~u! This is bad ¡­¡­¡­¡­) I couldn''t finish it with a single blow. What''s more, it''s unpleasant ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Ga~a~a~a~a~a~a~a~a~a~a~a~a~a~a" The third eye of the Triclops was dyed red, and the muscles of the giant''s whole body swelled with a squeaking noise. Its extraordinary ability "Demon Eye of Madness" was activated. The Triclops was injured by someone he considered an easy enemy. The giant was utterly furious when being opposed by an opponent who could be trampled unilaterally, and it received injuries where it hurt the most. The Triclops'' intimidating air swelled up beyond the previous one. Its swelled intimidation made the already gigantic giant''s body look even bigger. If anyone sees this figure, a normal human would sit down and slump, and an average soldier would run away. (Damn! This muscle brain bastard !!) It''s the same for me. I am furious. However, in my case, I''m already furious even before fighting the giant. The giant¡¯s "Demon Eye of Madness" was activated. Although it was certain that I couldn''t handle the giant as it is now, but I still don''t have the option of running away. Now that I''ve taken the healing potion for the wounds on my body, the battle itself will not be affected that much. As soon as I knew I could still fight, I stood up and held my katana. The fury that swirled inside my chest swelled further due to my attack wasn''t successful, and it turned into a murderous intent and frustration to kill the giant. "Ooooooooooooooooooooo !!" The giant rushes towards me. The Triclops'' rush, in which the muscles of its whole body are abnormally strengthened, strikes at a speed that is incomparable to the previous one, and a huge rock-like body approaches. I left with "Instant Move", but the giant immediately changed direction and shot the club down at me. I immediately changed "Instant Move" to "Instant Move -Curve Dance-" and tried to avoid the giant''s attack by repeating complicated curve movements, but the giant whose physical ability has doubled cannot be shaken. The giant quickly caught up with me and swung its club. (This open place is not good !!) The place where we are fighting now is an open place that spreads out inside the forest. There are no obstacles in this place that would obstruct the giant''s actions. As a result, the giant was able to show off his extraordinary physical abilities. This was clearly bad for me. Since I didn''t think ahead in the battle with the Wild Dogs, the amount of Qi I had was getting smaller and smaller. It would be difficult to keep avoiding any more than this. If so, no matter how dangerous it may be, there is no choice but to place a bet. The question is whether my body can hold it or not. Betting everything in the last moment, I dared to step into the vortex of the approaching storm. *** "Guuuuuu!" Nozomu''s entire body is screaming. Realizing that he couldn''t dodge it forever, Nozomu dared to step into the deadly storm. He continues to avoid the giant''s attacks, using everything at his disposal that he has learned from Shino. Around Nozomu, a strong wind blows every time the Triclops swings its club, and every time the club hits the ground, rains of soil pouring down. Nozomu can avoid the Triclops'' doubled-speed attack because its attack is so easy to read. "Demon Eye of Madness" certainly dramatically increases its physical strength, but at the cost of most of its reasoning is being cut off. Therefore, the Triclops'' attack, which was already easy to read, became even easier to read. Nozomu knew that he could plan a counter-attack when the giant was in its position to attack. However, due to the lack of gaps, and due to its attacks with doubled physical ability, the giant''s attacks are still a threat to him. A mass of death passed in front of him. That alone could break anyone''s fighting spirit and stiffen their bodies. Nozomu can move solely because he knows more powerful attacks. Tiamat, Shino, Rugato. All of them are more powerful than this Triclops, and the battle with them was certainly worn out not only his body and ability but also his blood and flesh. However, no matter how much he knew about the giant''s attack, it counterattacked so quickly that Nozomu couldn''t reach it with his range of attack. (If this goes on! there is no other choice but to do it !!!!) The moment the giant swings down its club, Nozomu flies back at the right timing. The giant immediately pursued Nozomu. The Triclops who lost his reasoning will not stop until it completely crushes the obstacle in front of it. The giant continues to charge toward Nozomu, cutting through the dirt and smoke it had made himself. At that time, Nozomu had his feet firmly fixed to the ground. Put his power on the little toes of his feet and grabs the ground with his whole feet. When he saw the approaching giant, he began to compress Qi into his feet. The skin of Nozomu''s feet was torn and blood oozes out due to the extreme compression of Ki, which is comparable to the Phantom, still, Nozomu continues to send his Qi into his feet. The amount of blood that flows out increases, dyeing Nozomu''s shoes bright red. The giant tilts its upper-part body and swings down its club towards Nozomu. As the club approached Nozomu''s eyes, Nozomu released the Qi he had put into his feet all at once. He lowers his head, throws his body to the ground, and accelerates towards the giant''s feet. Inevitably, the giant''s attack begins to shoot down towards Nozomu from above. Originally, the height difference between Nozomu and Triclops is more than double, and due to the difference in their body size, there is still enough space for one person to enter under the giant''s hand. Nozomu''s purpose is to slip into that space. The doubled physical ability of the Triclops is certainly a threat, but even if its speed is doubled, its senses are not strengthened. For that reason, Nozomu jumped backward once and triggered the giant''s rush. On top of that, he lowered his posture to the ground and accelerated with all his might. Even if the giant has a tremendous increase in speed and strength, its senses remain the same. In the moment of its action, a gap in its space will be produced and enlarged. With that thought, Nozomu''s actions were a perfect blow. The moment when the club that Triclops swung down seemed to catch Nozomu. The giant lost sight of its prey. The giant''s vision who was rushing with his doubled physical strength is narrow. In an instant, the giant''s senses could not catch up with Nozomu who accelerated towards it. Nozomu sneaks into the giant''s feet, pulls a knife out of his waist, and sends his Qi into it. Originally, it is just a miscellaneous knife that is not supposed to be used in battle, but due to the extreme compression of Qi sent into it, the blunt knife temporarily has the sharpness of a magic sword. Nozomu thrusts the knife into the giant''s knee and tears off the handle of the knife. The knife''s blade was deeply buried in the giant''s knee like a wedge. The giant cannot pull out the blade as long as the handle is broken. Moreover, as the giant put pressure on its knees in an attempt to rebuild its momentum, the knife tore the bones and muscles, completely destroying its knee joints. The Triclops'' body tilted and collapsed. In a hurry, the giant tries to support its body with its hands so that it doesn''t fall, but Nozomu was already moving around him. All his remaining Qi is sent to the sheathed katana and he extremely compressed it. This is Nozomu''s aim. It was a way to kill the Triclops with a single blow while sealing both hands of the giant. The blade is released. The blade, which was unsheathed and moving directly against the wind, finally cut off the giant''s neck. *** Nozomu''s POV "Zee~! Zee~! Zee~!" Blood spurts from the giant''s neck whose head has been cut off, dyeing the red ground even redder. Due to the fatigue caused by compressing my Qi to the limit and continuing to fight with all my might. I was kneeling on the ground because of the extreme tension that made me suffocate. The inside of my head was paralyzed from the extreme exhaustion, and I couldn''t really think about anything. However, the fury inside my heart has not subsided. Even after I killed so many lives and got this much blood, I still didn''t feel rampaged enough. (... eld ...me. Yi ......... to me ...) The echoed voice in the depth of my ear gradually became louder. I couldn''t control my desire to follow that voice. (I can''t stand it anymore, I want to use my strength as I want!!) (I want to destroy everything in front of me !!) While my last remaining reasoning desperately stopped the voice, a rattling sound reached my ears. I hurriedly looked at the source of the sound. There was a sight that doubted my eyes. Another giant. Not just one or two. There are at least ten giants there. Their physique is one size smaller than the one I slaughtered just now, and there is only one eye on their faces. They are Cyclopes, a subspecies of Triclopes. There is even a third-eyed giant behind them. "Gaaaaaaaa!" "Guoooooo !!" As soon as the giants glanced at me and found a headless corpse beside me, the giants'' eyes turned bright red. The bodies of the giants swelled up, and a huge wall of meat appeared in front of me. Probably the Triclops that was killed earlier was a member of this herd. They are angry at the fact that their comrade was killed, and they are going to kill me, who is the cause. "Ha, hahahaha ¡­¡­¡­¡­" I can''t do it anymore. In this exhausted state, I cannot fight or escape. A dry and hoarse voice was leaking from my mouth looking up at the wall that appeared in front of me. (Yield ... to me. Yield yourself to me¡­¡­¡­¡­) I can clearly hear the voice from the depth of my heart. I have found a reason to remove my final restraint. That is to survive. I put my hands on the chains that bind me. By the time I realized it, the giant black dragon was flickering in front of me, but that was the only way to survive, the hesitation inside me was completely gone. All that was left behind was a burning fury and a strong urge to destroy everything, "I want to destroy everything !!". Leaving everything out of my mind. Leaving everything to my fury. I tore the steel chains. Chapter 4.9 Hello, PolterGlast here. Based on the voting results on discord, Ch 4 Part 9 will be released early So, here you go :) As usual, I want to say thank you to my patrons. Thank you for your continued support. Also, thank you Shinku, VinhLuong, and Maksim Shadow for your coffee. *** "Hey Kevin, is it really alright?" One of Kevin''s party members calls out to him. They go through the forest. Their purpose is to subdue Mad Bear. Mad Bear, as the name implies, is a big bear demon beast, a monster equivalent to Rank C, but his worries are not about Mad Bear. "Ah?" "It''s about our conversation at the guild. You said that the Triclopes are wandering around." He was worried about the Triclopes that were recently seen in the forest. An extremely dangerous demon beast of rank A and it might be near them. If we look closely, we can see that the eyes of the other members are shaking and they feel anxious. "Oh, it will be alright. They are usually in the depths of the forest, and the adventurer probably saw a stray one out of their flock. Because I''m here, No matter how strong the Triclopes are, if there is only one, it won''t be a problem." "¡­¡­ Well ... that''s true¡­¡­" However, unlike his worried members, Kevin doesn''t seem to be worried. Certainly, he is one of the most talented students in the school. He is confident in his own ability. His demeanor was sometimes seen as arrogant, but his appearance did not change as usual, so his party members interpreted it as unnecessary worries. "Hey! What''s wrong? You can go home if you''re scared." "I, I''m not scared! I, I''m alright!" "Hmm! All right then." Kevin moves forward while sneering at the members who are still feeling uneasy. Kevin never changes his arrogant behavior, but in a sense, he is a powerful and strong leader. He is the only one who can become a spiritual pillar of his party members. "Hmm?" Kevin, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and began to squint his eyes and look around. His silver-haired ears, which are characteristic of the Silver Wolf tribe, are moving restlessly, and his nose seems to be drawn by something. "What happened? Kevin?" "Something is coming........." When one of the members who was skeptical about the situation asked, Kevin announced that someone was approaching. At that time, soldiers in armor appeared with a rustling sound from the bush in front of them. The Arcazam crests is engraved on their shields and armor. Definitely, they are Arcazam Guards. "Are you Solminati students?... Haven''t you heard the report from the guild? It''s dangerous here. Go back to the city right away." "Huh! Why do I have to listen to what you say?" When the guards caught Kevin''s figure, they urged him to return to the city, but Kevin, the party leader, dismissed the guards'' warning. His arrogant attitude may have offended the guards, and the guards'' tone changed to a harsh one. "We are in charge of this matter. The enemy is that Triclopes. It is not the one that students can manage." "That''s the story for those trashes. It has nothing to do with me." The soldier warned with a stronger tone than before, but Kevin''s attitude did not change. It further turned the nerves of the guards for the worst. "Even if you are there, you''ll just die in vain. Leave this place to us and go home for today!" "Huh! There''s no reason for me to listen to someone who can''t get stronger without a group." "Cut it out! If you want to say your childish selfishness anymore, I''ll detain you and put you in prison !! " "That''s interesting! Just try it.....¡± "That''s as far as you go ... " ¡°!!¡± "Jihad-dono ..." When he finally thought he was going to scuffle with the guards, a warrior carrying a sword larger than his height on his back broke in between the two. Black hair mixed with white and traces of scars deeply carved on his face. Although he is about 40 years old, the body visible under the silver armor is further covered with muscles, and his sharply piercing eyes full of vitality of a youthful man like in his twenties. Jihad Roundel. A knight who belongs to the Silver Rainbow Chivalric Order, and is one of the leading swordsmen on the continent, and has the title of "Jaw Drop". He also teaches at Solminati Academy and is the strongest knight in Arcazam. This time, the Silver Rainbow Chivalric Order, who received information from the guild that they saw Triclopes, sent him to support the Arcazam Guards in consideration of the danger. "I''m sorry, Mauzu-dono. My student caused such an inconvenience." "N, no. It''s not Jihad-dono''s responsibility ..." "The mischief of the students is the mischief of the teacher. I will be responsible for supervising these students, so please forgive me." Jihad bows deeply to the captain of the guards, Mauzu, and states that he will be responsible for whatever happens. Captain Mauzu, who was active during the great invasion 10 years ago, is terrified, because the swordsman, who was making his name famous on the continent, is bowing to him now. They are free to enter the forest, but even if they die there, they are at their own risk. It doesn''t matter whether it''s students or ordinary people. Nevertheless, if someone like Jihad went that far, even Mauzu couldn''t help but yield. "... I understand. I''ll leave them to Jihad-dono." "Thank you. .... you guys. I don''t mind if you follow me, but in case of emergency, follow my instructions. Do you understand?" After Jihad thanked Mauzu, he turned to Kevin and others and reminded them again. The students nodded obediently and no one shook their heads, perhaps because they understood their current situation. "Kevin, you understand, right?" "Oh ... well, that''s fine." Jihad asks Kevin to remind him once more. Kevin admits that Jihad is a much stronger man than himself, and listens honestly to what Jihad says. "It''s good then. Let''s go ..." Kevin obediently follow the instructions, there is nothing more to say. Jihad begins to walk toward the depth of the forest, followed by Kevin, Mauzu, and the others. Into the pitch-black darkness, the darkness that seemed to continue forever. *** The three-eyed and one-eyed giants rush towards the boy. The walls of meat that lined up shake the earth, rushing in like a tsunami. A huge cluster of mayhem rushes in such a number that can cover one''s field of vision. Even a high-ranking influential person may be stunned by the intensity and bloodlust of the incoming giants. However, Nozomu looked at the scene with cold eyes. The fury that was smoldering within him until now, was like lava. Nozomu''s emotions that had been pushed exploded. Moreover, now that he already knew more about the giants before his eyes, he is no longer scared with that level of mayhem and bloodlust. "... 3, 4, 5 vanguards. The rest are three on the right, two on the left, and three Cyclopes at the rear ..." Nozomu calmly ascertains the huge wall that is approaching him. Even though he can be turned into minced meat in a few seconds, his head thinks at high speed how to slash the giants in front of him. Now that his remaining hesitation has completely disappeared and his power has been completely released, his extreme concentration has accelerated even his thoughts and extended his experience time infinitely. In a thought-accelerated world, Nozomu devised in his head a number of ways to slaughter the giants. Only a few seconds passed in the real world. A huge amount of Qi has already been sent to his katana, extremely compressed it, and a beam of light is clinging to the blade. The distance between Nozomu and the giants is only a few meters. It is a distance that giants with doubled physical strength can traverse in less than a second. The giants are just around the corner. Nozomu''s death was imminent. However, in an instant, Nozomu moved. The ground at his feet was blown away. He accelerated, traversing a distance of several meters in an instant, less than a second. He appeared in front of the giants on the left side. The Cyclops was surprised by Nozomu who suddenly appeared in front of it. The Cyclops hurriedly swings down the club it had in its hand. Its muscles doubled by the "Demon Eye of Madness" squeaked, and the club growled and swung downwards. Although it is inferior compared to the Triclopes, its club''s strength could be said to be excessive to kill one person. However, it was instantly knocked down by Nozomu. The club that was supposed to crush Nozomu''s skull was knocked down by the katana that Nozomu casually shook with only one hand, and was vainly driven into the ground. Nozomu didn''t even look at the club that he had knocked down. This time, he reinforced the scabbard in his other hand with Qi and launch it. The swung-up scabbard accurately hits the elbow of the Cyclops, crushes the giant''s joints into pieces, and the impact bends the log-like arm into a dogleg. Furthermore, the top part of the arm that lost its support of the joint bounced up, and Nozomu slashed the defenseless torso. The katana''s blade with *Phantom -Clad-* cut the giant''s body into two parts, the upper part, and the lower part. Then he cut the other giants'' body into two pieces together with its club. Nozomu puts his foot into action without a pause and activates his Instant Move. Rush towards the 5 Cyclopes in the center. The five giants in the center slammed their clubs one after another in an attempt to kill Nozomu, but Nozomu exerted a high-speed curve movement when he changed his *Instant Move* into *Instant Move -Curve Dance-*. He effortlessly dodges the clubs and runs past the giants. Nozomu''s purpose is to use the physical disparity between his opponent and himself to set up maneuver warfare and defeat each individual. Living things are unlikely to fight head-on with creatures larger than themselves. But that doesn''t mean that the smaller ones can''t beat the bigger ones. That''s because the smaller ones can use something more effectively than the bigger ones. The physical disparity between him and the giant is certainly large, but on the contrary, if the body is too large and a maneuver battle is set up against an opponent who excels in mobility and reaction speed at close range, the reaction of the giants¡¯ bodies and thoughts can''t keep up with it. Nozomu''s current movement, which accelerates thinking with extreme concentration and manifests physical ability that surpasses even giants, can''t be caught by the giants. Nozomu left the five giants behind. With that momentum, he rushed towards the three Cyclopes to his right. The giants were still unable to react to Nozomu who appeared in front of them in an instant. Nozomu cuts the two giants that are completely defenseless standing in front of him with two slashes of bisection and plunges into the one remaining giant. The giant tries to shake off and drive away Nozomu with its club, but Nozomu sees the club''s trajectory abnormally slow, and Nozomu opens his mouth at a slow speed that seems to teach a child carefully. He read the trajectory of the club, and when it completely passed his shoulder, he rushed towards the giant. The giant stops the rushing Nozomu with its giant body. Nozomu collided with a giant with tremendous charging power. With just the momentum of his rush, Nozomu managed to push the giant who boasts an overwhelming weight compared to himself. The giant''s feet like a big tree, make 2 traces along the ground. However, the overwhelming weight difference eventually stopped the rushing Nozomu. The Cyclops, who stopped Nozomu''s rush, tried to shoot his rock-like fist down in an attempt to turn Nozomu into minced meat, but ... the next moment, the giant lost its consciousness due to the shock wave that punched into it. The giant''s body was blown away with a bursting sound like an airburst. Nozomu was stopped by the giant and was supposed to be crushed by its fist, but he was there unscathed. The giant''s chest, which was blown, sunk as if it had been hit by a hammer hitting a metal plate. *Vibration Discharge* An internal destruction technique similar to the Qi technique *Breaking Strike*. A physical technique that strikes using the perfect synergy of legs, hip, and torso movements. Concentrate all one''s power to the torso and strike a blow in an instant. The blow became a shock wave and penetrated the opponent''s body. The internal organs were destroyed by the shock wave. It is purely a physical technique, not a Qi technique, and does not need to care about the activation unlike the *Breaking Strike*. Moreover, it is a technique that is difficult to defend as it is released in perfect synergy. Originally, it is one of the techniques for performing a martial arts battle while wielding a sword. Although it is more difficult than using a *breaking strike*, it is a very reliable technique in close combat where the sword cannot be swung. The previous Cyclops received this technique on its chest. Its chest and its ribs were crushed. Furthermore, the impact that ran through the giant''s body ruptured the capillaries of its heart and lungs, leading to fatal cardiac arrest. *spurt* Suddenly, blood spurted from Nozomu''s shoulder. New blood is oozing from under his clothes as well. This is not due to his previous battle with the Wild Dogs and Triclops. The reason is that Tiamat''s power possessed by him and his power as a dragon slayer has been released. Tiamat''s power that Nozomu has acquired is enormous compared to the previous dragon slayers. Such extraordinary power would not fit into one human being, even if he gained some aptitude. Surely, without his Ability Suppression, Nozomu would have been swallowed by that power. Until now, whenever he released his Ability Suppression, Nozomu managed to control it, albeit for a short time, because Nozomu himself was trying to suppress the power from breaking through his body with all his might. But now that his mind is completely out of place, he forgets even to control it, and his leaked excess power has begun to eat his own body. Perhaps his survival instinct subconsciously refused to release it completely, and it controlled the power of the dragon slayer instead. Otherwise, Nozomu''s existence would disappear from the world in just a dozen seconds. """Ooooooooooooo !!!"""" The five Cyclopes that Nozomu left behind have caught up. Three of them swing down their club from the front, left, and right toward Nozomu. Nozomu parries the club that was shot down from the front with his bare hands and at the same time, strikes the club that mowing down on his left. A roaring sound rang out from the collision of two huge forces, and a shockwave spread out, but Nozomu intercepted the giant attacking from the right without worrying about it. The moment the club that was swung out sideways was caught by Nozomu''s katana, the club was unilaterally torn and divided into left and right. Nozomu cut the giant''s body which was dumbfounded by its club which had been cut. With that momentum, the remaining two Cyclopes that were taken aback were cut off with a single slash. The three giants are divided into six parts and roll on the ground while spilling their internal organs. Dozens of seconds. In such a short time, seven giants were slaughtered, exposing their corpses. The remaining two Cyclopes plunge into Nozomu. Seeing their figures, he charged a huge amount of Qi towards his hand holding the scabbard. The charged Qi tore Nozomu''s arm from the inside, and blood spurts from his wound, but Nozomu slammed his fist on the ground no matter what. Qi technique *Light of Extinction* A torrent of light erupts and blows away the ground in front of the giants. The Cyclopes could not stop their momentum of the rush, and their body was burned down in the light and died. (With this, the Cyclopes are wiped out. Only the Triclopes left¡­¡­¡­¡­) The Cyclopes are annihilated. Nozomu holds his breath. His whole body is covered in wounds. Despite the blood is flowing endlessly, he did not feel the pain at all. Nozomu could only feel the bright red view spreading in front of him, Tiamat rampaging inside himself, and his fury. (Yield yourself. Unleash it. Burn everything in front of you!) Nozomu and "Tiamat" were in sync with each other like never before. Was the voice that resounded inside his heart really his own? It was so blended that he couldn''t tell if it belonged to him or not. His heartbeat is beating faster and stronger than ever before. Every time his heart beats, Nozomu''s life is leaking from his wounds. The engraved wounds are hot and blazing, but he feels comfortable with it, on his own. Nozomu glares at the remaining three Triclopes. The Triclopes, who should have been immersed in their madness, were completely startled, and their crimson eyes were swaying in confusion. However, he had nothing to do with the other party. Nozomu thrusts forward with an Instant Move while making a new wound on his own legs. Out of three, two Triclopes rushed forward in a hurry, but it was already too late. Nozomu is faster than the Triclopes swinging their club, and when he sneaks inside their space, he slashes their arms holding the club with a Qi-enveloped blade. The giant''s arm fluttered in the air while still holding the club. He immediately launched another attack. Nozomu slashed the giant''s chest. Nozomu''s slash cut through the giant''s thick chest which is like an iron plate, it was slightly shallow and did not cause fatal injury, but that was enough for him. A slash shot by Nozomu. The Qi-enveloped blade that cut through the giant''s chest suddenly expands. At the same time, when the Qi on the surface of the blade stood up like a countless number of needles, it exploded along the sword surface. Qi technique *One Billion Severance* If *Phantom* is a bisection technique that kills the opponent directly, this *One Billion Severance* is a technique that scrapes the opponent''s body. The Qi along the sword surface expands into innumerable needles and is released. A Technique that scrapes the opponent''s body like a scraper file. The Triclops, which its chest had been torn, had all its chest muscles and ribs scraped off by *One Billion Severance*. The giant''s lungs and heart who lost their support spilled, and the Triclops collapsed in front of him, blowing bubbles of blood. Nozomu immediately jumps into another Triclops. He grabbed the giant''s face, broke his opponent''s collarbone. He just flips his head and legs upside down and jumps over the giant''s head. Upon landing behind the giant, Nozomu strikes *Breaking Strike* on the back of the Triclops while sheathed his sword. The Qi and shockwave that was struck spread to the internal organs of the Triclops, and as soon as the giant''s belly explodes, its internal organs pop out and are thrown to the ground. (This is the last one ¡­¡­¡­¡­) Nozomu faces the last remaining giant while dyeing his whole body red with the blood from his victims and the blood that has flowed out due to self-harm. "Guaaaaaaaaa! Guoooooooo!" The roar of the last giant echoes in the sky with twinkling stars. Did it feel the fear of the monster-like being in front of it, or is it desperately trying to inspire itself as not to be swallowed by that fear? Is it saddened by the scattered relatives in front of it? However, the giant''s heart is unknown to Nozomu. All he has to do now is to slaughter the existence in front of him. "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" With a loud roar, the Triclops plunges towards Nozomu. It was done without the help of its friends. The giant knew that what he was doing was crazy, he couldn''t beat the existence in front of him. However, the giant still did not back down. Was the reason revenge, madness, or instinct? No one knows the reason. Nozomu himself doesn''t know, and this is a battlefield. He doesn''t care about the reason of the other party while life and death intersect with each other. Nozomu''s hand is attached to the handle of the katana that was sheathed in his scabbard. At the next moment, one arm of the giant was slashed by the Qi technique *Phantom*. "Ooooooooooooo !!!" But the giant doesn''t care about his slashed arm. While squirting blood from its wound, tries to step towards Nozomu. However, the moment the giant took another step, his other arm is slashed by *Phantom -Recurrence-*. The Triclops lost both of its arms and was deprived of its way to fight. Still, the giant did not give up. The Triclops starts running again. It charged straight toward Nozomu and was about to hit him. (At least I will return a blow !!) The giant was screaming and approaching, and it seemed to say so even if it didn''t speak human language. However, that thought did not reach Nozomu. Nozomu pulls both of his hands and holds them on his hips. A large amount of Qi gathers in his hands and is compressed. When the giant approached Nozomu just one step away, the technique is released. Qi technique *Cannon* The torrent of Qi that has been compressed is released in one direction and struck the Triclops that was approaching Nozomu. The giant''s body is instantly blown away in the opposite direction. The Triclops slammed to the ground. It lost both of its arms and managed to get up using its upper body, and what it saw was a monster wielding a katana. Nozomu sends a huge amount of Qi to the blade of his katana and compresses it extremely. He took a stance of trusting with one hand and aiming with his other hand holding a scabbard. His appearance is just like a master of archery. The intimidating feeling emitted is incomparable to before. The enormous power released from Nozomu''s body makes the atmosphere squeak with a creaking noise, further damaging his own body, but Nozomu does not even notice it. Nozomu''s body descends for a moment, and the next moment, with the roaring sound of the ground exploding, he disappears. He reappears in front of the Triclops in an instant. For a moment, the eyes of two intersected. The giant''s eyes are no longer filled with madness color, the giant is just staring at the existence in front of it, and Nozomu''s face changed slightly. Those who kill and those who are killed. A momentary encounter in a long life. Qi technique *Core Piercing* Without knowing what the giant was thinking, Nozomu fired the nocked arrow. *** Nozomu''s POV A corpse of a Triclops lies in front of me. The *Core Piercing* I released almost penetrated the back of the Triclops and then exploded. However, it still blew the giant''s spine along with his internal organs and made a big hole. *Core Piercing* A combination technique of the Qi technique *Phantom* and *One Billion Severance*. The extremely compressed blade was thrust into the inside of the other party, and then the *One Billion Severance* was activated. The opponent who has been hit with an extremely deadly Qi technique is chopped up by the needles of Qi that has spread innumerably inside the body. I was wondering why this guy got rid of his *Demon Eye of Madness* at that time. Did he give up knowing that he couldn''t defeat me? Or was there something else? I don''t know. At least for me, I would struggle until the end. I don''t want to die, the same was true when I fought against Tiamat. But they didn''t, they didn''t struggle until the end. why¡­¡­¡­¡­. The figure that the last giant showed me. Reasoning begins to return to my mind when I have doubts about it. "¡­¡­¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­" Suddenly my face was raised and my field of vision was dyed bright red. The tragedy I caused is spreading in front of me. The corpses of the giants are scattered in front of me. Those who have their upper and lower body cut off, those who have a broken neck and have collapsed with their internal organs scattered, and those whose whole body has been burned. There were many others, but all of them exposed the corpses in a brutal manner. The blood that flowed out of the corpses dyed the ground bright red, creating a large pool of blood. The red dream flashed back. The ruined Arcazam, and the burning smell of people I familiar with. What spreads in front of me and dyed me was the bright red of rusty iron. Both of them sprinkled an indescribable smell of death. "Guh~ !!! Guee~ee~e~e~e!!" Everything in my stomach was pumped with an intense vomiting sensation. I couldn''t stand it, I knelt down, and vomited everything in my stomach into the pool of blood. A sour taste spreads inside my mouth, and stomach acid burns my throat. "Gee, ugh, guh, oee ..." The feeling of wanting to throw up didn''t disappear even after I threw out everything in my stomach. Even the gastric juice left in my stomach was exhausted, and only soundless air was exhaled from the mouth. "I ... become like this ..." (I want to become strong) I certainly thought so. I wanted to support Lisa''s dream. I tried to become stronger because of that. After that time, only a reason to escape was left, but I still wanted to be strong. Looking at both hands. Hands dirty with blood and vomit. The hands of a murderer who overrun and killed everything with fury. Not like this. I didn''t want to be strong because of this. Even if my reason was to escape, at least I didn''t want to spread death like this!! "I ... I didn''t want to be stronger... for such a thing ..." My body collapses into the sea of blood in front of me. Swallowed by the mistakes I made. My consciousness is swallowed by the deep darkness. Chapter 4.10 Suprise Chapter !!!! As usual, I want to say thank you to my patrons. Thank you for your continued support. Also, thank you Effyo for your coffee. *** Consciousness awakens slowly. My hazy field of vision gradually regained its color, and it became possible to see what was in front vaguely. A highway illuminated by the light of stars floating in the night sky. A simple road covered with gravel and overgrown grass on the sides of the roads. When I noticed, I was back on the road leading from the forest to the outer edge of Arcazam. Perhaps I thought it was unpleasant to be in the pool of blood where the corpses were scattered around, so I unknowingly came back to Arcazam. To be honest, I was relieved that I wasn''t heading to shish¨­''s hut. I didn''t want shish¨­ to see my current unsightly appearance. At the same time, I feel disgusted towards myself who has such an idea. My face naturally becomes distorted, it turns my face dirty with blood and mud into an even uglier one. (I ran away again ¡­¡­¡­¡­) The truth pointed by Ken. I didn''t want to admit it, I didn''t want to think about it, I just exerted my power with my own fury. I covered my heart by breaking whatever I saw. By taking the lives in front of me. But that didn''t change anything. To shut myself inside my shell or to break everything I see. Even if what I did was different, but the underlying essence was exactly the same. (Nothing has changed ... ever since I was dumped by Lisa ... nothing ...) The inside of my head was messy. Everything gets mixed up and I can''t think of anything because of the shame and disgust towards myself, who run away by exerting power so easily. Still, my body keeps moving forward. My mind and body were completely separated. Without knowing where to go, I walked with a staggering and unconscious gait like a ghost. Without even knowing the destination ¡­¡­. *** Iris'' POV "Haa ........." After taking a bath, I was watching the starry night sky on the balcony of my mansion. The night breeze blows, and even though it is spring, the cold air takes away the heat of my burning body. However, no matter how much I soothe my body, the feeling that the inside of my chest was being hard pressed did not disappear at all. I think about him. Recently, without realizing it, I started thinking about him. In the morning, when I''m grooming in front of the mirror. When I''m taking a lecture at the school. When I''m training in the mansion. When I''m eating. Even when I was taking a bath earlier, he was in my head. And even now. However, after what happened today, I felt the inside of my chest was being pressed hard. His position at the school was worse than I expected. Many people give frank advice to me just because he and I were together. And the conversation with Lisa. She told me that it was better not to be near him because if I leave it as it is, I will definitely have a terrible experience. I asked her what he had done to her, but she left without saying anything. Her face at that time was distorted by hatred, and that''s not the expression a childhood friend should have ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Haa ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In the end, I can''t find out anything from her, and I tried to ask him directly about the rumors that made him look so terrible, but my best friend and sister made me give up. Afterward, when I heard from Ena about the interaction between Lisa and him, I couldn''t bring myself to ask him. In the end, I found out that I didn''t know anything about him. And he was still suffering from Lisa. But we have never heard of him since that time. I recall, he was somehow drawing a line from us. I knew that the power he spoke about after helping us sisters, wasn''t just about the release of Ability Suppression. But he doesn''t seem to want to talk about that. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Haa ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My sigh naturally deepened and my feelings gradually became depressed. I naturally held the hand that was connected to him that day in my chest. The night after that incident I was very happy and couldn''t sleep. My body naturally became hot, and every time I saw the hand that was holding him, my cheeks became loose. But now, when I look at that hand, my chest becomes painful. I want to know about him. But I can''t hear it. I want him to talk about himself. But he doesn''t talk. A question that keeps repeating itself and doesn''t provide an answer. Each time, my chest became painful and I get impatient. In the end, even if my body got cold due to the night breeze, the haze inside my chest did not clear up. *** Sh¨©na''s POV "Hmm ... it''s already this late ..." I, Sh¨©na Yuliel, was doing research in the school library after school. Solminati Academy was founded jointly by each country on the continent. For that reason, the number of books collected from all over the continent was enormous, and I''m having a hard time doing research because of it. With my bag in my hand, I walked down the dark cobblestone road, went out from the Solminati Academy building, passed through Central Park, and headed for the main street. Magic lamps are installed in several places on the main street, illuminating the street brightly even at night. This magic lamp is the first street light used in this city, and it uses a stone with magical power called a magic stone, and it is made by incorporating a technique to illuminate the surroundings during the night. Given the importance of the tool to the city, although it is a very expensive facility, the Aristocrats of each country decided to install it in order to maintain security and crime control. "In the end, I didn''t understand anything today as well..." What I was investigating was the demon beast that robbed my hometown in the Foskia forest. The Foskia Forest was a forest protected by spirits and became a safe haven for us, elves. However, the Fosun Fountain, which was the center of the forest, and Ienis, a large tree, which took root inside the fountain, were destroyed by an unidentified demon beast during the great invasion 10 years ago. However, we have not given up on our hometown. Someday, we will get our hometown back from those filthy demons. For that reason, I kept investigating that demon beast. Of course, not only me but also my colleagues and institutions in each country are working on it. Even so, I kept going to the library every day, going to guilds, etc. to collect information, wondering if I could find anything. Since various books are collected from each country in this school''s library, the number of books is enormous, and it contains a large number of books that cannot be read even if it takes a person''s life. Since there are so many books, I was hoping that the first one I read would have written about that demon beast, but in the years since I came to this school, no progress has been made. "Haa ......... ! It shouldn''t be like this." I noticed that my sigh naturally leaked from my mouth, so I hurriedly tightened my resolve. "...?" At that moment, I felt someone''s presence in the immediate vicinity. This place is far from the commercial district, so there should be no one walking here at this time, unlike the main street. Looking at the presence, I can hear a faint footstep from the back alley. Magic lamps are installed only on large streets in the city such as main streets, not in the back alleys. On the contrary, the light of the magic lamps emphasizes the darkness of the back alley, so even if someone makes footsteps there, we cannot see the person who is making the footsteps. I lowered my back and prepared myself. I''m not good at hand-to-hand combat, but that doesn''t mean I can''t. No matter how safe Arcazam is, it is not without crime. There is no guarantee that a woman walking alone at this time will not be attacked. The footsteps gradually became louder. I put moderate power on both of my legs and take a posture to move at any time. And the light of the magic lamps illuminated the figure of the owner of the footsteps. There is a man there, and I frowned when I saw him. His whole body is terribly dirty. I can''t see his face because he''s facing down, his shoulders are wide for a woman, so I knew from his physique that he is a man. However, mud and blood are stuck all over his body, and obviously, that''s not normal. "Wa, Wait! Are you okay ?!" Seeing his whole body covered in blood, I hurriedly rushed towards him. The fabric and crest of the clothes, which can be seen through the gap between the mud and dirt sticking to the clothes, revealed that this person is a student of Solminati. When I ran up and tried to check the condition of his wound, the person finally noticed me, and he lifted his downcast face. "Y, you are ¡­¡­¡­¡­" I''m familiar with that face. That is the face I just saw recently. Nozomu Bountis. A boy who was surrounded by boys from the same class behind the school building a few days ago, at that time I drove away the students who surrounded him. His whole body was covered with blood, and he was walking with a tottering gait. I don''t have a good feeling for him. No one would have a good feeling for someone abandoned by his lover because of his own affair. However, no matter how much I dislike him, I cannot just leave an injured person alone. "Anyway, just go to the doctor ..." I said that and tried to take him to the doctor, but he won''t follow. "Wait! That injury will be a big deal later! It''s okay, please follow me!" After saying that, I pulled his hand, but he still didn''t move. It seems as if he refuses to go to the doctor. When I think so, I suddenly realized. The day is about to change, the town is completely asleep and no clinic is open at this time. However, the boy in front of me needs treatment. This is not the time to think about the likes and dislikes of myself and the other party. "Aargh, It can''t be helped !!" I forcibly pulled his hand and started walking while dragging him. For the time being, I have to take him to a place where he can get treatment. If his condition does not improve, I think that I have to forcibly treat it by myself. He was resisting at first, but maybe he gave up. His footstep was slow, but he came along. (Jeez! Why does it become like this?!) I kept pulling his hand while complaining inside my heart. *** Jihad¡¯s POV "What ... is this ........." Kevin, who was walking behind, leaked a murderous voice into the forest. I was also taken aback by the miserable sight that unfolded before my eyes. There were the Triclopes that we were concerned about, and there were even the Cyclopes. Not one or two. There were at least 10 giants there. If attacked by such a large number of giants at once, a small town would be destroyed in less than half a day. However, neither I nor the Arcazam Guards are holding our weapons. Because all the giants were already dead. Yes, more than 10 giants are exposing their corpses in this place. Those who have been cut off or whose heads have been crushed. There are many giants whose whole body is charred, and all of them are severely damaged, and no corpses are still intact. The faces of the students following me and the guards of the Arkazam Guards are so blue. Some of them couldn''t hold it in and threw up, but it''s reasonable. I haven''t seen such a horrific and bloody sight in the last 10 years. They are still young, so it''s reasonable when they are exposed to such ugly sight. "Jihad-dono ... what is this exactly ..." "... I don''t know either, but we don''t have much time right now. If the smell of blood is sprinkled this much, sooner or later the demon beasts of the forest will gather. Mauzu-dono, let''s split up with the guards, quickly investigate, and get out of here immediately." The scattered corpses are badly damaged but not yet rotten. This means that the one who killed these giants is still nearby. In addition, the scent of rusty iron and the large amount of blood sprinkled all over the place. If the demon beasts were attracted by this scent and they gathered together, it would be difficult for me to protect everyone. Besides, there are also students here. Separate with the guards and examine the corpses of the giants, then returns to the town immediately. An existence that can do all of this. Existence of a threat more than the giants. The feeling of impatience that is created in the depth of my chest ¡­¡­. Chapter 4.11 Arcazam at midnight. Nozomu was brought to Sh¨©na''s room in the women''s dormitory where she lived. Although it was unavoidable, it was bad to bring a male student into a girls'' dormitory at such a time. She brought Nozomu while watching her surroundings like a sneaky thief, and it was lucky, she could enter her room without being found by anyone. She puts Nozomu inside her room and makes him sits on her chair, and she immediately brings water and treatment tools and begins to treat him. Nozomu is being treated by her and he doesn''t seem to resist as he did when he met her on the road. Time goes by silently, and in the room, only the sound of Sh¨©na moving her hands and the sound of the healing instruments are heard faintly in the dimly lit room. "Fuuh. The wound isn''t as deep as I expected. It seems that the blood has stopped, so disinfection is all that is needed." Sh¨©na, who was looking at Nozomu''s wounds, said so. Most of his injuries were due to self-harm during his release of Ability Suppression. There are some wounds that he got when he was blown off by the Triclopes, but thanks to the potion, his life is not in danger, and the wounds themselves are already closed at that time. "... You! If you have a potion, please drink it properly! It may be life-threatening !!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­A¡­¡­" Actually, the potion that Nozomu had was only a little, but there was still a surplus. He just completely forgot to drink it. "... S, sorry ..." "... Haa ... did you want to die? If so, why don''t you go to the depths of the forest alone? You''ll die as soon as you want it." Sh¨©na''s tone is getting harsher, but it''s reasonable. We can say that her evaluation of Nozomu is the worst. She had previously thought it was an emergency, but she knew that Nozomu was in better condition than she expected and wasn''t seriously injured, so her tone and attitude returned to normal. "You, why are you wandering around in such a place at such a time and suffering such an injury? Moreover, it was full of mud. Isn''t it strange? " Her doubts are justified. Even if we think about it normally, the appearance of Nozomu up to that point can be mistaken for a suspicious person. His whole body was covered with bloody mud. A tottering and unconscious gait. It seemed that it would not be strange to be reported to the military police. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I was inside the forest ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "Inside the forest? Who were you partying with?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I''m not teamed up with anyone ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I''m alone ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "Haa?! Alone ?! Are you stupid !? What were you thinking !!" Sh¨©na begins to get angry with her face bright red at the same time as she is amazed at Nozomu who was in the forest alone. From the perspective of not only her but also the people in this city, Nozomu is insane, as he enters the forest alone. The people of this city know the demon beasts, who are lurking inside the forest, are their threats. The history of this Arcazam City is short. This city was originally a wilderness, it was a land where demon beasts had lived for a long time. Since rivers flow nearby and water can be replenished, this land was chosen as the place to create this city due to the influence of each country, and it has only been 10 years since people settled here. If we step away from the city and walk along the road, there is a good chance that we will encounter a demon beast, albeit weak. There is also quite a distance from other cities, so when going from Arcazam to other cities, it was common to use horse-drawn carriages, and there were not many people walking. Every year, many people are killed by being attacked by demon beasts while actually moving on foot. What''s more, the demon beasts that attack in the forest are not always alone. Even veteran adventurers formed parties just in case, but Nozomu didn''t even do that. Perhaps because of that Sh¨©na yelled at him. "Good grief! Didn''t you know how dangerous it is to enter the forest alone with your 10th class ability !" (Could it be that he really tried to kill himself¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I shouldn''t have helped him¡­¡­¡­¡­) She said so and began to put away the treatment tools roughly, but she was knitting her eyebrows and her expression was somewhat sad. *knock, knock, knock* At that time, They heard a knock on the door of the room. "Sh¨©na! I''m sorry, it''s already late at night, but I need to talk a little, is it okay now ?!" From the other side of the door, they can hear the voice of an unknown woman. The moment she heard the voice, a cold sweat spilled over Sh¨©na''s forehead, and she looked toward the door as if she had been snapped. "Mi, Mimuru ?!" Sh¨©na makes a panicked voice. By the name and her behavior, it is probably her friend. Nozomu thought so, but suddenly Sh¨©na rushed towards Nozomu. She took Nozomu''s hand and opened the closet in the corner of the room, and forced Nozomu into it. "Uwa~!" Nozomu messed up the clothes inside the closet. The scent of the sun wafts through his nose, and his voice leaked out due to the sudden occurrence. "?? Sh¨©na? What''s wrong?" "!! So, sorry, Mimuru. I''m going out now!" Sh¨©na''s friend asks from the other side of the door suspiciously whether she heard Nozomu''s groaning, and Sh¨©na smoothes it over in a hurry. She hurriedly pushed Nozomu into the closet, and she hit Nozomu with a tremendous amount of bloodlust with her gaze. Her gaze clearly says, "If you make a noise, I''ll kill you !!!", and Nozomu is completely frozen. She glances at Nozomu''s appearance and closes the closet door. It reminds him of the bloodlust that seems to have oozed out of the giant he had defeated earlier. Nozomu had no choice but to be petrified in total darkness. After a few moments, Nozomu realized that his current situation was bad. It''s midnight now. If there is a man in a woman''s room at this time, it will be bad for both of them. No, in this case, Nozomu would be the only one. Even though he was brought in, in this situation everyone wouldn''t believe it even if he told them the truth. What would everyone do if they thought he had sneaked into the girls'' dormitory? "......... Please ... ru ...." "Yeah ..., ¡­¡­¡­¡­ is it ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Came a voice from the other side of the closet door. She seems to be talking to her friend. "It¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" "Actually ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "Mimuru. I ......... uwa............... Triclopes too..." Triclopes. The moment that word was heard. Nozomu''s body trembled surprisedly. At that time, his body hits the inner wall of the closet, *clatter!!* Makes a loud noise. "Eh¡­¡­¡­¡­?" "It, it''s nothing ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Ma, maybe ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" In a hurry, Nozomu holds his breath and extinguishes his presence. After a while, maybe their conversation was over, her footsteps came in front of the closet. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..You can come out already¡± With that said, her face, which he saw after the door opened, was harsher than before he was pushed into the closet. *** Sh¨©na''s POV I pushed him into the closet and opened the door of the room. Behind the door was my friend Mimuru. She is a Wildcat girl with cat-like ears and a tail, and she is the same 3rd year and 2nd class student as me. When I was in the first year, we started talking when we were next to each other in the same class, and we were also next to each other in the same class in the 2nd and 3rd year. It can be said that we are in an inseparable relationship. "I''m sorry, Mimuru. I made you wait." "Hmm, that''s fine, but ... what happened? It was kind of strange." She asks while tilting her head cutely. But I was surprised by her question. "Eh~! Is that so? I don''t think that''s the case ..." "Hmm. It looks like the room is normal, but ... it''s just, I feel something is strange." Mimuru looked into the room, narrowing the vertically opened pupils that were peculiar to the Wildcats tribe. She may notice it if she examined the room with her excellent sense of a beastman. "A, anyway, what are you here for?" With that in mind, I immediately tried to distract her by listening to the matter. "Ah, that''s right. Actually, We are going to the forest next time. It seems that Tom has something to do there, but it''s okay, right?!" Tom is a second-class student like me and he is Mimuru''s lover. They seem to have been together even before they came to this school, and he is a petite boy with a thin body line, and he is good at magic and alchemy. As we can see, he is not very good at fighting, but he has excellent results in research and experiments. "Hey, Mimuru. What is he going to do?" "Actually, it seems that Tom has a plant that he needs for the experiment, but he just ran out of it. That''s why he wants to go to the forest for harvesting, but he seems to have to do some special processing immediately after harvesting that plant. " Indeed, if special processing is required, he will need us to go with him. However, I thought that we shouldn''t go into the current forest very much. When I thought about something. Anger springs up inside my heart. I was thinking about the person who was just pushed into the closet. A big idiot who entered the forest alone. He just wants to commit suicide. Even veteran adventurers need a party and don''t do something like that !! His reckless act makes me even angrier. I hate people who throw their own lives away. My childhood scene slightly floats across my head where anger arose. The beginning of everything that led me to this place. "?? Sh¨©na. What''s wrong?" "! It''s nothing, Mimuru" My best friend''s words brought me back to reality. The scene that faintly floats across my head disappeared, I respond to my friend while thinking about how to make the contents of the closet unnoticed. "... Mimuru, I don''t think we should go into the forest too much for now. There was a story in the guild that they saw Triclopes. And recently, the spirits of the forest are strangely noisy...." *clatter!!* "!!" At that time, a loud noise was heard from the closet. Cold sweat flows on my back. "Huh? What was that sound?" "It, it was nothing. Maybe it was a rat. I''ve seen it a lot lately." Her consciousness has turned towards my room again. I half-forced her consciousness to return to our conversation of going to the forest by bringing up the continuation of her previous story. I managed to gloss it over. What are you doing!! Don''t you know what would happen if someone saw you in this place! !! !! "Well, Tom isn''t good at fighting, but that doesn''t mean he can''t fight, right? It''s okay because he has a lot of useful tools for it! He can use magic, and we''re also with him. Even if it''s Triclops, it will be alright. The Knights are already moving, and even if we''re in the forest, it''s not that deep. We''ll be back in less than half a day." According to the story I heard from Mimuru, the plant he is looking for is a kind of moss, and it seems that it grows only on a specific tree. The tree also grows in the forest relatively close to the city. I''m still a bit reluctant, but I''m also worried about my friends. It will be alright if it is close to the city. "... I got it, Mimuru. Please tell him that too." "Yup! Thank you Sh¨©na !! Then, good night!" After telling Mimuru that I agreed, she returned to her room with a happy face. After seeing her disappear across the hallway, I returned to my room and opened the closet. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. You can come out now¡± Then, he comes out of the closet creepingly, but I think it''s unavoidable that my gaze has become even more glaring. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The room was filled with an awkward atmosphere. Well, it can''t be helped. What would have happened if I had been caught ... I might be considered to have brought a heartless man, and it goes without saying what will happen to Nozomu, whose evaluation at the school was originally at the bottom. *** ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­So, how long do you intend to stay in this room?¡± "Ah!!" Nozomu was taken aback by Sh¨©na''s words and raised his face. He realized that his injury had been treated and there was no reason for him to stay here. "S, sorry. I''ll be leaving soon..." "... If so, be quick. That doesn''t mean that someone won''t come again, and if you are found, I''ll get involved. " She is completely back in her usual attitude. She was originally not happy with Nozomu. She doesn''t know what happened to him, but because he was alone in the forest, she assumed that Nozomu''s injury was his own business. "And also, isn''t it nice that you can recklessly enter the forest alone now. If you don''t know your own capability, you won''t be able to survive in the next one. " ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Sh¨©na bit in a provoking tone because she doesn''t know much about Nozomu. Nozomu didn''t answer anything and just turned his face down. He was exhausted both mentally and physically, and he didn''t have the energy to say anything to her words. Without saying anything, Nozomu touches the door of the room. But the moment he heard the following words. Nozomu''s head seemed to boil in an instant. "More importantly. No one willing to help you because you abandoned Lisa." "!!!!!!" He couldn''t say anything because of his disgust towards himself, who run away by exerting power so easily, but the moment he heard her words, he grabbed Sh¨©na''s collar. "Wha!! What are you doing ..............." Sh¨©na got angry as he grabbed her collar, but after that, she couldn''t say anything. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± The two facing each other. Nozomu, who was extremely enraged, was seriously striking his bloodlust, albeit for a moment. Nozomu''s face was distorted by anger. The elf girl was dumbfounded by his bare emotions. The incredibly intense bloodlust that was suddenly scattered, albeit for a short time, completely eliminated the surrounding sounds, giving the illusion that time had stopped for a moment. "!!! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Sorry ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Realizing what he had done, Nozomu immediately released the collar he was holding, but the heavy atmosphere gets heavier and neither of them can look at each other. Nozomu turns his back and walks straight toward the door. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Treatment ¡­¡­ Thank you ¡­¡­¡± Nozomu disappears beyond the door. "What on earth¡­¡­¡­¡­ is going on¡­¡­¡­¡­" Sh¨©na asked while muttering in the room. Her question is blocked by the closed door, and it simply scattered without reaching anyone but herself. Just before Nozomu disappeared beyond the door, she heard his murderous voice towards her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.I didn''t do that ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± *** In the depths of the forest, where the corpses of Triclopes and Cyclopes are scattered, there are shadows swarming on the corpses. It was the demon beasts who were attracted to the smell of blood. They are eagerly devouring the corpses in front of them. A Wild Dog that thrusts its neck into the belly of a giant, makes its face bloody and eats the internal organs. Demon beasts with wings pecking the scattered internal organs. Goblins slam their club against a corpse in a group, cut its meat with their crude knife, and eat it. The meat of the giants, which is more than 10 bodies, is a treat that they never thought of, and they devour the meat as they wish. A feast of blood and meat held in a section of the forest. The scent makes the demon beasts'' enthusiasm more lively. Perhaps it was too lively, there is a fight for the best meat in front of them in several places. However, the atmosphere suddenly changed. The enthusiasm that filled this place dissipates in an instant, and the strong smell of death overflows. The smell of death wraps around the lively demon beasts and makes them feel as if they have come to another place. Those who were smacking their lips at the blood and flesh in front of them, those who were fighting for meat with all their might, those who were already satisfied and watching the hustle and bustle in front of them. Everyone is staring at a point where something is located. There were four legs that looked like they were bathed in black mud. The body was unable to melt into the darkness of the night, but beyond that darkness, countless red-black eyes could be seen. There are no pupils in its eyes. A red-black light is shining from the darkness that splits in the shape of its eyes. At the next moment, the demon beasts were covered in darkness, and all that remained was the sound of chewing something. Chapter 4.12 Nozomu''s POV I have a bloody dream. The same bloody dream I had before. The ruined city of Arcazam is full of rubble and blazing fire. And the burnt smell of flesh and the fierce smell of death that overflowed with it. "Haa, haa, haa, haa ..." I desperately ran around trying to escape from it. Looking away from everyone around the abandoned city, just like me before I met Shish¨­. However, no matter how much time passed or how long I ran, the bloody dream would never end. The ruins continued in front of me, and the flames burned my skin. My legs became like sticks and the muscles screamed, "I can''t do this anymore!", but I couldn''t stop. "Uaa!!!" However, I reached my limit. I tripped over the debris and fell. The baked bricks had intense heat and burned my skin even further. "Guuuu!" I put up with it and got up. If I fall here, I will really die. (Where are you going?) Suddenly, a voice echoed in my head. This is the voice that was heard when the Triclopes were slaughtered. Forcibly move my aching body and move my legs forward to escape from that voice. My legs have already reached the limit, and I trembled just by walking. However, it didn''t last long. My legs couldn''t even support my body that started to move forward, and I fell to the ground again. If I look closely, my legs are already charred black and I can no longer move. (¡­ What are you trying to escape from? ¡­¡­) Ignoring the voice that echoed inside my head, I tried to crawl forward. "... Fu, fuu fuu ........." I desperately stretched my hand forward, but the heat of the ground mercilessly burned my whole body. No more decent voices came out of my mouth, only unspeakable groans. (It''s a waste of time... you can''t escape...) With that voice, the skin of my hand, which was charred black, broke. The jet-black scales appeared with a rattling noise. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ah ¡­¡­¡± The next moment, the skin of my whole body tears, and blood overflows. Something is breaking through inside me and trying to get out. "Guh !!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!" What came out of my mouth was a scream that seemed to reach the sky. Something broke through my body from the inside and finally it was released to the outside. The last thing I saw was a jet-black giant with six wings that seemed to reach the heavens. My vision became pure white, and finally, my consciousness disappeared. "Uaa !!!" I woke up like I was jumping. The first thing I saw was the morning sun, which was shining through the window. A deep blue sky with no clouds spreads out. The spring sunshine heralded the arrival of the morning that wrapped everything warmly. "Guh !!!" However, I couldn''t focus on the scene. A strong feeling of nausea strikes. I run into the washroom and spit out what''s inside my stomach. Only gastric juice came out of my stomach because I hadn''t eaten anything since yesterday, so I drank water many times and immediately spit it out. After repeating it about 3 times, I can finally think about whether I''ve calmed down and what I''ve been through afterwards. After she treated me, I left her room and returned to my own dormitory room. Perhaps because I ran out of Qi and because of the mental and physical fatigue that had accumulated in my body, I fell into that dream. However, even after I woke up, my physical condition was the worst. My heart is still cloudy. "Guh !!" I have a severe headache. This is proof that my body is not resting. Ken''s true intentions and the truth that he pointed out. Then I drowned in the exertion of power to run away. Because of my promise with Shish¨­, I tried to ask Ken so I can finally move forward, but I was shown the truth I didn''t want to believe, and that alone made me hate my own weakness. I close my eyes tightly while clenching my teeth. In front of me, the tragedy I caused in the forest is vividly recalled. The Wild Dogs and Giants that was cut in half. I, who exerted my power while continuously being showered with blood. "¡­¡­¡­¡­D*mn¡­¡­" I spat out a curse of anger towards myself, but even my voice was weak. I naturally curled my body up and tightened my chest tightly. Even so, I get ready and on my way to school when the time comes. It might have been better to take a rest, but when I was in the room, I thought I might have that dream again, and I was afraid to be alone. I headed to school, but my consciousness remained hazy. The remaining fatigue placed a heavy burden and shackles on my body and mind, my mind swayed, and my eyes seemed to be dimly blurred. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Oi, ¡­¡­ mu ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± But what should I do? What should I do? Such thoughts cannot be answered with a weakened mind, they keep circling in my head meaninglessly. "... Oi, ... no... mu. Lis¡­¡­¡­¡­ me ¡­¡­¡­¡­" About Lisa, about Ken, about me who kept running away, about what to do about them. The things I avoided kept repeating endlessly in my head. And the scene that I caused yesterday was vividly recalled. A carpet of blood and flesh, I was smeared with blood and mud by those who were killed by me. That "thing" has settled inside me. I felt good when using that power. I was ecstatic to kill others. I felt pleasure even when I was hurt, and that''s why I hated myself. Honestly, I wanted to run away. I want to look away. However, it cannot be done. A promise with Shisho. I promised not to look away from the truth. But now, that promise makes my chest stressed even further. I want to run away, but I can''t. I want to look away, but I can''t. The clock called heart is filled with rust, eroding the gears that are trying to spin, and making a jarring sound. The gear of the heart that still tries to turn. The promise with Shisho and the feeling of impatience within myself. The gears trying to move the hands of the clock forward, and the rust that tried to stop it. The two collide and make the jarring sound even louder. However, the gear that was about to break stopped its movement suddenly in a loud voice. "Oi, Nozomu !!! You can hear me right !!!" A loud voice suddenly heard. Looking at the source of the voice, I saw my friend with a moody face. "¡­¡­Mars?" "That''s right. Why are you ignoring me! I was talking to you earlier!" Behind Mars, I can see the regular members, Iris and the others. Looks like he''s been talking to me since a while ago. "Ah ... sorry ... I was in a daze." "... Haa, well it''s ok, let''s go" Mars looks a little suspicious to me, but he urges me to start walking. I just followed him "By the way, Nozomu. I heard you were in the forest yesterday ... hmm ... are you hurt?" I chatted while walking with everyone for a while, but Iris suddenly called out to me as if worried. Her gaze fell on the bandage wrapped around my arm. "E ... ah! It''s alright. I just messed up a little during training." I immediately raised my bandaged arm and acted as if nothing had happened. "Is that so ... it''s good then ..." A tone with a hint of hesitation that was unlike the usual her. If it was the usual her, she would ask clearly, but somehow, her gaze is cloudy. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± But I can''t tell her anything either. Rust builds up in my heart. I don''t know what I''d be talking about if I opened my mouth now. A strange atmosphere flowed between us. Then Somia, who was next to me, opened her mouth to talk about something. "Yoo, Irisdina" A voice that I had never heard echoed on the spot, and when I looked at the source, a beastman with wonderful silver hair and ears was walking over here. *** Shortly before Nozomu and his friends came to school. At the main gate of the school, the rising sun illuminates its greatness and sprinkles the calm spring weather. However, despite such a pleasant morning, the main gate was surrounded by a strange atmosphere. While the students were coming to the school one after another, there was a less crowded space near the main gate. The space gave off a strange feeling of intimidation, and as the students who came to the school got closer to the space, they all avoided it. There were several students in the center of the space, but an intimidating feeling that frightened the students radiated from only one student in the center. "Chi !! D*mn! ..." It was Kevin, the silver wolf, who gave the feeling of intimidation at the center. The students in the space were the members of his party who entered the forest with Kevin the other day. Kevin looks moody to everyone and distorts his face. "Ke, Kevin. Calm down." "You''re noisy !!!! Damn !!" One of Kevin''s party members calls out to calm him down, but he has no ears to listen to. He was frustrated when he was told by Jihad yesterday when they returned to the city with the Arcazam Guards. "You guys, go back to your own room for today. The rest will be done by our Silver Rainbow Knights and the Arcazam Guards. " "Ha!!! What do you mean!" Kevin wanted to follow Jihad and tried to find out the truth about this matter. He was confident that he had sufficient abilities. Therefore, Kevin struck against Jihad, who explicitly tried to get rid of them. However, no matter how close he was to Jihad, he could not overturn the decision, and Jihad insisted on Kevin and others not to talk about this matter, he turned his back and began to talk to Captain Mauzu. His back eloquently said, "there''s nothing more to talk about", and Kevin had no choice but to leave with his lips clenched. "Why ... damn it!" It was too dissatisfying for him. Jihad was discussing future measures with the guards who were less capable than himself. His rank is A rank. Not to mention in the school, he is a talented person who can only be counted in this Arcazam. That''s why he took it for granted that he was there, and Jihad would allow it. But that wasn''t the case, Jihad said he wouldn''t get involved with Kevin anymore. For Jihad, it may have been an act of concern for his students. However, for Kevin, it was the same as Jihad telling himself, "You guys are useless, so go home." It was humiliating for Kevin, a Silver Wolf who is proud to protect his tribe with strength. "Hmm?" At that time, he suddenly sniffed something with his nose. The presence of the person he recognized. Sensitive to it, he immediately begins to walk in the direction of the presence. Five people, men and women, were walking together at the destination. "Yoo, Irisdina" There were figures of Nozomu and his friends who had just come to school ===================================== "... Well then, the fact that the Triclopes was subdued will be hidden for a while." "Well, that seems to be the decision of the superiors. Entering the current forest is too dangerous. If they think that there are Triclopes, no one will enter the forest, and they will detour." Jihad Roundel''s office at Solminati Academy. Here, Jihad and Arcazam Guard Captain, Mauzu, were facing each other and having a discussion. The content is about the corpses of the giants they found in the forest yesterday and the existence of who did it. They returned from the forest yesterday and were immediately held a Supreme Assembly in charge of the city''s administration. He had an audience with the chairman and reported the matter. Normally, various procedures are required, and Mauzu, the Guard Captain, should report this to his direct supervisor, but this audience was allowed by Jihad, who belongs to the multinational Silver Rainbow Knights and has command of the Silver Rainbow Knights in Arcazam. And the chairman''s decision was to hide this information for the time being. "However, if we leave it be, the city will be suffering damage..." "... That''s possible, but I think its possibility is lower than Mauzu-dono thinks." "¡­¡­¡­¡­Why is that" "The guy who defeated the Triclopes was using swordsmanship, which means that it is a human or something similar. At least it seems unlikely that it will attack people indiscriminately like demon beasts. " The corpses of the giants they saw in the forest. Some corpses were so badly damaged and the way they were killed were varied, but most were slashed with a sharp blade like a sword. But still, the way they were killed was unusual, but ... ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Jihad-dono. As I thought, this matter should be announced¡­¡­¡± Mauzu advised Jihad that the information should be disclosed, but Jihad''s opinion differed. "I also thought about it. Certainly, the danger of getting closer to the forest will be more known to the people in the city. However, the other party won easily against the Triclopes. And considering the position of this city, I think that the disclosure of this information is too risky, and it seems that the superiors also decided so." The position of this Arcazam. It sounds good to say that each country has invested and cooperated to create it, but in fact, there is always a power struggle between countries behind the scenes. In other words, Arcazam is the epitome of the multinational competition of many countries, and it is quite possible that what happened inside this city will develop into problems between nations. And this problem is enough to cause it. It has been 10 years since the great invasion occurred. Because of that, people''s memories faded, and conflicts began to emerge between the country that was invaded by the demon beasts and the country that was unharmed. A powerful person who can kill a group of Triclopes that appeared in such a situation. Moreover, no one understands the intention of the other party. This, in particular, fuels anxiety among those who care about their own interests and those of fellow countries in tension. If such a kind of fire was brought in, it could lead to suspicion if it was not done well, and could cast a further shadow on the relations between countries. "Of course, as long as we don''t know what kind of person the other party is, we cannot relax our vigilance because we are concerned about the safety of the citizens. However, as some people make a living in that forest, we can''t just prohibit them from entering the forest." Many people live on the resources of the forest. The meat and fur of the animals in the forest, plants that are useful for medicinal herbs, and trees that can be used as fuel for firewood. The supply of these cannot be stopped. At least supplies from outside the city couldn''t cover all the resources needed for this city. "If that is the case, what we need now is a person who can judge information correctly and who can share information properly." This is the reason why Jihad didn''t try to get Kevin involved. Anyway, what we need now is information on the existence that defeated the Triclopes and human resources who can accurately judge it. Of course, at that time, they instructed Kevin to return because they were worried, but in terms of the necessary human resources, Kevin, who is strong, was also qualified in this case. If that was Irisdina, Jihad might have made a different decision. Still, he would have imposed a confidentiality obligation, such as keeping the content secret ... "We are also asking for the cooperation of Mauzu''s units. However, we, the Silver Rainbow Knights and Mauzu''s units are the only ones involved in this matter now. Anyway, let''s gather information and act cautiously." Chapter 4.13 As usual, I want to say thank you to my patrons. Thank you for your continued support. Also, thank you pizzapicante27 for your coffee. *** "Yoo, Irisdina" In front of the school gate, Kevin found Nozomu and his friends who had just come to school. However, his gaze is fixed on Irisdina, and he doesn''t even look at Nozomu and Mars who were by the side. Irisdina also noticed Kevin''s voice and she turned to him, but her expression was stiff in a different sense than the expression she had shown to Nozomu earlier. Kevin approaches Irisdina and reaches for her, but when she notices his hand trying to touch her, she easily escapes from his hand. "Kevin. I don''t like people who suddenly try to do something immoral." "Hee, as usual huh. Well, I like you like that ... How about it? From now on....." "I''m sorry, but now I''m with my friends. It''s a nice invitation, but I''ll refrain from doing so." Irisdina repeated her words thus blocking Kevin''s words. "Hee, friends ... Hey ........." In response to Irisdina''s word "friend," Kevin turned his gaze toward Nozomu for the first time. His face facing Nozomu was grinning and ridiculing, it was the face Nozomu had always seen. His gaze clearly contains contempt for Nozomu, and Nozomu''s expression becomes stiff. Kevin glanced at Nozomu again. When he saw Nozomu''s expression, he lost interest and faced Irisdina again. "Why this guy? There are as many people in this school as there are stars who want to work together with you, right? Even if there are many, I''m the only one who can keep up with you." Instead of looking at Nozomu, he points to Nozomu with his chin and gives his frank opinion. From the perspective of others, Nozomu''s evaluation hasn''t changed, so it''s reasonable, but Irisdina''s expression becomes steep due to his criticism. However, there was someone who opened his mouth to Kevin before Nozomu could say anything. "......... You bast*rd, you''re messing with us from a while ago ..." The voice that was heard from the side suppressed Nozomu¡¯s anger. It was Mars who moved before Nozomu did. Mars was originally quick to pick a fight. His anger, which was caused by his friends being told so much, easily exceeded his low boiling point and quickly burst out his anger. "O, oi Mars" "Make fun of someone else''s friend. " "...... that''s why" "As I thought, everyone in this school thinks alike as you." "...... Listen to me. " Nozomu was also terribly annoyed by Kevin, but his anger was completely taken away by his friend who got angry earlier than him. The two heated people ignored the said person who was being made fun of. Both of them have high pride from the beginning, and blood tends to rise in their heads. The quarrel quickly spreads like a fire in the field and becomes uncontrollable. The students around them were gathering for some reason, but the distance between the students and them was widening, perhaps because they were pressured by the two who were heating up. "What the, did the half-baked person joining the bottom class going to be even more half-baked? Good grief." "What did you say!" Mars and Kevin couldn''t see their surroundings, and Nozomu, who should have been at the center of the story, was left behind. "Wouldn''t that kind of thing end up being set aside by Irisdina? It''s more miserable than a half-hearted person to argue persistently even though it''s just for friends." "......... I''ll kill you." Kevin takes a stance at the same time as Mars reaches for the greatsword on his back. Their spirit and bloodlust are mixed with the heated atmosphere, and the air begins to be unsteady. "O, oi Mars!" "Stop it, both of you!" "Wait, don''t do it, Mars-kun!" "Ehh! Pl, please stop!" Perhaps it was not good to fight in such a place, Nozomu and his friends called out to them, but there was no sign that they would withdraw. In the meantime, the tension between the two continues to grow, and it is about to burst. At Solminati Academy, it is basically prohibited to fight using weapons except in specific places such as training grounds. Mars''s hand grabs the giantsword on his back and Kevin lower his posture further. They can''t be stopped anymore. While the surrounding curious onlookers were watching, Mars and Kevin finally rushed out, ignoring Nozomu and his friends desperately trying to stop them. And the moment when they tried to start their battle. "Hey ~~! Stop it ~~~~~~~!" A large amount of water struck the two who rushed out. "Uoo !!" "Bufu~ !!" The two were swallowed by a large amount of water, and in a blink of an eye, their whole body was soaked, like a wet mouse. When Nozomu and his friends turned towards the voice, a beautiful woman came over, pushing her way through the curious onlookers. "You shouldn''t do that ~~. You shouldn''t fight in a place like this ~~~" "A, Anri-sensei..." It was Anri Var, Nozomu''s homeroom teacher, who came. Anri, who came beside Mars and Kevin, glares at the two who were about to fight here. She seems to be quite angry, her cheeks are inflated, but other people who are watching from the side may think it doesn''t look like she''s serious. The heated atmosphere was so tense that it was too disproportionate to this place. Not to mention Mars and Kevin, Nozomu and the surrounding curious onlookers had been completely swallowed up by the malicious atmosphere. Nozomu also held his head because of his lack of courage. "......... Haa, it''s kind of annoying. Then, see you later Irisdina." Kevin sighs and releases his stance, then turns his heels back toward the school building. Perhaps even Anri in front of him wasn''t in his eyes, Irisdina was the only one Kevin called out when he left. As Kevin leaves, the surrounding curious onlookers also start walking toward the school building one after another. Perhaps Anri was satisfied that the turmoil had subsided, she nodded and came to Nozomu and his friends. "Good morning ~~. Everyone, how are you doing today?~~" "Good morning, Anri-sensei. Well ... We''re good as always." Just like before, Anri spoke to them while calming the atmosphere. If she had a calm face, somewhat quiet, she would look like a secluded young lady, but the warm air she still wore and her innocent childlike smile made her atmosphere somewhat youthful, unbalanced but attractive. Nozomu and Irisdina also greeted her, but exposed to her innocence, bitter smiles appeared on their faces. "Mars-kun ~~. Doing something like that is not good ~~" "Y, yea. It was my bad ..." Perhaps she still angry at Mars, her cheeks are still inflated. Mars was also swallowed by Anri''s atmosphere, and he could only give an ambiguous reply. "Anyway~~, thank you for telling me about this~~. Sh¨©na-san." "Eh¡­¡­" Nozomu doubted his ears for a moment at the content of the conversation he heard. However, the voice he heard from the side affirmed what Nozomu had imagined. "... No, don''t worry about it, Sensei. I can''t really let them make such a fuss here ..." Nozomu turned towards the voice and saw the elf girl he met yesterday. A girl with long blue hair, a black cloth headband, well-proportioned and slender limbs is staring back at Nozomu. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± Neither Nozomu nor her spoke to each other. They can''t make a conversation. Perhaps it was because of their awkward way of parting. And when their eyes meet, they quickly turn their eyes away from each other. Nozomu was wondering if he should speak to her, but a voice can be heard from behind her. "You''re as serious as ever, right ~ Sh¨©na. As soon as you see the turmoil, you say "I''ll call a teacher" and run away." "Now, now. But Mimuru, it was such a big fuss, and I think she did the right thing ..." One of the voices he heard was the voice of a woman that Nozomu is familiar with. The other was the voice of a man he had never heard. When Nozomu and his friends turned their eyes toward them, there were a female and a male student. An energetic female beastman with tanned skin, cat-like ears, and a tail. And a petite boy with glasses and a scholarly atmosphere. "Hm~~m. Tom is covering Sh¨©na ~~. To cover up another woman in front of his own lover ... Hmm !! Tom is such an unfaithful person ~~~~!" "Eh !! Wha, it''s not like that! What are you talking about! Mimuru !!" The two who started a lover''s quarrel for some reason. The sulking female student and the petite boy who tried to compete with her, but no matter how we look at it, it looks like a pleasant flirting between lovers. "Mimuru. Don''t be stupid. That''s why Tom is always under Mimuru¡¯s thumb. Well then, Anri-sensei. It seems that the turmoil has subsided, so please excuse us." Sh¨©na says so with an astonished face, and also urges the two who are having a quarrel and heads to the school building. Sh¨©na turned to Nozomu just before she headed to the school building, but she eventually left without saying anything. "Yup! Thank you, Sh¨©na-san ~~" Anri sees off the three who are heading to the school building while waving her cute hands. After that, she approached Nozomu and his friends. "Nozomu-kun ~~. Are you all right ~~" Anri talks to look into Nozomu. She felt that Nozomu was weirder than he usually was. She just glanced at him and feels that he is a little worse than usual. She could see Nozomu overlapping with him a while back when he was walking around the city in an unconscious gait. "Y, yeah. I''m okay." Nozomu answered Anri''s question, but Anri was still not satisfied. She remembered the impression that his mind wasn''t actually here. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..Really ~~?¡± "Yes¡­¡­" Anri brought her face closer. Her down©\slanting eyes were looking dejected more than usual, and she looked anxiously at Nozomu. The well-organized appearance approaching in front of him was brought close enough to feel each other''s breath, and Nozomu''s heart beats slightly faster by inhaling the soft floral scent, but his face is still somewhat stiff. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± The two stared at each other in silence. Anri seems to be still worried, and Nozomu''s expression remains stiff, and time passes for a while. Eventually, Anri took a big breath and left Nozomu. "I understand ~~. However, Nozomu-kun, please don''t overdo it ~~" She finally said so and walked towards the school building. Nozomu''s heart ached at the sight of her slightly lonely back. (... I''m sorry ... Anri-sensei. But I can''t talk about that ...) Nozomu apologizes to Anri in his heart while seeing her off from behind. He felt anxious but he couldn''t say anything. The ongoing conflict inside his heart starts to tighten Nozomu''s chest again, but at that time, Irisdina called out to Nozomu from behind. "Nozomu, did you know about her?" "Eh?" Irisdina asked about Sh¨©na who called Anri. Since Anri was talking earlier, most of the people there were looking towards Anri, Mars, and Kevin, but Irisdina was sensitive to the strange atmosphere between Nozomu and Sh¨©na. "E, ermm ... that ... She was looking at you ... I wonder if something happened." "A, ah. Well, I haven''t talked much about it ... When I was called by my classmates behind the school building, she was the one who helped me at that time ... " "Is that so¡­¡­¡­¡­" "Yea" Irisdina puts her hand on her mouth and begins to think about something. She was absorbed in her thoughts for a while, but she suddenly opens her mouth as if something was stuck in the back of her throat. "No, Nozomu. Ermm..." *Clang, clang, clang* "Ah ..." When she tried to ask something, the sound of the school bell ringing echoed in the school building. It''s time for the morning assembly to begin. If nothing is done, they may be treated as late. "Ah~~~ !! I have to hurry because my classroom is on the other side of this school building!!! ¡± After saying that, Somia started running in a hurry. The school building of Ecross, where she attends, stands adjacent to Solminati, but it''s a little far from this place. Whether she could reach the current morning assembly classroom or not until the last minute. Although she is desperate not to be late, Somia''s appearance as she runs with a large bag is cute, and a slight smile returns to Nozomu''s face. "Fufu. Let''s go, too. If we don''t go to the classroom fast, we''ll be treated late." "Yeah" Nozomu urges them to start walking, and everyone else rushes to the classroom. Somia, who had a different school building, ran in a hurry, but it softened the stiff atmosphere between Nozomu and everyone else. *** ¡°¡­¡­ Somehow, I''ve seen so many interesting things since the morning ¡­¡­¡± From the shadow of the school building, Feo was looking at the turmoil from a distance. It seems that it was messed up in so many ways, but what caught his eye was Sh¨©na, who was from the same class as him. "I knew that he befriend with that black-haired princess, but I didn¡¯t expect she really did that from the bottom of her heart. In addition, it seems that there is something going on with that straight-laced Sh¨©na ... What''s going on?" It wasn''t Mars who was fighting loudly that Feo was interested in, but the expression of Irisdina when Nozomu was ridiculed and the atmosphere that flowed between Sh¨©na and Nozomu. Irisdina''s expression was harsh when Nozomu was ridiculed, and above all, it wasn''t like her usual self. Usually, no matter how angry she is, she will respond to the situation and rebuke it in a logical manner. It was just for a moment, but her emotions were leaking, she seemed to have lacked the usual calmness and fairness. Another thing Feo was curious about was that when Sh¨©na and Nozomu looked at each other, Sh¨©na also turned her eyes away. Feo had been peeking at the event that Nozomu was called by his classmates behind the school building, so he knew that it was Sh¨©na who helped Nozomu at that time. However, she is originally a serious girl. She must have hated Nozomu, at least given the content of Nozomu''s rumors, and Feo also saw her rebuking Nozomu. Also, at that time, she didn''t avert her gaze from Nozomu. ¡°¡­¡­¡­ I can''t understand just by looking at it from a distance~~. Maybe it''s time..." It was the strong curiosity peculiar to the Fox Tribe that was driving him so far. Feo likes to have fun. He enrolled in this school thinking that it would be fun if various people from all over the continent gathered. He would have something to enjoy. However, when he opened the lid, he was repeatedly trained, and it was colorless every day. When he got tired of those gray days and thought "I don''t care anymore", finally he found an interesting person called Nozomu. Let''s enjoy it because it''s been long-awaited. With that in mind, he had Nozomu''s classmates bring Nozomu to the back of the school building. It was unexpected for Sh¨©na to interfere, but it''s becoming even more interesting. "......... Well, First of all, I want to hear about his story... " When he muttered, Feo also started walking toward his classroom. By the way, the distance from the back of the school building to his classroom is longer than the main gate where Nozomu and his friends were, Feo was treated late. The teacher in charge wanted to hear the reason, and Feo was very sorry about it. Chapter 4.14 Heyooo, Who wants an Early Release??!! Here you go!!! *** Also, I want to let you know that there is a new Tier on my Patreon PageWith Platinum Tier, you will get 6 advanced chapters!! Become a Patron! *** Sh¨©na''s POV "Anyway it was such a big fuss in the morning ~~" Mimuru started talking about what happened at the main gate in a carefree manner different from mine. After finishing the morning assembly, we, the second class¡¯ students, were heading to the training ground for practical lessons. We were talking about the quarrel between the 1st class Kevin Ardinal and the 10th class Mars Dickens in front of the main gate in the morning. Originally, the quarrel was caused by Kevin Ardinal talking to the same 1st-class Irisdina Francilt, in which she was involved with "him" by her side. "He" A boy at the bottom of the grade who was wandering around the city in the middle of the night in a tattered appearance yesterday, the reason why he became tattered was because of his unreasonable behavior of entering the forest alone, and I still feel frustrated whenever I remember it. Originally, I didn''t have a good feeling for him, and I hated him ever since I found out that the cause of yesterday''s injury was his own reckless deeds. He was dying after doing something unreasonable. That act reminded me of what happened 10 years ago. The Foskia Forest, where we elves lived, was one of the richest forests on the continent. Ten years ago, before the invasion, the forest was overgrown with large trees that lived for hundreds of years, and the branches that grew powerfully into the sky had fresh fruits every season. The animals living in the forest supported their lives in various ways, and under such a great current, their lives were blossoming. My family was a family of four, my parents and my sister. In the forest full of life, with gentle parents and sister, and all the elves of the same races were living a warm life, and when I think about it now, that was irreplaceable happiness. However, it was suddenly robbed. The forest that was our birthplace, and our home, was surrounded by flames. The trees that I used to play with my friends were burned down. The lives of the forest were eaten and defiled in front of me. And that demon beast that appeared in front of me. A curse-like beast that has been filled with the filth of life. I was in front of the demon beast ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Sh¨©na !!" "¡­¡­Ah" "What''s wrong? You scared me. We''ve already arrived at the training ground." I had already arrived at the training ground when I noticed. Around me, my classmates are already divided into their respective groups and checking their specialized weapons. I shook my head and tried to shake off the scene I remembered earlier. Because I remembered his recklessness, I seemed to remember my past. "... I''m sorry Mimuru, I''m alright .... I''m just a little tired." "... Really? It''s fine then, but ... you shouldn''t overdo it, alright?" Mimuru looked at me with worried eyes. She is usually full of energy and has a rough personality, but when she saw that I wasn''t paying attention until she spoke to me, she seemed to have thought about it quite deeply. I have never talked about my past. Sometimes I remember and feel depressed, but I don''t really want to talk about it. I''ve never talked about it to anyone, including Mimuru and Tom, because I will remember things I don''t want to remember. "I know. I''m not overdoing it. By the way, Mimuru, it¡¯s about yesterday''s story. I''ll get to the point, we are about to go to the forest, but...." "Hey, do you have a little time?" ".. You ..." Suddenly I was called out, and when I looked back at the voice, there was a male student with golden ears. It was Feo Rishitza, a student in the same class. "Sorry for bothering you ~. I have something to ask, is it alright?" "Well it''s alright... do you need something?" I didn''t understand why he was talking to me. This student, Feo Rishitza, was always lazy and unmotivated, and had many conflicts with me, whether during class or breaks. He always looked out the window casually during the lesson, and I couldn''t feel his seriousness during practical class. I didn''t really think highly of him, and the teacher and I were giving him a warning many times, but he didn''t seem to get any better. Even so, he seems to have high capabilities, and his exams have decent grades, so he belongs to the second class, which is considered high class even in the third year, but I didn''t have a good impression of him. I think that many things can be done if he is more motivated. He might have thought that I was a troublesome person, so he never talked to me before. But he started talking about his important matter as if he didn''t care about my bafflement. "Actually, it''s about what happened this morning... You see, it''s about the turmoil that occurred in front of the school gate. You were there at that time, right?" "Yes, that''s right" "Actually, I was there too. I''d like to ask about Nozomu Bountis who was in that turmoil." Nozomu Bountis. When I heard that name, ripples struck my heart again. No wonder. Because I was thinking about him just a while ago, I was reminded of the past. "...Why are you asking me about him?" "No, I thought you knew something about him since you seemed to be worried about him at that time." (You seem worried) When I heard that, my heart pounded *ba-dump*. Certainly, at that time I was conscious of him. When I saw his face, I got angry remembering his reckless behavior yesterday. However, the anger was countered by remembering the last time I saw him yesterday. I saw him awkwardly looking away. The words I said to him yesterday. (More importantly. No one willing to help you because you abandoned Lisa.) The moment he heard my words, his timid appearance so far completely changed. The next moment, I was grabbed by him. The fierce bloodlust he struck me deprived me of my physical freedom in an instant, and I was completely petrified. His face at that time was severely distorted by anger, and I couldn''t say anything before such a bare violent emotion. (!!! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Sorry ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­) However, that was only for a moment. He immediately took his hand off my clothes, thanked me for the treatment with an apologetic look, and went out of the room. And the words he said as he left the room still remained in my ears. (¡­¡­¡­.I didn''t do that ¡­¡­¡­¡­) The words he squeezed out seemed to push something stuck in the depths of his chest as he suffered. Those words got stuck in the depths of my chest, and because of that, I was struck by uncomfortable feelings and discomfort. "... He''s not a friend of mine ... I don''t really know anything about him... " (It would be bad if Feo finds out what I''ve done. I brought a male student to a girls'' dormitory late at night... and also ...) ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. I feel like I shouldn''t have brought it up¡­¡­. While telling myself such things many times in my chest, I straighten up my face so that he could not realize what''s inside my chest, and I answered Feo''s question while pretending to be calm, but at the end, the expression he showed flickers in my mind. Feo seems to be interested in Nozomu for some reason. Considering that the boy who didn''t pay attention to anything until now is finally interested to something. I''m afraid he would be asking for various things, so I have to hide it somehow ... "......... Is that so? Sorry~. I''ve asked something strange suddenly." "¡­¡­Eh?" However, contrary to my misery, Feo immediately withdrew. I have doubts about it, but Feo quickly turns his heels back and walks away. "... What was that?" "¡­¡­Who knows" "Oh, by the way, Sh¨©na. Talking about going to the forest, what does Sh¨©na want to hear, is it about when we are going to go?" "Ah, that''s right, yesterday I didn''t ask about when we are going to go." "Well, we are planning to go today. Tom is preparing what he needs for collecting now. Tomorrow, the school will be closed, so we are thinking of going after school today. Is it okay?" "...Yeah, I think it''s fine." Tomorrow is a holiday, so it''s definitely a good time to enter the forest. The place to collect seems to be near the entrance of the forest, but I haven''t heard the news that the Triclopes have been subdued, and considering that the spirits were noisy yesterday, I can''t help but worry. Our conversation was over, I remember about Feo earlier. It looks like he doesn''t know what I was thinking, but the way he looked before was like a child given a new toy, and I could see he wanted to play with it. (I hope nothing bad will happen ...) I felt anxious inside, but honestly, I didn''t know what was going on, and I ended up welcoming the bell signaling the start of the lesson. *** Mars'' POV "Damn! That dog bastard !!" We moved to another class through the corridor after the morning meeting, We are moving to another classroom through the corridor after the morning assembly, my anger hadn''t subsided since the morning turmoil at the main gate. "... Hey, isn''t it about time for you to calm down already?" "I can''t stand it! More importantly Nozomu! Why are you so calm !! Why aren''t you angry ?!" "... Of course I don''t feel good about it .... But you charged before me." "Ugh ..." "But ... Thank you ..." "H, hmph!" I remembered the disgraceful behavior I did earlier and was stuck in words. I turned away from Nozomu because of embarrassment and a little awkwardness, and my legs heading to the classroom became a little faster. My anger became unsettled, but ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I was really happy to be thanked by him. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± We continued walking silently for a while. Being silent, I remember talking to Irisdina and the others yesterday. The gap between Nozomu, who was said to be the worst bastard, and the real Nozomu. I felt something strange as I tried to relate the rumors this man in front of me got from his surroundings. What happened to Nozomu? Why did such a divergence occur? Come to think of it, we had never heard of it from Nozomu himself, and we have no idea what Nozomu was doing until the end of the second year. I noticed that there was an unusual wall between Nozomu and us, and I felt a small strange feeling inside my chest. Besides, the appearance of Nozomu today is also strange, and and it seems that he did something unreasonable. It seems that Irisdina and others were aware of it, but in the end, we couldn''t overcome the wall between us and Nozomu, and because of that dog bastard, it became unsettled. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.Hey, Nozomu. You ¡­¡­¡± Whether it''s because I want to shake off that strange feeling, or because I don''t like Nozomu creating a wall between us, I open my mouth naturally trying to ask Nozomu about what happened two years ago. (You''re going to make Nozomu-kun telling you something very hard for him, right?) " !! " However, when I tried to say it, Tima''s words crossed my mind, and I swallowed the words I was about to say. My mouth opened without being able to say anything. I remember what I heard at Ushitotei yesterday. About what happened between him and his childhood friend. According to the story I heard from Ena, that childhood friend, Lisa, struck Nozomu with hatred that she couldn''t think of as a former lover. (At least we weren''t the parties involved. We should wait until Nozomu-kun ready to talk.) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.. What''s wrong Mars?¡± Nozomu talked to me when I was stuck, but I couldn''t speak anything. It may be exactly as Tima said. After I listened to Ena''s story at that time, I could understand that it was something I shouldn''t force Nozomu to talk about, and above all, I wanted him to speak directly from his mouth. "... No, it''s nothing" "...?" I walked through the side of Nozomu, who was tilting his head, and walked toward the classroom. I felt that the weird feeling inside my chest, which had not been loosened, had grown slightly bigger. *** Classroom for the 1st class, 3rd year. The students here today were not moving, and the students were spending their time in the classroom until the teacher in charge came. A pair of men and women were talking face to face in a corner of the classroom. Smiles were on their faces, and even from the side, everyone can feel the friendship between the two. The two were human beings that everyone knew. One is a beautiful girl with red hair and a charming smile. Lisa Hounds. The other one is a handsome blonde boy. Lisa''s lover, one who has reached A rank, which is only five in 3rd year. It was Ken Notice. "Lisa, would you like to go to the commercial district this holiday? " "Yes, it''s okay, but ... was something good happened? It seems like you are in a good mood since the morning ..." Ken was inviting Lisa to go on a date. He has the usual gentle smile, but to Lisa, he seems to have an unusual smile on his face. "Well, yesterday my long-standing worries have disappeared. I think it''s because of that." His smile is slightly distorted. (Finally, I got rid of Nozomu, and I''m sure he''ll be gone ...) Ken was floating from the feeling of freedom due to the disappearance of the shackles called Nozomu. But his release from the shackles also meant that what was holding back his dark inner side had disappeared. It is true that Ken''s face is clear and, coupled with his neat appearance, he has a very attractive smile when viewed from the side, but after completely beats his former best friend, that smile began to become a distorted smile, which was created by spitting out the negative thoughts that have been stuck in the depths of his heart for many years. "Is that so¡­¡­" "?? Lisa, what''s wrong?" "U, umm. It''s nothing. It seems that it''s because of my mind ..." However, his smile, which was ugly and distorted, was naturally changed by his acting skills, which deceived his surroundings over the years. It also deceived his best friend and lover. The discomfort within Lisa immediately disappeared. No, she deliberately turned her eyes away. (Now there''s no one in my way anymore. I''m the only one next to Lisa ...) Ken hasn''t noticed yet. His smile, which has deceived his surroundings, is different from before and is gradually beginning to be distorted by the overflowing darkness inside. Lisa hasn''t noticed yet. The fact that she avoided the discomfort she was feeling and became anxious inside. Both of them haven''t noticed yet. Gradually, their gears are already starting to get out of order. Chapter 4.15 Nozomu''s POV When all the lessons were over and the closing bell rang, even though the closing bell hasn''t stopped, the students in the class left their seats and began to return home with their peers and friends. Mars and I also went out into the corridor with our bag in one hand. "Hey Nozomu, what are you going to do today?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Why is that?¡± "If you don''t mind, why don''t we train at the outer edge of the city? Iris and the others will come too, so can you go out with us today?" "... Umm ..." Mars invited me, but I still remember what happened yesterday, and I hesitate to accept the invitation. The truth was told by Ken and the things he has been doing since then. My hatred and anger towards Ken exploded. Annihilating many lives in front of me just as that ¡°Guy¡± incited. And the misery that remained after that. The red dream I had this morning, the ground was dyed red with the blood I sprinkled and the remains of the demon beasts that were still warm. Rust-like odor and smell of death floating around. " !! " It was as if that "Guy" was saying, "You are the same as me,". The discomfort and disgust in my stomach swelled violently, trying to push out what was inside. But I gritted my teeth and swallowed my saliva to hold it in. "...Nozomu, are you okay? You''ve been weird since morning." Mars spoke anxiously, but I didn''t speak anything and desperately tried to fix my expression. When I desperately swallowed the feeling of nausea and tried to say "it''s nothing" to Mars, however, I opened my eyes to the figure that came into my sight. "Anyway, Ken. What about the meeting place and time?" "Why don''t we meet at Central Park around 10 o''clock?" What I saw was Lisa and Ken walking side by side. Perhaps she had promised a date for tomorrow''s holiday, she smiled happily and Ken smiled next to her as well. The moment I saw it, the flame of fury that had been stored in the depth of my chest lit up again and began to rage. I tried to contain my anger by clenching my fists, but the flame that I was about to get rid of started to ignite and engulf my self-control in the blink of an eye. At least I tried not to show it on my face, but when I was desperately trying to make my face expressionless, they noticed me. "!!!!!!" Lisa''s facial expression that noticed me became stiff at once. She hit me with her gaze full of hatred. But, for the current me, it was just an act of pouring oil on the flame I was desperately trying to suppress. Still, I desperately clenched my teeth so as not to make my anger explode like yesterday. The nails pierced the skin of my clenched palms and pierced into the flesh, and the pain became a wedge for me to desperately hold back my reasoning. However, the wedge blew when Ken''s expression appeared behind her. (So unsightly !!) ¡­¡­¡­¡­ he sneered at me. He sneered at me from behind Lisa so that she wouldn''t notice. His facial expression hadn''t changed at all, it was the same as when I was made fun of yesterday. "!!!" The moment I saw it, my expressionless face I was desperately kept up collapsed. My flat eyebrows were lifted at once, my cheeks were pulled and my canines teeth were exposed. I hit back Lisa''s hateful gaze, and Lisa''s expression changed to one of a surprised expression. I was so angry that I tried to jump in anger, but... "Ah¡­¡­" I stopped at the last minute. Yesterday''s sight flashed through my head. My ugly self was about to come out again. I desperately tried to hide it, I forcefully looked away and turned my heels. "O, oi Nozomu !!" "Sorry, Mars. I just remembered an errand ..." I ignored Mars'' voice from my back and started walking. The presence of that "guy" in the depths of my chest grew stronger. I didn''t know what I would do if I stayed here, and I have to get out of here. The legs that should have walked naturally became faster, and before I knew it, I was running with all my might. I was desperate to suppress my anger. I couldn''t hear the voice from behind anymore and just kept running as if to shake it off. As I continued to run, I was in the forest again like yesterday. The sun shining in the sky gradually begins to fall, and in about an hour the sky will turn bright red as the sun sets. When I arrived, I was out of breath and worn out for a while, but as my breath was getting better, my disgust for myself began to rise. I was desperately trying to behave as usual, but I couldn''t do it after all. I feel sorry for Mars and others, but to be honest, I didn''t know what the current me was going to do, and I was scared to be with everyone. Even so, the time of the day gave me some time to calm down. I am aware that I am running away and impatient. That''s why I thought I had to think in the calmest place, so I was heading to that hut where I spent the longest time in this Arcazam ... "? It''s kind of strange ..." The state of the forest is a little strange, there are no signs of animals. There are many demon beasts in this forest, but there are also many harmless animals in proportion to it. There are many kinds of rabbits, mice, birds, etc., and although there are some diversities in the forest so far, I could feel their presence. When I was left in the forest as training by shish¨­, their meat was useful as a valuable protein source at such times. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± My accumulated experience rang warning bells for the abnormality of the forest, my consciousness naturally alerting me to the surroundings. My heart beats slightly and blood is distributed throughout my body so that my body is ready to fight at any moment. The sound of the rustling of tree branches fluttering in the wind could be heard all around me, and the other sound I could hear is only my own heartbeat "Shi ¡­¡­¡­¡­ .¡­¡­¡­¡­" ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. that ¡­¡­¡­¡­, behind ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Then, I heard the voices of multiple people mixed with the sound of the branches fluttering in the wind, and I also heard the sound of some metal hitting. However, I don''t know what they''re talking about, I think it''s pretty far. I don''t know if it''s related to this forest anomaly or not. Anyway, I started walking towards the source of the voices, and I always ready to pull my katana out, just to make sure. "Mimu ...! From the left ......... ! Attract it ...!" "Minute ...! Shi ... support ..............." "Don''t be reckless.... medicine ..............." After walking for a while, the voices gradually became louder, and the light shining through the gaps between the trees gradually increased. Along with that, the content of their conversation became audible, albeit a little. It seemed someone was fighting a demon beast. When I went further, the overgrown trees were cut down, and beyond that, it looked like an open square. I hid my body in the bushes growing at the boundary. "They are ........." There, three Solminati Academy students are fighting with about ten demihumans with green dwarf-like body. Goblins, they are wearing dirty rags on their bodies. And in their hands, they have weapons such as rusty knives, swords, and clubs. Goblins are demihumans found all over the continent, but they have low intelligence and attack people indiscriminately, so they are a race that is targeted for subjugation like demon beasts. What caught my attention more than that was the three students who were fighting. A petite male student wielding a hatchet-like knife while chanting his magic, a wildcat girl who is slaughtering goblins, and an elf girl shooting arrows one after another. "Sh¨©na Yuliel ..." She healed my injuries yesterday, shortly after, I was angry and was the one who hit her with bloodlust with all my might. The three defeated the goblins one after another with accurate movements. Eventually, the three of them defeated all the goblins without difficulty, but because I was too distracted, my slightly moving body shook the bushes I hide in. The next moment, a flash of light crossed in front of me. *** "This is the end!" Mimuru used the knife to tear the remaining goblin and stabbed it. She looked around to see if there were any goblins left, but there didn''t seem to be any goblins alive. "Tom, are the things you collected alright?" "Yeah. No problem." Tom tapped the bag hanging from his shoulder. They had finished gathering and encountered the goblins on their way back to the city. That''s right, they "encountered" them. A little while ago, when the three who had finished collecting and were on their way home came to this open place, about 10 goblins suddenly appeared from the bush in front of them. At first, the three of them thought they were ambushed, but it was rather the goblins who were taken aback by the sudden encounter, and after somehow speaking with "Gyaagyaa", they suddenly attacked with their weapons. Of course, the three who were attacked counterattacked. As a result, all the goblins were defeated. "But what was that? They didn''t seem to ambush us, nor did they seem to be chasing their prey ..." At that moment, they heard a rattling noise. Sh¨©na quickly nocked an arrow in her bow, and she immediately shot an arrow at the bush. The arrow that was released disappeared into the bush, but she nocked her arrow again and glared at the point where it had disappeared. "... Come out. I know you''re still there." After she called out, silence flowed for a while, but soon a male student, Nozomu, appeared from the bush. "¡­¡­you!!" Sh¨©na''s expression that confirmed the appearance of the other party intensified. She leaked out a slightly strong voice. She certainly has a delicate relationship with Nozomu, and thinking about what happened yesterday, her mood suddenly worsened because he kept going to the forest without hearing her advice even though she had scolded him many times. "... Um ... Hello ..." On the other hand, Nozomu had an awkward and subtle expression because of yesterday and this morning incident. "Hmm~~~. You''re that Nozomu Bountis ~~. I saw you this morning, but your face is a bit dull~~" "Mimuru, knock it off ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Mimuru looked at Nozomu, and Tom told her to stop. Sh¨©na remained silent, folded her arms, and glared at Nozomu. She doesn''t speak because she tends to preach if she opens her mouth, and that''s what happened last night. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­. Sorry for saying your face is a bit dull.¡± Nozomu was worried about Sh¨©na, but he tried not to look at her. "Nozomu-kun ... wasn''t it? Is it okay for you to enter the forest alone?" "Eh, well, maybe ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Tom asked Nozomu, but Nozomu was more concerned about Sh¨©na and could only give an ambiguous answer. When Nozomu glanced at her face, her well-organized eyebrows were further raised. "By the way, I had something I wanted to ask~~. What did you do to that black-haired princess?" "Stop it. Mimuru" Ignoring Sh¨©na''s moody appearance, Mimuru asks about Nozomu¡¯s relationship with Irisdina, and Tom stopped her again. "Eee~~! I''m curious. Why does that princess care so much for such a dull man~~. Eh! Are you two dating !?" "... No, We are not dating ..." "Ee ~~ Really ~~? Then !!" "Mimuru, you should stop doing something stupid every time" "Eeh ~ It''s such a great opportunity~ boring~." Nozomu isn''t dating her is the truth, but Sh¨©na scolds Mimuru, who was trying to pursue further. Perhaps because she wasn''t happy with Nozomu''s response. Mimuru made a dissatisfied voice, but she reluctantly gave in. However, Sh¨©na''s atmosphere had changed from a moody one to a tense one. "This isn''t the time for that. Like I said before, the spirits are strange... It seems they''re afraid of something... We need to get out of here right away." Tom''s face tensed up instantly, and Mimuru''s playful expression changed completely. Given that she is an elf who can respond to spirits, she says that there is no presence of animals that should be in the forest. Nozomu also found that the forest is now a much more troublesome place than usual. When Nozomu decided to leave the place and try to move, he was startled by the sensation of many sharp arrows pierced through his body. "!!!!!!" With a dense premonition of death, his body instantly shifts to a combat stance. His muscles tensed up a bit and his heart beat faster, sending thick blood throughout his body. Nozomu looked at the bushes in the corner of the forest. He felt a tremendous sense of intimidation from the depths of the bushes. Perhaps Sh¨©na and her friends had noticed his gaze, they were glaring in the same direction as Nozomu. Eventually, a demon beast emerged from the bush. However, it was definitely not some kind of ordinary demon beast. Certainly, it has four legs down to the ground like a beast, and its appearance is very similar to that of a wolf or a wild dog, but its size is clearly different, its body length is longer than that of an adult, and its height is also about as high as Nozomu''s chest. Above all, its appearance was covered with something like black sludge, and black smoke was rising with a squelching noise. There were no eyeballs in the eyes part, only something painted red contained there. It was a demon beast they had never seen before. At least Nozomu had never seen such a demon beast in this forest, nor had he seen one in books. "What ... is that ..." "A, ah ........." "........." "U, uwa ........." A voice leaked from Nozomu''s mouth, and Sh¨©na made a groaning voice. Sweat dripped down Mimuru''s face, and Tom took a pratfall. Black Demon Beast. Nozomu and the others were clearly being shaken by an unknown enemy that couldn''t be expressed in any way. "Vu~ooooooooooon !!!" The roar reverberated, and the trees in the forest shook as if they were scared by its cry. In the next moment, the black demon beast lowered its body in an instant. It aimed and rushed towards Nozomu and the others as if they were its prey. Chapter 4.16 Early Release!! *** Iris'' POV After school, after all the lessons were over, Tima and I decided to go out with Somia, Mars, and Nozomu. Tima and I left the classroom and walked side by side to Central Park. On the way, Somia, who had left her school that is Ecross, joined us and walked alongside us. Honestly, today, I thought a lot about what I said at Ushitotei yesterday, so I couldn''t focus my mind on the lesson. When I was asked a question or when another student called me, I think I was able to answer it, but still, I couldn''t get him out of my mind. I remember Lisa''s appearance when I talked to her face-to-face yesterday. She was so different from usual. She wasn''t even trying to hide her fierce hatred for Nozomu. Her menacing look was terrifying, I had a cold sweat, and Tima, who was next to me, was completely frightened, but at the same time, I felt a strange feeling. No matter how the rumors flowed, I felt it was strange that she was so stubbornly resenting him. If anyone saw how she hates Nozomu now, any normal person would think that Nozomu betrayed Lisa and she was right. What''s more, the credibility of the rumor that "she was betrayed by Nozomu" is getting stronger, as she is considered a straightforward, compassionate person, and one who resolutely fights against unreasonableness. However, if anyone thinks that Nozomu is the right one, you will see a completely different side. It is possible that someone wanted to break the relationship between Nozomu and Lisa. I don''t want to think too much about it, but given her popularity, it seems that someone will definitely do it, and that person is trusted by Lisa. And the person that Lisa trusted actually benefited after the two of them broke up. When I actually came into contact with him, the impression I had of him was the exact opposite of his reputation at school. And Lisa, despite being his childhood friend, struck him with tremendous hatred. The rumors arose after he developed his Ability Suppression. When I think about the person who has really benefited since the rumors surfaced, the first person I came up with was ... (Is it Ken Notice?...) I haven''t actually confirmed it, but how shocking would it be if this were true ... Recalling what Nozomu looked like this morning. When I saw him in the morning, it seemed like he was doing something unreasonable again, and when I asked him "what happened?", he just replied "nothing". He didn''t want to reveal his heart at all. It was clear that something had happened ¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± "Ai, are you okay?" "Ane-sama¡­¡­" "A, ah. I''m alright ..." Naturally, I clenched my fists tightly on my chest. The impatience that swirled inside grew bigger and bigger, and I couldn''t help but feel I was in a difficult position. The haze inside my heart did not clear up, only the anxiety and loneliness became stronger. "Yo. Sorry, I''m late." As I was lost in my thoughts, I raised my face to the voice I heard, there is Mars coming here. But... Nozomu isn''t there? "Mars-kun, what about Nozomu?" "A, ah. He was¡­.." "Do you have a minute?" "... You are ..." When Mars began struggling to speak, Mars voice was stopped by someone from the side. Looking at the person, a young Fox Tribe is looking at me. If I''m not wrong, he is ¡­¡­¡­¡­. "Sorry, for talking to you so suddenly. I am Feo Rishitza. I belong to the second class, third year. I need to talk with Nozomu Bountis, but ... it looks like he''s not here." "... Do you need something with him?" Mars spoke to the boy named Feo in a stiff voice that seemed to be wary of him. "No, I just wanted to talk a little. How did he seduce that "black-haired princess" ...?" The moment I heard that word, my heart suddenly turned cold. Those words came from someone who didn''t know how good Nozomu was as a person. "... You bastard..." "... You sure can say that rude thing in front of the said person¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" "Wha! Joke! It''s a joke !! Don''t get too angry." The young Fox Tribe fixed it in a hurry, but our gazes did not soften. It was too bad to be a joke!! "That''s why, I''m sorry... but I wonder where he is... sorry, I''ll come back next time." He bowed his head, turned his heels back, and quickly disappeared into the city. I looked up at the sky and the sun was starting to illuminate the western sky in red. Looking up at the twilight sky, I felt an ominous premonition swell in my heart. *** "......... I was really impatient ..." Feo walked away from Irisdina and the others and entered the city, but he couldn''t stop sweating for a while because of their too much threatening attitude. "But to think that black-haired princess would go that far ... I had that coming, but that sure was bad..." Feo''s mouth lifted up. His interest in Nozomu was growing stronger. He wanted to know. What kind of person Nozomu is? What was the reason why the black-haired princess was so interested in him? "... A~~rggh !! I can''t stand it anymore !! If it''s like this then, the fastest way is..." Feo disappears into the hustle and bustle of the city. His smile wasn''t the usual unreadable smile, but it was like the innocent child we can find everywhere. *** "Vu~ooooooooooon !!!" With a roar that echoes loudly, the black demon beast rushes towards Nozomu and others. Nozomu glanced behind him, Sh¨©na and her friends were ready for battle. Their party consisted of one vanguard and two rearguards. Due to his aptitude, Nozomu decided to move forward. After he pulled out the katana on his waist, he immediately stepped towards the black demon beast. "Wa, Wait !!!" Mimuru was flustered when she saw Nozomu charging alone, but Nozomu continued to run regardless. This is to gain some distance from the opponent so that the rearguards can do their best. "Gaaaaaaaaaa !!" The black beast tried to eat Nozomu with its jaws, but Nozomu escaped the demon beast''s fangs while relaxing one leg and letting his body flow to the side. He tried to cut through the demon beast''s body, but a black shadow came at the edge of his field of vision. "!!!!!!" Nozomu felt danger all over his body and immediately threw himself to the ground without even checking the shadows that have come into view. In the next moment, a cloud of dust rose with a thunderous roar, and Nozomu was blown away several meters due to the momentum and impact. "Na~!!" Nozomu, who was lying on the ground, saw a big black tail. The demon beast''s tail became huge and pierced the ground like a blade. "Gau !!!" Nozomu tried to stand up immediately, but the demon beast also immediately pulled out its tail that pierces the ground and prepared for pursuit. When the black demon beast tried to lunge on Nozomu again, an arrow shot by Sh¨©na pierced through the demon beast''s shoulder. "Gi~!!" "Take this !!" From the opposite direction, Mimuru started to attack the demon beast. She struck her hatchet-like knife strengthened with Qi, but only scratched the black skin of the demon beast. "Ku~! What a d*mn tough body!" She was throwing curses at the body of the demon beast that cannot be attacked by her, but the next moment, the red-black blood clot-like eyes of the demon beast glared at Mimuru. " !! " Mimuru lost her consciousness for a moment, but she was able to crouch down and dodge the greatsword-like tail, which was swung around her. The black beast tried to drive away Mimuru by swinging its greatsword-like tail further, but she continued to dodge it with flexible movements. However, her facial expression stiffened. The speed at which the demon beast twisted its tail was so fast that she couldn''t find the right opportunity to break away from it. Sh¨©na in the back shot another arrow, the arrow that was shot pierced the body of the demon beast, but it had a sludge-like body and had yet to pierce the thick skin. The demon beast''s movement didn''t slow down at all. "Wa, wait a minute! Time out !! Time out !!!" Mimuru couldn''t keep dodging the tail''s attacks forever. Her body was becoming unable to keep up with the onslaught that continued to be launched. Considering the tail''s attack power when it pierced the ground earlier, her specialized skills couldn''t defend against the greatsword-like tail mowing down around her. Nozomu stepped forward with an Instant Move to distract it. Sheathed the sword he had drawn out and plunged into the black beast while his hand was on the hilt of his katana. The black beast glanced at Nozomu, then roared and attacked Nozomu with its tail that attacked Mimuru earlier. A greatsword-like tail approached from the front, and Nozomu made a sword-drawn stance while moving sideways. He hit the tail from below and launched it upwards. Then relaxed his legs and sneaked under its tail. The tail passed over his head and a few strands of hair fell out, but he didn''t care. Nozomu stepped inside and slashed with his katana. "Gyaa !!!" Nozomu''s slash pierced the demon beast''s skin and blood flowed from the wound. "!!!!!!" With the smell of blood flowing out and the feeling of tearing the demon beast apart, he remembered about yesterday. Nozomu''s face was distorted with disgust and nausea, but Nozomu clenched his teeth and swallowed the sensation. He was able to injure the demon beast, but the sludge-like shadow covering its body immediately closed the wound. "Ku !!" "Guaaaaaaaaaaa !!" Perhaps it was angry because it was injured, the black beast raised its forefoot and slammed it at Nozomu. Nozomu jumped sideways to dodge the demon beast''s forefoot, leaving only a large claw mark on the ground, but that didn''t slow its attack. The demon beast immediately swung its tail and chased Nozomu. "Nozomu-kun !! Get out of the way !!!" Nozomu tried to handle the approaching tail in front of him, but in response to the voice he heard from the side, he used Instant Move to withdraw with all his might, regardless of his own appearance. Then, a flame bullet flew from the side and exploded at close range to the demon beast, and a raging blast enveloped the demon beast, but at the same time, Nozomu was also blown away by the blast. "Guu !!!" "Uuaaa !!!" "Hey, Tom! Why are you attacking him !!" "So, sorry !! It seems that the catalyst was a little too effective ..." It seems that it was Tom who fired the flame bullet earlier. It seems that he intended to attack only the demon beast, but the effect of the catalyst that enhances his magic power was unexpectedly strong, and it seems that he even involved Nozomu. "*cough,cough*! No ... it''s okay. Leaving that aside, that demon beast is ..." It seemed that he had managed to escape from the range of the flames at the last minute. Even though he was coughing, Nozomu tried to confirm the situation. Mimuru and the others also prepared in advance and stared at the rising smoke while getting ready to move at any moment. "Grrrrrr ..." A growl can be heard and red lights can be seen from the other side of the smoke. Seeing the red lights moving around, it seems that the demon beast is still alive. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I''ll finish it ¡­¡­¡± The smoke hadn''t cleared up yet, but Sh¨©na, who was holding her bow, poured her magic power into the nocked arrow. The magical power that was excessively poured out rose like steam, and the nocked arrow began to shine brightly. Gather in my hands, the stardust of the starry sky. A single arrow I held in my hands, the light of the North Star shows me the way. Cut through the night of the abyss... Sh¨©na chanted her spell . It was a ritual prayer. It was a poem to completely extinguish the existence in front of her, and it was sung with the intention of extinction beyond annihilation. "¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh?" Nozomu suddenly saw her face. Her facial expression and her eyes'' color petrified him. (What?) Her face was distorted. A face that enjoys killing like when Nozomu murdered the Triclopes yesterday. The face of someone who couldn''t help but rampage furiously. Her eyes were dark. Black, It''s like a chaotic mixture of despair and hatred ... the same sludge-like color as the black demon beast in front of them. Nozomu was confused when he realized the feelings Sh¨©na had now. She looked exactly like he was yesterday, Nozomu realized that she was dominated by anger as much as he was. She was ready to shoot the arrow. The strings stretched to their limit, and the nocked arrow was waiting for the time to be fired. "Why was ......... that ..." Nozomu let out a confused voice. Sh¨©na''s dark eyes only focused on looking at the demon beast in front of her, and she released the pinched string from her fingers. *Punishment of the Star Sea* A magical spear appeared and enveloped the arrow, then fired. The arrow she shot easily erased Nozomu''s voice and landed on the black shadow behind the smoke. A roaring sound and a blast that surpassed the flame bullet that Tom had just released were scattered around. "Fuu ..." Sh¨©na exhaled and released her stance. In front of her, there was a hole several times bigger than the demon beast could enter, and in the center of it was two times as much smoke as before. She must have put a lot of magical power into the arrow. There was a straight mark that cuts through the ground towards the hole, and anyone could see how intense her violent emotion was. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± However, Nozomu had not yet released his stance. Certainly, the arrow seemed to do a lot of damage, and the demon beast''s presence was rather weak, but Nozomu''s ominous premonition did not disappear. Perhaps his premonition was right, the presence he felt behind the smoke suddenly grew stronger. "Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ¡­¡­¡­¡­" "!! Not yet !! We haven''t defeated it yet !!!" What appeared from the other side of the smoke was still the black demon beast. Moreover, its body is bloated. The muscles all over its body swelled rapidly with a squeaking noise, and the black body surface cracked one after another and blood gushed out. From the back of the body''s surface, red eyes similar to the blood that gushed out appeared, and countless red eyes were glaring at Nozomu and the others all at once. The tail that was originally one split apart and became two, and it became greatly enlarged. There were countless thorns and red eyes on its tail, and the sludge that covered its body became even dirtier. (Damn! Is this its true form!! That means it didn''t even fight seriously until now!!) "This is bad !! Let''s withdraw from here !! This guy is too dangerous !!!" Mimuru proposed to retreat. Nozomu agreed. Obviously, it was different from any demon beast Nozomu had ever seen. You shouldn''t keep fighting unnecessarily unless you know what you''re up against and what your opponent''s potential is. "Th, that''s............... Kuh !!!! Take this !!!" However, even after she saw such a scene, Sh¨©na was unwilling to back down. Once again, she nocked an arrow on her bow and aimed at the black demon beast. "Don''t !! Don''t do it!! "Noo !! I won''t run away anymore! I''m sorry for having such a feeling !!!" No matter how anyone looked at it, it was a reckless act. Nozomu tried to stop her with his voice, but she was trapped in her own anger and had no ears to listen. When she tried to shoot another arrow, the demon beast moved. "Gaaaaaaa !!!" "Take this!!" The demon beast rushed straight toward Sh¨©na. Its speed was overwhelmingly faster than its previous movement. Furthermore, when it rushed over, it swung its two tails and tried to get rid of Nozomu and Mimuru who were trying to get in its way. Obstructed by the swinging tail, the two''s actions were delayed by one step. Sh¨©na shot an arrow in a hurry, but perhaps the demon beast''s skin became stronger, this time the arrow couldn''t even penetrate and was repelled instead. The demon beast opened its mouth wide with that momentum and tried to eat her. She jumped sideways and escaped from its jaw, but she couldn''t stop the demon beast''s rush and was inevitably blown away. "Kyaaaa !!!" "Sh¨©na! Kkuh!!" Tom, who saw Sh¨©na blown away, grabbed a stone which is a magical catalyst in his right hand, and tried to release magic, but perhaps the demon beast felt the wave of magical power flowing, this time aiming its jaw at Tom. "Tom! Don''t !!!!" Mimuru raised a warning voice, but it was too late. The demon beast opened its jaws, with a myriad of sharp fangs exposed, leaping towards Tom. Tom''s magic wasn''t ready, and neither Nozomu nor Mimuru were close enough. And they were clearly not on time. "Gi, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!" A scream reverberated in the forest. The jaw of the black demon was biting into Tom''s right arm which was trying to release magic. Chapter 4.17 Surprise Chapter!!!! *** "Gi, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!" The black demon beast pushed Tom to the ground and ate his arm. The demon beast''s fangs pierced his flesh, and Tom screamed in pain. "Tom !!!!! This! Let gooooooo !" Mimuru screamed and leaped at the demon beast, but her knife was blocked by the demon beast''s armor-like skin and was repelled in vain. She desperately tried to help Tom, but the demon beast didn''t even look at her. "Fuh~ !!" Nozomu caught up from behind and rushed in from the other side, with Mimuru and the demon beast in between. Nozomu''s aim is the jaws of the demon beasts. While sheathing the katana he drew, he struck the Qi technique *Breaking Strike* at the joint between the upper and lower jaws. "Gugyau !!" The Qi and shock waves that were struck into the jaw destroyed the structurally fragile joint and the jaw lost its power. The demon beast with weakened jaw dropped Tom''s right arm. Nozomu pursued further. Hold both hands on his hips and compress his Qi. He slammed the Qi technique *Cannon* into the demon beast. The struck *Cannon* could not blow the black demon beast away, but the intense torrent of Qi released at a close distance succeeded in making the demon beast falter, and in that gap, Mimuru retreated with her lover who had fallen to the ground. Nozomu also kept a distance from the demon beasts, between Sh¨©na and the demon beasts. "Tom! Tom !! Hang in there !!!" "U~uu ..." Mimuru called out to Tom while crying. His condition is not good. The shock from the severe pain and bleeding knocked him unconscious, and it turned out that he was in a very dangerous situation. "Gubya~, gehya~au!!!'' The black demon beast couldn''t close its lower jaw because Nozomu crushed its jaw, and it stuck out its tongue and let out a scream. When Nozomu looked at Sh¨©na, she just stood there stunned. "Oi! Oi !! Snap out of it !!!" "I, I, I am ........." She was in a state of confusion and she wasn''t in a condition of being able to fight. Nozomu slaps her cheek as he raised his voice. "Kuh, snap out of it !! Sh¨©na Yuliel !!!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Ah" Light returned to her eyes as she was hit on the cheek. After Nozomu confirmed that she had regained herself, he faced the black demon beast again. Perhaps the demon beast had endured the destruction of its jaw. It spat blood and saliva onto the ground and stopped moving. "Let''s get out of here !! Just hold on a little more!" Nozomu looked towards Mimuru without minding about Sh¨©na''s existence, and Mimuru agreed and nodded her head many times. She was also quite upset with Tom being injured. "Okay, we''ll get away from here soon ... Wha !!" As they were about to leave the place, they doubted the scene that had happened in front of them. There was a vertical line on the demon beast''s face whose jaw was destroyed by Nozomu, the demon beast''s head began to tear vertically while making a noise. "What on earth is going on..." "Aah ........." While Mimuru watched in a stunned manner and Sh¨©na had a horrified face, the black demon beast changed its appearance even further. While sprinkling its own blood around itself, the demon beast''s head to neck broke vertically, and countless fangs began to grow on the torn wound. In the place where the head used to be, three big fangs grew to make a huge mouth, and a pair of huge eyes appeared on the sides of the neck. The bloated body became even bigger, the claws became larger and sharper. It no longer looked like a wolf and changed to a complete monster. "Gigaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!" The demon beast roared with its huge mouth open to the left and right. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Nozomu saw it and decided that it was impossible for four people to escape at the same time. It''s even more difficult to escape while protecting the injured (At least we need a decoy to stop this guy¡­ Mimuru is protecting Tom, and Sh¨©na¡­ It wouldn''t be possible for the current her¡­ When it comes to that then, I''m the only one¡­) Mimuru''s hands are full protecting Tom. And Sh¨©na, while glancing at her, he didn''t think it would work. They have to survive without losing anyone. The most likely way for that... "Oi, Sh¨©na" "eh~?" While keeping an eye on the transformed demon beast, Nozomu takes a map out of his pocket behind him and hands it to Sh¨©na. "It''s a map of the area around here. If you go to the hut written there, you''ll find all the treatment tools you need. If you treat Tom there, you''ll spend the night in that hut, and when the sun rises tomorrow, you''ll return to the city and report about this demon beast. " Nozomu gave instructions to Sh¨©na in a tone that made her fall silent. The place mentioned in the instructions was Shino''s hut. That''s the only place where treatment can be done. In a situation where the number of people were small, there was no room to treat the injured Tom by using magic on the spot. They must not waste time as his condition could worsen at any moment. "B, but, then you are ..." Sh¨©na''s line of sight went back and forth between Nozomu and Tom. Her eyes trembled. She seemed helpless because of her sense of responsibility and guilt. However, Nozomu couldn''t afford to care for her right now. "I''m the only one who can be a decoy here! And look at Tom''s condition! I don''t think we have enough time to care about me !! Just give priority to your friends. !!! " Nozomu yelled at Sh¨©na who was still hesitating. Her body jolted because of his loud voice. Nozomu fully raised his Qi and strengthened his whole body. Perhaps it sensed the raised Qi, the demon beast in front of him lowered its posture and put itself on guard. Nozomu lifted his leg up and slammed it to the ground with all his might. At the same time, he sent his Qi to the ground and blasted it away, the blasted cloud of dust blocking the demon beast''s eyesight so the direction of escape for Sh¨©na and the others was not known. "Go!!!!" "... Sorry! Nozomu-kun !! I leave it to you !!" "!!!!!!" At the same time as Nozomu shouted so, Mimuru started running with Tom on her back, but Sh¨©na still showed a moment of hesitation. She closed her eyes tightly and her facial expression showed as if she was enduring something, but she turned her heels back and disappeared into the woods. Beyond the smoke, the demon beast, which had completely transformed, rushed toward Nozomu and the others at the same time as the cloud of dust blasted away. However, Nozomu had already predicted it. Nozomu didn''t keep an eye on Sh¨©na until the end. He thrust towards the smoke, reached for the pouch on his waist, and threw what he takes out at the demon beast. He threw a Flash Ball and a Noise Ball. Nozomu, who was in poor economic condition, couldn''t buy the Depth Charge Ball he had before because it was too expensive. However, these two balls could be purchased at the same price as a recovery medicine. The Flash ball and the Noise Ball that were thrown by Nozomu exploded in front of the demon beast that rushed in. A tremendous flash of light and a bursting sound echoed around. "Gugyan !!!" The flash and busting sound that exploded in front of it made the black demon beast stop. Nozomu ran to the side with all his might and jumped into the forest in the opposite direction of Sh¨©na and the others. In order to gain time against the black demon beast, Nozomu chose to be a decoy and guide it in the opposite direction rather than fight it head-on. However, he couldn''t let the black demon beast catch up to Sh¨©na and the others, so he purposely rushed in from the front for the black demon beast to see and taunt it. "Gieeeeeee !!" Nozomu''s decision was right, with a terrifying roar from its huge mouth, the black demon beast began to chase after him. "Gigaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!" The roar shook the atmosphere, the running footsteps of the demon beast seemed to even shake the ground. *** "Haa, haa, haa, haa !!" About 10 minutes after Nozomu attracted the demon beast as a decoy, his escape from the demon beast was still going on in the forest. Considering the difference in ability between Nozomu and the demon beast, he would be overtaken and eaten by the demon beasts in less than a minute. The reason he was able to escape was simply because Nozomu had the upper hand over the land. The forest where he was running around in the name of training by Shino. It was a place where he usually got attacked by demon beasts and survived. Nozomu knows more about this place than the adventurers in the city. Nozomu chose to escape to a place in the forest that was overgrown with trees to some extent. The black demon beast, which had a large and bloated body, was disturbed by the overgrown trees due to the narrow distance between the trees and was unable to catch up to Nozomu. However, Nozomu couldn''t completely shake off the demon beast, and the distance between the two had barely changed. Obviously, Nozomu was at a disadvantage in this situation. (I''m about to reach that place soon, but it still takes time to get there. At this distance, it might catch up before I get there ... can I make it in time?) When he glanced back, there was still the black demon beast chasing after him with its huge mouth fully open. (Daaaaaaa! So persistent !! Just give it up already!) The place Nozomu is aiming for. There is still a long way to get there. If he gets there, he has a chance to escape, but as of now, it''ll probably catch up to him before then. At that moment, something crossed Nozomu''s mind (... That''s right! If I use that, I might be able to stop it!! The question is whether it will works...) Nozomu changed his direction. It''s a bit of a detour to the destination. If he stayed on the path, he would definitely be able to reach his destination. However, if the black demon beast couldn''t be stopped, it would definitely catch up to him and he had no other choice but to fight. " !! " Nozomu''s face was slightly distorted. He thought about releasing his Ability Suppression. Certainly, it was necessary to fight and win against the black demon beast. However, Nozomu hadn''t been able to get rid of his hesitations yet. The him who murdered and killed every life he saw. Yesterday''s scene shook his head, and above all else, the fact that he had once given in to his own anger made him hesitate to unleash his power. As Nozomu ran, the scene in front of him changed. The distance between the overgrown trees grew wider, and tall trees with thick trunks began to grow around them. (!! Damn!) Currently, Nozomu is still unable to release his Ability Suppression. He only set his sights on a location, but the black monster chased him from behind, shortening the distance. Eventually, the flatland was cut off in the middle, and a steep slope came into his eyes. Nozomu ran down the slope with all his might. If he slipped and fell, he would roll down in a straight line and suffer serious injuries, but still, he couldn''t slow down. The black demon beast also came down the slope to chase after Nozomu. The distance between Nozomu and the demon beast was further shortened, and finally, it was right behind him. The demon beast opened its jaw wide. The huge mouth that was opened is dyed bright red, and countless fangs made a creaking noise, and another circular mouth appeared behind it, lie in wait for its prey. Nozomu tried his best to escape from the demon beast, but he clearly couldn''t escape. And just as the demon beast''s jaw was about to catch Nozomu, Nozomu disappeared from the demon beast''s sight, intense pain ran down one of the demon beast''s forelegs, and fresh blood splattered. "Gyan !!!" The demon beast suddenly lost its balance. It tried to regain its posture, but it fell to the ground unable to stand on one leg, and rolled down the slope. "Guu !!" Nozomu also lost his balance and wasn''t sure of his footing, but he managed to regain his posture and ran down the slope while moving away from the demon beast that had rolled down. What Nozomu did was change the running direction while lowering his posture by applying *Instant Move -Curve Dance-* the moment the demon beast entered his attack range. He moved to the demon beast''s side and slashed its forefoot with Qi technique *Phantom*. With one of its weight-bearing forelegs injured, the demon beast couldn''t support its own weight and couldn''t stop its momentum and simply rolled down the hill. "Haa, haa, haa ........." It was certainly a terrifying walk on a tightrope. If the timing was wrong even by one step, he would either roll down the slope or be eaten. Nozomu who was running down the slope could not afford to check what happened to the demon beast and continued to run. (Probably the demon beast is still ...) "Gieeeeeee !!!!!!" The demon beast''s roar came into Nozomu''s ears again. Looking behind over his shoulder, the demon beast chased after him once again. (Damn! As I thought, It''s still not enough !!! Just stay a little bit longer, so please be quiet!! ) At first, he didn''t expect he could beat it to that extent, but he was able to gain some distance. Nozomu kept running and saw a tree in front of him. (There it is !! Please! Make it work !!) Nozom ran to the side of the tree and kicked the boulder near the tree trunk. When the boulder was flung aside with a *Bish!* sound, in the next moment, ropes woven in a square pattern appeared one after another between the demon beast and Nozomu. The demon beast that was chasing Nozomu fell down after being caught by a rope woven in a grid pattern. It struggled to escape, but it caused more ropes to become tangled with it. Originally, that trap was set up to escape from the demon beast that attacked when Nozomu was left in the forest by Shino and was made for stalling time. He thought it would be bad if other adventurers got caught, so the trap itself had no killing power, and he tried to prevent it from working unless he moved the stone he had placed as the key, but Nozomu was worried whether it would work because he made it a long time ago. Nozomu had set such traps for stalling time around the forest. In order for Nozomu who had lower physical abilities to survive, it was necessary to use such a method. This is the wisdom of survival. That said, it''s a trap for stalling time. Moreover, it has not been used for a long time, and the material used to make the woven rope is grass, so it is not sturdy at all. Sure enough, the rope couldn''t stand the demon beast''s power and started to break. "It didn''t work after all!" He had thought the trap couldn''t endure it, so Nozomu was already running. When Nozomu was barely visible from behind the trees, the demon beast finally escaped the ropes that were in its way and went back to chasing Nozomu. (Just a little bit more, a little bit more !!) Nozomu''s destination was drawing near, but the demon beasts that had once separated were also approaching in the distance. Eventually, the destination was visible through the gaps between the overgrown trees in Nozomu''s field of view. There was a little green-skinned man there. Tents made of trees, leaves, and bark were lined up, and the skulls of prey pierced at the ends of sticks were lined up. Fires were lit here and there, and the prey caught was roasted. It was a village of goblins. This village was previously discovered by Nozomu in the forest, but when he found it, he had just started training with Shino, so at that time he thought it would be bad to be found by the goblins, so he left it alone. At the entrance of the village, a goblin guard found Nozomu running. "Gyagya !!!" At first, the goblins thought that only one person was coming their way, so they called out to their friends with grins. They might have thought of sending the stupid human who came to their village for dinner today, but when they saw the giant beast behind him, their complexion turned blue and flustered. The moment the other goblins called by the guards saw the black demon beasts heading towards them, their expressions changed and started to flee. Nozomu didn''t care about the goblins at all and plunged into the goblins'' village with the demon beasts pulled behind him. The goblins'' village was falling apart as he expected. Those who rushed out with weapons, those who fled at a glance, those who panicked without knowing what to do. Goblin screams could be heard here and there, and it was a dreadful sound. Meanwhile, Nozomu and the black demon beast were moving back and forth within the goblin village, causing more confusion. Nozomu rushed into the goblins'' village with the demon beast, caused panic, and decided to take advantage of the chaos and escape. However, the black demon beast was still chasing Nozomu with its huge mouth fully open. (That''s it!) In front of Nozomu, a big tent could be seen. Maybe this village chief''s residence. From the entrance of the tent, a goblin significantly larger than the surrounding goblins appeared. Goblin Lord, the chief of this village. The Goblin Lord came out with an expression that seemed to be saying something, but when he saw Nozomu and the black demon beast rushing to his place, he opened his mouth and shouted loudly in the next moment. "Gyaaaaaaaaaaa !!" "Uooooooooooo !!!" "Goaaaaaaaaaaa !!!" Nozomu, Goblin Lord, and the Black Demon Beast rushed to the chief''s tent. The two of them rushed into the tent, but Nozomu fled to the edge of the tent with *Instant Move -Curve Dance-* as he entered the tent. The black demon beast lost sight of Nozomu again due to the darkness in the tent, and attacked the Goblin Lord in front of it, mistaking it for Nozomu. While the Goblin Lord was screaming, Nozomu immediately went outside, cut the ropes supporting the tent, broke the tent, and covered the demon beast with it. Originally, Nozom had intended to block the demon beast''s sight with the big tent and flee in the meantime, but the Goblin Lord who happened to be in front of it got involved, and the pitiful Goblin Lord ended up taking eight hits from the demon beast. While the demon beast was rampaging under the collapsed tent, Nozomu ran away. "Haa! Haa! Haa !!" Nozomu''s physical strength has reached its limit. Moreover, the angry goblins on their way to escape noticed Nozomu and shot arrows, but he mustered the last of his energy to escape. After shaking off the goblins'' pursuit, Nozomu managed to escape into the forest. The black demon beast that was under the tent crawled out. The demon beast who noticed that he lost sight of Nozomu attacked the goblins as if to vent its anger. While hearing the screams of the goblins that echoed again on his back, Nozomu continued running. Chapter 4.18 Early Release!!!! As usual, I want to say thank you to my patrons. Thank you for your continued support. Also, thank you kev n. for your coffee. *** "Haa, haa, haa ......... did I manage to get separated?" Nozomu escaped by pushing the black demon beast against the goblins and finally took a breather after confirming that there was no sign of chasing from behind. "It should be fine for now... but should I be prepared just in case?" Since there were so many uncertain parts including the opponent''s fighting strength, it was better to prepare all the means he could use. Thinking so, Nozomu decided to take a detour before going to Shino''s hut. The sun had completely set and the darkness of the night covered the surroundings, but Nozomu started walking relying on the slight moonlight and starlight. *** Sh¨©na and her friends who had been walking in the forest, finally arrived at Shino''s hut, and after Mimuru laid Tom on the bed, she immediately took out the medicine and treatment tools from the shelves and started the treatment. Wash the wound, sew it with a thread, sprinkle a potion, and bandage it. Tom was still breathing roughly, with cold sweat appearing on his forehead. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± On the other hand, Sh¨©na cast healing magic on Tom, but maybe she was worried about Nozomu cleaning up her blunder a while ago. She''s still dazed. She couldn''t concentrate on the magic yet and the healing light that came out of her hands was unstable. "... Sh¨©na, concentrate properly ..." "! I''m sorry ..." Sh¨©na was rushed to concentrate on her magic after being scolded by Mimuru. Mimuru''s hands were also full from treating her lover''s wounds, and her voice was a bit harsh and cold. Obviously, she was having a hard time too. Eventually, Tom''s facial expression, which was breathing roughly and in pain, eased. "... I think it''s alright for the time being ..." "I see¡­¡­" Even though Tom had finished his treatment, he was badly injured and lost a lot of blood, so he fell asleep as soon as the pain subsided. Tom''s treatment was over, the two sat down and rested, but they remained silent without speaking to each other. Sh¨©na stared at the floor, probably worried about the mistake she made, she dropped her shoulders and clenched her fists tightly on her lap. Mimuru couldn''t calm herself down either. Perhaps out of uneasiness, her gaze fell on Tom who was sleeping. There was an awkward atmosphere in the room, but as nothing could dispel that atmosphere, only silence continued. "... Hey Sh¨©na. Why didn''t you try to escape at that time?" "¡­¡­Eh?" Eventually, Mimuru broke the silence and asked Sh¨©na about her actions earlier. "By all means, that demon beast isn''t normal. I understand that we didn''t immediately realize that the demon beast was too much for us. But, why are you trying to do something so reckless?" "Well, that was ..." Mimuru questioned Sh¨©na, but her tone was harsh and instead of asking, she blamed Sh¨©na. Mimuru''s gaze was filled with anger, and Sh¨©na was stuck in her words. "If you didn''t do something so reckless at that time and just escaped, Nozomu didn''t have to be a decoy, and Tom didn''t have to get hurt!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Sh¨©na couldn''t say anything at Mimuru''s words, and she looked down. Given the current situation, it made sense for Mimuru to question Sh¨©na and blame her one-sidedly. They fled from the black demon beast, but they are now still in the forest, and this safeness is only temporary. The black demon beast wasn''t the only demon beast in the forest. Apart from simply asking why Sh¨©na didn''t try to escape, one-sided blame could lead to the complete destruction of the party. However, because Mimuru was mentally driven against a wall and her lover, Tom, was also seriously injured. As a result, she hit Sh¨©na with a fit of anger, which eventually created this situation. Escaping to a safe place made her tense feelings broke down, and Sh¨©na just looked down without saying anything to such a question. This fueled her anger further. Mimuru''s voice blaming Sh¨©na gradually became louder. "Please ... say something !!" Mimuru grabbed Sh¨©na, but Sh¨©na closed her eyes tightly, clenched her lips and she didn''t say anything. However, Mimuru''s patience reached its limit as Sh¨©na didn''t say anything. She raised her hand and tried to hit Sh¨©na. However, at that moment, a rattling sound was heard from the door of the hut. Tension ran between the two. Sh¨©na held the bow beside her, and Mimuru took out the dagger at her waist. It was the black demon beast that flashed through their heads. Tom couldn''t move and there was no Nozomu, it was clear that if Nozomu was attacked by the demon beast, he would be killed in no time. Mimuru held the dagger and slowly headed for the door, and Sh¨©na drew her bow to the limit so she could shoot arrows any time. When the door rattled and opened, there was something with a humanoid body covered in mud. "! Mimuru !!" "Eh?" Sh¨©na called out to Mimuru and shot her nocked arrow at the humanoid''s forehead. It seemed that the humanoid was saying something, but it was blocked by Sh¨©na''s voice and they couldn''t hear it. "Uaaaaaa !!" With such a scream and dexterity that did not seem to be a humanoid monster made of mud, the humanoid monster dodged the approaching arrow. Mimuru stepped forward and swung her dagger. "Haaaaa !!" "Wa, wait ..." The humanoid monster tried to say something, but neither of them noticed it, and the humanoid monster hit the belly of the dagger that Mimuru swung with something like a stick and parried it. Mimuru was surprised that her attack had been blocked, but immediately turned her sword around and tried to launch another slash. However, just before that, they heard a familiar voice in their ears. "Wait! Both of you !!" The voice stopped the two of them from moving. On closer inspection, the humanoid monster was actually a human with mud all over his body. They both recognize him. "" Nozomu-kun? "" "That''s right. It''s me! Why did I have to be suddenly attacked by my allies!!" Nozomu became a decoy of the black demon beast to let the three escape. It would have been unavoidable for him to scream in a loud voice as he ran around the forest and desperately escaped with his life. "So, sorry Nozomu-kun." "Umm ... I''m sorry ..." "... No, it''s okay ..." Mimuru and Sh¨©na dropped their shoulders and apologized. Instead of thanking someone who could be said to be a savior, they had their weapons pointed at him instead, so there was no choice but to feel depressed. Nozomu was angry at first, but he thought it was unavoidable given his current appearance. Nozomu had washed away all the mud over his body, and the clothes he was wearing had been dried by fire. Mimuru asked Nozomu again. "... So, Nozomu-kun? Why were you so full of mud?" "Oh, that was to prevent the demon beast from chasing me by the smell." Among the demon beasts that were chasing Nozomu in the forest, there were also demon beasts that rely on their sense of smell. Wild Dogs are the example. In order to avoid being chased by such demon beasts, he entered the river to remove his body odor and smeared mud all over his body to prevent his body odor from leaking out. "... More importantly, what about Tom''s injuries?" "...We''re done with the treatment and he''s sleeping right now. But I think it''s better to take him to the city as soon as possible..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± "??" Nozomu looked towards Sh¨©na, but she remained looking down while Mimuru answered Nozomu''s question. Mimuru doesn''t even look at Sh¨©na and deliberately ignored her. "Hey, did something happen?" "... Is there something wrong?" "That is..." "I''m going outside to keep watch. Call me if anything happens ..." "O, oi ..." Nozomu tried to ask the two who were in a strange atmosphere, but Sh¨©na didn''t answer Nozomu who was trying to stop her, and she left. "¡­¡­What''s going on?" "...I don''t care. Just ask Sh¨©na..." Mimuru turned around as if she was messing around with him. Nozomu sighed, took out a large pot from the kitchen, boiled some water on the fire, and started to make a simple soup. "¡­¡­? What are you doing?" "You know, I''m making food. We can''t maintain our bodies if we don''t eat when we have the chance. That''s our situation..." Thus, Nozomu neatly prepared the meal, sliced the dried meat with a knife, took out the soup stock, and put the potatoes he had stored in the hut. Boil and check the taste. Take cooking salt and pour it into the pot to preserve the taste. "... I can''t guarantee the taste, but it''ll warm our body for the time being. I''ve prepared for Tom''s part, so if he can get up, let him eat." Mimuru accepted the bowl presented by Nozomu, but she looked at the bowl in her hand with a complex expression. "¡­¡­Are you alright?" "Uh, yeah, I''m fine! Don''t worry ... Thank you." Mimuru, who had a sunken expression, immediately smiled, but Nozomu could see from the side that she was trying to hide it. Nozomu tried to say something when he saw her spirit, but at that moment, he heard a groan from Tom who was sleeping. "Looks like Tom is awake. I''m going to bring food for Tom, so Nozomu will bring food for Sh¨©na.... If I bring it to her, I can''t stand her and we will fight again. I think it''s going to happen ..." Such a girl had a self-deprecating smile. She had a frustrated expression that seemed to be regretting something. When Nozomu saw it, he couldn''t say anything. "¡­¡­ I understand" In the end, Nozomu had no choice but to go to Sh¨©na with her soup. *** Sh¨©na¡¯s POV I was sitting on the roof of the hut while holding my knees. I said I was going to keep watch, but I couldn''t concentrate on doing that after all. My head was full of regret and frustration. In the past when my hometown, Foskia Forest, fell due to the great invasion, it was the black demon beast that appeared and stood in front of me. I couldn''t believe the scene that was unfolding in front of me. The appearance was somewhat different from the one that appeared today, but there was no doubt about the black sludge that covered its entire body and the myriad blood-red eyes on its body. The horror and the inescapable presence of death tightened my whole body like an iron chain, and I thought that I would only be killed by the fear. It was my beloved parents and sister who rescued me. (Sh¨©na, run) While my father and mother were fighting, my sister, while facing the demon beast, turned her back and spoke those words to me. At first, I didn''t know what my sister was saying, but when I understood her words, I shook my head like a spoiled child and pleaded. I said, "We can''t win even if we fight. Let''s run together." The black demon beast couldn''t be defeated by any means, and my parents and sister who were fighting should have known about it, but my sister didn''t listen to my pleas. My parents fought desperately, but they couldn''t win. My father and mother were killed, and it was my sister''s turn next. The demon beast that dyed its entire body red with my parents'' blood glanced at me and grinned. I was so scared that I couldn''t move. "Snap out of it! Sh¨©na !!" It was the pain that ran down my cheek from my sister hitting me and my sister''s scolding that released me from being unable to move. "Listen, Sh¨©na, I''ll say it again. You should run away quickly. Don''t look back. Keep running straight. I will follow you later." My sister said so, but I soon realized that was impossible. Still, she forced herself to smile, not to make me worry about her. "B, but ..." As I couldn''t make a decision, the black demon beast attacked my sister. "Ku~uu !!" My sister created a magical barrier to hold down the demon beast, but the barrier immediately cracked and was unlikely to last for a long time. Still, I couldn''t make a decision. Whether to run away alone or to fight alongside my sister. It was my sister''s cry that moved my unmoving legs. "Go! Sh¨©na !!" A gentle scolding from an older sister. The moment I heard it, I turned my back on her and ran away with all my might. "Uu~u, uwa~a~aaa ..." I kept running, staining my face with tears and snot. Leaving my most important family behind. Then I wandered across the continent with my surviving companions. No, instead of wandering around, we had to do so because we have nowhere to stay. At that time, the countries that were being invaded on a large scale were exhausted and unable to accept refugees. Some of the survivors were able to flee to countries that were not invaded, but they could take in all the too many refugees. We were not accepted and wandered around instead. All we could do were to endure our starvation in the barren lands. As I grew up, I decided to enroll in Solminati Academy. In the past, I couldn''t do anything. So, I need to change my past weak self. Become stronger to reclaim my hometown. Of course, I can''t become as strong as Jihad-sensei, I can''t seem to grasp his true strength. Even so, I thought that I was able to shake off my weak self due to the harsh training days here... My arms that were holding my knees were strengthened and I squeeze my knees tightly. It was because of me, we were in such a terrible situation. I felt nothing but frustration and regret, only a feeling of anger at myself that kept swirling in the depths of my chest. I just want to be alone for now. Even so... "My oh my, I couldn''t find you around the hut, so when I was wondering where you were going, you were in such a place." I heard the voice of the person I hate the most. *** Mimuru''s POV "U, ugh ..." "Tom? are you alright?" "Mimuru ... Yeah, somehow ..." "thank God¡­¡­" As far as Tom looks, he looks alright¡­¡­. For the time being, a relieved voice comes out of my mouth because nothing worst had happened. "Can you get up? I have soup ... can you eat it?" "... It''s a little tough, but I''ll eat. I think I have to eat it anyway ..." With that said, I helped Tom who was trying to sit up. As I thought, Tom''s delicate body is light. Maybe he''s lighter than me... Tom was bullied for his petite body for a long time. At first, I also bullied him, and at that time I didn''t think we would become lovers. But as we grew, Tom and I slowly changed. Tom''s body was still delicate and tiny, but he was so smart that he was able to study and do various things, and before I knew it, I was looking up to him. Shortly before we came to this school, I confessed to him when I couldn''t help but think of Tom all the time. At that time, I was so embarrassed that my face turned visibly red. I almost ran away, but at the same time, I was very happy and realized my own feelings. "Hot!" "Ah, sorry!" Tom had an injury on his right arm so I was feeding him, but it seemed a little hot ... "Fuu, fuu ..." Tom asked with a mysterious expression on his face as he was still blowing into the hot soup to cool it down. "... Hey, Mimuru. Are you okay?" "¡­¡­About what?" "Because you were in a fight with Sh¨©na, right?" "... You know?" "Yeah, because Mimuru, I''ll know what you''re thinking the moment I see your face." It is often said that I am not suited to do bargaining and negotiating. "... Can''t you forgive Sh¨©na?" "... But..." I met Sh¨©na shortly after I enrolled in school. She was sitting next to me in our first year. Back then, Sh¨©na always looked more restless than she is now and always had a ghastly expression. She didn''t cut corners in class or practice, she was always pushing herself, and she could break at any moment. "... Hey, aren''t you tired of being so uptight like that?" I said that not because I was worried about her. It simply felt suffocating. "... It''s none of your business." Sh¨©na glanced at me, then soon lost interest in me and turned her eyes back to the textbook she was reading again. I didn''t like her attitude, so I lifted my eyebrows and picked up the textbook she was reading. When I think about it now, it was childish and embarrassing behavior, but I think Sh¨©na was more of a child than I was at that time. How Sh¨©na cast a spell on me just to get her textbook back. Aside from me who was blown away by magic, Sh¨©na picked up her fallen textbook and went back to reading. As expected, that was completely pissed me off. The fact that she was the one who put her hand at the beginning made me angry, so I jumped at her, developing a literal catfight. The two of us received a scolding from our homeroom teacher. After that, we kept fighting about everything. We answered the teacher''s questions in a lecture to compete with each other, but Sh¨©na was always on top. Every time she came up with the correct answer, I glared at Sh¨©na, who turned her face towards me. In practical skills, we did the tasks so that we could compete with each other, and my results in the mock battle were better. Sh¨©na was glaring at me and clenched her bow tightly. I was so excited that I had returned the debt. We were always in conflict like that, but since Tom joined us and became the intermediary between Sh¨©na and me, we began to speak normally, albeit little by little. Before I knew it, we started to eat lunch together. Before I knew it, we started to go home together. And before I knew it, we started to adventure together. I thought I was her best friend. I thought she would tell me anything. We don''t know anything about Sh¨©na''s past. Thinking about what happened 10 years ago, I could have imagined what happened, but still, I don''t think we will be so stagnant for two years. However, Sh¨©na didn''t tell me anything. I was angry at Sh¨©na for being so reckless and causing Tom to get hurt. But most importantly, I was so worried about her. Even though it hurt, I wonder why she didn''t tell me anything. "But, isn''t it irritating? Sh¨©na who doesn''t say anything, we who couldn''t help her..." "Mimuru ..." Tom was stuck for words as Mimuru confessed with a sad expression. We can''t do anything. Disappointed with myself because the power I had desperately cultivated in this school, couldn''t be used to help her. We are also very aware of our immaturity. *** "What are you doing? In a place like this ..." "Nothing in particular ..." Sh¨©na answered Nozomu''s question while facing away. She turned her face away and she didn''t move while still holding her knees. "... Why don''t you eat something for the time being? I made a simple soup ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu sat one body away next to Sh¨©na and offered her the steaming soup, but Sh¨©na didn''t even look at the bowl. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Silence flowed between the two. (It''s awkward ...) Nozomu seemed to be suffocated. He was exposed to the gloomy air she released and got stuck in words. He didn''t know Sh¨©na''s circumstances. He knew she had something to do with the black demon beast, but he knew nothing about the trauma she had suffered in the past. Because of that, Nozomu didn''t know what to say. So the action he took was to encourage her to say something... "H, hey. Say something" "I''d like to ask you something ..." "W, what?" "Why are you okay to be left behind?" "Eh?" Nozomu was a little taken aback by her question, but he answered her question casually. "Well ... because there was no other way ..." Nozomu explained why he decided to do it back then. "At that time, neither Mimuru nor you were in a state of being able to fight properly. Both of you were terribly agitated when Tom was injured. Also, it was impossible to escape from that black demon beast while protecting an injured person. Then we need a decoy to give us some time. I was the only one who could do that back then ... " It was the truth, but that truth became a burden for the current her. She lost her composure. She knew very well that Tom was injured because of her mistake. She wasn''t so stupid that she didn''t understand it. She blamed herself for being responsible for causing Tom to get hurt. Now she is very sad because of that mistake. She had lived a tense life due to her helplessness. In the battle with the black demon beast, she couldn''t do anything and lost herself, and as a result, her friend fell into trouble, and the thread that had been tense until now was completely broken. "No other reason!? It would have been better for me to be left behind !! It''s because I''m the cause, so I''m the one who should be left behind!!¡± Suddenly, she draws closer toward Nozomu and shouted in a loud voice. "More importantly you''re just a 10th class student !? No matter how I think about it, it wouldn''t be possible for you to run away from it !! Why did you do that when you knew you were going to die !!" "Wa, wait!" Sh¨©na grabbed Nozomu by the collar, raised her eyes, then she brought her face close enough to feel each other''s breath. Nozomu immediately tried to remove her hand, but when he saw the boulder-like tears in her eyes, he couldn''t bring himself to shake her hand off. "Yes! Surely, you are different from me who can''t do anything! It''s said that you are the weakest, but you are actually strong!! But that beast is beyond dangerous. Why would you do something reckless?!" What she was saying was completely incoherent. She saw Nozomu fighting, albeit a little, and she knew Nozomu made a detailed forest map. Given that he was able to escape from the demon beast, she already knew that Nozomu''s abilities were different from what she had heard in the rumors. However, what Nozomu did made Sh¨©na remember her sister who had helped her by sacrificing herself 10 years ago. The last moments of her beloved older sister. It can be called trauma. She saw her sister''s final moments overlap with Nozomu''s actions. Even though she knew that Nozomu''s actions were for the best, but, because her head was full of emotions, such a fact was ignored by her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu became quite suffocated because Sh¨©na grabbed his collar so tightly, but more than that, he was fascinated by the girl in front of him. The elf girl was illuminated by the moonlit night. Her slender limbs and long flowing blue hair. Tears were in her eyes and the moonlight shone through her tears. It was a fantastic sight like a fairy tale. But more than that, the manifestation of her violent emotions that she kept hiding in her chest nailed into Nozomu. "Why, why¡­¡­" She looked down and continued to mumble while crying. She didn''t even know who the words she was muttering were directed to. *** "... I''m sorry. I said a lot of strange things ..." "N, no. Don''t mind it ..." She continued to cry for a while, but now that she calmed down, the two of them sat one body next to each other again. The two sit without facing each other. Even though they exchanged a word or two with each other, due to their awkwardness, they immediately sank into silence. "... Thank you. For hearing my complaints without saying anything ..." "Eh?" Nozomu was embarrassed by the words she said to break the silence. He didn''t know the reason for being thanked. Nozomu didn''t tell her anything. She didn''t tell Nozomu about her past either. Nozomu also knew that Sh¨©na had something that she couldn''t tell, and she was suffering from it but couldn''t talk about it, but he didn''t know what to say to her. What we should do. That''s something Nozomu himself wants to know. "Don''t mind it... I didn''t do something worth mentioning ..." "You help us escape from that demon beast. You took care of us and cooked our meals. Besides, you listened to my complaints without saying anything." "......." Although her face was still a little tired and cloudy, it was much better than before. However, Nozomu knew very well that it was only superficial. She did have a smile on her face, but that smile was the same as what Nozomu showed Irisdina and the others. It was the same mask worn by someone who was desperately trying to push what was inside one''s chest. Her masked smile raised anxiety that Nozomu couldn''t express, and his chest tightened. "H, hey. About that previous demon beast...." "Thank you very much. And... I''m sorry. I''ve said a lot of awful things. so far" Nozomu had something to say, but she took control and cut off Nozomu''s words. She had a sad-looking smile on her well-organized face. "It''s about time for me to return. Thank you for the meal ..." She cut off his words before Nozomu could say anything else and came downstairs with cold soup in hand. " !! " Nozomu unknowingly clenched his fist tightly. When he saw her fake smile, he felt some kind of kinship. Nozomu couldn''t tell Irisdina and the others that he is a dragon slayer. And Sh¨©na can''t escape from her own past. They had the same problem that they couldn''t talk to the others even if they wanted to, and they just felt like they were falling into an abyss where they couldn''t see the bottom. But even if they had the same doubts and hopelessness, they never intersected. Neither of them could step forward. They tried their best to hold it in, and because they were used to holding it alone, they forgot to look at anything other than themself. Nozomu''s premonition hit the mark in the worst way. The next morning, Nozomu and the others only find Sh¨©na''s empty blanket and her note that says, "Please, I''ll leave Mimuru and Tom in your care." Chapter 4.19 "That idiot !!" Nozomu is now running through the forest with all his might. When he saw the letter left by Sh¨©na, he immediately knew that Sh¨©na had left to fight with the demon beast. On realizing that, Nozom told the stunned Mimuru to quickly get out of the forest and ask for help, then went after Sh¨©na and ran into the depths of the forest. "What are you thinking?! You''re the one who told me not to do something so reckless!!" Nozomu could only utter cursing words for Sh¨©na through his mouth, but inside, he understood her feelings. She might not be able to leave the demon beast alone. Nozomu didn''t know the reason, but he knew it came from an unforgettable event that she wanted to forget. At the same time, she probably didn''t want to involve Mimuru and Tom. If she told them the reason, Mimuru and Tom would help her. Nozomu had some conversations with Mimuru, so he knew they wouldn''t leave Sh¨©na alone, who was being cornered. Sh¨©na couldn''t look away when she saw the hated Nozomu being bullied at school. She somehow treated Nozomu who was injured due to his own actions. Nozomu realized that she was a very nice girl by nature, even though she said something rude through her mouth. Since she was that kind of girl, she was happy that Mimuru and Tom were beside her, but at the same time, she would have thought they might have been killed by the demon beast. So, she couldn''t tell them about her past. (Damn, how troublesome, it''s hard to understand!) Sh¨©na is kind but she can only say harsh things. A girl who was desperately trying to become stronger even though she was weak. (... Isn''t she the same as me?) Sh¨©na couldn''t talk to Mimuru and Tom because she was afraid to involve them in the fight with the black demon beast. Nozomu also couldn''t tell Irisdina and the others about himself because of his fear of the power that resides within him. The two are, in fact, very similar in this aspect. That''s why Nozomu had no choice but to worry about Sh¨©na. He couldn''t help but worry about her safety. If she intended to fight that monster, she might head to the place where they met the monster yesterday. Considering the time she left, no time should be wasted anymore. "Damn! Make it in time !!" In any case, going to her should take priority and Nozomu hastened his feet. He was frustrated now that his legs weren''t moving any faster than he wanted. *** Sh¨©na¡¯s POV "It''s here ..." I arrived at the place where I encountered the demon beast yesterday. My purpose is to settle with that demon beast. The black demon beast that caused the loss of my hometown and the loss of my family. It was a different existence from what I saw in my hometown, but still, I couldn''t leave that existence in the world. "Fuu, fuu, fuu ..." My breathing naturally becomes rough. My heart was beating violently and cold sweat was flowing on my back. (It''s okay. It''s not that there is no way to defeat it, so it''s okay, it''s okay ...) While telling myself such a thing, I release my magical power and spread it around. The spirits who responded to the diffused magical power gathered, and particles of light began to dance around me. I started talking to the spirits who had just gathered. (Everyone, please answer my call. That black, filthy beast. Lend me your strength to defeat it) *Spirit Contract* It is magic for contracting with spirits, and by temporarily signing a contract with the spirits on the spot allows you to use spirit magic, which is said to be able to be used only by spirit species. It is possible to use powerful spirit magic, but using such magic requires extremely high compatibility with spirits, and the time required for contracting depends on the spirit contracting with the contractor, and the time required for a contract cannot be unequivocally stated. Spirit Contract was originally classified as magic, but it can only be used by elves who are far more compatible with spirits by nature than other species, and careful preparation is required for other races to succeed in using this magic. Therefore, this magic is almost treated as elfves'' exclusive skills. I desperately tried to summon the spirits that had gathered around me, but the spirits just circled around me and didn''t answer my call. (Why!? Why aren''t you guys answer me !?) The spirits didn''t listen to my call making me impatient, I desperately try to calm my heart, but one impatience will summon another impatience. The flow of magical power that is released becomes sloppy. The distance between the spirits who were looking at me in a long distance became farther, which fueled my impatience even more. A long time ago, when I lived with everyone in that forest, the spirits answered me normally if I spoke to them. The spirits played with my elf friends, ate snacks together in the trees, and slept together. But since that time 10 years ago, I can barely make a contract with the spirits. I can feel the presence of the spirits, and even though contracts have been made several times, I can''t really communicate with them. Because of that, I had no choice but to improve my own abilities until now, but now, I had to use spirit power to overcome the demon beasts. (Please! I don''t want to see Mimuru and the others in a dangerous situation anymore! Therefore, please help me, everyone !! ) Mimuru and Tom. In particular, I had conflicts with Mimuru many times. I always said what I wanted to say. Most of them were complaints about Mimuru''s bad behavior... but at that time, I was able to forget the tragedy of 10 years ago. Tom always calmed us down whenever we were fighting. He calmed Mimuru who was angry with me. I provoked her, and Mimuru got angry again... Before I knew it, I who had lost my family and was in a tense atmosphere was able to laugh again. And he, Nozomu Bountis. When I only knew him from rumors, I thought he was a terrible person. Since he was dating Lisa, I thought he was good at deceiving women. When the rumors about him and Irisdina circulated, and when he was surrounded by other male students behind the school building, I didn''t even sympathize with him. The next time I met him was in the city at night. He walked with a tottering gait and a body covered in blood. I heard his story, it seems he did something reckless by entering the forest alone. Moreover, the next day, he ignored my warning and went into the forest again alone. His reckless and life-throwing actions reminded me of my family who protected me, and my evaluation of him, which had originally fallen to the ground, pierced the ground and reached the bottom of the abyss. Nevertheless¡­¡­. *rustle...* "Kku !!" The surrounding air changed completely. Suddenly, the surroundings were filled with corrupted presence, and the spirits that were around me disappeared by scattering. A presence that I know very well and will never forget. As I followed that presence, there was something at the end of the place, staring at me. "Grrrrrrrrrrr ..." The black demon beast was there as a wolf. Bloody red twin eyes shot through me. My hands trembled naturally. I can''t feel my own feet. I bit my lips tightly, took out a few arrows from the quiver, and placed them on the bow. I can''t afford to have a spiritual contract anymore. Just one chance. Before the black beast closes the distance, I had to use all the strength I had to defeat it. I pulled the string with all my might and the bow made a grinding sound until the last minute. The bowstring was pulled to its limit. A half-assed arrow could not pierce its tough skin. "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!" It rushed towards me. The moment I finished pulling the bowstring, I shot the nocked arrow. *Swish!* The arrow that cut through the air and flew with such a sound, pierced the demon beast''s forehead without missing its target. The demon beast screamed and staggered, but my arrow only slightly suppressed the demon beast''s charge, and it immediately regained its momentum. It was impossible to inflict fatal injuries on this demon beast with ordinary arrows. If so ... I nocked the arrow again, pulled the bowstring, and this time I sent magic power into the arrow and cast a spell at the same time. The arrow was filled with magical power and began to emit a dazzling light. This was a deadly arrow that could definitely kill if it was an ordinary monster, but it had been proven that this arrow could not deliver the decisive blow by firing it directly at this demon beast. That''s why I put another preparation so that the demon beast wouldn''t notice it. It was a magic that stood no chance against this demon beast, but it was enough for now! The demon beast that charged towards me with an earth-shattering force opened its jaw. Its head to neck split vertically, exposing a huge mouth with countless fangs. The demon beast is approaching me, but I haven''t shot the arrow yet. I desperately suppressed my line of sight that seemed to be distracted by fear. Due to the pain of biting my own lip, it kept the muscles of my body awake which were likely to harden. "Gagyaaaaa !!" As its jaws tried to catch and bite me, I used all my strength to jump back and cast the magic I had prepared. The next moment, countless spears made of stones protruded from where I was standing. Countless stone spears were sticking out, hitting the jaws of the demon beast that was trying to chew me. But the stone spear was originally not that durable. Immediately, countless cracks appeared and the spears began to crumble. "How about this?!" But that''s enough. I aimed at the demon beast''s mouth through the gap between the stone spears and fired the nocked arrow. The arrow shot was sucked into its mouth, and the blast of magical power raging inside the demon beast''s mouth. However, the raging blast at such a close range also hit me. "Kyaaaa !!" I was blown away by the blast and struck to the ground. Although I didn''t get the shock because I was jumping back in time, my whole body ached because I was struck to the ground. " !! " I immediately stood up with pain in my body and checked the demon beast''s condition. "Gehe~e! Gugyau !!" As expected, the inside of its mouth is not as strong as the outer skin. Some fangs inside its mouth are broken, and it is shaking its head while spitting blood. "!! Gahyaau !!" However, I still couldn''t defeat it. The myriad red eyes of the demon beast glared at me while shining red with anger, and the demon beast rushed towards me once again. However, I couldn''t move properly due to the pain when I was struck to the ground. My fingertips trembled, and my hands didn''t have the strength to hold the bow. (... So, it''s not good enough...) In the face of inevitable death, I exhale once and for all. I quickly lost all of my strength. Facing my end, I remember that I have many regrets. I wasted the hopes of my parents and sister who risked their lives and let me run away. I couldn''t get my hometown back. And yesterday, that man took responsibility for me and let me escape. I don''t know, is it because my death is imminent or not, but the approaching beast looks slow (Ahh right, I apologize to you guys too¡­) Behind the demon beast that was approaching in front of me, I could see the spirits gathered under the spirit contract. The flickering lights vibrated irregularly and looked like they were frightened. (...Ah I see, they are just like me. They''re scared.) I just realized it now. All the spirits were afraid of that demon beast. So that''s why I couldn''t make a contract with the spirits just by communicating my intentions one-sidedly. That''s right, even if I gave a one-sided order without considering the feelings of the spirits, there was no way they would cooperate in the truest sense. Even more so if it was an order to "fight" against someone they feared. (A ha ha ... I''m so stupid, why didn''t I notice it earlier) When I was in Foskia Forest, all spirits were my friends. No, I still think so until now. Therefore, I had to face it properly because I''m not the only one. We should face each other and become partners. But it was all too late. My death is already imminent and the black demon beast is about to eat me with its huge jaw. The bright red flesh and bloody fangs were reflected in front of me, and when the mouth was about to close. "Uoooooooooooooooo !!!" A shadow of something cut in between me and the demon beast. Chapter 4.20 Early Release!!================================= "It''s not good!" When Nozomu arrived at the square where he encountered the demon beast yesterday, what jumped into his eyes was the sight of Sh¨©na being caught up in the explosion of her own arrow and being blown away. "Uoooooooooooooooo !!!" Immediately, he activated Instant Move with full power. He ran in a straight line, cut in between Sh¨©na and the demon beast, and drawn his katana out. He cut through the mouth of the demon beast with Qi technique *One Billion Severance*. "Gabyaau !!" The demon beast let out a pained voice probably because its mouth was attacked for the second time. Its head was torn off and was bleeding more. Nozomu grabbed Sh¨©na''s collar and dragged her away. Sh¨©na was shocked with her eyes wide open, maybe she couldn''t believe the scene in front of her. However, since Nozomu was here now, she forgot her own circumstances and looked at him with a fierce look. "Y, you! Why are you here !?" The first voice that came out of her mouth was, as expected, a swearing towards Nozomu. "That''s my line! You fool !! Why did you rush into something without a chance to win! Aren''t you a lot more reckless than me !!" "Wh, what! A fool you say?! I was thinking of a way to win!" Due to her angry voice, Nozomu also swore at Sh¨©na in a loud voice, and Sh¨©na was also annoyed by his answer, so she retaliated further. "Then, why are you in a desperate situation!" "Sh, shut up! I just messed up a little !!" "Messed up !? In the end, it doesn¡¯t mean anything at all !! " Tit for tat. To be clear, this is a scene that doesn''t look great in this situation, but both are very serious. Before she knew it, the out-of-place conversation began to reveal her heart, which had been filled with regrets and repentance. "Gagyaaaa !!!" A demon beast''s roar resounded in the forest. The two who regained their composure glared at the black demon beast while holding their weapons. "......" Nozomu tried to take the Flash Ball and the Noise Ball out of the pouch so it could cover the demon beast''s vision, but the next moment, the black demon beast closed the gap in an instant and swung its greatsword-like tail towards him. "Kuh !!" Nozomu quickly flew to the side and dodged the tail that was swung straight from above. He drops the Flash Ball and the Noise Ball that he took out. It seemed, the hand he used yesterday couldn''t be used anymore. Yet another tail is swept away to cut off Nozomu''s body. Nozomu crouched down and dodged the approaching tail, but the tail that had just been swung attacked Nozomu again without a gap. Looks like, the demon beast decided that Nozomu was more threatening than Sh¨©na, so it ignored Sh¨©na and attacked Nozomu instead. Its way of attacking had changed from the simple attack as before to repeatedly checking with its tail and waiting for Nozomu to be exhausted. Nozomu manages to dodge the attacking tail, but the demon beast is ready to jump out at any moment, and if Nozomu shows the slightest gap, the demon beast will attack him. Nozomu, on the other hand, continued to dodge the approaching deadly tail with minimal movement. "Uwa!" Nozomu avoided the demon beast''s tail that was swung diagonally from above with minimum movement, but as the avoided tail was driven into the ground, the soil rolled up and got into Nozomu''s eyes. The black beast rushed toward Nozomu who had stopped moving for a moment. The demon beast rushed with all his might toward Nozomu in a straight line. "Take this!!" However, Sh¨©na made up for that gap. she aimed at the demon beast''s forelegs with the bow drawn to the limit with all her might and shot an arrow. The arrow pierced the demon beast''s left foreleg accurately, and the demon beast''s movement slowed down for a moment. In that gap, Nozomu threw himself to the right side, the side of the leg where the arrow had pierced. When Nozomu looked at Sh¨©na, unlike yesterday, he saw a calm light in her eyes. Her body relaxed because she had a fight with Nozomu in a loud voice earlier. When the demon beast''s attack dodged and passed by Nozomu, the demon beast shot two tails towards Nozomu while scraping the ground with its limbs. Nozomu rolled and jumped backward so as not to kill the momentum, and the tail of the demon beast pierced through where he had just jumped. The demon beast turned around in the meantime. This time, it turned towards Sh¨©na and casually shot one of its tails as if a cow was repelling a noisy fly. Sh¨©na jumped backward to get past the tail that was being shot, took four arrows from the quiver between her five fingers, and pulled them out. She filled the arrows she picked up with magical power and nocked the arrows to the bow again. In front of her, Nozomu was once again cornered by the demon beast. Sh¨©na shot four arrows in an instant. The arrow that was shot pierced the ground between the demon beast and Nozomu, and exploded instantly. Spreading a cloud of dust all over the place between Nozomu and the demon beast, hiding Nozomu from the demon beast''s field of vision. "Go!!!" Nozomu runs with Sh¨©na''s shout. He rushes toward the demon beast with Instant Move and broke through the smoke. The demon beast that noticed him approaching, rushed in with two greatsword-like tails. Nozomu dodges the first tail with *Instant Move -Curve Dance-* and moves forward while parrying the second tail with his katana. While moving, he sheathed his katana, sends his Qi full power, and compresses it extremely. The demon beast tried to eat Nozomu with its huge jaw, but its body was already inside of Nozomu''s attack range. "Fu~ !!" Nozomu pulled out his katana while passing each other. The katana with extremely compressed Qi was pulled out, and it deeply tore the right shoulder to the right flank of the demon beast. "Gugyaaaa !!!" With a roar of agony, a large amount of blood spurted from the torn wound, but the sludge covering the demon beast''s body immediately tried to seal the wound. "I won''t let you !!" Nozomu thrust the scabbard on his left hand into the wound before the wound was completely closed. He tried to release *Breaking Strike* to destroy the demon beast''s internal organs... " !! " However, just before Nozomu was about to hit it, the demon beast''s tail attacked to shook him off. Not even willing to let Nozomu injure its body, the demon beast lashed its butcher-like tail towards Nozomu. "Damn!!" Nozomu tried to dodge it by letting go of his scabbard, but couldn''t. He had no other choice but to hold onto his katana and try to parry it, but he couldn''t fend off the tail''s full force of momentum and he was blown away. "Gah~ !!" Nozomu was blown to the edge of the square and slammed against the trunk of a tree. The impact caused him to groan and the air in his lungs to leak out. Nozomu''s movement was slowed down because he couldn''t take a defensive posture when he was struck by the trunk too vigorously. The demon beast couldn''t miss that opportunity. It rushed towards Nozomu who had been blown away and tried to stab him. However, at that moment, a shining arrow pierced the right side of the demon beast. Nozomu also stabbed the wound that was about to close with his scabbard. The next moment, the pierced arrow exploded. It further pushed the half-closed wound open, and the shockwave blown Nozomu''s scabbard away, which was about to be buried within the demon beast''s flesh. "Gagyau !!" The demon beast groaned in pain and glared at Sh¨©na, dyeing the myriad of eyes all over its body red with hatred. Even though the wound was getting worse, the demon beast spread its huge mouth open. Magical power with black light converged in its huge mouth. Sh¨©na, who felt the chill down her spine, flew away from her spot. "Ga~uoon !!!" The moment Sh¨©na jumped away, a black ball of light was launched along with the roar of the demon beast. "Kyaaa !!" The launched black mass of magical power went straight and landed on a large tree at the end of the square. A roaring sound and a black flash are scattered around, and the blast that generated causes Nozomu and Sh¨©na to hide in a hurry. "Na!" After the blast had subsided, what came into the sight was a large tree that had been blown away, and a gouged damp ground that gave off a rotten odor. " !! " Perhaps because she remembered her hometown, Sh¨©na gritted her teeth. Nozomu calmly assessed the situation while keeping an eye on the demon beast in the meantime, but their situation was quite bad. (This is bad! If it can also attack at a long distance, there will be no way to escape at all !!) They didn''t know how often it could unleash that ranged attack, but at least they knew, it wasn''t safe to keep a distance. It was an enemy that overwhelmed them with its abilities. What''s more, as soon as the advantage of distance was lost, the flow suddenly leaned towards the black demon beast. The demon beast rushed towards Nozomu again. Nozomu was still numb, and Sh¨©na hastily nocked her bow with an arrow, but it didn''t seem like there would be time to charge the arrows with her magical power strong enough to hinder the demon beast''s attack. "Ga~uaaa !!" (Damn !! Do I have to use that !?) Nozomu touched the invisible chain that bound him, but he couldn''t tear it apart. Release of Ability Suppression. Nozomu''s survival instinct calls for the release of the ability suppression against the looming threat of death, but anxiety about Tiamat and his survival instincts clashed in his heart. The fear that he will get out of control and massacre many lives. Every time the demon beast took a step forward, the conflict inside his heart intensified. Only the feeling of impatience increased, and the inside of his head was about to turn white. ( !!! ) Nozomu continued to hesitate like Sh¨©na. He grabbed the chain that bound him tightly, but by the time he realized it, the demon beast was in the corner of his eye. (Damn! This isn''t the time to hesitate anymore !!) A huge mouth filled his field of vision and tried to cover his body, but against his will, Nozomu''s hands still didn''t let go of the chains binding him, and he simply closed his eyes and refused to move any further. (W, why !?) Nozomu was upset with his own hands which were not moving against his will. "¡­¡­Ah" "Nozomu-kun !?" A surprised voice escaped from Nozomu''s mouth. He realized that his death was inevitable and his hands would not move against the impending death. When the huge fangs approached to tear Nozomu''s body apart¡­¡­. "Ahhhhhhh !!!" A voice of a girl different from Sh¨©na broke into the square, and the next moment, a black shadow popped out of the forest. The shadow that jumped out of the forest plunged into the black beast with tremendous force and slammed its supple legs against the demon beast. This is the so-called dropkick. Perhaps she was using some kind of wind or spirit magic on her legs, the demon beast kicked off by the shadow was blown away with a tremendous force while shouting "Gyann!" and the demon beast disappeared into the bush. "... What?" A shocked voice escaped from Nozomu''s mouth. The shadow that kicked the demon beast turned around in the air and landed on the ground. With the characteristics of the ears and tail of the Wild Cat Tribe. And big eyes that seem to work well at night. It was Sh¨©na''s friend, Mimuru. "Sh¨©na~a~a~a~a" Then she turned her heels and jumped towards Sh¨©na, who was just as shocked as Nozomu. "What? Eh?" "This idiot Elf ~~~ !!" Mimuru jumped towards Sh¨©na, pushed Sh¨©na down to the ground, and pinched her white, soft cheeks. "N, no ~o, d ~on''t! ~stop it !!''! "Who''s going to stop! Stupid elf! You ran ahead by yourself, left without telling me... Tom and I are angry that you made us worry!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± "Are you okay? Nozomu-kun" "Tom ..." When Nozomu was confused by the sudden development, he was called from behind. He turned around and found Sh¨©na''s friend and Mimuru''s lover, Tom. "... Why are you here ..." "We can''t leave you two alone. And we also want to complain to Sh¨©na..." Tom held Nozomu''s hand and cast recovery magic on him, and magic power began to heal his body and removed the remaining numbness in a blink of an eye. "T, thank you" "Yeah, well, I''ve been taken care of by Nozomu, and thanks to you, Sh¨©na survived... but later I have to scold her properly..." While Tom said so, he looked at Mimuru and Sh¨©na who were still chattering. He had a scary face, but his eyes were relieved that Sh¨©na was safe. *** Tom''s POV When Nozomu rushed to the forest to find Sh¨©na who was gone, Mimuru and I were just stunned. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± "Mimuru ..." Mimuru only paid attention to the letter that Sh¨©na left behind. Her hands holding the letter trembled, and her face was not visible as she was facing her head down, but she desperately clenched her teeth to endure something. "... Mimuru" I called her again. I know her very well. Because she''s my beloved person. "... It''s my fault ..." "¡­¡­yes?" "Sh¨©na went out alone ... it''s my fault. Because I blamed her so much ... I knew she wasn''t looking right ... I know that, but I still blame her for Tom''s injuries and for pushing Nozomu-kun to clean up her mess..." A drop of transparent liquid fell on the letter Mimuru was holding. The drop that fell from the shadow of her hidden bangs fell on Sh¨©na''s letter, creating a small round of stain. Mimuru regretted for getting emotional and blaming Sh¨©na because of my wound. "... Mimuru. I regret it too." "¡­¡­Eh?" ¡°Because it wouldn''t have become like this if I didn''t rush to release my magic back then. If I had fought a little more decently, even if I was injured, I probably wouldn''t have been a burden to everyone so far." Until now, I''ve been busy with research and study, and I''m not quite fond of combat, so I didn''t try to improve it. That''s my regret. It might have been a little better if I worked hard, but studying, experimenting, and reading books was much more fun than that. However, as a result, when I encountered such a demon beast, I ended up paying the price. Since the magic I was pursuing was only about strength, I blew my own ally, Nozomu, and because of that, he couldn''t move due to the pain inflicted. Besides, I was injured as a result of my own actions. It was impossible to fight while protecting the injured in such a situation. In the end, we put an extra burden on Nozomu to let us escape, which cornered Sh¨©na even further. "I regret it. Very much so..." "Tom ..." Mimuru lifted her face and looked at me with teary eyes. The wind blows through the forest. For a moment, silence flows between us. "... If we think about it. We don''t know much about Sh¨©na before she enrolled in the school ..." "... That''s true. When I met her for the first time, she was always grimacing and holding her anger..." "That''s right. Even though she is so beautiful ... That''s why her anger was so intense. I was a bit scared ~~" "Yea ~~. I wonder if it''s okay to say that to her. I don''t know what Sh¨©na will say later ~~" Mimuru grinned and made fun of her friend with mischievous eyes. Little by little, she seems to be back in shape. "... It might be bad. Then, we should try to shorten her nagging even if it''s just a little..." After that, I stare at the depths of the forest where Nozomu ran. "... That''s right. Then I should ask Sh¨©na directly. It''s not good unless I ask her everything about what happened. Even if she hates me, I will never give up on her!¡± We said so and ran. The destination is that square where we encountered that demon beast yesterday. To be true friends with her, whom we consider as a companion. Chapter 4.21 "So, what are you going to do?" Nozomu stood up and called out to Tom while searching for the presence beyond the bush where the demon beast had disappeared. Perhaps Sh¨©na and Mimuru have finished joking with each other, they also came while being wary of the bushes. "Wait a minute ... Sh¨©na, I''d like to confirm. You tried to fight alone because you had some way to defeat it, right? " "Th, that was..." Sh¨©na hesitates to say with an unpleasant expression, perhaps it was because she cared about them that she ran forward alone. "Look, Sh¨©na! Don''t be like that!" "Kyaa!" Mimuru urged Sh¨©na by slapping her back, and Sh¨©na let out a cute voice. "Umm ... I''m thinking of using spirit magic ..." "I knew it..." "... Eh? I''m sure I''ve never seen Sh¨©na use spirit magic before... " Tom seemed to know that Sh¨©na''s hidden hand was spirit magic, but the next moment, Mimuru interrupted with her voice. "Yeah, I''ve never seen it too ... Sh¨©na? Can you try to use it?" "Umm ..." Sh¨©na got stuck in words. Perhaps she was worried about the failure of the previous contract, she looked down and was depressed. However, at that time, a grain of light was stroking her cheek to comfort her. "A~¡­¡­" As she raised her face, particles of light emitted by the spirits gathered around her. Each one drifts unreliably and is so small that it seems to disappear when blown, but the light that gradually gathers is somewhat gentle and warm. "... Looks like you''re alright" "Everyone¡­¡­" She has said only selfish things for nearly 10 years, but Sh¨©na''s eyes are still moistened by the kindness of the spirits who happily accepted her. "OK! Then..." "Tom, It''s coming! " "Eh?" "Giguaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!" Tom, who was relieved to see Sh¨©na and the spirits, tried to continue talking, but Nozomu''s voice made him turned his gaze toward the bush, the black demon beast returned from the bush with a dreadful roar. They could see the spirit''s light shake and glow faintly. It seemed that the spirits were still frightened, but these particles of light did not leave Sh¨©na¡¯s side this time. "Oops ~. Has it revived yet? I kicked it with all my might, so it''s too early to revive ..." "What are you talking about? It''s no wonder if it''s a demon beast of that level. Tom, should Mimuru and I earn you some time?" Mimuru cursed the revival of the demon beast earlier than expected, but Nozomu calmly retorted to her words. Thanks to Mimuru and Tom, Nozomu was able to rest and regain his composure. "Yup. That''s true..." "Okay, I''ll leave that to you ..." Tom agreed and confirmed. From the conversation between Tom and Sh¨©na, Nozomu learns that their trump card is spirit magic and decides to earn some time. Once the contract is signed with spirit magic, it will provide extraordinary abilities depending on the spiritual power of the spirit and the contractor. The problem is compatibility, but as far as Sh¨©na''s previous appearance, even though she hasn''t signed an official contract, they can see that many spirits gather voluntarily, so compatibility won''t be a problem. Besides, Tom seemed to have other ideas. This method is much more reliable than Nozomu in releasing his Ability Suppression and relying on Tiamat''s still unstable and dangerous power. "Sh¨©na, come over here" "E, eh?" Tom pulls Sh¨©na''s hand and goes back. Nozomu and Mimuru came forward to replace her. "Mimuru. Your attack didn''t work, so provoke it to distract it. Don''t try to force yourself." "It''s okay! I have my own way this time!" Based on yesterday''s battle, Nozomu instructed Mimuru to use her agility and motor nerves to distract the opponent because Mimuru''s attack did not go through the demon beast at all, but she smiled and said, "No problem!", and took out a linen bag from her pocket. "That is¡­¡­" "Ei!" As Nozomu stared at the bag she had taken out, she thrust her hand into the bag and smeared the red powder she had taken out on the blade of her knife. The knife depicts a magic circle that didn''t exist yesterday. Applying the red powder to the blade of her knife, she continuously sent her magical power into the blade. Then, when the magic formation carved on the blade glowed, the blade was dyed red and started to make a *woosh* sound. "¡­¡­I see" Nozomu let out a voice as he was convinced of it. The truth is, she smeared her knife''s blade with a fire-based catalyst that Tom used yesterday when he used magic against the black beast and then blew Nozomu up. Nozomu remembered that it was a pretty strong catalyst, and in fact, it could be seen that the catalyst reacted to the magic power she sent in and the blade had a considerable amount of heat. "Well, I can''t work alone, but this will burn that demon beast''s skin too! And here¡¯s one more thing!" After Mimuru said that, her body began to change. Brown fur began to grow on her slender limbs and her fingernails grew. Her face became sharper, turning into a sharp look like when a cat was aiming at its prey. "I see, it''s beastification ..." *Beastification* Another common ability for beastmen like Wildcats. It awakens the blood of the beasts that sleep within them and transforms their bodies. The changes in abilities due to physical transformation varied among beastmen and differed from race to race, but Wildcats were strengthened in agility and instantaneous enhancement. Since it was difficult to fight the demon beast by force, it was necessary to find countermeasures by other means. Although beastification could reduce reasoning and thinking abilities depending on race, her choice was correct because there was no such drawback in Wildcat beastification. "Garuaaa !!" The demon beast rushed towards Nozomu and Mimuru. They also thrust in from the front and attacked the demon beast. In the center of the square, two people and one demon beast crossed. "Take this!" Mimuru, who had an excellent instantaneous enhancement, engaged with the demon beasts before Nozomu. When she dodged the two approaching tails with her physical ability strengthened by beastification and Qi techniques, she thrust the blade that glowed red and swung it out at once. The blade with intense heat burned the black sludge-like skin. "Gugyaau !!" Perhaps the demon beast thought that Mimuru''s attack wouldn''t work, the demon beast was hit by an unexpected pain and bellowed, and its movement slowed down for a moment. In that gap, Nozomu rushed in from the other side. The extremely compressed Qi is sent to the sheathed katana, and the katana is pulled out with a shrieking sound. The released Qi technique *Phantom* cuts deeply through the skin of the demon beast. In addition, Nozomu overturns his katana to perform the Qi technique *One Billion Severance* in the same orbit as the previous Phantom. "Gugi~yaaaa !!!" The roar of the demon beast''s agony, whose skin was torn and its insides were torn apart. The black beast intensified the flames of hatred with countless bloodshot eyes and attacked the two who hurt it. "Kuh!" "Oops !!" Against the jaw of the attacking demon beast, Nozomu crouched down to dodge it and dodged the claws that were about to hit him by breaking free with his Instant Move. Mimuru was attacked by two tails, but she avoided the first by jumping into the air. Another chasing tail turned around in the air, and she dodged it with the agility of a cat. The demon beast was frustrated with anger due to the fact that it was injured and its attack didn''t hit, it was completely focused on Nozomu and Mimuru, and Sh¨©na and Tom were completely left behind. Nozomu and Mimuru smiled at the situation and stepped towards the demon beasts to gain more time. *** "Sh¨©na stands here and calls on the spirits." "H, hey ..." When the Nozomu and Mimuru started fighting with the demon beast in the center of the square. Sh¨©na and Tom were moving to the edge of the square. "Anyway, focus on talking to the spirits, because I''ll support you." "T, that''s why ..." Tom then started drawing something on the ground. Sh¨©na kept raising her voice to him, which was explaining something by talking continuously. It seemed that she still had something to worry about. "It''s okay! I won''t let one finger touch Sh¨©na !" "No! That''s not it!" Tom thought that she was worried about the demon beast and told Sh¨©na to be relieved, but what she was really worried about seemed to be different from what Tom said, so she raised her voice. "Why!? Why did you come!? I hurt everyone so much!? Everyone would be safe if I didn''t do something unreasonable! I always pretended to be tough and told everyone one thing or another! Why are you trying to help me who can''t do anything in case of an emergency!??" "Sh¨©na ..." Sh¨©na revealed her own heart on and on. The cry of a girl tied to the past reverberated. "A! Arghh !! You fool !?" "¡­¡­Eh?" Mimuru''s voice cuts through such a chain. "You''re mumbling something trivial as usual ... I don''t even know what you''re talking about!" Mimuru also revealed her thoughts, just like Sh¨©na, who revealed her true intentions. She didn''t stop talking about her thoughts, even though the sword-like tail of the demon beast and its claws attacked her relentlessly, and even the slightest bit of carelessness could kill her instantly. "I don''t like it! You''re feeling depressed!! I can''t take it anymore!! It can''t be helped!! It''s because I''m worried about you! I can''t think of any other reason! To care about the person I love!!" " "Mimuru ..." Mimuru loves Sh¨©na, so she doesn''t need any reason, and it''s ridiculous to think about the reasons for worrying about such a person one''s loves. She was always straightforward in expressing her feeling. Mimuru''s words caused more tears to accumulate in Sh¨©na''s eyes. "I''m also. I''m feeling sad, I can''t understand you." Tom also expressed his thoughts as he overlapped with Mimuru''s words. "And also ... I want to know. Both Mimuru and I want to know about Sh¨©na." "About me?" Sh¨©na repeated Tom''s words in a daze, and Tom nodded to affirm her words as well. "Yeah. I want to know more because you are a friend and a companion." "Mimuru, Tom ..." "That''s why! When we get home, I''ll ask you to talk about various things! Because that''s Sh¨©na''s punishment! I will never let you go !! " Mimuru seemed to be busy dodging the oncoming demon beast attacks, but there was a smile on her face. It was a smile unfit for a battlefield like this, but it warmly pierced through Sh¨©na''s chest. Gently warms her heart and melts the ice covering her heart. Just as the spring sun melts the snow that has accumulated during winter. The melting ice gave her a new reason to fight. She wanted to answer the feelings of her friends now. "... Tom. Please." "Yeah. Leave it to me." Her face, which was raised again, looked straight ahead and left a trail of tears. *** Sh¨©na''s POV I released my magical power and use contract magic once again. My unleashed magical power spreads throughout the square again and begins to convey my feelings to the spirits. (Everyone¡­¡­) The spirits gathered around me. I will talk to every particle of light that floats around me. The gathered spirits make me happy when I see them, but I am still afraid of the demon beast, and I am still afraid to fight. (... I know it''s scary. Because I feel the same.) I already knew. That the spirits and myself were frightened. I don''t blame the spirits, I speak gently instead. I thought my expression didn''t look as tense as usual, and I laughed more gently than usual. It was very fun. Talking to Mimuru and the time the three of us spending together. However, I couldn''t say that it from my own mouth. If I thought it was fun, I felt that my helplessness and regret in the past would fade away. My determination. I almost forgot to get my hometown back and defeat all my enemies. (But I don''t want to leave it like this. I don''t want to experience it again. I want to protect my friends, everyone who loved me and protected me ...) I don''t want to experience it again. I don''t want to feel the regret tearing through my body again. And more importantly, I want to answer the people who love me. I want to protect the people who have protected me this time. There are important people around me. They fought for me. Mimuru, Tom, and the spirits of this forest. There is also one more person who helped me. Nozomu Bountis. A person I hated. What is my impression of him now? At least he is certainly too kind compared to others. I don''t think anyone can put himself up there and be able to let the person who cursed him escape. At least I don''t seem to be able to do it. They are very hard-working people. At least in front of people like them, I can''t show my disgraceful appearance. For that reason too... (So ??please ... everyone, lend me your strength. And it''s okay if it''s just for a moment. You don''t have to suddenly become stronger. Let''s all get a little stronger here and now.) Leaving my past behind, the me who tried to become stronger alone, and become a little stronger than I am now with everyone The next moment, the spirits rose around me like a tornado. *** "OK! Success!" Looking at the rising light, Tom was convinced that the move he had made was successful. At Sh¨©na''s feet, who was interacting with the spirits and basking in the light, there was a magic formation drawn by Tom. In his hands was the map of the area Nozomu had given them yesterday. The move he took was to draw a magic formation around Sh¨©na to support Sh¨©na''s contract magic. For spirit magic, it is necessary to first make a contract with the spirit with contract magic, and its power depends on the spirits on that place. Therefore, he copied the formation around her based on the map of this area given by Nozomu and used it to support Sh¨©na''s contract magic. The formation represented forests and rocks with tree branches and stones, and rivers with water in a water bottle, which was literally a kind of "altar" used for ceremonial magic. The altar gathered spirits that could not be done with Sh¨©na''s magical power alone, and the torrent of lights was no longer surrounded her but rose and swam around in the perimeter instead. Tom is not good at fighting. So he did everything he could. He handed Mimuru the catalyst he had in powder form and drew an additional magic circle on her knife. He mobilized all of his knowledge and maps made by Nozomu to help Sh¨©na''s contract magic. "This is all I can do ... everyone, please do the rest." *** "Kuh!" Mimuru and Nozomu continued to dodge the attacking demon beast that was attacking in succession. The attacks of the demon beast continued to become fiercer, perhaps because the demon beast was enraged, and the two of them became defensive. Maybe because Mimuru was worried about Sh¨©na''s appearance, her focus was disturbed. However, the demon beast jumped in the gap and tried to eat Mimuru. "D, dangerous!" In the next moment, Mimuru felt a cold sweat due to the demon beast approaching in front of her, but following after Mimuru, Nozomu thrust from the side of the demon beast. "Waa!" Nozomu used the Qi technique *Phantom -Clad-* to give his katana a highly compressed Qi and mow the demon beast down, but the demon beast jumped back and dodged Nozomu''s slash. "You saved me... Thank you! Nozomu-kun!!" "Careful! If I was a little late, you would have been in the afterlife !!" "Sorry, sorry. It''s okay because I''m alright now! And I''m very full of energy today!! Now I feel like I can even beat Jihad-sensei!" "I think that''s an overstatement ..." Mimuru returned a clear expression to the complaining Nozomu. If he thought about yesterday, Mimuru might be trapped due to her mental strain. However, right now she could clearly assess the situation, instead, she was surprisingly calm. For Nozomu, who knew how hard it would be to stay calm on a battlefield where he would die if he made a mistake, he was surprised that he found Mimuru so reliable. (Sure, her movements are completely different compared to yesterday. Is this the true her ...) Looking sideways at Sh¨©na and Tom, Tom does something on the ground, while Sh¨©na releases her magical power and makes a contract with the spirits. Beside her, the spirits that were worried about her gathered and cheered on her while floating in the air. The next moment, a tremendous torrent of light rose. Sh¨©na had successfully signed a contract with the spirits. The particles of light rolled up like a tornado. The spirits moved around in a rage, but there was no sense of intimidation or oppression like the black demon beast. Sh¨©na played with the spirit like an innocent child. As the light fluttered, Sh¨©na, who gently embraced the light with her hands and combined with her beautiful appearance, was a fantastic sight to behold. (Help and support each other ...) Nozomu lost the person he wanted to support because he was betrayed by his best friend whom he thought he could leave his back to. He, who was unable to step forward due to his own anxiety and fear, the appearance of Sh¨©na and her friends, who were facing each other, stepped forward, bumped into each other, and gradually became stronger, seeming to shine brighter than anything else. *** Entrusting herself to the voices of the spirits, Sh¨©na confronts the black demon beast in front of her. Perhaps because of what happened 10 years ago, she naturally puts a lot of strength into her hands and clenches her bow tightly, but when the particles of light stroked her cheeks as if they were saying "It''s alright", she loosened her cheeks. "Thank you. Please." Sh¨©na thanked the spirits that encouraged her, then she turned her gaze back to the demon beast. The dark feelings that have been accumulated inside her heart for 10 years, the feelings that stagnated were now incredibly clear and bright. "Gaaaaaaa !!!" The demon beast noticed Sh¨©na and rushed towards her. She asked the surrounding spirits, and the spirits gathered between her and the demon beasts, forming a barrier of light. At first glance, it was a thin wall that seemed to be easily penetrated by the demon beast''s gigantic body, but the demon beast that rushed in was easily held down by the barrier of light, and on the contrary, it blew the demon beast away. "Gau! Grrrrrrrrrrrr ..." The demon beast that was blown away immediately regained its posture and glared at the barrier of light. Sh¨©na''s supple fingers moved through the air, and she pointed to the glaring demon beast. Then the barrier of light instantly turned into a myriad of spears and rushed towards the demon beast. "Guooon !!" In response to the rushing spears of light, the demon beast opened its huge mouth and launched a black sphere along with a roar. The black sphere and the spears of light collided. Thunderous sounds, dust clouds, and magical light particles scattered all around. As the wall of light protecting Sh¨©na disappeared, the demon beast rushed toward her again. However, it was blocked by something that suddenly jumped out of the ground. "Gagyaaau !!" What popped out were countless roots of the trees. The tree roots that were popping out caught the demon beast''s attack from the front and tightened its body with tremendous force. The voice of agony escaped from the demon beast''s huge mouth. The black demon beast bit the tree root that was wrapped around its body and tore it apart with its jaws. The tree roots that bound its body were also torn apart by the struggle of the demon beasts trying to break free from the restraints. Despite the support of the spirits in the area, the demon beast would gradually be free from its restraints. However, Sh¨©na was not impatient. As she moved her finger in the air again, tree roots emerged from the ground again, wrapping around the gigantic jaws of the demon beast that was trying to release its restraints. "Gabyiaaaa !!!" The tree roots wrapped around the jaws of the demon beast that opened, and tightened it so that it couldn''t force its huge jaws open by moving its face any further. The demon beast desperately resisted, but the tree roots that penetrated the gap between its fangs almost completely restrained its jaws. Sh¨©na held her bow and nocked an arrow. She pulled the strings to the limit and set the demon beast''s mouth as her aim, and then she cast a spell. The arrow was filled with magical power and the arrow began to shine. This was the *Punishment of the Star Sea* that was released to the demon beast yesterday. However, the *Punishment of the Star Se this time was definitely different from the previous one. As Sh¨©na charged the arrow with her magical power, the spirits also gathered on the arrow. Not just arrow. The spirits also gathered in her bow and emitted auroral light as if another sun had appeared. "Gi, ga~a~a~aaaaa !!" Perhaps it was afraid of the auroral light, the demon beast restrained by the roots of the trees became more violent, but it was just in vain. The black demon beast was scared for the first time. In an attempt to resist its own looming fear of death, the demon beast temporarily unleashed its power beyond limits. The already bloated body began to grow even larger, and along with that, the roots of the trees that were restraining it were torn apart one after another. Furthermore, the demon beast swung its tail around, and the fragile tree roots were torn apart one after another. Sh¨©na''s magic wasn''t finished yet. There were still a lot of spirits to gather, and it would take time for the magic to have sufficient power. Also, there was no point in making a half-hearted attack. As long as she didn''t know the weakness of the demon beast, she needed enough strength to completely wipe out the demon beast. And considering the tenacity of the demon beast, half-hearted attacks were meaningless. While Sh¨©na was trying to complete her magic, the demon beast was also still trying to release its restraints. At that point, the demon beast almost broke free. All that remained were tree roots intertwined in the demon beast''s jaw, and the demon beast''s tail was lifted as high as it could to release the final restraint. If its tail was swung down, the demon beast would be completely free, and at that moment, it would immediately attack Sh¨©na. Spirits were still gathering on Sh¨©na''s arrows, and there wasn''t enough time to complete it. Finally, the demon beast''s tail swung downwards, and as it tried to break its last restraint. " !! " "I won''t let you!" Nozomu and Mimuru rushed in from both sides of the demon beast. When the two crossed each other on the back of the demon beast, they slashed at their prey. Nozomu''s Qi Technique *Phantom* cut off one of the demon beast''s tails from the base of the tail, and Mimuru''s knife also cut off the other tail. "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!" Both of its tails were severed, and the screams of a demon beast resounded while splattering blood from its wounds. The demon beast''s consciousness turned white for a moment from the pain, but the next moment, the demon beast opened its countless eyes to the sight that jumped into its eyes. Sh¨©na put all her magical power into the arrow and glanced at the place where the spirits were gathering. The violent and gentle light loosened her cheeks, but the next moment her expression returned to her usual dignified expression. The demon beast that robbed her of her hometown. Even though it was a different individual from the demon beasts that actually attacked her family. She thought she would be burned by the completely violent hatred, in fact, she was just a while ago. However, a gentle breeze calmed her heart now. She once again turned her gaze to her dear friends. Mimuru, Tom, Nozomu, and the spirits. She thanks her friends for supporting her, and even though she thinks she doesn''t deserve it, her heart is warm and happy. The arrow, which was literally like the second sun, flew in a straight line towards the black demon beast. When the arrow entered its wide-open mouth, it exploded with a flash of light, erasing half of the demon beast''s body. The demon beast''s body that was reduced to half made a collapsing sound. "... Haa ~~~~" Sh¨©na exhaled, released her stance, and raised her face, and in her eyes were her friends running towards her and the spirits happily gathering and moving around her. She also ran towards her friends. "Everyone ~~ !! Thank you ~~~ !!" She has a big smile on her face. Chapter 4.22 "... Fuuh. Finally, it''s over ..." "Well, it can''t be helped, Mimuru. We need to do this and that" Nozomu and the others who defeated the black demon beast immediately returned to Arcazam in the afternoon and reported to the school about the black demon beast. As a result, the school side, which emphasized this matter, immediately gave a detailed explanation on this matter in the office of Jihad Roundel. After finishing the report, Mimuru who came out of the office sighed as if she was tired, and Tom smiled at the situation. A bandage is wrapped around his right arm, and his arm is tied with a sling. After finishing the report about the demon beast, Jihad gave his word of gratitude to Nozomu and the others, and Jihad urged the school to research and keep it a secret until it was ready to be published. "Well, based on Sh¨©na''s story, that demon beast seems to be related to the demon beast that destroyed the Foskia Forest, so that''s why she is so cautious." After their battle, in the forest on the way back to the city, Sh¨©na confesses her past to her friends. Her hometown, Foskia Forest, was destroyed by the demon beasts invasion, and her family was sacrificed to let her escape from the demon beasts. While her loved ones were killed, she couldn''t do anything and could only escape. She couldn''t forgive herself and decided to become stronger and came to Solminati Academy. She was so caught up in it that she became distant from the spirits. When the demon beast appeared in front of her, blood rose on her head and she forgot about herself. Naturally, she was also talking about the black demon beast. Even though it wasn''t the same demon beast that invaded her hometown, it didn''t seem irrelevant as it wore something similar like atmosphere, black miasma, and myriad red eyes on the surface of its body. Nozomu remembered what he was doing when he was reporting about that demon beast. When Nozomu and the others entered the office for a report, the owner of the room, Jihad, was sitting at the desk where he was working, and next to him was Nozomu''s homeroom teacher, Anri-sensei, and Sh¨©na''s homeroom teacher, Inda-sensei who was waiting for their report. Inda-sensei is a very serious woman, has very good etiquette and work attitude, and is very talented, but she is also known as an inflexible teacher. She is so obstinate, due to Nozomu''s rumors, which is having an affair with Lisa. She is one of those who doesn''t think much about Nozomu, who is said to be the lowest student, and she thinks Nozomu is not suitable as a student in this school. Due to her competence, she sometimes takes charge of first-class lessons instead of Jihad, and she also told Irisdina not to approach Nozomu. When she noticed Nozomu beside Sh¨©na, she wrinkled her eyebrows from the beginning until the end. "Black demon beast?" "Yes. We encountered the demon beast in the suburban part of the forest, which has many similarities with the demon beast that destroyed my hometown, Nebra." Sh¨©na talked about the characteristics and dangers of the black demon beast, and the demon beasts she saw 10 years ago that destroyed her hometown, including her family. "I see¡­¡­" "Hmmm ..." *sniffling* Jihad folded his hands on the desk and looked down with a sad expression, and when the story reached Anri, she cried. "I understand what happened. It is safe now. I''ll let the guild and the guards know about this demon beast, but you guys don''t talk about this unnecessarily." "... Is that because the beast is very similar to the one that destroyed my hometown?" "That''s right. The wounds from that great invasion are still deep-rooted. If you talk unnecessarily and incite anxiety, it will cause confusion." Certainly, the scars caused by that disaster have not been healed. The proof is this Solminati Academy, which is one of the reasons why each country is eager to find human resources. That is not all. The fear of the demon beast''s invasion has penetrated the general public. "As far as I''ve heard, the demon beast you''ve encountered seems to be a little inferior to the demon beast that destroyed Nebra. In addition, considering that there are not multiple sightings so far, this demon beast is probably alone. It is necessary to investigate and collect information for a while. We will investigate from various directions, including the magic stones you brought back and the corpses of the demon beasts left in the forest." After Nozomu and the others defeated the demon beast and its body collapsed. Meat chunks mixed with bones twisted into a mess, and what was called a huge magic stone remained. Some of the flesh and bones had the characteristics of a four-legged beast like a Wild Dog, but most of them were messy and elusive, and it seemed as if it was made by multiple different types of demon beasts. As the name suggests, magic stones are a general term for stones whose magical powers reside or gather and crystallize in ore form, and the magical power within them can be used for various purposes such as alchemy and ceremonial magic. Among the demon beasts that have magical powers, there are demon beasts that can produce these magic stones within their bodies, and as for the magic stones that normally exist and circulate are gathered from nature, but some of them are produced by demon beasts. And, many of the magic stones produced by demon beasts were of higher purity and better quality than those produced in nature. However, demon beasts with high purity magic stones were often strong, and not every powerful demon beast produced magic stones. It''s not that magic stones can''t be made artificially, but it takes time and effort to make them. This was because the only way to crystallize magical power that had no clear form was to condense it with tremendous pressure or slowly pour magical power into the catalyst over time and wait for crystallization. A magic stone that came out of the black demon beast this time was something that was rarely available in the market in terms of purity and the amount of magic power it possessed. As consideration for handing over the magic stone to the school, it was decided they will receive money for additional income. In other words, it can be said that ¡°the school bought it at a high price¡±. "I have one question to ask. Does Jihad-sensei know about that demon beast?" Sh¨©na asked a question to Jihad-sensei and went one step further into the story. A question that, if we think about it normally, cannot be answered. But even Sh¨©na couldn''t withdraw on this matter. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± Sh¨©na and Jihad clash with each other. With his stern expression, Jihad sent his glares, but Sh¨©na receives that glare without taking a step back. "... I don''t know everything. There are too many uncertainties about that demon beast. All I know is that there are multiple sightings during the invasion. There is information on sightings of that demon beast in the countries destroyed by the great invasion." Perhaps he realized that Sh¨©na had a strong will, Jihad was opening his mouth while feeling heavy. "However, the shape and nature of that demon beasts at that time are all different and do not have a fixed shape. Sometimes they appear in the form of beasts, sometimes birds, sometimes plants. However, they are black. And the miasmatic body surface and the myriad of red eyes are their similarities. " As far as the story goes, it seems that Jihad doesn''t know the details of the demon beast. "Once again, don''t tell the other students about this." Jihad reminded them. His judgment is reasonable because the content is related to the great invasion, they have to be careful. No matter how much they tried to hide it, as long as humans handled the information, the information about the demon beast may eventually leak out, but at least they want to earn the time required for the investigation. As he talked to the guild and the guards, Jihad planned to be able to deal with the demon beasts in case of an emergency. Even Nozomu and the others were truly sorry for the panic caused by them. They are just students after all. As long as they are still socially inexperienced, they had no choice but to nod if they were told by Jihad, who belongs to the Knights of the Silver Rainbow. After that, the four of them left Jihad''s office, escorted by two homeroom teachers, Anri and Inda. Nozomu remembers when they reported about the demon beast, but something slightly surprising happened in front of him. "Ah, wha..." "U, umm ..." "You had a lot of pain ... I know it was hard ~~. Uu, what a good girl !!" "Kya!" When Sh¨©na left the room, Anri-sensei, who was weeping after hearing Sh¨©na''s past, hugged her. Looks like, she was touched by Sh¨©na''s past story. Sh¨©na was flustered and screamed in a cute voice. For her, who had lost her family and pursued only revenge and regaining her hometown, this skinship had not been felt for a long time. It seemed that her head wasn''t working well because of the sudden event. "Anri-sensei, stop it." "Hi ~yau!!" Inda, who was next to her, tears Anri off from hugging Sh¨©na. "You are a teacher of this Solminati Academy. If you are a teacher, please have dignity and behave like one." Inda understands Anri''s character well. She scolds Anri, the same teacher, with a resolute attitude. "You guys had a hard time. It seems that you had a lot of trouble, but more importantly, you''re safe and sound." "No, it was because he helped me." Sh¨©na looked at Nozomu. Mimuru and Tom also smiled and turned their eyes to Nozomu. On the other hand, Nozomu was surprised to hear it suddenly. "Him? ..." Inda-sensei frowns and stares at Nozomu. She clearly felt suspicious. "Yes. He saved me when I met that demon beast and was enraged and endangered my friends." "... I can''t believe it even if I heard it myself." Inda-sensei gives her frank opinion on Sh¨©na''s words. She wouldn''t believe that Nozomu, the very representation of the students who can''t keep up in school, helped the honor student, Sh¨©na. "It''s true" "That''s right ~~. Nozomu is a very good boy ~~" "A, Anri-sensei ..." To Inda-sensei, who turned her suspicions towards Nozomu, Sh¨©na clearly emphasized and Anri also covers Nozomu up. However, due to Anri-sensei''s atmosphere, the slightly tense air in the place loosened up, and the atmosphere that didn''t fit the serious conversation caused everyone in the place to drop their shoulders. "... But given his grades in this school, I don''t think he was able to do that. I knew it would trouble Sh¨©na and the others, but as far as I can tell, It would be difficult for even a veteran adventurer to escape from that demon beast alone. Even if it could be done, he would have been very lucky. Probably he couldn''t do it for the second time. " Inda-sensei started talking to correct her words. She believed in Sh¨©na, but not in Nozomu''s ability. "This time, to be clear, you were lucky enough to be saved. Not everyone here would have been able to come back to this town. Don''t waste this luck and aim for the future. " Inda decides that Nozomu''s survival is luck, and she certainly didn''t see Nozomu''s power with her own eyes. After Nozomu escaped, a quarrel between Sh¨©na and Mimuru broke out in the hut, and then Sh¨©na ran ahead, so the details about how Nozomu escaped from the demon beast had become unknown. At the time of the fight with the demon beast, Nozomu and Mimuru earned time for Sh¨©na to sign a magic contract. Anri, who knows Nozomu well, nodded, but Inda-sensei looked suspicious. Jihad was staring at Nozomu, but Nozomu could not read the thought behind Jihad''s eyes. The prejudice against Nozomu is still deep. As long as he wasn''t wielding his sword in public, it seemed difficult to overturn his reputation for his ability right now. "And talking about student interaction may be out of my scope as a teacher, but I don''t recommend being with that Nozomu Bountis. You guys should already know why, right?" Anri and Sh¨©na tried to say something to Inda who one-sidedly slandered Nozomu, but before they said something, Inda turned her heels and left. "Huft! Nozomu is not such a bad boy ~ !!" "Ha ha ha ..." With her hands on her hips and her cheeks inflated, Anri was angry and a bitter smile escaped from Nozomu''s mouth. "Ha~a ... I''m sorry Nozomu-kun. Inda-sensei isn''t a bad person either ..." "It''s okay. I know what others think about me in this school." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Sh¨©na''s expression became clouded by Nozomu''s words. Tom and Mimuru also looked apologetic. Sh¨©na looked down, but she raised her face as she made up her mind, and she faced Nozom again. "Once again, thank you for your help at that time. And I''m sorry until now. I said something terrible to you ..." "I also want to say thank you. Thanks to Nozomu, I¡¯m still alive. Thank you very much." "That''s right. Thank you! Nozomu-kun. I also got a lot of help from you." Sh¨©na, Mimuru, and Tom once again thanked Nozomu. Nozomu became embarrassed by their pure gratitude, but at the same time, he felt guilty. "No, I am ..." Nozomu gets stuck in his words and averting his eyes off. When he encountered that demon beast, he couldn''t release his Ability Suppression because of his anxiety about Tiamat and his fear of it. That makes Nozomu''s heart tightens once more. Nozomu looked at Sh¨©na again. Until now, she had been walking on thin ice. How hard and fragile her life was, but now she felt the tenderness she had never felt before. It was her change that made her move one step further with her friends and the result of showing her true intentions and reasons with her friends. It was so dazzling that makes Nozomu happy for her, and at the same time, he was envious of her for being able to move forward. "Nozomu-kun ... ummm ..." "Nozomu! Are you okay !?" "Ah¡­¡­" Nozomu was acting strange and when Sh¨©na was about to talk to him, a black-haired girl and her friends came from the back of the corridor. It was Irisdina, Tima, and Mars. Irisdina shouted in a loud voice that wasn''t like the usual her. Perhaps she was hearing from Mars about the Nozomu''s condition yesterday. "It looks like you were going to Jihad-sensei''s office, what happened? And they are ..." "Y, yeah. There are a lot of things happening in the forest ..." When Irisdina came near Nozomu, she asked. Jihad forbids them to talk about the details, so when they were wondering what Nozomu was talking about, Anri sent out a rescue ship. "Ah, it''s already past noon ~~. Today is sensei''s treat, so let''s eat together ~" It seemed that there were various things they wanted to hear and talk about, but they were encouraged by Anri-sensei''s voice and started walking towards the main gate. Nozomu also moved his feet forward, but his footsteps were still heavy. He stole glances at Sh¨©na who was walking beside them over his shoulder. Nozomu has fallen into darkness. But as they walked, He was able to laugh again. That fact warms Nozomu''s heart, albeit slightly. This time, he turned his gaze to Irisdina, Mars, and Anri who were walking beside him. When Nozomu turned his gaze to Irisdina and the others, Irisdina and Anri turned their gaze like Nozomu did, and they asked. "? What''s wrong?" "Is something wrong¡«?" "No ... nothing." He couldn''t say anything to the worried girls. He was almost overwhelmed by the growing anxiety and fear, but now that they''re worried about him, he found that he is not alone, which wipes away that anxiety and fear, albeit slightly. Chapter 5.1 "Haa haa haa ..." In the forest, someone wielding a katana. In front of him, there were demon beasts with countless red eyes and countless black humanoids with smoke raised like a miasma. Those black humanoids wield swords, spears, axes, halberd, and other weapons in their hands and attacking him. *** Nozomu''s POV Avoid the blade swung down from the front and pass through the side of the opponents, and cut through their side. From the right side, another black humanoid with swings its greatsword sideways and tries to get rid of me along with the black humanoids that have just been cut. "Kuh !!" I see through the trajectory of the greatsword, crouched down and lowered myself to avoid the greatsword, and put my strength on my bent knees. The moment the greatsword passed over my head. I released the power stored in my knees, swing my katana up while jumping, and slash the black humanoid in front of me. A black humanoid with a spear rushed in from the opposite direction, but I thrust the blade of my katana into the opponent and cut it off. "Damn¡­¡­" Even if they was slashed off, mowed down, and knocked down, the black humanoids reappeared one after another. Before I knew it, my surroundings were covered with black humanoids, and there was no way to escape. The black humanoids surrounded me and I backed away to put some distance between me and them. The difference in number was inevitable. Before I knew it, I was trying to release the invisible chain that bound me. The next moment, the surrounding black humanoids jumped at me all at once. With my left hand, I hit the ground with all my might against the black humanoids that were approaching from all directions. Qi technique *Light of Extinction* A pillar of light erupted to cover my surroundings and burned away the black humanoids that jumped in, but as I though, it can only stop them temporarily. "Gaaa!" The black humanoids who couldn''t be defeated launched a counterattack at me which was full of gaps and pierced my body with the weapons they had in their hands. My consciousness turned white due to the severe pain, and blood oozed out of the wound. As the blood bleeds all at once, it gets cold rapidly and my field of vision becomes pitch black. "A, aa¡­¡­" Chills felt all over my body. A presence of death that slips into my body. (No, I refuse¡­¡­) Even though my body was already cold, the feeling of not wanting to die swelled in reverse proportion and suddenly started burning my heart. The flames blazing with attachment to life shook the limits of my body, moved my hands, and tore apart the chains that bound me. In the next moment, my whole body was full of power, and an overflowing stream of power blew away the black humanoids. My strong will for not wanting to die. Blood was still flowing from all over my body, but I didn''t care about that. I cut the black humanoid who was about to attack and hit it with a bisection slash using Qi technique *Phantom*. And I hit the scabbard into the flank of the black humanoid who was charging from the other side. The black humanoid''s ribs were crushed by the scabbard and its body was bent into a dogleg shape, and several black humanoids were involved in it and were blown away. Furthermore, I sent Qi to my feet and activated *Instant Move -Curve Dance-*. Before being surrounded again, I slipped past the black humanoids in a high-speed curve movement and activated Qi technique *Phantom -Clad-* onto my katana and cut the black humanoids. I broke through the encirclement and swung my katana while running around inside a group of black humanoids. The black humanoids couldn''t follow my movements and were one-sidedly slashed. Finally, all the black humanoids had been cut down, and I took a deep breath and let the chains wrap around me again. However, by the time the chain finished wrapping me. The scene in front of me changed completely. "Eh?" I was supposed to be in the forest, but before I knew it, I was in the ruins. A familiar building that collapsed and caught fire dyed its surroundings red. It was the same red dream I had before. "U, Ue ..." A tremendous feeling of nausea came from the depths of my chest. The countless black humanoids that had just been cut and fallen had turned red before I knew it. No, they are not black humanoids. The familiar white-based uniform. They wear the same uniform as me, they were also Solminati Academy students. They were slashed with sharp blades without exception. What was happening in front of me was my own work and it hits me hard. "Gu, ge e ~e~eee~e!" I can''t bear it anymore and spit out what is in my stomach. I crouched while holding my head like a child. I didn''t want to admit it, the person who caused this tragedy was me, not "that guy". "A, aa" However, no matter how much I close my eyes tightly to deny it, the smell of blood that fills the surroundings, the sound of sparks erupting, and the rumbling sound of buildings collapsing continue to point out the tragedy that I have caused. When I crouched down, I could see the face of someone in front of me. "U~ !!" In the darkness with almost no light, that face came to my sight. I''m familiar with that face. However, instead of a face with a sun-like smile, only a pure white expression of death appeared before me. Obviously, her body, from her neck down, is gone. Because I already cut it off. "Uaaaaaaaa !!" While my scream reverberated across the bloody and crumbling Arcazam, my outstretched shadow suddenly changed, forming six wings. My shadow kept changing, forming a shape, a light lit up in my eyeballs and began to pulsate, but I didn''t notice it and kept screaming. "Uaaaaaaaa !!" I jumped out of the futon and immediately rushed into the bathroom. "Ugu, eu, geeee " I desperately thrust my face into the washbasin and tried to vomit what was in my stomach, but there was nothing in my stomach, so only gastric juices came out. However, the feeling of nausea did not disappear, and I drank the water in the jug and immediately spit it out. After repeating it several times, the feeling of nausea finally subsided, but this time an overwhelming sense of malaise enveloped my body, and I just sat on the floor and leaned my back against the wall. It had been two weeks since encountering that black demon beast. But my condition is getting worse. Somehow I managed to get up and get ready to go to school. The morning sun was warm and enveloped Arcazam. "Fuu ..." Before leaving the dorm, I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. To be honest, my current complexion is not great. After the incident with the black demon beast, Iris and the others became somewhat worried about me. I met Lisa and Ken just before going into the forest and at that moment my wicked impulse rose within me. I didn''t want my wicked impulse to explode, so I ran to escape from that place. Mars, who was with me at the time, told Iris and the others. So, after me, Sh¨©na, and her friends defeated the black demon beast, and after finishing the report to the school, I was questioned by Iris and the others. However, in the end, I could only give them an ambiguous reply. "¡­¡­Is that so" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I remember. Irisdina and the others looked somewhat lonely. Mars silently glared at me without trying to hide that he was dissatisfied with me for not saying anything. On that day, we were feeling awkward the whole time. Furthermore, even during training in the forest, nightmares and wicked impulses flashed through my head and it bound my heart, and even if I tried to grab and tear the chain of Ability Suppression, my hands couldn''t move any further. "Good morning. Nozomu" "Good mo~rni~ng!" I was called and when I turned around, Iris, Somia, Mars, and Tima were there before I knew it. "Good morning, Nozomu-kun" "Yoo" Tima and Mars also greeted me after Iris and Somia. "Good morning" I forcibly put the dream I had last night in the depths of my heart and tried to pretend to be calm and return the greeting. However, my voice was also a little stiff. "That''s why Lansa-chan got angry and scold the boys with all her might." "Well, I don''t know how she feels, but I think they''re both at fault." "Is that so? I think the boys just reap what they sow ..." "Hahaha¡­¡­" "Well, the cause is those boys, the girl named Lansa wouldn''t suddenly scold them for no reason..." We had such conversations on our way to school early in the morning. Somia-chan was talking about her classmates. There was a girl named Lansa who was giving a warning because the boys had forgotten their class duty, but the boys didn''t reflect on it and started to lose their temper, and Lansa also got heated up. It seemed that it later developed into a big quarrel. Iris said that both were at fault, and Mars said that the boys reaped what they sow. Tima smiled bitterly at the two of them. I couldn''t talk about what happened in the forest, and for a few days after that, our atmosphere became awkward. Our facial expressions are a little stiff, but recently we can finally speak normally. Another thing that has changed is... "Ah! There he is! O~i! Nozomu-kun !!" A voice like the sound of a bell resounded in the surroundings. Seeing the person who made that voice, three people wearing the same Solminati Academy uniform came here. The first was Sh¨©na Yuliel, an elf girl with long blue hair tied with a black cloth headband. The other is Mimuru, a Wildcat girl with cat ears and tanned skin. And behind her was Tom, Mimuru''s lover, who was smaller and thinner than the other two. It was probably Mimuru who called out to me. She waved her hand to show off her existence, just like when she found her close friend. This is another change around me. After that incident, they started talking to me from time to time. "Good morning, Nozomu-kun. Sorry. Mimuru suddenly shouted like that." "No, I don''t mind about that..." "That''s right! He''s not someone who minds about such things. Sh¨©na is still very stubborn~~" "It''s because you are too soft like a cream, so I have no other choice." "I''m in trouble. If I look so delicious, I might get attacked by Sh¨©na and get eaten by her. It''s hard to be so popular~~." ¡°I assure you, Mimuru, you are very popular right now. Everyone remember about your cooking skills, what you put in the soft cream was not sugar but salt and chili peppers. Such a meaningless dish. No one should be able to eat it." "Wha! It''s not that terrible!! Of course, I''m not good at cooking, even so, my only mistake was the salt !! " "It''s no good either way ..." Mimuru retorted and didn''t aware of Sh¨©na''s sarcasm. Tom''s face next to me turned pale... Yeah, let''s pretend not to see it. At that time in shisho''s hut, it might be right for me to cook. "Good morning. You three are the same as usual." "Good morning, Nozomu-kun. Even in class, Sh¨©na and Mimuru are still like that. Well, that''s a good thing though." Tom smiled as he said so. Sh¨©na and Mimuru were sarcastic about each other, but despite such an exchange, their facial expressions were very bright. The bond between those who overcame that incident grew stronger. "O, yaho Somi~chi! How are you doing ?!" "Yess! I''m fine today too~ !!" When Mimuru found Somia, she smiled and gave a high five after she arrived beside her. After that incident, Iris and the others started talking to Sh¨©na, Mimuru, and Tom as the chances of our meeting increased. "Ah, good morning Mars-kun. About the knife I gave you yesterday, how was it?" "Oh, I was able to develop the technique quite easily. But the power is the problem. If you carve a formation on the blade, the power will drop." Tom was talking with Mars and Tima about magic. Mars was studying magic with Tima, but it was still difficult. Mars did his best, but even if he managed to learn the technique, it didn''t work when it came to practicing it. Mars was tactless when it came to magic, as Mars had only used Qi techniques, and that was the only way for him to fight. When he tried to use magic while fighting or wielding a sword, the control of his Qi technique that he applied to himself became unstable. In addition, Mars is by no means good at controlling magic. Therefore, Tom proposed a method of using alchemy to draw a formation in advance and then pouring magical power into it to activate the magic. This can reduce the burden on Mars instead of activating magic from scratch. By the way, Iris sometimes joined their conversation. "But Mars'' weapon is a greatsword, right? If it''s for magical development, I don''t think you need to think too much about strength..." "That said, I''m a vanguard. There might be occasions where I need to change my weapon to counter the opponent''s attack. Well, I will not use this knife though ... " The knifes depicted with magic formations were commercially available, but it seemed this time it was just an experiment. Perhaps Tom was thinking of adding it to his lover''s knife. "Hmm... It''s hard to carve a magic formation directly onto the blade... but, I guess there''s no problem with trying..." Tom is an alchemist, not a blacksmith. Although he had no problem with the application of magic, he was a complete amateur in terms of the power of the weapon and how to handle it. "Hmm. As I thought, I need to think about it a little more. Thank you, Mars and Tima." "No, you helped me too. To be honest, I had a hard time using magic while fighting." "N, no. I''m the one who should be thanking you...... I''m not familiar with adding magic to weapons..." Tima had various kinds of magic that could be learned, such as attack magic, recovery magic, and auxiliary magic, but having the ability to learn it and whether it could actually be used was a different matter. She is only 17 years old. She could not cover thousands of years of magical history and wisdom. It can''t be helped, especially when she wasn''t familiar with the magic she didn''t usually use. "Speaking of which, Sh¨©na-kun, you have long hair, so I wonder how you take care of your hair?" Well, I wipe my hair thoroughly after washing it with water, I try to make it feel as natural as possible so as not to apply strong force. Besides, it seems that my hair gets damaged easily if I wipe it right away after washing... How about you, Irisdina-san?" "Well. Sometimes my maid does it for me, but I try to do it myself. But I''m still worried. It seems my hair has been a bit damaged lately..." After saying that, Iris brushed her own hair with her white hands. Iris and Sh¨©na were talking about something very girly. Her hair is black and very shiny, and to be clear, I don''t know where or how it got damaged. "Well, that''s right. A lot of things have happened lately, so my hair was a little damaged." Sh¨©na also pinched her long blue hair and showed it to Iris. They show each other''s hair the same way, but I still don''t get it. "Hey Nozomu. You think so too, right?" "¡­¡­Eh?" "See, this hair. It''s a little damaged ..." "Yes, this one too ..." They suddenly talked to me. It seemed like Iris and Sh¨©na were pinching the ends of their hair and showing them in front of me, which seemed to be about the hair quality they talked about earlier. Black and blue. The colors are different, but both hairs are very beautiful. I feel that Sh¨©na''s hair is a little lighter, it seems that Sh¨©na''s hair is thinner than Iris''s. I saw their hair presented in front of me, but I still couldn''t get it at all. "Ummmm ... I''m sorry. I don''t know ..." "" Ha~a ... "" The two shocked and sighed, they frowned with dissatisfaction. "Nozomu, you have no sensibility" "Yeah. You lack sensibility." "Ummm ... I''m sorry ..." Perhaps they didn''t like my answer, they complained, and their voice strangely pierced me. "Hmm?" I was feeling depressed, but suddenly I felt someone''s gaze, so I looked towards the source. A girl with red hair looked at me from within the crowd. "Lisa?" It was quite far away, and I couldn''t read her expression. When Lisa noticed my gaze, she quickly averted her gaze. There were so many people coming and going that she immediately disappeared among the crowd. "Nozomu! Come on, quickly!!" "Y, yea!" Mars called my name. Lisa was in my head for a moment, but Mars urged me again and I hastily started chasing after everyone. *** Lisa¡¯s POV "Nozomu ..." I saw his figure when I was on my way to school. At that moment, the inside of my head turned bright red, but at the same time, I remember something. About two weeks ago, when I was leaving school with Ken, I met him. I glared at that traitor. At first, he was facing his head down and he was a bit different than usual, and the next moment he glared back at me. At that moment, I felt a pain as if my chest was pierced by his gaze that seemed to return my anger. When I noticed, he was looking at me. He was so far away that I couldn''t see his expression clearly. However, when I saw him with Iris-san and the others, I got angrier and my chest hurt. He betrayed me, and he abandoned me¡­¡­. Naturally, I clenched my fists and teeth tightly. "Good morning, Lisa. What''s wrong?" " !! " Ken''s voice was heard from behind and I hurriedly repaired my expression, turned my back to his gaze, and turned my face towards Ken. "No, it''s nothing. More importantly, you''re so slow!" "I''m sorry, It takes some time to prepare." Ken''s smile was the same as usual. I felt the pain in the depth of my chest healed by his smile that hadn''t changed since 10 years ago. ......Let''s forget about him. Ken is here now. Even without him, I''m not alone... Chapter 5.2 Early Release!! Irisdina and the others parted ways at the school gate. After the morning assembly, Nozomu and Mars came to the training ground for the morning class. The contents of the third year''s lesson began with the formation of parties for the mock battle they were about to do. Now, the students who came to the training grounds swung their swords and talked to their own party members, wasting their time until the lesson started. "Nozomu, do you have a little time?" "? What''s wrong, Mars?" Nozomu was checking his preparations, but he was approached by Mars from the side. "I have something to try in today''s mock battle." "? What are you going to try?" "...I learned quite a bit of magic from Tima, so I want to see the results in today''s mock battle." "...Then?" According to his story, it looks like Mars wants to try what he has trained with Tima in this mock battle. Nozomu also knew that Mars had been studying magic with Tima recently, so he chose to listen to what he had to say for now. "... Well, even if I say I''ve learned it, honestly, it''s still a long way to go. I can''t do it as well as Irisdina. That''s why I want to try it in a one-on-one situation as much as possible. " "... In other words. You want me to attract the other members, right?" It seemed like Mars wanted to try using his magic, but he wasn''t very confident. "... Yea, honestly, it''ll just put a burden on you, but if I can''t use it properly in such a mock battle, it won''t be useful in actual ones.... So, can I ask you to help me?" "Well, I''ll try ... I don''t know how long I can attract them. I can''t use magic, and I can''t use Qi techniques because they''re dangerous to use." "It''s fine for just a little bit. I think it''ll be alright if it''s you. On the contrary, can''t you just beat them? " "... Maybe I can do it in close-quarters combat. But, I want to ask you something, why did you decide to use it in mock battle? From your story, I think it''s better to learn a little more..." "No... well, that......... I thought it would be easier to remember because, for me, it''s easier to memorize it by swinging my sword than to mess around on my desk." Nozomu tilted his head at Mars''s unusually poor reply, but he could understand what he was saying. Considering Mars'' personality, swinging a sword was more suitable than holding on to a desk. Everyone has their own way of remembering things. Nozomu thought that if there was a method that seemed suitable for Mars, it would be a good idea to give it a try. And this is just a mock battle. This is a place to practice and learn various things. "... I understand, I''ll give it a try." Nozomu couldn''t use Qi techniques to attack, so he had to take it into close-quarters combat to defeat his opponent, but Nozomu was growing as well. He could still compete with his opponent, so he wouldn''t lose right away. "Then I''ll come forward first. Mars will follow after me and use the magic you want to use." "I''ll leave it to you" "Oka~y. Everyone, please gather ~~. Let''s start the lesson ~~" Nozomu tells Mars to move as he like because Nozomu will be backing him up. After Mars thanked him, Anri-sensei''s voice echoed in the training ground. The students who had prepared gathered at once. Nozomu and Mars nodded to each other and started walking towards Anri-sensei like the other students. "So, they are our opponents ..." Mars muttered and looked at the opponent he was about to face in the mock battle. His opponent was mid-rank or slightly lower in 10th class and was the opponent he fought when Nozomu first teamed up with him before. However, unlike before, the number of their opponents was five. There were two male students holding longswords. They are the vanguard. Their names are Jin and Tommy. There is also a student holding a spear, his name is Deck. In the rearguard, there is a dagger-wielding female student named Cami, she can also use magic, and in addition, a new girl who is a mage, Hamria, has just been added. On the other hand, Nozomu''s party still only consisted of Nozomu and Mars. "Then, let''s begin!" The mock battle begins with Anri-sensei''s clear voice. " !! " "Wha !?" With the signal for the start of the battle, Nozomu used his feet to move towards Jin and close the gap instantly. In every mock battle so far, Nozomu always followed after Mars. This time, the opponent thought that Mars would take the lead, so they were surprised that Nozomu rushed to take the lead, but the opponent was also a human who had studied at Solminati Academy despite being only in 10th class. Jin immediately raised his longsword to parry Nozomu''s slash. However, it was already predicted by Nozomu. Just as Nozomu''s katana was about to be parried by the opponent, he circulated the Qi inside of his katana and let it flow into his body. Using the momentum of the slashing attack, his body made one full turn and released a roundhouse kick. Nozomu''s roundhouse kick was caught by Jin''s longsword, but Nozomu had sent Qi to his feet in advance and released the compressed Qi the moment the roundhouse kick hit. Jin was blown away along with the longsword he was holding due to the explosive momentum at such a close range, and he lost his posture greatly. Nozomu further held both his hands on his hips, sent Qi and compressed it, and fired a Qi technique *Cannon* at his opponent. Jin was blown away by the burst of energy released at such a close range again, and involved Cami who was chanting a spell behind him. Nozomu activated his Instant Move again. His aim was Hamria, who was chanting at the back. "E~!?" Hamria, who was chanting, made a perplexed voice because Nozomu had broken through the vanguard in just a few seconds, but regardless, Nozomu still swung his katana. "Chi~!" However, the slash was blocked by Tommy''s longsword, another male student had interrupted him in the meantime. "Fu~!" However, Nozomu still swung his sword regardless of it and hit Tommy with a series of attacks. Originally, Nozomu''s purpose was to attract most of the opponents so that Mars could move freely. In fact, Mars was in a one-on-one situation with Deck. "Take this !!" "Damn!!" Mars pushed Deck so far. It''s natural if we consider Mars'' physical abilities, but it seems his movements are crude, the reason is that he has already used the magic. If others looked closely, they could see a faint magical glow on Mars'' greatsword, hidden behind the *Dust Blade* that enveloped the blade. Perhaps the blade of the greatsword itself had magical power. However, as far as Nozomu could see, the technique was incomplete, and he couldn''t feel the power that Mars originally had. "This guy!" "Uwa !!" Tommy, who had exchanged blows with Nozomu, was aiming for the opportunity as Nozomu shifted his consciousness to Mars, and pushed back forcefully. Pushed by that force, Nozomu backed away slightly, and this time Jin, who had been blown away by *Cannon*, regained his posture and launched a slash from the other side. "Ee~e~ei!" Nozomu dodged the longsword that was swung within a hair''s breadth and tried to keep the distance with his Instant Move, but this time Cami turned in the direction of Nozomu''s movement. "Haa !!" The daggers in both of Cami''s hands were swung, aiming at Nozomu''s nape and torso respectively. Nozomu thrust in without killing the momentum of his legs and twisted his body while parrying the dagger that was swung with his katana and scabbard. His body flowed sideways with the driving force, and he passed through her. Nozomu made one rotation with his feet as the axis and went around to her back. "Eh?" Just when Cami thought she had managed to hit Nozomu with her dagger, Nozomu slipped behind her before she knew it. She made a surprised voice, but Nozomu wouldn''t miss this opportunity. Nozomu fired a Qi technique *Cannon* at her back. Her delicate body was blown like a leaf blown by the wind. At that time, there was Tommy trying to close the distance with Nozomu. Tommy was at the destination where Cami blew away, so this time Tommy was involved with her. "Au ~~~" Cami is lighter than Jin, so she was easily losing her consciousness by the impact of the two collisions. "Wha !?" "Damn!!" Jin and Tomi became impatient. They were surprised that they were defeated by an opponent they thought was lower in rank. Two people try to hit Nozomu with their weapons, but Nozomu moves and avoids being pinched by the two and manages to fend off their attacks with his katana and scabbard. However, the reason why Nozomu was moving around was that if he received their attacks head-on, Nozomu couldn''t fully deal with them, as he had inferior power. Meanwhile, Nozomu looked at Hamria, who was staring at him and was about to cast a spell. Perhaps she also felt impatient with the unexpected events, she couldn''t concentrate on her chanting. After all, if the pursuit of the two vanguards loosened up a bit, Nozomu would immediately try to run towards her with his Instant Move. Moreover, her companions were in close-quarters combat with Mars and Nozomu, so she couldn''t shoot her magic due to the fear of involving her companions. (... Well, if I want to earn time for Mars, this seems to be enough... I don''t need to use *Phantom* or "that"...) Due to this morning dream. Nozomu, who was afraid his power would go wild, chose a method that didn''t use Tiamat''s power as much as possible and chose to devote himself to gaining time with the abilities he had developed over the years. For Nozomu, Mars played a major role in this mock battle, he only recognized himself as something extra. "O, oi. What does this mean..." "N, no. How would I know..." However, from the point of view of others who didn''t know Nozomu''s true abilities, it was a sight that made them doubt their eyes. A student they thought was inferior to themselves was fighting well against multiple opponents, even though he was the same student from the same 10th class and at the bottom of their grade. On top of that, Nozomu''s expression shows he has composure when handling opponents swinging their swords at him. Until now, they had thought that Nozomu''s abilities were inferior to their own, but if they looked at this situation, they could understand the difference in strength between him and themselves. But, it''s a matter of whether they accept it or not. On the contrary, Mars was struggling when Nozomu was showing some of his abilities. *** Mars'' POV "Damn!" I bit my lip, I was frustrated with myself for not being able to attack properly. Even if it''s just one on one. My greatsword was enveloped with magical power and Qi technique *Dust Blade*, but I couldn''t handle it as I wanted. The power and sharpness of the greatsword that was enveloped in the *Dust Blade* and enhanced by strengthening magic certainly made my sword stronger than ever. However, the simultaneous use of techniques from completely different systems, namely Qi and magic, required a control technique that was incomparable to conventional practice using only Qi or magic alone. I simply wasn''t able to master this heterogeneous technique. Besides, I was too busy focusing on controlling my technique and couldn''t concentrate on the opponent in front of me. My slash that normally blew away a giant demon beast was parried by the opponent''s spear, and instead, the opponent''s spear was thrust into my neck. "Ku~ !!" I flicked the opponent''s spear with the back of my hand, but because of that, one hand was occupied and allowed the opponent to pursue further. The opponent''s spearman''s name is Deck¡­¡­. He launched a series of thrusts, but I blocked it with the back of my hand. If I aim at one of the series of attacks and stop it forcefully then launch a slash with my greatsword, it would be parried with his spear. It''s because I can''t swing my greatsword properly with just one hand. "This guy!!" "Guuuuuu!" Deck and I were fighting head-to-head, and we fight each other at close range, but I can''t push him away at all. The cause was that all the techniques I used were half-finished due to the simultaneous use of magic and Qi. The wind-enveloped blade of the *Dust Blade* is so weak that I can''t think it''s the same technique I''ve used so far, and I haven''t been able to strengthen my body with Qi properly. My own body movements were dulled because I was distracted by the technique''s control. Nozomu''s figure is reflected in my field of view. He held Hamria back who sometimes tried to chant while holding two people at once, Jin and Tommy. He had the usual good judgment skills and a wide field of vision. What''s more, he rarely used attacking Qi techniques. He never used his *Phantom*. The only thing he used was the Qi *Cannon* technique which blew his opponent away with a burst of energy. "Damn~ !!" Compared to Nozomu, who tosses his opponent around with precise and delicate movements, my current movements are dull like a slow turtle, and it''s almost incomparable. That seems to tell me the difference between us, and it makes me irritated and impatient. At the end of the second year, when I saw his true abilities, I immediately thought that he was a great person. Despite the shackles of Ability Suppression, even I knew that the effort to obtain that ability was far greater than I expected, and when I think about it, I was feeling terribly pathetic that I only made it difficult for him. For some reason, we started training together, and at that moment, when I saw his Qi technique, *Phantom*. His katana was drawn out in an instant. A flying slash passed in front of me at that moment. An extremely compressed flying slash that had been sharpened to the extent that it can easily bisect the rock. To be honest... I was fascinated by it. Secretly, I tried to see if I could do it too, but maybe because I had a rough personality, the Qi I sent into my sword just burst. I just couldn''t use a delicate technique like him. It was at that time. I wanted a technique that was comparable to his. Honestly, I know it was childish, but I couldn''t help but want something like that. After that, I met Irisdina and the others and came up with the idea of ??using magic and Qi at the same time, but it was too difficult to control after all. Even when I read old textbooks and spellbooks, I couldn''t understand it at all because I usually skipped studying that kind of thing. Had Tima not taught me anything, I would still be groaning with a textbook in my hand. However, the magic that could be used in conjunction with Qi was only weapon strengthening magic. Besides, the success rate is low, and it''s still less than 10% even after I practiced it until now. It was quite strange that I could use it today. His back feels so far away. It was when Nozomu fought Rugato that I felt the difference between us. While fighting against one of the strongest men on the continent called rank S, neither I nor Irisdina have any way of dealing with it. We had no advantage, Somia was held hostage, and we were easily beaten. It was a completely out of our league opponent. Possesses advanced techniques with incredible magical power and simultaneously uses 10 magics. Even Irisdina was defeated by the difference in strength between them. And Nozomu defeated such a powerful person, Rugato. When he released his Ability Suppression, he was far beyond my expectations, therefore the impatience within my chest continued to grow, making my crude swordsmanship even worse. (Don''t rush it!) No matter how much I tried to calm myself down, the impatience did not disappear, and my swordsmanship remained crude until the time of the battle was over. Chapter 5.3 Early Release!!!! Shortly before Nozomu and Mars having a mock battle, the 1st class was having their lesson at another training ground. The content is combat training in the same mock battle format as Nozomu and Mars. However, the atmosphere of the 1st class students who gathered at the training ground was different from that of the 10th class, and the class was wrapped in a tense atmosphere. In Solminati Academy, which was a meritocracy, it was never easy to keep achieving high grades. If they weren''t careful, their rivals would kick them down. And the treatment of students who have fallen from the upper class to the lower class was by no means gentle. Humiliated by former classmates and treated as a tumor in their new lower classes. Around the first year, some students shined in the upper class, but after that, they were unable to keep up and they fell to the lower class. Many of them dropped out of school because of that. And competition tends to be worse in higher grades. In such a tense atmosphere, Lisa Hounds stared at the corner of the training ground. "..." "Lisa? What''s wrong?" "Ken?" Lisa turned around in response to that voice, and there was her childhood friend, Ken Notis, from the same class. He looked in the direction Lisa was staring with a suspicious expression, where a girl with long black hair and a girl with brown hair fluttering down to her shoulders talked as they prepared for the lesson. "Ah, Irisdina-san? So, are you curious about your rivals?" Lisa and Irisdina were almost equal in combat training and were rivals who had collided countless times during combat training classes, mock battles, and exams. Ken wondered if Lisa was curious about her rival, but Ken thought Lisa wasn''t just curious about that. "... Or, are you curious about Nozomu?" " !? " The moment she heard Ken''s muttering words, her face looks surprised for a moment, but soon she harbored a flame of anger in her eyes, bit her lips, and distorted her face. "It''s okay. I''m here. You''re not alone." Ken whispered so in Lisa''s ear, pulled her to his chest, and hugged her shoulders. "..." Lisa just silently left herself to Ken, but her expression was still stiff. A voice that was neither Ken nor Lisa can be heard from behind. "Oh. Both of you are so hot ~" When Lisa and Ken looked back to the source of the voice, a girl sighed with her hands raised as if she was amazed. A girl with reddish-brown eyes whose hair was cut roughly at the shoulders of the same color as her eyes. Even though her facial features were well-arranged, her facial expressions and demeanor did not look feminine. "Ca, Camilla!" "Umm~ Lisa. It''s good to see you two flirting, but please pick another place. Everyone is watching." " !? " A girl named Camilla told her, when Lisa realized where and what she was doing she hurriedly moved away from Ken. "So why did you look at the black-haired princess? Are you curious about something? ... or is it about that guy? ..." Camilla glanced at Irisdina, and she made a gesture of thinking about what Lisa was curious about, but she seemed to have realized something with a bitter expression. "Good grief! He''s really a helpless guy! So this time he is going to touch Irisdina! How much does he think Lisa was hurt at that time?" She is upset and angry. She is a girl who is in the same class as Lisa since the first year and can be called Lisa''s best friend. As you can see from the fact that she belongs to the first year, she is also an excellent student, and when Nozomu and Lisa were lovers, she talked normally with Nozomu and also supported Lisa. But when rumors of Nozomu spread, she was the first to go to Lisa to hear from her, and when she heard about Nozomu''s betrayal, she got angry and beat Nozomu up. Since then, she started hating Nozomu just like Lisa did. "Indeed. Well, she is a wise girl, so she is only losing her way for a moment. I''m sure she will get sick of Nozomu sooner or later." Ken harshly criticized Nozomu, but Camilla tilted her head at his words. "It''s rare for you to say that much about him. Usually, you''re somewhat covering for him." As Camilla said, until now, when the same topic came up, Ken made several statements that seemed to cover Nozomu up, but he ended up staying on Lisa''s side. This is because Ken wants to make Nozomu think that he is on his side. Ken made Nozomu and Lisa broke up, then acts as an ally in front of Nozomu to control his actions. That was why, even if he remained on Lisa''s side, he had to take some measures to cover Nozomu up so as not to cause a contradiction. However, the current Ken, who thought that Nozomu had been completely crushed, felt that it was no longer necessary, and his words and actions covering Nozomu had changed. Like those around him, Ken begins to blame Nozomu heavily. However, his sudden change in attitude left a feeling of discomfort in the surroundings. But he had already prepared something for it, and that was... "You see, the other day in a store ... was it Ushitotei? When I entered that store with Lisa, we happened to meet Nozomu, but at that time, I heard that he asked Lisa, "Why I got dumped?¡±." "... What''s that! How crazy is that guy !!" When she heard Ken''s words, she remembered Lisa''s appearance, her best friend, in the summer of the first year. She crouched down and held her knees in her room believing that she was betrayed by Nozomu. Camilla didn''t understand why and was trying to talk to her, but Lisa was looking down all the time as if she couldn''t see her. In the end, Lisa didn''t react until Ken talked to her, who came to see Lisa''s condition. When Ken spoke to Lisa, she finally raised her face, wondering if her childhood friend''s words had arrived. Lisa didn''t know why Camilla and Ken were there, she had a shocked look on her face, but soon, large tears began to spill over her eyes, and she began to sob. And when her tears finally overflowed, she began to cry loudly as if the dam had broken. She kept crying for about an hour, but when she finally calmed down, what she said from her mouth made Camilla angrier than ever. "I was really shocked when I heard about what he did. Until now, I thought Nozomu was just a little evil, but now, I can''t take it anymore." Since Nozomu pressed Lisa for an answer in Ushitotei, Ken can use that as an excuse to blame Nozomu. To Nozomu, it was an action he took as he was trying to face the reality, but to people who believed in the rumors, they would think that it was the action of the pot calling the kettle black. "......" As Camilla and Ken talked about what happened at Ushitotei, Lisa turned her eyes to Irisdina again. Irisdina was maintaining her rapier, which was her specialized weapon, but perhaps noticing Lisa''s gaze, Irisdina turned her face towards Lisa. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± The line of sight of the two intersected. Lisa felt the inside of her heart grow noisy and her anger rise, and she suddenly turned her back around. However, even after she turned her gaze away, the noise inside her heart did not disappear. *** "Ai, what are you going to do today?" Tima was talking to Irisdina by her side. Irisdina was maintaining her rapier, but she was quietly maintaining and didn''t respond to her question. However, at first glance, it seemed that she was only doing preparatory work, but Tima, who had been her close friend since the first year, noticed that her consciousness was not on the preparatory work, but on something else. When Irisdina''s line of sight shifted in a different direction... "..." "... Ai" "Ah, sorry Tima. What is it?" Irisdina stopped her hand and turned her gaze toward Tima, but Tima''s expression is not good, probably because she is worried about her best friend. "Hey, Ai. As I thought, you are curious about Lisa and her friends, right?" "¡­¡­Um~m, well" It was Lisa Hounds that Irisdina was curious about. She was almost sure of what happened between Nozom, Lisa, and Ken, but she still couldn''t tell anyone about it. However, She wanted to talk to Lisa one more time. She could be the key to the relationship between the three of them. Lisa was the woman he loved. Maybe, he still loves her even now. With that in mind, Irisdina felt a tight feeling in the depths of her chest. "¡­¡­What do you want to do?" "To be honest, I want to talk to her again, and she seems curious about us too." "Eh?" To that word, Tima looked beyond Irisdina''s line of sight, she found Lisa staring back towards her. They didn''t know Lisa''s expression staring this way. They had no idea what she was thinking, not because she was far away, but because her face was expressionless. It reminded them of Nozomu''s rumors that spread to the school. Irisdina had already realized that the rumors weren''t true, and she somehow wanted to help him. For her, Nozomu was a benefactor who saved her sister''s life, and she thought he was one of the irreplaceable people. Therefore, she couldn''t stand seeing him being accused in the school, and she wanted to do something about it, but his reputation that has taken root in the last two years, couldn''t be resolved just by her alone. She thought she had to know more about these three childhood friends, Nozomu, Lisa, and Ken, in order to get rid of the rumors, but it won''t be easy. At first, she wanted to ask Nozomu directly, so she talked to everyone, including Mars, in Ushitotei, but Tima at that time told her that she shouldn''t be impatient. It may be true. She understands that it''s best to wait for Nozomu to speak. However, the feeling of impatience in her heart did not disappear, and it only increased day by day. What''s more, she speculated on her own what happened between Nozomu and his childhood friends, and she also began to feel there is a wall between her and Nozomu recently. It was clear that he had done something reckless recently, but he did not tell Irisdina and the others what had happened. He forcibly shut himself in the depths of his own heart and showed them his fake smile. The fake smile was similar to the smile Irisdina had seen so often. People covered their surfaces with mask-like smiles and approached her with impure corruption in their hearts. It was very similar to the pests clinging to the Francilt Family trying to devour their sweet nectar. Of course, She knew that Nozomu and the pests had different feelings in their hearts, but the fake smile Nozomu showed her made her speculate things and feel frustrated. This further fueled her own impatience. She wanted him to talk. But he didn''t talk. She wanted him to tell her. But he didn''t tell. She wanted to know more about him. She wanted him to laugh with his real smile, not a fake one. Perhaps because Irisdina was too frustrated, she said something that was unimaginable than usual. "... Then, let me take advantage of this lesson for a moment." Taking Lisa''s gaze head-on, Irisdina declared so to herself. *** When the lesson started, Irisdina was the first to nominate her opponent for the mock battle, which is Lisa. Basically, like the other classes, the 1st class is now having group battles. However, since five students belonged to the A rank and possessed outstanding abilities compared to other students, so in many cases, A-ranked students were added to each group, and then the mock battles were held. However, this time, Irisdina suddenly proposed for a one-on-one mock battle with Lisa. At first, her teacher, Jihad, had suspicions, but he accepted her proposal because she was allowed to take some discretion in training content as an A-rank student. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± A black-haired and red-haired girl faced each other with their own specialized weapons in the center of the training ground. Irisdina, with her stance, held her rapier and sticking the tip out, while Lisa held a saber in her right hand and a dagger in her left hand, putting herself on guard by lowering her stance. Classmates gathered around them in a circle, watching the battle between the two that was about to begin, and there was a feeling of tension in the training ground. The two of them stared at each other in a straight line. The eyes of the two reflected their respective opponent they were about to fight, but the same boy was projected beyond each other''s eyes. "Then ... begin!" Irisdina moved with a signal to start from Jihad. The moment she swung her rapier, her *Immediate Deployment* ability activated, and at that moment, five black magic bullets were created and flew towards Lisa. "Fu~!" Lisa activated the magic she was already chanting in advance. An invisible barrier appeared in front of her and it stopped Irisdina''s magic bullet. While watching the black magic bullets scatter with a bursting sound, Lisa continued to cast her magic. Magical power wrapped around her body and drastically boosts her physical abilities. Lisa rushed out with her physical abilities enhanced by her body strengthening magic while protecting her own body with her magic barrier and closing the gap with Irisdina at once. Lisa''s casting speed was clearly not normal. It simply twice as fast as Irisdina did when she strengthened her body. Irisdina gave up intercepting with her magic bullet and immediately deployed the same magic barrier as Lisa and stopped Lisa''s attack with it. The two magical barriers collided, and crackling sounds resounded as their magical powers collided against each other. Eventually, their barrier was shattered with a crashing sound, and Lisa launched the saber in her right hand towards Irisdina. Irisdina immediately activated her body strengthening magic. She parried Lisa''s saber with her rapier. As Lisa rushed over, her saber, which was swung by her overwhelming physical strengthening, should be blown away if it was properly deflected by Irisdina, but that wasn''t the case. Actually, her previous rush was made possible because Lisa''s ability was activated. Ability *Niveei Witch* Ability to interfere with any magic and double its effectiveness. Lisa doubled the effectiveness of her own body strengthening magic with this ability. Lisa narrowed her distance with Irisdina at once and tried to slash Irisdina again. However, Irisdina''s competence was not inferior. Aiming at the moment Lisa drew her saber, Irisdina used the lightness of her rapier to shot a thrust at Lisa''s shoulder. However, Lisa is also a student who has the same A rank as Irisdina. She calmly wielded her dagger, parrying Irisdina''s thrusts, and she, in turn, slashed at Irisdina''s torso with her saber. They rushed and slashed at each other as they were. A number of sword flashes gleamed in a few seconds, and high-pitched metal clashing sounds were heard. They had crossed swords for a while, but suddenly Irisdina kicked the ground and retreated. The next moment, Lisa''s saber was mowing down without stopping. The saber that mowed down, cut through the atmosphere, and the surroundings were swept away. *Niveei Witch* was activated again. Once again, Lisa tried to shorten their widening distance with her rush doubled by body strengthening magic. Irisdina couldn''t easily use the same hand twice. She immediately activated an earth-type magic *Saj¨­ no J¨­heki* (Castle Wall built on Sand). The ground between Lisa and Irisdina rose, and a large sand wall appeared. This magic is a magic that temporarily creates a strong wall using the surrounding sand. The wall created is durable enough, but they don''t last very long and the only way to maintain them is to continuously send in magical power. This magic is named *Castle Wall built on Sand* because this magic will return to the sand once the magic power runs out. Irisdina''s goal was to gain time. Lisa''s *Niveei Witch* ability doubles the effect of any magic, but after activating the ability, the user will not be able to activate the ability for some time, and that time will be proportional to the amount of time the ability was previously used. In other words, the more Lisa used her abilities, the more unfavorable the future developments for her would be. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t compete with Irisdina, who had *Immediate Deployment*. Lisa''s characteristic was to breaking through using the power of *Niveei Witch*, and that was as a means to counter Irisdina. However, Lisa also knew Irisdina''s goal. That''s why she didn''t use it for a long time. Lisa pulled her right hand and sent magical power to the saber. The saber''s blade burned bright red, and the next moment, the burning flame was concentrated on the blade. What she did was one of the magic injections, rather than simply strengthening her specialized weapon with magical power or giving it specific attributes, she added her own offensive magic to her specialized weapon. The magic she added was an attack magic called *Explosion Vortex*. As the name suggests, it is an attack magic in which explosively scattered flames blow away the surrounding objects and burn them out. "Fu ~~" Lisa gathered the burning flame onto the saber''s blade while exhaling. After seeing the flames settled on the blade, she rushed towards the wall in front of her. She used her physical strength that was drastically strengthened by the *Niveei Witch*, and accelerated in an instant, she slammed the bright red sword against the wall. Flames danced through the air and in the next moment, with a thunderous sound, a large hole opened in the wall. Lisa ran through the hole and rushed towards Irisdina at once. Instead of receiving her attack, this time, Irisdina also rushed in the same way as Lisa. " !! " Lisa didn''t expect Irisdina to rush towards her, who was still activating *Niveei Witch*, but Lisa shot the saber in her right hand towards Irisdina. Irisdina also applied enhancement magic to her rapier and took Lisa''s slash head-on. "Kuh~ !!" "Wha !?" Anguished voice escaped from Irisdina''s mouth, she was pushed slightly, but she managed to stand her ground. Lisa also made a surprised voice, perhaps because she didn''t think Irisdina could take her current slash head-on. The reason why Iridina was able to stop Lisa''s slash was due to repeated physical strengthening using *Immediate Deployment*. Before Lisa broke the sand wall, Irisdina cast body strengthening magic on herself several times with *Immediate Deployment*, and she temporarily gained the physical ability to stop Lisa''s slash with *Niveei Witch* activated. However, the control of multiple magics required tremendous concentration, mental strength, and control power. Even for Irisdina, it was a tough act to do. Unlike Lisa, who only needed to activate *Niveei Witch*. Irisdina was pushed by Lisa, albeit slightly, probably because of intense exhaustion. (But, even so, I''m still in a condition where I can face and state my circumstances to Lisa!) Irisdina had doubts about what Lisa was talking about before. So, she was aiming for an opportunity to talk to Lisa in mock battle. She thought Lisa could escape even if she spoke to Lisa properly and she thought Ken would get in the way. "Lisa, do you think Nozomu is really having an affair?" "W, what?" Lisa''s face turned upset. She probably didn''t expect to be told of such a conversation in such a place. "You should have known. How hard he exert his effort." Nozomu and Lisa had spent longer time than Irisdina and the others. When Irisdina thought about it, her chest hurt, but she continued to speak. "I''ve spent a little time with him. It''s been a short time compared to you, and I don''t fully understand him either." Irisdina continued to speak, but Lisa lowered her head down and the expression on her face was nowhere to be seen. "But he''s not the kind of person you''re thinking about right now! I can assure you!" Irisdina really hit Lisa with her impression of being with him, albeit for a short time. Since she didn''t know what to say to Lisa, she had no choice but to hit her with what she really felt. "...Are you really......" "...Then why didn''t he say anything to me?" "......Eh?" Irisdina tried to continue her words, but Lisa, who was looking down, opened her mouth to block the words. "There''s no proof that he betrayed me ... But why? Why didn''t he say anything up until now? when I thought I was betrayed and shut myself up in my room. Only Camilla and Ken were there for me. He didn''t even come ... " At that time, Nozomu continued to train day and night against his Ability Suppression that was activated. He repeated self-training in the suburbs of the city. He had Ken go out with him and repeated the mock battles. He slept while collapsing on the spot. Since the first year, Nozomu and Lisa have been divided into different classes due to differences in their abilities, and Nozomu spent his days training without knowing what happened to Lisa. When he was training in the suburbs, he asked Ken why Lisa didn''t come to school, but Ken insisted that Lisa was sick and kept Nozomu away from Lisa. However, Lisa didn''t know that. For her, Nozomu was a bastard who had never made any excuses or explanations while betraying her, considering that no matter how much Ken continued to maneuvering behind him, Nozomu was also taking part in the cause, because Nozomu kept running away from facing Lisa. "Why you bring that up now ... Don''t screw with me !!!" Lisa''s magical power blows up from her body at once. She pushed back Irisdina at once, and Irisdina''s rapier was blown away as it was. "Kuh~ !!" "Aaaaaaa!!" Lisa turned the saber around and slashed it at Irisdina. However, Irisdina made a judgment as quickly as Lisa. She conjured a magic bullet with *Immediate Deployment* and fired it at Lisa from close range. The swung saber was sucked into Irisdina''s abdomen and blew her away. Lisa also had no way of preventing the magic bullet that was fired in front of her, and she was blown away in the opposite direction. "Gah~ !!!" "Guuuu !!" Naturally, the weapons they used were for training. However, Lisa''s slash strengthened by *Niveei Witch* was enough to make Irisdina lose consciousness. Irisdina felt her self-consciousness drift away. She regretted that she couldn''t do anything for her benefactor. Just before she lost consciousness, Lisa who was lying on the ground like herself came to her sight. While looking at Lisa who was on the verge of tears in her distorted field of view, she felt something hot rolling down her cheeks. Chapter 5.4 Translator : PolterGlast Iris'' POV "... Uh~" In a pitch-black field of vision, I regained consciousness and groaned. "This is, the infirmary?" When I opened my heavy eyelids and looked around, it was the infirmary of Solminati Academy. I was laid down on a bed of pure white sheets, my long black hair thrown over the sheets. My uniform coat had been taken off, and it was hung on the clothes rack next to me. Maybe it was a hindrance to the medical examination. "Are you awake? Irisdina-kun" "Norn-sensei ..." It was Norn Altina, the teacher in charge of the infirmary, who called out to me when I woke up. "You had a match against Lisa in a mock battle in practical lessons, and simultaneously attacked and knocked each other, so you were brought here." I finally remembered why I am here. (Yeah, I fought Lisa, talked to her, and my rapier was blown away by her rage...) Touching my waist gently caused a throbbing pain. "You received a blow on your waist, but there is no abnormality in your bone. It''s a little swollen now, but I think it will get better soon. But if the pain persists, go to the doctor. " "¡­¡­Okay" Norn-sensei told me the result of the examination, but I was in a daze. I wanted to know him. I wanted to help him. So I approached Lisa, but in the end, I couldn''t do anything. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± I felt depressed and my face naturally turned downwards. I was sad that I couldn''t get in between Nozomu and her. "...But, just as Anri said, Nozomu is starting to change." "Eh?" "Until last year, he didn''t even try to talk to anyone at school. Anri said he was always alone, and once class was over, he went home and trained in the forest." I knew he wasn''t very well-liked by the people at the school, but I didn''t know he didn''t even have someone to talk to. "It''s dangerous to enter the forest alone, so Anri was very worried about him, but he didn''t seem to want to stop. However, Nozomu''s behavior had changed since the end of last year." (Surely at that time ...) It was around the time when he could release his Ability Suppression. I thought Norn-sensei knew something, so I listened to her words. "Especially since the beginning of this year, He started laughing at school too." (...he starts laughing...) Those words warmed my heart a little. I''m happy to think that I was able to help him even a little. "Hmm? Should I clear the rumors?" "Eh?" When I was surprised at Norn-sensei''s words, the door of the infirmary opened and people came in. ""Excuse me"" "Sorry for cutting in~~" "Nozomu, Tima, Mars, and even Somia too..." The people who came in were my friends I knew well. I can even see Somia who should be in Ecross. "... A, are you okay? Ai" "Are your injury alright? Ane-sama" "I met Tima on my way to buy lunch and heard that Iris was injured. And Somia-chan, who came to eat lunch with me, also joined ... are you alright? " Everyone came to the side of the bed. Tima and Somia looked at my face with worried eyes, and Nozomu explained why Somia was here with a bitter smile behind them, but like Somia, he was also worried about me. "Y, yea. I, I''m alright." The fact that he cares about me makes my heart warmer and makes my good mood rise to the surface, but when I try to tell those who are worried that I''m alright, my mouth trembles and I can''t speak properly. "Well, it looks like your injuries will be alright, and your friends have come to visit. So, let''s have lunch for the time being." "Ai, here." With Norn-sensei''s suggestion, Tima took out the package and presented it to me. It''s my lunch that I left in the classroom. "Thank you Tima" When I received the lunch box, the infirmary door opened again and Anri-sensei came in with a big smile. She holds her lunch box in her hand. "Norn ~~ Let''s have lunch ~~. Oh, so Nozomu-kun and the others were already here ~" "Hello, Anri-sensei" After confirming that Nozomu is in the infirmary, she comes with a lunch box in her hands. Her smile seemed to shine even more. "E~h? Who is this child?" Anri-sensei tilted her head when she saw Somia by my side. By the way, Somia had never met Anri-sensei before. "N, nice to meet you! My name is Somiliana Francilt. Thank you for always helping my sister!" Somia greeted Anri-sensei and Norn-sensei for the first time. Yes, yes. As an older sister, I became proud of my reliable little sister figure. "So, c-cute ~~~!" "Mugyu!" (TL: sfx for hugging tightly) Anri-sensei hugging my little sister, perhaps because she can''t overcome Somia''s cuteness. Anri-sensei, I understand your feelings, sometimes I want to hug her too, but please restraint yourself. "Hey hey, Anri. I understand your feelings, but Somia seems to be suffering, so let her go. Anyway ... I see, are you that Somia?" "Umm ... do you know me?" "Hmm, that arm decoration, isn''t it what Nozomu-kun gave you? I was watching him making a present for you. That said, he was in the middle of making it, so I haven''t seen the finished product yet. Can you show it to me for a moment?" "~! W, wait, Norn-sensei !?" "Y, yes! Here you go!" Nozomu makes a surprised voice at Norn-sensei''s request, but Somia smiles and shows her arm decorations to Norn-sensei. "He~e, it''s well done. And this is the Orient bell. It''s used for festivals and amulets in the eastern countries." "It''s not a good craft..." "That''s not the case, Nozomu-san! I was very happy to receive this!" "That''s right, Nozomu-kun. Feelings are the most important thing. You put your feelings for Somia in this gift, and Somia accepted it. It''s important to put your feeling that you care for her through that gift. Sure, it may not be as good as the crafts made by first-class craftsmen, but in terms of feelings, it is more valuable to Somia than what other craftsmen make, and your feelings are conveyed to her." Somia nodded at Norn-sensei''s words. Of course, the arm ornament made by Nozomu resembled the arm ornament Somia used to wear. The arm ornament that Somia used to wear was a tool to take Somia''s soul, but for Somia, who had been feeling lonely without her mother, it was one of the things that ascertain her family ties. In fact, after that incident, she was looking at her arm with a slightly sad face until Nozomu gave her that arm ornament. The arm ornament never left Somia''s body, even when she was sleeping and take a bath. In that sense, Nozomu''s feelings must have been properly conveyed to Somia. While being healed by Somia''s happy smile looking at her arm ornament, on the other hand, I honestly feel a little jealous of her. "...Hey Mars-kun, what''s going on? You''re a bit weird..." "E, uh, what''s wrong?" When I heard Tima''s words and looked at Mars, he stood up with a dazed facial expression. "Well, umm..." Mars-kun is trying to say something in front of Tima. Tima is tilting her head, honestly doesn''t understand him either. "Well, Mars kind of in a bad mood today." "... Eh! Mars-kun, are you okay?" With Nozomu''s words, Tima stared at Mars with a surprised voice. "Ah, no. Nothing of the sort." "Speaking of which~~, Mars was doing something unusual during the morning class. He tried to use both Qi and magic at the same time, but it didn''t work out well." "Wha! Wha!" "Mu ~~! Mu ~~!" Mars, who heard Anri-sensei''s words, tried to stop her mouth in a hurry. I know he learned about magic with Tima recently, but was that what he was practicing? "It is impossible to use Qi and magic at the same time! Mars-kun, you are trying to do something very difficult. Since the power used by magic and Qi is very different, you should decide to use only magic or Qi. Otherwise, the difficulty level jumps up dramatically ... " That''s true. Since it required a high level of skill, one had to be well trained to be able to use it in mock battles. Before coming to this school, Tima did not have good expectations due to her overwhelming magical power. Therefore, she was reluctant to use new or powerful magic, especially when it came to magic control. Her magic power was too great, therefore, it was difficult for her to use magic stably. "... Perhaps, Mars-kun. Did you use that technique in a mock battle? Even though you haven''t done it well in practice yet ..." Tima raised a sad voice. As I thought, Mars-kun seems to have used a new technique without adequate training. "Chi~...I''m the type of person who learns things easily with my body. I thought I could get the hang of it if I used it in a practice." "... But it''s dangerous. If it accidentally running wild ... it''s going to be a disaster !?" Tima has been seen with cold eyes by others since her childhood because of her high magical power. She avoided her magic running wild above all else. More than that, She didn''t like it when Mars use the technique without consulting it with her beforehand. "B, but ... the activation of the technique itself went well ..." "But! If you weren''t good at handling it, Mars-kun might have been injured ... I don''t want that ..." Tima''s voice became sorrowful. Tears overflowed in her eyes, she was about to start crying. "Uu ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± Perhaps Mars-kun, who saw Tima''s sorrowful appearance, thought it was really bad. He lost his momentum and got stuck in words. "...S-sorry..." "...No more doing reckless things?" "I won''t." "¡­¡­ Un." Tima is looking up at Mars with tears in her eyes. When Mars-kun saw such a pure Tima, he couldn''t be more stubborn. He scratched his head and turned his gaze away, but he obediently apologized. "Now now~! Let''s have lunch~~! I''m hungry already~~!" "... well that''s right. Shall we eat?" Anri-sensei''s extended voice brightened the atmosphere, and Nozomu agreed, so we each prepared lunch in our respective seats. "Ane-sama! Let''s eat together !!" "Okay, Somia" Somia came to my side and spread out her lunch box. Maybe because she can eat with everyone, she smiled 30% brighter than when she ate in the mansion. When I saw it, my cheeks naturally loosened. "...Mars-kun, was your lunch box made by Hannah-san?" "No, this is made by the old man. The kitchen is managed by the old man. What about you?" "... T, this was made by my mom. But sometimes I make it myself ..." "Hee, it looks good." Mars-kun and Tima showed each other their lunch boxes. Looking at the two of them, they were still awkward, but they didn''t seem to care about the previous matter. "Nozomu-kun~~. So you bought bread again~~?" "Well, yes. To be honest, it''s because it''s cheap and easy to get..." "But~. It won''t be enough~~. I''ll split my share~~!" "T, thank y... why did sensei use the fork to give it to me!?" "Here, ah~~~~n" Nozomu and Anri-sensei were also showing each other lunch, but for some reason, Anri-sensei is trying to feed her lunch to Nozomu. ¡­¡­ Somehow, I felt uneasy my hand that was holding the fork naturally became stronger. "It''s too much! Also, It''s more enjoyable for me to pick it up with my fingers!" "Eh ~~. Fingers? I understand ~~~" After saying that, Anri-sensei tried to pick up the contents of her lunch box with her fingers. That''s not the problem!! Why are you trying to pick it up with your finger! Are you possibly going to feed Nozomu that way?!! "Wha, do you really understand?! I just need to use my own finger, not sensei''s finger! Anri-sensei only needs to present the lunch!" Nozomu hurriedly picked up the contents of Anri-sensei''s lunch box and threw it into his mouth. "Buu ~~. I tried to feed you ~~" Anri-sensei puffed out her cheeks, probably because it didn''t go as she expected. Did you intend to feed him after all? I was distracted by the hustle and bustle in front of me and completely forgot. I wasn''t the only one who fainted in that mock battle. Norn-sensei''s line of sight, who didn''t join in our conversation, was facing the bed next to the bed I was sleeping on. *** Please support me by reading this translation on my blog : https://polterglast.blogspot.com/ *** After Nozomu and the others had finished eating lunch and returned to their respective classrooms, Norn Altina remembered about Lisa Hounds, the girl who had been sleeping in the bed next to Irisdina. "Nn~ ..." "Are you awake?" About 10 minutes before Irisdina woke up, Lisa woke up on her bed. "... Is this infirmary?" "That''s right. Do you know why you are here?" "¡­¡­Yes" Lisa''s consciousness was clear, and she answered Norn''s question without a problem. "I see. For now, I''ve examined your body. You have a bruise formed by a magic bullet fired into your stomach. It might hurt a little, but it will heal in a few days. If the pain persists, see a doctor." Norn spoke about the results of the examination, but Lisa''s gaze fluttered as if she was worried about another person next door. "Are you worried about her? Well, based on the examination, she is alright. She''ll be in pain for a few days like you, but soon she''ll get better." "Is that so¡­¡­" Norn, who saw Lisa''s uneasy behavior, told her that Irisdina was still sleeping, and she asked a little more in-depth question to Lisa. "... is it Irisdina who you are worried about, or is it that boy?" "¡­¡­What do you mean?" Lisa''s facial expression grew more intense. Her nature and gaze became sharp, even though it was rude to her superiors, Lisa couldn''t stop her own violent emotions rising in the depths of her chest. "Nothing in particular, but Irisdina is really worried about Nozomu-kun lately. Well, what she did is somewhat meddlesome." Norn implicitly talked about Nozomu''s rumor. "... I don''t want to talk about it. All I can say is that he''s the worst .... Honestly, I don''t want to remember about him anymore." "¡­¡­Is that so" Lisa answered Norn''s question with a gaze like biting a bitter worm, but maybe she doesn''t want to touch on the topic of Nozomu anymore, she shifted her gaze out of the window and got up from the bed. Her attitude clearly said that she was not willing to speak anymore, and Norn didn''t pursue her any further. Heavy air was flowing in the infirmary for a while, but when the sound of knocking on the door resounded, the heavy air dispersed, and two students came following after the knocking sound. One of them is Ken Notis who is now Lisa''s lover. The other is Lisa''s best friend, Camilla. "Norn-sensei. How is Lisa condition?" Ken asked Norn about Lisa''s condition in a polite tone, so Norn stated there was no problem. She clearly described Lisa''s condition, but her gaze towards Ken was somewhat sharp. "She has a bruise on her abdomen, she will be in pain in a few days, but that''s okay." "Thank you very much. Lisa, let''s go." "Yes. Thank you very much, Norn-sensei." Ken and Lisa thank Norn for her treatment, but Lisa leaves the infirmary with a displeased facial expression over the previous exchange and is followed by the other two. Norn confirmed that the three of them had disappeared behind the door. She sighed loudly. "... Good grief. This seems to be difficult." Norn is slightly aware of what was happening between Nozomu, Lisa, and Ken, but she decided to remain as a spectator and watch over them until the end. The three of them are still her important students, so She''s still anxious about it. She wanted to know Lisa''s true intentions, so she implicitly asked her about Nozomu, but it was a topic she didn''t want to touch and was still completely rejected. "However, did she aware?" Still, Norn had learned something from Lisa''s behavior. Norn opened the window and looked up at the sky. The warm sunlight shone inside, and the still slightly chilly early spring breeze pushed the stagnant air that remained in the room away. It was like erasing the traces of the her previous conversation with Lisa. "Lisa-kun. The opposite of love is neither hate nor hatred you know ... " The sleeping princess, who was still asleep, didn''t notice the words Norn mumbled and was drowned by the spring breeze. Chapter 5.5 Translator : PolterGlast "Te~eiyaaaa!" "Fu~ !!" The outer edge of the Academic City, Arcazam. In this place, a little far from the city, two women attacked each other with their own specialized weapons, and sparks scattered. One of them is Mimuru, a beast girl with a flexible body and cat-like ears. The other one is a girl wielding a rapier with long jet-black hair fluttering in the wind. She is Irisdina Francilt. At a place, some distance away from where the two were fighting, Nozomu, Mars, Sh¨©na, and Tom were watching their fight. "As I thought, Irisdina-san is amazing. She can perceive Mimuru''s movements accurately..." "But that Mimuru is also quite good. Even though Irisdina pushed her, she can definitely dodge Irisdina''s deadly attack." Tom is impressed by Irisdina''s abilities, but Mars is also impressed by Mimuru''s physical strength. Nozomu and Sh¨©na were also watching the fight between the two attentively and held their saliva in their mouths due to the tension. The reason why Sh¨©na and the others are in this place goes back a bit in time. *** Students who have finished their lesson come out of the classroom with the closing chime. Nozomu and Mars, like the other students, left the classroom and walked towards the main gate. "So, are we going to train in that place again today? " "Yea, Irisdina and the others will come too, so let''s wait at the main gate." Nozomu and Mars were supposed to meet with Irisdina and the others at the main gate of the school in order to train at the outer edge, which is their daily routine after school. When Nozomu and Mars arrived at the main gate, Irisdina and the others hadn''t come yet, and they were killing time while chatting, but some time after they started chatting, Somia ran from Ecross''s school building to them and waving her hands. "Nozomu-sa~~n!" "Oh~, did Somia-chan come first?" "I''m sorry to have kept you waiting! What about Ane-sama ..." "I haven''t seen her yet. Let''s wait a bit longer, and if she still doesn''t come, why don''t we go to her classroom?" "That''s true. I think that''s a good idea." Nozomu was a little worried that Irisdina was late, but he thought it was not good to make a fuss about it, so he agreed with Mars'' opinion. At that moment, there was a voice of someone talking to them. "Hmm? You guys ..." A wind-like voice flowed towards the three, and they turned their gazes towards the voice as if invited by the wind. "Sh¨©na ...?" When Nozomu turned his face towards the voice, there was Sh¨©na Yuliel, an elf girl with long blue hair fluttering in the wind. "Hello, Sh¨©na-san !!" "Fufu, hello Somia-san" "By the way, are you alone? What about Tom and Mimuru?" Somia greeted Sh¨©na cheerfully with her carefree smile, Sh¨©na smiled and greeted Somia back. Nozomu realized that he couldn''t see Mimuru and her lover, who was always by Sh¨©na''s side. So he asked what happened to them while looking around. "Well, umm ..." Sh¨©na looked away while holding her temples down, perhaps because she had a headache. Nozomu and the others were tilting their head, to her who have such a worn-out expression. "Well, anyway, what are you doing staying at the main gate?" "Ah, We are waiting for Iris and Tima, because we made a promise to train at the outer edge." "T, that''s right ..." Nozomu answered Sh¨©na who asked another question, but his reply was a bit awkward. "... Hey. Do you always train with Irisdina and the others after school?" "Well, not every day. We usually do it a couple of days a week." "Is that so¡­¡­" After hearing Mars''s words, Sh¨©na was thinking about something with her hand on her mouth for a while. Then she raised her face as she decided, she made a request to Nozomu. "Hey, if it''s alright, but can we also participate in your training?" "Eh?" Her request was for them to participate in the training at the outer edge. "We are also going to train, but to be honest, there is a limit to what we can do with just three people. And because the three of us can do different things, we have a good balance in training, but sometimes it''s good to train with other people as an experience. I''ll talk to the others, but if you''d like, can we join in?" Certainly, at Sh¨©na''s party, the roles of their vanguard and rearguard were clear. Mimuru as the vanguard was in charge of disturbing their opponent. Sh¨©na supported the vanguard with accurate shooting using her bow and arrow behind Mimuru. Furthermore, Tom gave instructions using various magical support and a wide field of view at the rear. Because their role was divided so clearly, their party was very well-balanced and it was easy to formulate a strategy, but at the same time, there were some difficulties in their flexibility. Each role was fixed, and there was no substitute for it. In other words, if even one person was killed, there was a danger that the party itself may collapse at once. In fact, when they fought the black demon beasts for the first time, Tom, who was in a position to give instructions, was the first to be defeated, and their group was nearly wiped out. No, they would have been annihilated without Nozomu. Seeing Nozomu''s calm and quick judgment up close, Sh¨©na realized that what she needed now wasn''t a formidable power to repel the enemy, but the ability to respond to various situations like him. So, she approached Nozomu with that in mind. "I see ... I think it''s alright. I''ll ask Iris later. What do you think, Mars?" "Isn''t it alright? It seems that Sh¨©na and Mimuru can do quite a lot of things, and I''m not against it. "I''m glad ... Thank you." Sh¨©na waited for an answer and was a little nervous until Nozomu answered. When she heard Nozomu''s words of approval, she felt relieved by loosening her shoulders and smiled. Irisdina and the others haven''t agreed to it yet, but at least they can be convinced since Nozomu and Mars agreed to it. Sh¨©na''s beautiful appearance was comparable to Irisdina''s. Until a while ago, she had a hard ice-like expression on her face, but now, Sh¨©na''s spontaneous smile made Nozomu''s heart beat a little faster. Just when Nozomu was about to feel nervous in another sense, they heard a groaning voice, and the three of them turned their eyes to the source of the voice. "Uuh ... I still have a headache. Why using violence, I was just dozing off for a minute. So cruel ..." "But, it''s because Mimuru was asleep in Inda-sensei''s class ..." It was Mimuru who was groaning while holding her head and Tom who had an astonished expression while walking beside her. "B, but! I didn''t think she''ll swing the textbook with all her might !? As a bonus, Inda-sensei even told me to write 20 pages of reflections by the end of school! " Mimuru raised her voice to vent her feelings out of her mind. Looks like, she fell asleep during Inda-sensei''s lesson and she was punished. When Nozomu glanced at Sh¨©na who was next to him, Sh¨©na said, "Is that the reason?", then she shrugged her shoulders with a bitter smile. "This is Inda-sensei we are talking about. If it wasn''t for me, you would have had a sermon course in the staff room or interview room after school. Are you okay with that?" "Ugh¡­¡­¡­¡­" Looks like Tom was the one who suggested the writing reflection as punishment. Judging by Mimuru''s facial expression, it would have been worse otherwise. Inda-sensei is a very talented teacher, but she is also known for being serious and strict. While taking charge of the second class, Inda-sensei sometimes takes charge of the first class as the substitute of the busy Jihad Roundel. Mimuru, who fell asleep in such a teacher''s class, will suffer the consequences... "Finally, it''s over. Mimuru, you''re taking too long." Sh¨©na called out to Mimuru as if she was tired of waiting. "It can''t be helped! I wrote 20 pages of reflections !!" "If you don''t like it, just take the class seriously ..." "I, I took it seriously!" "Well, you slept in about 10 minutes tho... " "Wha, Tom!" Mimuru tried to gloss it over, but even her lover, Tom, began to find fault in her. "... That''s not how you take it seriously. You didn''t take notes either, did you? I was saying that because nowadays, we might have a sudden exam on the spot." "Uu~ ... alright! But, I''ll have Tom show me his notes !!" Mimuru glared at her traitor lover with tears and drawing closer to Tom while groaning "u~ u~". Perhaps Tom thought he had done a little too much, he scratched his cheek and showed a bitter smile, accepting Mimuru''s request. "Haha ... well, that''s okay, Mimuru." "Tom, don''t spoil your lover too much." "Hmm! Tom is always on my side so it''s okay !!" Perhaps because Tom had returned to her side, Mimuru stuck out her chest as if she had regained her momentum and turned her proud face towards Sh¨©na. Originally, Mimuru had to be the one to suffer the consequences, but it seemed that for Tom, it was more important to be by her side instead. The reflection writing and her dozing off during class were no longer on her mind. In this situation, she would fall asleep again in the next lesson. As Sh¨©na was holding her head due to Mimuru''s selfish behavior, Irisdina and Tima came and called out to Nozomu. "Nozomu, I''m sorry to have kept you waiting." "S, sorry to make you wait ..." "N, no, I haven''t waited that long." "That''s right. I wasn''t even bored." Irisdina and Tima apologized for being a little late, but since both Nozomu and Mars were talking to Sh¨©na and her friends, they didn''t feel like waiting that long and told them not to worry. "Iris, actually, Sh¨©na and her friends have a request to participate in our training." "Hmm? Is that so?" Nozomu conveyed Sh¨©na''s request to Irisdina. "Yes, would you please let me participate?" "... I think it''s fine. What about Ai?" "I think it''s okay. Didn''t Nozomu already agree to it?" Neither Tima nor Irisdina had any reason to decline, so they were willing to accept Sh¨©na''s request. Sh¨©na was also relieved that her request was accepted. "I''m glad. Then, please treat me well." "Oh, about that, I also agreed to it!" Mimuru listened to Irisdina and the others'' conversation and raised her face. She regained her energy due to Tom''s voice, but she was still rubbing her head, looked like the place that was hit by Inda-sensei is still hurts. "Su~re, with more people training together, we can have a variety of experiences and the range of training will expand." "Alright! If we''ve decided to do so, let''s go! Let''s go right away!! Hurry up!" Perhaps Mimuru was in a good mood since their request was accepted, she wrapped her arm around her lover''s arm, grabbed Mars'' arm with her other hand, and rushed out. "Wha, Oi!" "Mi, Mimuru! Uwa!" "Ah, Mars-kun !?" "Please, wait a minute!" Tima and Somia hurriedly start chasing after Mimuru who suddenly rushed out while dragging the two men. "Haa, good grief ..." "Haha! It looks fun. Alright, we''ll follow them too." "Eh~? Wa!" "Wait, Iris !?" Sh¨©na was astonished by Mimuru being suddenly in high spirits, but Irisdina wondered if Mimuru was having fun, so she also grabbed Nozomu and Sh¨©na''s hands and started running after Mimuru. "Wait a minute! Fast, it''s too fast!" "If we don''t hurry, we''ll lose sight of them! Do your best, Sh¨©na-kun!" "Hahaha ..." Sh¨©na couldn''t keep up with the sudden change in the situation, and sometimes her legs would get tangled, but Irisdina kept running. Nozomu gave himself up, and only a bitter smile appeared on his mouth. However, at that moment, Nozomu noticed something strange. Someone was peeking at him. "Hmm?" Nozomu traced the source of the gaze he sensed, but could not clearly identify it. However, Nozomu remembered about this gaze. (This is¡­¡­) "Nozomu, we don''t have time to be in a daze. If we don''t hurry, we''ll lose sight of them!" "......Eh?" Nozomu tried to find the figure of the owner of that gaze, but suddenly the power pulling his hand became stronger, so he hastily accelerated. In the end, when they arrived at the outer edge of the city, Nozomu and Sh¨©na were exhausted, and Irisdina was in a good mood as she smiled, probably because she felt like she was returning to her childhood for the first time in a long time. *** "Take this!" "Fu~!" After discussion, it was decided to first know each other''s abilities and way of fighting, so that Irisdina and Mimuru would fight in a mock battle first. Mimuru tried to take advantage of her high physical ability which was the characteristic of the beastman, but she still couldn''t break through their power gap due to Irisdina''s swordsmanship and high-speed magic casting by *Immediate Deployment*. In the beginning, Irisdina didn''t going offensive because she was waiting and see, but perhaps she had already determined Mimuru''s abilities after exchanging blows to some extent, Irisdina gradually increased the intensity of her attacks. "Hyaah!" "Ha~ !!" Irisdina''s rapier grazed Mimuru''s cheek. Moreover, Irisdina immediately activated her magic, wind swirling around Mimuru. Mimuru and Irisdina were trapped inside the wall of wind. "This is bad !!" A voice escaped from Mimuru''s mouth. The generated wall of wind completely separated the space between them and the outside, and within that narrow space, Mimuru couldn''t make full use of her agility. Of course, that was Irisdina''s goal, and she didn''t miss this opportunity. Irisdina used her body strengthening magic, closed the gap with Mimuru in an instant, and unleashed a storm of thrust towards Mimuru. "Haaa !!" "Wawwa wawwa!" Mimuru managed to dodge the storm of thrusts with her reflexes, but Irisdina''s thrusts which were strengthened by physical strengthening, were not only fast but also heavy, and Mimuru was gradually pushed. Perhaps Mimuru had reached the limit, the knife was blown away from her hand and the rapier was struck at her throat. "Game over ... right?" "... Ahh, that''s right. I lost." After Mimuru admitted defeat, Irisdina put her rapier back into its scabbard and Mimuru also picked up the blown knife. "Thank you for your hard work. It was a good match." "Thank you, Nozomu" Nozomu handed the water bottles to the two who came back. "Thank you! A~a, I couldn''t win after all" She didn''t think she could beat the A-ranked Irisdina, but she still felt disappointed, and Mimuru dropped her shoulders for short time. Her ears, which were usually moving energetically, seemed to hang down. "But Mimuru is amazing. You can last that long against Irisdina-san, so I think you can have a little confidence." "Is that so? Ehehe..." However, as expected, Mimuru recovered so quickly. As soon as Tom complimented her a bit, she smiled and her ears rejuvenated. Still, her face became red, perhaps she was embarrassed at being praised by her lover. "Next, Nozomu and I will do it. Be my opponent for a bit." "Alright, but wait a minute" "Mars-kun ..." "... I know ..." Mars asked Nozomu to be his opponent, and Nozomu agreed. Tima was worried that Mars would do something reckless again, she called out his name in a faint voice. Mars knew he was a little reckless in today''s mock battle, but maybe because there was still a hint of impatience in his heart, he answered Tima''s plea but his voice was a little stiff. Nozomu and Mars faced each other and prepared their own specialized weapons. Mars took out the greatsword from its scabbard and held it in a Seigan-no-Kamae (Kendo Stance), and Nozomu lowered his back and put his hand on the hilt of the katana that was still in the scabbard. "Who do you think will win?" "Hmm. Mars has higher physical strength, but his opponent is Nozomu..." "I don''t know what would happen if he uses attacking techniques such as *Phantom* ..." "He has never used it in mock battles until now. It''s because it''s too deadly ...... Anyway, how come Sh¨©na, Tom, and Mimuru know about his technique?" When Mimuru asked about which one would win, Tom and Sh¨©na predicted it would depend on what tactics Nozomu used, but Irisdina responded to the conversation by asking why they knew about Nozomu''s technique. Sh¨©na and her friends were petrified at once. Irisdina''s doubts were justified, and both Somia and Tima by her side also turned their gazes to Sh¨©na and her friends. They didn''t know how Nozomu befriended Sh¨©na and her friends. Nozomu and Sh¨©na had been told by Jihad that they shouldn''t talk about the black demon beast to anyone else, not even Irisdina and the others. However, Irisdina and the others also felt concerned about this matter. Because Nozomu was clearly acting strange before the incident with the black demon beast happened. Nozomu didn''t want to answer no matter how many times he was pressured to answer the questions, even though it was so obvious he did something reckless again. They knew something was going on, but they couldn''t step on it as if they were being blocked by a transparent ice wall. Two weeks after the incident, Nozomu and the others seemed to be gradually recovering over time, but what stuck to their chests had not disappeared. Irisdina thought she shouldn''t interfere too much, but just as she was wondering why Sh¨©na knew about Nozomu''s technique, she instinctively asked. And now, because of her own words, the lid covering her heart opened albeit slightly and resulted in a strangely awkward atmosphere. "Well, various things happened ..." Sh¨©na whispered so to Irisdina who stared at them. "Various things¡­¡­?" "Yes, various things ..." The two were completely silent. Everyone couldn''t say anything and remained silent. However, Nozomu and Mars looked at each other''s appearances, perhaps because they weren''t aware of the conversation between Irisdina and the others. Finally, when Nozomu lowered his body''s center of gravity further, Mars also exhaled and started sending his Qi throughout his body. Nozomu also focused his Qi on his feet, and as he tried to move forward, a voice called out to stop the battle can be heard. "Could you give me a minute?" It was not a loud voice, and when everyone turned to the source of the voice, they could see a male student in Solminati Academy uniform was walking towards them. "¡­¡­You" "Yo, Nozomu. Can you give me a little of your time?" Golden hair, ears and tail. His slit pupils and the smile that appeared on his neat face should have been attractive, but on the contrary, his smile looked suspicious because they had no idea what he was thinking, and in his right hand he carried something like a sling bag. 3rd year, 2nd class, Feo Rishitza. He was the previous Fox-tailed boy who collided with Nozomu in the corridor. Chapter 5.6 Translator : PolterGlast Nozomu''s POV "Yo, Nozomu. Can you give me a little of your time?" He, Feo Rishitza, told me so with ease as if asking a friend for a little errand. "You¡­¡­" I was staring at Feo with eyes full of suspicion. Even though he had a seemingly gentle expression and a well-organized sweet face, I was familiar with his facial expressions and felt uncomfortable. His pupils were as thin as a thread, but I felt his gaze penetrate me from the depths of his eyes, and I couldn''t help but feel suspicious of it. His gaze was the same as the one I felt at that time. The same gaze I felt after I was called to the back of the school building by my classmates, and the one I felt in front of the main gate earlier. Perhaps Iris and the others were also surprised by the sudden arrival of a guest, their eyes completely glued to Feo. "Ah ~. Is he your acquaintance?" "Yup, Somicchi. He is our classmate. He doesn''t belong to a fixed party because he always loitering around, but he''s a pretty capable guy... I don''t know why he is here tho... " Somia-chan, who didn''t know about Feo, asked, and Mimuru answered her question, but I still couldn''t take my eyes off Feo. "... What do you want?" I asked Feo why he came here, but what was happening behind the school building and the gaze I felt at that time naturally made my voice became intimidating. "Why so stiff~." "..." Feo spoke to me casually. It was a voice that slipped right into people''s hearts, but that voice further fuels my vigilance. "...Haa, somehow you''re so wary of me, but... why?" Feo muttered in a quiet voice, it seemed like he genuinely didn''t understand why I am so vigilant. His gestures and facial expressions didn''t seem like acting. "What''s wrong, Feo-kun?" "Did you wander and end up in this place?" Not knowing the reason, Tom and Mimuru openly asked Feo about their questions. Good grief, they weren''t cautious at all. By the way, they were the same second-class students as Feo ¡­¡­. "I told you. I need something with Nozomu." While answered the question, Feo started to move towards me. He walk slowly but firmly. Only the sound of sizzling was heard in my ears, caused by Feo trampling on the soil and grass, and everyone naturally closed their mouths. "Well, I have a business with him in this place, that is ..." Eventually, when the distance between Feo and me only a few meters left¡­¡­. "!!" I suddenly felt chills run on my back, so I jumped back with all my might. The next moment, I could feel a sudden gust of wind. Feo''s sling bag swung up overhead, passing through in front of me. I was surprised at the sudden event, but immediately pulled out my katana and prepared for the pursuit. "Oh, so you can avoid it" Feo dexterously returned the sling bag he was swinging and he returned to his original standing position. However, he chased no further and stood there with the same laid-back attitude as before. "Wait a minute! Feo! What are you going to do!!" "That''s right! What are you doing attacking all of a sudden!!" Iris and Sh¨©na shouted at Feo who suddenly attacked, but Feo didn''t lose his expression. Instead, He didn''t even bother to look at Iris and Sh¨©na, who were shouting at him. "Hey, Nozomu. Would you like to duel with me?" "...?" "You! What did you say after you suddenly attacked him!!" I couldn''t measure Feo''s way of thinking because of his sudden proposal, but maybe Mars was enraged by Feo''s words, Mars thrust the greatsword in his hand towards Feo. However, Feo didn''t seem to be interested in Mars either. He didn''t even look at him and kept his eyes on Nozomu. "Come, let''s do it~. Nozomu~" "Hey! Cut the crap..." Mars tried to drew closer as if he had no intention of listening to Feo, but Feo swiped Mars'' greatsword with a wrapping he had in his hand and it warps into Mars''s bosom with such a flowing motion. "Hotto~" "Wha !?" The next moment, Mars was thrown to the ground. Before I knew it, Feo had a stick¡­ no, a staff in his hand, and it was stuck to Mars'' face. Everyone who was there was at a loss for words and was fascinated. Feo''s sling bag was thrown away, swept away by the wind, and fell to the ground. "...You, f.." "Could you be quiet for a second? I''m still talking to Nozomu now." Mars tried to use abusive language, but Feo told Mars in a compelling manner. "... Shall we stop him?" "Yeah. He is a frivolous person on a daily basis and he is hard to grasp, but I can''t overlook this anymore." "...Ehh? I understand if it''s the black-haired princess, but why Sh¨©na too?" Perhaps because the current Feo cannot be overlooked anymore, Iris and Sh¨©na tried to pull out their specialized weapons and stop Feo. The two''s voices when calling Feo were different from usual, it had changed to something more intimidating. However, Feo in question didn''t seem to be nervous even if he was intimidated by them. From the fact that he was able to seize Mars, it was clear that Feo had one of the best abilities in the school, however, I couldn''t feel any passion peculiar to such a strong person from the current him. However, it stimulated my vigilance even more. His combat ability and lack of passion didn''t match. It seemed he had some self-control, and that was enough to hide his own abilities. Clearly, he is a dangerous opponent. Several demon beasts completely hid their fangs, leaving their opponent unprepared, and attacked at that gap. And most of the time, such fangs were aimed when they could surely kill the opponent. The current Feo was like a snake hiding and waiting for its prey. "...That''s natural. If a classmate suddenly makes such a violence, he must be stopped!" "...something is different from the usual Sh¨©na..." Feo tilted his head, perhaps he had doubts about Sh¨©na''s unusual behavior. However, he decided to contain himself and put the question aside for now while saying, "Well, it doesn''t matter for now!" "Hmm~. Apart from Sh¨©na, it seems interesting to have a fight with the black-haired princess~. However, I don''t have time to argue, so I beg your pardon." While saying so, Feo grabbed Mars'' neck and waist, suddenly his magic power raged from within his body. He lifted Mars'' body without difficulty and threw Mars towards Irisdina and Sh¨©na. "Uo~o !!" "Wha !!" Irisdina and Sh¨©na caught Mars'' body that was thrown, but in the meantime, Feo reached for his pocket and took out a piece of paper, and poured his magical power into it. That is a specially processed paper that is usually used in eastern magic, the *Talisman Technique*. Feo sent his magical power into the talisman and hit it to the ground. A line of light appeared and ran along the earth''s surface. The line of light extended and surrounded Iris, Sh¨©na, and the others in a hexagonal shape, and a wall of light rose like a castle wall along the line of light. "This is, barrier magic !?" "Sorry~. But I don''t want to be disturbed. Can you guys just stay still in there?" Iris was surprised. Everyone other than me was completely isolated by Feo''s magic barrier and trapped within it. However, no matter how he tried to trap them using a magic barrier, Iris, Tima, and the others definitely had the ability as first-class magic casters. In fact, Tima immediately tried to destroy the magic barrier that trapped them. "Anyway, let''s destroy this barrier ..." Magical power raged from Tima''s body. A torrent-like magical power gathered on her wand, and a storm of magical power blew inside the narrow barrier. "Uwa~!" "Hi~yaa!" "Wait, Tima-san! Think about the place!" Due to the strong wind caused by the high magical power, everyone squinted their eyes, raised their arms, and hid their faces with it. Anyway, it''s not important, but I didn''t see the girls holding down their skirts. Eventually, the raging magical power gathered at the tip of Tima''s wand, and she thrust the wand to the ground. Then, the earth''s surface suddenly rose and floated, it changed shape and turned into a huge rock spear. The size of the huge rock spear was so huge that even if 10 adults gathered and tried to lift it, it couldn''t be lifted. The tip of the huge rock spear was aimed at the barrier in front of her. *Sharp Rock Dance* Similar to the magic *Icicle Dance* that Iris used when she had a mock battle with me, it is magic that formed a rock like a spear and shoot it towards the opponent. However, the size of the rock spear created was huger compared to Iris''s icicle. Tima''s magic is incomparable even to Iris''s magic. That alone showed the qualities of her magic. The moment Tima swung her wand, the huge rock spear accelerated at once and crashed into the barrier Feo had set up. Feo''s magic barrier shattered in front of Tima''s rock spear... "What the ..." The barrier that should have been destroyed was immediately regenerated and restored. "Wow ~, I was surprised. As expected from the Four-Scale Concerto, your legendary level magical power is not just for show ... Without this, My magic barrier would have been blown away in one shot ..." Feo took out a magic stone. The magic stone had two talismans attached to it, and the talismans had incomprehensible characters written on it. If I take a closer look, one of them seems to be the same one that Feo used to create the magic barrier earlier. "That is¡­¡­" "Hmm? Oh, this? This is a handmade magic tool I bought in the city, it is made by putting talismans on the magic stone. The talisman attached to it would suck the magical power out of the magic stone. As long as the magical power of the magic stone continues to be sucked in, magic will be generated repeatedly. However, once activated, it will not stop until it runs out of magical power. Besides, for practical use, the magic stones are disposable and they are expensive¡­ Thanks to that, my wallet is quite empty now¡­¡± Feo dropped his shoulders as if feeling miserable. The magic stone he brought out continued to emit a faint light, and I could see that the magic barrier was shining in sync with that light, so what Feo said might be true. It is necessary to continue pouring magical power in order to maintain the magic barrier, and once the magic barrier is destroyed, it will be regenerated. The only way for Irisdina and the others to escape was to destroy Feo''s magic tool or to wait for the magical power to run out. I don''t know what Feo was thinking, but he said he wanted to fight me. I don''t know why Feo is so curious about me, but it is a fact that he is interested in me. This might be a good opportunity to find out. "Well, I have nothing to lose, so let''s do it!" I was wondering what to do, but Feo put the magic tool in his pocket and happily held the staff in his hand without worrying about my opinion. However, even though I took out my katana, I still didn''t take up a fighting stance. "...Hmm? You don''t want to?" "Why did you do something so strange? It''s not normal to suddenly force someone to a duel..." While tilting his head, Feo asked me because he doubted me never taking a fighting stance. "Hmm ... alright then" Although I haven''t taken a fighting stance yet, my alarm bell continued to ring. However, in order to confirm Feo''s aim, I decided to accept his duel request. "...To be honest, I also have something to ask you." "Hee? What is it?" "You instigated my classmates to call me behind the school building, right?" "......Why do you think so?" Feo answered my question with a slight pause. I felt his gaze that was looking at me shaken slightly. "... I know what others think of me in the school. Most of them show only negative emotions towards me." Thus, I am familiar with how I am viewed at the school. Except for a few people, such as Anri-sensei, Iris, Sh¨©na, and their friends who are usually in contact with me. "But I can''t feel those negative emotions from your gaze." That''s why it''s rare to feel someone''s gaze other than negative emotions. And most importantly, the gaze I feel from Feo now is the same as I felt at that time. "...And your gaze is the same gaze I felt behind the school building back then." At that time, the talisman used for the long-distance vision technique was found at the end of the gaze. And there were only a few Talisman Technique users in this Solminati Academy. "The person peeking at me at that time is the same Talisman Technique user as you. If so, then..." Of course, what I said was just circumstantial evidence. As long as it''s not solid physical evidence, I have no way of overturning it if he doesn''t admit it. "Hee, I was surprised. So you noticed..." However, the fox-tailed boy in front of me admitted it with a happy face. He was like a mischievous kid who had been found out. Feo didn''t reveal his smile that often. His eyes were wide open and his slit pupils were shining brightly, and his mouth was smiling. A feeling of intimidation that I had never felt before rose rapidly, and I unconsciously prepared for my fighting stance and wielded my katana. "This is more than I expected. I didn''t think you were aware of that ... Then, let''s do it!" To be honest, I don''t know why he is so curious about me, but Feo''s eyes aren''t normal right now. It was like a hungry dog that had been abandoned for a long time. Looking at how he challenged me forcefully despite the presence of my friends, even if I avoided today''s fight, there was a possibility that he would use other means. So, rejecting him here is definitely not a solution. Then there is no choice but to fight him and find out the reason. As far as I can see, he can defeat Mars easily. Even if that is due to Mars underestimated him, it is clear that Feo has the ability of the upper-grade students. He is not someone who I can manage half-heartedly. I sent Qi throughout my body and held my katana in the "Seigan no Kamae" Stance. *Ba-dump* " !! " My vision was dyed red for a moment. The nightmare I had just seen this morning and the tragedy I had caused resurfaced in my mind, and a feeling of nausea ran down the back of my throat. "Then! Let''s go Nozomu!" However, Feo would not wait. With Feo approaching in front of me, I forcefully swallowed the nausea and ran towards him. Chapter 5.7 Translator : PolterGlast Feo''s magical power within his whole body intensified. He ran towards Nozomu, took out a single talisman, and poured his magical power into it. After the talisman shone for a moment, it disappeared, and a light wrapped around Feo''s body. This is body strengthening magic using a talisman. "Then, I''ll give it a try!" " !! " The staff that Feo thrust casually came from in front of Nozomu. No power is wasted, and the thrust is barely visible. Nozomu managed to turn his head to the side and dodge it. Feo Immediately tried to launch another trust with his staff, but Nozomu managed to stop it with his katana. However, because Feo''s strength was stronger, Nozomu''s posture was greatly broken. "Here''s another one!" After Feo took out another talisman from his pocket and activated it, a large amount of wind was generated in front of him, and it rushed towards Nozomu. "Guh~!!" For Nozomu whose posture was broken, there was no room to dodge it, and the rushing mass of wind hit Nozomu''s body. Although Nozomu was blown away, he managed to jump back and weakens the impact just before the mass of wind is about to hit his body. However, perhaps he wasn''t able to use the ukemi due to the sudden impact, a voice of agony leaked out due to the shock and pain as he was struck on the ground. (Tl: Ukemi is a technique of falling safely in the form of a back roll). The moment Nozomu found a moving shadow in his vision swaying in pain, he rolled away from his spot in a hurry. As soon as Nozomu left the spot, Feo''s staff sank to the ground with a *bam* sound. Had he left a little later, he would have been crushed. "Not over yet ~" Feo was pursuing further. The staff held in both of his hands was swung around with the trunk as the starting point and swung from the top to bottom, left to right. Although it was not as powerful as Mars''s greatsword, the staff, which was given sufficient weight and rotational power, had no gaps and was capable of continuous heavy attacks. "Guh~ !!" Nozomu thought that even if he tried to block it from the front, his katana would only be repelled and overwhelmed, so he continued to fend off Feo''s continuous attacks while sliding his legs back like in his previous mock battle with Irisdina. However, Feo''s continuous attacks didn''t stop. His barrage of attacks added centrifugal force on the staff he swung, further increasing his momentum as he approached Nozomu. What''s more, it wasn''t just the staff that attacked Nozomu. "Take this!" " !! " Feo''s fist grazed Nozomu''s cheek. In addition, a roundhouse kick was launched at Nozomu''s flank, but Nozomu managed to jump backward and dodge the kick. Looks like, not only staff attacks, Feo can also do fists and kicks. In a sense, it is very similar to the katana-jutsu (katana technique) used by Nozomu. Nozomu''s katana technique is a comprehensive combat technique that uses not only katana but also scabbard and taijutsu (body technique). And it seemed that Feo''s swordsmanship was also considered to use physical techniques such as fists and kicks. However, unlike Nozomu, Feo can use talisman techniques. It was clearly different from Nozomu, who relied solely on Qi techniques. "Next is this one" " !! " As their distance widened, Feo took out several talismans and quickly activated his technique. Three thunderballs appeared in the air and launched towards Nozomu. Three thunderballs that appeared in the air rushed towards Nozomu, their main target, like loyal watchdogs. However, Nozomu immediately left his current spot and jumped to the side with an Instant Move. "Guh~ !!" The launched thunderballs collided with the ground and scattered lightning bolts to the surroundings. Nozomu was affected by it, and his movements slowed down slightly. After seeing Nozomu''s slow movements, Feo activated the talisman technique again. This time, he made three fireballs and fired them towards Nozomu. (Damn! As I thought, there is no chance of winning in a long-distance battle !!) Feo and Nozomu. Comparing the disposition of the two, a long-distance battle would be Feo''s dominance. Three more fireballs approached Nozomu, but he changed his *Instant Move* into *Instant Move -Curve Dance-* and after making a 90-degree turn, he stepped towards Feo in an instant. "Oh~ " Feo made a slightly surprised voice to Nozomu who changed the movement direction without decelerating at all. The flying fireball that was released deviated greatly and flew away. Feo put his hand in his pocket again. (Do you think I will let you! ) In order to hinder Feo from using his talisman technique, Nozomu focused his Qi on his legs and increased his speed to close the gap in an instant. But... "Fu~!" "Wha !?" It wasn''t a talisman but a knife that Feo took from his pocket and threw it towards Nozomu. There was barely anything that can be called a handle. Nozomu, who was the aim, deflected it with his katana. Meanwhile, Feo had finished sending his magical power into the talisman that he took out again and threw that talisman towards Nozomu. "Here, another one ~" The talisman thrown by Feo was activated, and a mass of wind was generated in front of him. It rushed towards Nozomu, affecting the surrounding air, and creating a spiral of wind. It was the same magic Irisdina used before, *Wind Tunnel of the Hungry Beast*. Even so, Nozomu continued moving forward without stopping. Wind spirals approached from the front to tear Nozomu''s body apart. Nozomu twisted his body just before the wind spiral hit his body, and he dashed past the side of the wind spiral with *Instant Move -Curve Dance-*. The wind spiral grazed his body and cut his uniform. Blood spurted from Nozomu''s shoulder, but he didn''t care. He closed the distance and swung his katana towards Feo. "Uo!" Feo was taken aback by Nozomu''s sudden attack, but he was still able to stop the blow with his staff. Feo''s staff, which was made of metal and can block the fangs of demon beasts, blocked Nozomu''s slash without being cut in half. Previously, Feo threw a knife and magic at Nozomu in quick succession. Feo thought even though it couldn''t bring Nozomu down, it could at least stop him. Feo didn''t expect Nozomu to be able to break through both his knife and technique at once. "Fu~ !!" Nozomu launched a diagonal slash, a reverse slash, and a horizontal slash. It wasn''t fast, but he launched a solid continuous attack. There was no gap in his attack. It was a continuous attack that gradually cornered the opponent. Nozomu couldn''t win the fight in one go because he is inferior in terms of physical ability, so he used continuous attacks that could definitely push the opponent into the wall. It can also bring out feelings of frustration and impatience to the opponent. (Hmm. This swordsmanship. This shouldn''t be possible for someone who remained in 10th class.) "... Uoo !!" Feo was a little agitated when Nozomu was suddenly closing in, but he soon regained his composure. Feo was impressed by Nozomu''s delicate attack while calmly handling his continuous attacks, but Feo was suddenly surprised by what was coming in front of him and moved backward. What passed in front of Feo was Nozomu''s leg, which was swung in the form of a roundhouse kick. Furthermore, Nozomu stepped forward and swung his katana down at Feo¡¯s right shoulder. "Wha!" Although Feo was a little taken aback, he was able to parry Nozomu''s attacks with his staff without any problems. However, for Nozomu, being parried by Feo was still part of his plan. After he swung his katana, Nozomu rotated his body while pulling his own body towards his katana, and spun sideways while closing the gap with Feo. As soon as Nozomu spun sideways, he lowered his posture and dash to the side. Feo lost sight of Nozomu for a moment because Nozomu''s movement was performed at a close distance. "Wha~ !?" Feo, who was flustered because he lost sight of Nozomu for a moment, hurriedly tried to turn towards Nozomu, but Nozomu restrained Feo''s staff with his scabbard and temporarily restrained Feo''s movement. "Haa !!" "Kuh~ !!" Nozomu swung his katana down but Feo was still able to respond to Nozomu''s attack. He let go of the staff in his hand in a hurry and escaped from Nozomu''s slash by bending his body backward. Perhaps he realized that this pace was not good for him, Feo jumped back and took out a talisman. After being activated with magical power, lightning rages indiscriminately between Nozomu and Feo. It simply turned the magical power sent into it into a certain attribute and spread it all over the place, but Nozomu, who was trying to pursue further, was stopped and the gap widened again. "It, it was dangerous!" "Kuh~ !!" However, Feo didn''t use another talisman. He just repositioned himself. Silence and tension returned between the two who were far apart. *** As Nozomu and Feo fought each other, Irisdina and the others had no choice but to hold back and watch the battle between them from within the barrier Feo had erected. "What should we do!? Sh¨©na!" Mimuru raised a frustrated voice. "I also wanted to ask the same thing, you know!? I didn''t know Feo was so strong!" As of now, Feo had dominated the fight between the two. Sh¨©na and her friends had witnessed Nozomu''s abilities in the incident with the black demon beast. With Nozomu''s ability to escape from the demon beast, they thought that Nozomu would be able to fight well against Feo which Sh¨©na and her friends knew about. However, that was not the case in the current battle. Of course, various things made Nozomu hesitate, and because of that, he didn''t want to use his Qi techniques. However, judging by Sh¨©na''s words, Feo seemed to be hiding his abilities from his surroundings. While Sh¨©na and her friends were in a panic, Irisdina managed to contain her inner impatience in her heart and thought about how to manage the current situation. Sh¨©na and her friends seemed more flustered than Irisdina and the others. It was because they knew the usual Feo, so the gap they felt about the current him was huge. "... Tom-kun, seems like he is in the same class as you guys, but is he someone who used to do something like this?" "N-no. It''s true that he always has an easygoing attitude, and since he''s such a moody person, he doesn''t get along well with Inda-sensei and Sh¨©na, but at least he is not someone who would do something out of the blue like this?" "T-then ... why?" "We don''t need to know what his reason is! The first thing to do now is to stop that fox guy !!" Tom answered Irisdina''s question, but apparently, Feo wasn''t the type of person to suddenly attack like this. Tima let out a confused voice, but Mars said that the current situation had to be managed. Certainly, their current situation would not improve as it is now. "...Yeah. I don''t know why he did this to Nozomu, but for now we have to prioritize stopping him." "...That''s true, but what should we do, Ai? Even if I break the barrier with my magic, it will regenerate immediately." "About that, I think we should destroy or render the magic tool unusable. It seems to be self-made, and judging by its appearance, he was probably in a hurry in making it." As Irisdina said, the key to this barrier was Feo''s magic tool. Moreover, this magic tool was made of a simple magic stone with a talisman attached to it. The magic stone sucked in magical power and the talisman generated barriers. Looked like it isn''t that durable, and it seemed like the essential talisman could be peeled off with just one''s bare hands. "How about we keep destroying the barrier until the magic stone''s magical power runs out?" "That''s fine, but since it''s not clear how many times that magic stone can re-generate the barrier, I think it''s faster to destroy the magic stone if we want to break the barrier as soon as possible." Tom proposed a method to destroy the barrier until the magic power of the magic stone was exhausted, but Irisdina decided that it was better to destroy the magic tool instead. It was true that a lot of magical power was wasted because Feo made it in a hurry, but it seemed that he used a fairly good quality magic stone. Although it depended on the accuracy of Feo''s talisman technique, there was also a lot of uncertainty as the number of times the barrier could be re-generated was unclear. However, the current problem is that the magic tool is now in Feo''s pocket. "... Everyone, I want you to listen to me for a bit." With a single voice from Irisdina, everyone who was there listened to her words. *** When Irisdina and the others were trying to manage the barrier that trapped them, Nozomu and Feo were still glaring at each other and observing each other''s movements. (As long as I can''t use any Qi techniques, I shouldn''t attack carelessly... I wanted to end this fight quickly tho ...) (I was surprised¡­ I didn''t think he could go this far¡­ Isn''t he better than me in pure taijutsu?) As Nozomu avoided attacking using Qi techniques, he had no choice but to push through with his sword''s skill. As he was about to hit Feo''s vital point, Nozomu didn''t expect Feo to withdraw in the nick of time. Nozomu is overwhelmingly inferior in physical ability compared to Feo. Although Nozomu is only using taijutsu, the fact that Feo has been cornered is proof that Nozomu outperforms Feo in that aspect. "... I was surprised. I didn''t think you could go this far. To be honest, I didn''t expect this." A voice of admiration came out from Feo''s mouth. To him, Nozomu''s skill was amazing. "...Hey, why are you doing something like this?" Nozomu once again asked why Feo challenged him. "...Well~" "..." Feo was thinking about something. Nozomu just silently waited for his words. "Well, yeah, I''ll tell you. However, I''ll tell you if you can handle the next one." After Feo said that, he took out two talismans from his bosom. He sent magical power with all his might and threw the talismans into the air. The thrown talisman flashed with a crackling noise. It became a flash of dazzling lightning and fell into the staff held by Feo. The staff he was holding was enveloped by the light, and the lightning that couldn''t fit inside the staff was running into the air. Feo''s oppression increased in one go, and Nozomu felt the pressure directly. "Well, as you can see, this is my decisive skill. If you can block this, I''ll talk about anything you want to hear ..." Nozomu squinted his eyes after hearing Feo''s declaration. There was a brief silence, but Nozomu responded by sheathing his katana and showing his sword-drawing stance. "Way to go. That''s what I want !!" Feo smiled heartily because his proposal was accepted. He seemed happy that Nozomu answered him. Feo started to spin the lightning-clad staff overhead. The staff rotated at high speed. At first, the appearance of the staff was clearly visible, but it gradually disappeared, and eventually, it formed a circle. Simultaneously, the lightning that enveloped the staff gradually gathered at both ends of the staff. "Here I go ~ Nozomu!" With his declaration, Feo stepped forward at once. He twisted his body greatly. The staff, which was spinning overhead, was swung along with the momentum towards Nozomu''s left side. Nozomu also tried to take out this katana while moving forward, but at that moment, the lightning that had gathered at the end of Feo''s staff exploded and accelerated the speed of the staff all at once. "Haa !!" Feo''s staff accelerated and gained momentum and tried to mow Nozomu down, but Nozomu immediately pulled out his katana with a loud shrieking sound. Nozomu drew his katana, attacking in the same stroke, and hit Feo''s mowing down staff from diagonally below. (If I block it head-on, I will only get crushed easily. Then ...) The katana and the staff collided. The colliding metal made a sound that hurt one''s ear. Feo and Nozomu who were attacking each other became a tug for a moment, but Feo''s strength was superior after all, and the tug broke in the blink of an eye. However, Nozomu knew that he couldn''t win even if he faced Feo head-on, the moment his katana and Feo''s staff collided, he suddenly twisted his body greatly while dropping his center of gravity and barely touching the ground. Then, Feo''s attack slid along the curve of the katana, and Nozomu stepped forward again while rotating his body. Feo''s defenseless state was exposed, and Nozomu tried to swing his katana at Feo''s right shoulder with rotational momentum. "I got you!!" "You''re naive! Nozomu !!" However, when Feo''s words came into his ears, Nozomu doubted the sight that came into his eyes. Lightning revolving behind Feo. The remnants of the talisman technique that Feo had used to accelerate his attack earlier quickly gathered and formed a ball of lightning, and it flew as if tracing the trajectory of Nozomu''s attack. "Wha !?" Nozomu sent his Qi into his katana and blocked the approaching ball of lightning, but his sword was bounced off by the rushing ball of lightning, and he lost his posture greatly. "Haaaaa !!" Naturally, Feo couldn''t miss this opportunity. Feo launched his staff from the opposite direction with the lightning still enveloping both ends of his staff. "Kuh~ !!" Nozomu managed to regain his stance. He tried to jump out of his current spot, but he couldn''t make it in time. So he placed the scabbard between his body and the approaching staff. "Gaha~ !!" However, even if he defended in time, Nozomu was still blown away. The impact reached his body and made him suffocate. The moment he was blown into the air, his eyes turned white, but somehow he was still trying to prepare for break falls. Eventually, when he hit the ground, his white vision became blurred, and a feeling of numbness invaded his entire body. "Guh~, gaha~a..." Maybe he had a wound inside his mouth, the iron taste stimulated his tongue, but Nozomu''s consciousness was still there. ( !! ) With his heartbeat going *Bad-dump*, the red scenery spread out in front of him again. A raging impulse came from within himself, and at the same time, a feeling of nausea rose. Not only Feo in front of him, but also the scene of Irisdina and the others being killed and torn apart flashed back, and the feeling of nausea increased, but Nozomu tried to bite his lips and endure it. Nozomu shook his head to get rid of that scene. The red scenery faded, and somehow he managed to get up with his katana as support. His feet were quivering, but he was able to stand firmly on his feet. (At least I''m still conscious ... Perhaps, this is thanks to Shish¨­ ... ) Nozomu is voicing meaningful lines to his master inside his head. Perhaps his consciousness is also paralyzed, he remembered about the past, he was somehow forced to fight his master for about an hour in order for him to enquire about something. "What !!" However, it was an unexpected event from Feo''s perspective. No matter how powerful a person was, he would have to be paralyzed and unable to get up for a while if he hit the ground that hard. "¡­¡­Seriously?" Feo just stood there without saying a word. At that moment, a roaring sound and the sound of something shattering resounded in the surroundings. *** "Everyone, are you ready?" Everyone who was there getting ready with Irisdina''s call. "Tima, Mars-kun, I''m counting on you" "Yup" "I get it" After Tima intensified her magical power, she started chanting a spell. The magic she used was the same *Sharp Rock Dance* that could pierce through the barrier. Mars also gathered his Qi into the greatsword, which was his specialized weapon, and enveloped the greatsword¡¯s blades with wind. As soon as Tima''s chant finished, a huge rock spear was created, and when she swung her wand, the rock spear flew straight at the magic barrier, smashed into it, and pierced through the barrier with a thunderous sound. "W-what happened !?" However, Feo''s magic tool immediately closed the large hole in the barrier. The large hole in the barrier quickly became smaller, but Mars rushed towards the hole before it was completely closed. "I won''t let you!" Mars thrust the wind-enveloped greatsword into the hole and sent all of his Qi into the greatsword with all his might. Then, the wind which was enveloping the greatsword widened the hole of the barrier that was going to close. "Now!!" "Nice, Mars-kun!" Along with Mars'' shout, Irisdina activated magic with Immediate Deployment. The magic bullet that formed in the air was launched and attacked Feo through the hole maintained by Mars. "Kuh~ !!" Irisdina''s magic bullet still possessed high magic power and accuracy, and it had considerable power even for beginner magic. Feo spun the staff in his hand and repelled the oncoming magic bullet. Feo managed to fend off the magic bullet that came at him, but Irisdina fired the magic bullets in quick succession. The magic bullets hit Feo accurately without a gap, thus stopping Feo''s movement completely. (O, oh no! If things turned out like this, it would become a bad situation!!) Feo was repelling Iris'' magic bullet, but he became impatient for a moment due to his current situation where his movements were stopped before he realized it. Feo handled the barrage of jet-black magic bullets. However, the moment a flash of light hit him, a tremendous shock ran through his arms, and he dropped the wand he was holding. "Guh~!" Several magic bullets hit Feo who had dropped his weapon, but he tried to avoid Irisdina''s magic by forcibly moving his body while being hit. "W, what ?!" When Feo turned his eyes towards where the flash of light was coming from, to confirm the true nature of the flash of light, there was Sh¨©na holding a bow. Actually, the flash of light was Sh¨©na''s high-power magic arrow, and Irisdina''s magic bullet was only for stalling and hiding Sh¨©na''s magic arrow. However, that was only the beginning. A figure appeared in front of Feo, whose posture was broken due to the magic bullet that was hitting him. "He~l~l~o, Feo!" "... Wha, Mimuru!" It was Mimuru who was right in front of Feo. She passed through the hole in the barrier while Feo''s posture was broken by Sh¨©na''s magic arrow, and closing in on his blind spot. When she brandished her knife, it tore through the chest of Feo''s uniform, and then she caught the magic stone that fell in midair. "Sorry~. I''ll take this!" "Ah, wait, oi! Thief!" Ignoring Feo''s complaint, Mimuru tore the two talismans attached to the magic stone, and after she tore them apart, she crumpled them and threw them away. The barrier of light that covered Irisdina and the others disappeared because the talisman that maintained the barrier got destroyed. "T-this is really bad!" Feo realized his disadvantage because the barrier had disappeared. He immediately decided to escape and started to flee at full speed, but suddenly he floated and lost the sense of the ground beneath his feet. "¡­¡­Eh?" Felt curious, he looked at his feet, but there was no ground that should be there, and there was only a big hole. "W-what is this~~ ?!!" Naturally, he had no way to escape gravity, so he fell into the dark hole with a vain scream. *** "He, hello~ Everyone, how do you do ..." Feo''s empty greeting echoed in the sunset sky. He had only his head above the ground, and everything else of his body was buried in the ground. "Nice one, Tom. If you weren''t there, we might have failed to catch this fox." "Well, I thought it would be better to catch him. And the magic I used was just a simple one..." "I think it was a good decision. I can''t make a contract with the spirits at that time ... " Actually, the pit that appeared at Feo''s feet was Tom''s magic. Tom predicted that Feo was going to run away, so while everyone was dealing with Feo, Tom chanted and set it up in advance. It was magic that simply made a hole at one''s feet, but it was enough to trap him. By the way, Nozomu is now having Irisdina cast healing magic on him. "...Eh? Does Sh¨©na use spirit magic? We''re in the same class, but I''ve never seen you use it?" "It doesn''t matter. More importantly, why are you doing this!" When Sh¨©na was questioned why she could use spirit magic, she hurriedly diverted the topic. It seemed that everyone was wondering why Feo challenged Nozomu, and their eyes were focused on Feo, who had only his head above the ground. Nozomu was also curious about the reason, so he was looking closely at Feo while being healed by healing magic. "... Well, there''s no big reason. I just wanted to know more about Nozomu." Feo continued to talk about his story. "Solminati Academy adheres to meritocracy. If you are strong, it will be good, and if you are weak, they will not even give you a second glance. Such a boring place." Feo showed his indignation without holding back. His facial expression showed disgust, and he seemed to be saying what he truly felt. "Well, at first I was excited and was looking forward to it. It''s fun to get stronger. But now I''m tired of it..." Feo made a shrugging gesture, it couldn''t be seen because his body was buried in the ground. However, in the next moment, he looked up at Nozomu with his glittering child-like eyes. "At that time, you caught my eye! A problem child, *Black-Haired Princess*, and *Four-Scale Concerto*! When I knew that such a gathering was possible, I thought, "This must be interesting"!! Well, I couldn''t help myself~ So I just did various things after that~~" Feo telling his story with a happy expression. "...In other words, you did something like this to satisfy your own curiosity?" "Well, to be honest, that''s may be the case ~~" Feo confirmed Irisdina''s question, maybe his words caused a headache, Irisdina pressed her temples, "¡­¡­You¡­¡­" "Unbelievable¡­¡­" "Ha, ahahahaha ..." At this point, Irisdina and Sh¨©na were no longer surprised, and Nozomu just let out a dry laugh. "Nozomu, why are you laughing! According to his story, the incident behind the school building is also due to this guy!" "Well, that''s true. But, I think that will eventually happen someday even if Feo didn''t do something about it. So, I didn''t think much of it." (It seems that he doesn''t know about me being a dragonslayer ...) Mars complained about Nozomu''s flippant attitude. Nozomu expected that Feo would know him being a dragonslayer, so he was relieved that Feo was just interested in him. "...Nozomu-kun, what are you going to do? In thais case, I think you should decide what to do with him..." ¡°Let''s see. I have no intention of taking care of him. We had a hard time, but he doesn''t seem to have any malicious intent¡­ well, I think what he did was going too far¡­¡± "Oh! As expected of Nozomu! A good man sure is different~~!!" Nozomu will not taking care of him. Feo was relieved by the good news, but that didn''t mean Nozomu would forgive what he had done. "... Again, what he did was going too far ..." "... Eh? I have a bad feeling about it ..." With Nozomu''s words, a strange feeling of tension began to float up. "Oi, everyone !!" "Nozomu-san! Thank you for waiting !!" At that time, Mimuru and Somia''s voices echoed. Mimuru had a burlap sack in her hands for some reason. "Hmm? What are those two doing?" "Well, I have a request for them..." Mimuru and Somia rushed to Nozomu and handed him the burlap sack. They could hear a noise from the sack, probably because something was inside it, and it was somehow squirming. "Nozomu-kun! Is this okay !?" "Yeah. Thank you both of you." "Ummm ... what are you going to use it for?" "Hmm? Punishment for the mischievous fox" Nozomu looked back at Feo and slowly walked towards him. The way Nozomu held the sack for some reason stirred a strange sense of fear, and chills ran down Feo''s back. "... W, w, w-what is it, Nozomu? What''s inside that sack?" "...There are a variety of insects in this forest. From edible ones to poisonous ones. However, there are plenty of insects that are quite useful for making medicine. So this is a good time and I thought of providing evidence with a long-awaited approach ... " "... Ummm, I''m sorry. But, I decli..." Without waiting for Feo''s answer, Nozomu opened the mouth of the sack and put it on Feo''s head. Naturally, countless insects are wriggling inside. Moreover, the mouth of the sack is tied to prevent the insects from escaping to the outside. "Gyaaaaaaaaaa! Something! There is something! It''s pricking, it''s slimy, it''s sticky, it''s crawling ..." Feo''s screams echoed and tearing through the sunset sky. In a pitch-black vision, insects crawling around his face. Just imagining it giving them goosebumps, and in fact, the women were completely uncomfortable. The faces of Somia and Mimuru who have taken the insects are also completely frightened. "Uwa! Something just wrapped around my neck !! Gya! My ears, something has entered my ears !! Bu~! My nose, something came into my nose !!" "Well then, the sun has fallen, so let''s go home." "W-wha, Nozomu. What about him?" "Hmm? Isn''t it alright to just leave him alone? Regardless of how it looks and how it feels when touched, it doesn''t contain any harmful insects. (Though, if it''s Shish¨­, she might have included it...)" With such reactions from the surroundings, Nozomu answered Mars''s question with a refreshing face. His smile caused a cold sweat to flow on Mars''s back, but Mars naturally shrugged it off. "I-is that so, then it''s fine ... right?" "It''s fine, just leave him alone. If you''re as strong as him, you can try it yourself." While saying so, Nozomu tried to leave Feo and go home. Everyone else sent a sympathetic gaze towards Feo, but there was no one brave enough to say anything to Nozomu now, and they started walking toward the city and left the place. But everyone else except Nozomu looked back several times. "... You were actually quite angry." The word Mars muttered was drowned out by the screams heard from behind, and was never heard by Nozomu. Side Story - Irisdina Helping Out Side Story : Irisdina Helping Out A certain holiday afternoon. Irisdina Francilt was walking around the city alone. She is a beautiful girl of extraordinary beauty who walked the streets dashingly. A gentle spring breeze caressed her long, shiny hair, and the sunlight made her jet-black eyes stand out. The dignified aura she wore around her, made her seem like she was from another world. The people on the street were mesmerized by her appearance but could not approach her, and the surroundings became silent. It was like a painting out from the picture frame. "N~ ... What a nice day. Such a beautiful sky, maybe I should have invited Somia as well" She usually didn''t miss training even on holidays, but today she did the minimum training and went to the city to take a break from it. She thought she should have invited her sister, but her sister seemed to be busy at home, so she refrained and decided to take a walk in the city alone. She was just walking around the city of Arcazam. From the northern part where the Francilt household is located, go out to the central park in the center of the city, and continue to the commercial district in the south. After exploring the commercial district while looking at the rare products and items gathered from all over the continent, this time she headed to the artisan district on the west side. In the artisan district, various craftsmen who support the city of Arcazam are working hard every day. There are various types of craftsmanship, from masonry craftsmen, carpenters, bakers, tailors, and other craftsmen who are directly connected to their daily life, to jeweler and glass craftsmen who handle luxury products. The many items that they put their lives to produce were something that made Irisdina''s eyes opened especially when she had seen those items since an early age. Sometimes she came across unexpected bargains. For Irisdina, walking around this area can be a lot of fun. While trying not to stop, Irisdina''s eyes caught an unexpected figure as she was looking at the many items lined up on the side of the road. "He¡­¡­" Beyond her line of sight was the back of a person walking with large luggage on its back. The person was carrying enough luggage to cover its height, so it is not sure what the person looked like, but as far as one could see its feet under the luggage, it looked like a man''s. Irisdina gently approached from behind the man carrying the luggage and called him out. "... Nozomu?" "Eh, Iris? Why are you in such a place?" Nozomu looked back with a surprised expression when an unexpected person called out to him. Nozomu never thought he would meet Irisdina in this place. Nozomu wonders if Irisdina came to buy goods made in this artisan district. She was the daughter of the Francilt Family, she might want to buy some goods from this artisan district, but ordering and delivering goods was the craftsman''s or maid''s job. So Nozomu was a little surprised because he thought Irisdina wouldn''t go there in person. "I''m taking a walk because I have free time. The craftsmen here are of higher quality than in my country. I can enjoy it just by sightseeing." She answered Nozomu''s question with a smile on her mouth. Her smile never fueled discomfort, rather made her look more attractive. As usual, Irisdina attracted people around her. Like the students in the school, the surrounding craftsmen were also fascinated by her. Not to mention Nozomu. "I-is that so ..." Nozomu gave a sloppy reply. Whether or not she was paying attention to what was happening around her, Irisdina asked him the question she had just felt. "What are you doing here?" "It''s a job. I''ve received a miscellaneous request from the guild." "Ah right, you were making your own living expenses ..." With that said, Irisdina looked at the luggage on Nozomu''s back. There was still a large amount of red grass in the sack he was carrying. "... Nozomu, what on earth are you using this grass for?" "This is for dyeing clothes. I just got a request from a tailor. The tailor wants me to help dye the clothes." Clothes are dyed by soaking them in the essence extracted from certain plants. A large amount of dye is required to dye a large amount of fabric, and Nozomu is in the process of bringing in plants to make the dye. Irisdina, who was listening to his situation, made a contemplative gesture for a while. "... Nozomu. Can I help you with that job?" "Eh? W-why?" Irisdina told him that she would help him with his job. Nozomu tilted his head wondering what she was thinking. "I''ve never done this kind of work before, but as the Francilt Family, I may become less directly involved in people''s lives in the future. That''s why I want to know a lot of things about the people who support us now." When Nozomu was wondering what Irisdina was really thinking, She answered his question. It was obvious that she would be forced into political affairs if she officially became the head of the household. She didn''t worry about it while his father was alive, but she didn''t know how long it would last, or what the future would hold. Besides, one of her goals was to join the Silver Rainbow Chivalric Order. If she were to belong to the most famous chivalric order on the continent, she would be forced to carry out missions without having to become the head of the Francilt Family. That was why she wanted to cherish her current time as a student, even a minute or even a second. "... I understand. I will ask the person in charge, so please follow me. I believe they need manpower, so I will also help you ask." "Yup, thank you, Nozomu" Irisdina smiled at Nozomu''s answer. Nozomu didn''t want to turn down Irisdina''s sincere request. Rather, Nozomu, who liked her straightforwardness, was willing to help her and accompany her. *** The two who arrived at the dyeing workshop were greeted by a well-physique man and an old lady who were the owner of the workshop. At the workshop, the neighborhood housewives have come to help and are currently working. The old lady who was the owner of the workshop was willing to accept Irisdina''s request. She needed more manpower, and she had no reason to refuse Irisdina''s sincere request. "First of all, pluck the leaves of this grass. Then you grind the leaves that have been plucked here." Irisdina''s job was simple. Plucking red grass leaves that were piled up like mountains in front of her. Nozomu''s job was to grind plucked grass leaves. The housewives separated the stems and leaves of the grass one by one with their experienced hands. Irisdina also started plucking red grass leaves by learning from them. ¡°Being in this city at your age. Could it be that the young lady is a student of the Solminati Academy?¡± "Yeah, that''s true. Even though I''m still inexperienced, I learned a lot of things at that school." "Is that so! That boy seems to be also a student at Solminati Academy ..." With those words, Irisdina turned her gaze towards Nozomu, who was behind the workshop. He was crushing the red grass leaves with a large mortar and a long pestle that one person could fit inside. It might not be easy to stir a pot containing a large amount of grass, Nozomu used the strength of his whole body and stirred the contents of the large mortar with the long pestle. However, Nozomu didn''t stop his hand even if new grass was added one after another. Making good use of his body weight, he grinded the grass that was constantly being thrown in and extracted the red juice which became the dye. Nozomu didn''t stop stirring while sweating on his forehead. Looking to the side as Nozomu worked seriously, Irisdina was inspired by him and concentrated on her own work. She carefully plucked the red grass leaves one by one and sorted them out. Maybe she''s getting used to it, her work speed was gradually increasing. She was still slow compared to the housewives around her, but in 10 minutes she could finish her work at a reasonable pace. "Hee, you''re quick to catch on. This grass has stiff muscles, so it''s a little tricky to pluck it off." The old lady was impressed with Irisdina''s dexterity. Even in such a place, Irisdina was demonstrating her talent. "And you have a very beautiful face. I''ve never seen such a beautiful girl. Why don''t you become my daughter-in-law?" "What are you talking about? If she comes to your place and becomes your daughter-in-law, then I can''t make my own son happy!" A housewife who worked seriously told the old lady that it was a ridiculous thing to say to Irisdina. Perhaps inspired by their conversation, the other housewives around them tried to introduce their sons to Irisdina one after another. "I''m sorry. I''m happy with your offer, but I''m not ready to get married yet, so I will have to refuse it. Everyone is already so reliable this way, and you don''t have to worry about your son." While conveying her intention firmly so as not to make the other party uncomfortable, Irisdina clearly refused the housewife''s offer. "Ara-ra. I got rejected. Well, such a good girl better find someone better than my son..." "That''s true. By the way, even if you think that marriage is still too early, there is still a boy that you care about, right?" "Right! There should be someone right~!? I wonder if you''ll tell us." The housewives withdrew after hearing Irisdina''s reply. It was probably just a joke in the first place. However, this time it developed into Irisdina''s love story. Perhaps they were rumor-loving housewives. Their behavior, when discovered a material to be collected in their usual peaceful and boring daily life, was like an ant swarming in sugar. "Fufu... Well, what do you think?" But Irisdina won''t lose either. With her poker face and tongue trained at social gatherings, she dodged the pursuit of the housewives who flock to her. "Oh, I know! It''s the boy over there! You''re willing to help with his work and go with him today!" "That''s right! I''m sure that''s the case!" When one of the housewives pointed at Nozomu and rushed over to Irisdina, the other housewives followed confidently. However, Irisdina herself was very calm. "I''m certainly indebted to him, but right now I don''t have any feelings towards him." Full throttle fierce attacks from the housewives who were full of interests and desires. The rain of questions like a group of arrows pouring down from all directions kept coming without stopping. However, Irisdina continued to brilliantly dodge the fierce attacks of the housewives, without changing the smile on her mouth at all. Her appearance was like that of a hero on horseback galloping on the battlefield against a myriad of armies. "... Oi, kid" "Chief, please put in the next grass. Quickly, this instant, as soon as possible." The chief and Nozomu shrunk at the edge of such a battlefield. Nozomu sent a message with his eyes to the chief, saying "Please do something about it!" With his gaze, the chief replied with an irresponsible answer, saying "My wife is scary, so just do it yourself!" He is such a pitiful man. However, it can''t be helped either. The housewives who were talking about rumors were just like demon beasts rivaling that of dragons. Once he was disobedient to his wife, finally his wallet was detained so that he completely depended on his wife. He was sentenced to no allowance for a while. For every working husband, it was equivalent to cutting off their supply lines in a fierce battlefield. The mighty demon beasts didn''t notice the ants hanging around their feet. In some cases, demon beasts accidentally crushed the ants... While trying not to pay attention to that noise as much as possible. Nozomu innocently continued to grind the grass, and the chief kept throwing grass into the mortar. In the end, he sent his gaze over them, he could see that they were doing as they please with Irisdina. While earnestly wishing that the tip of their spear would not turn to him, Nozomu erased his presence and continued to stir the mortar. On such a broad day inside the city, he erased his presence more than he was in the forest. *** The job is done. After Nozomu and Irisdina received confirmation of the cleared request, they came to the central park. All he had to do now was send this confirmation to the guild and his request would be completed. "Thank you Nozomu, I learned a lot today." "I-is that so..." The appearance of Irisdina, who brilliantly handled the flocking housewives returned to Nozomu''s mind. What on earth did she learn... "Even so, is it okay for me to get something like this?" Nozomu tried not to think the things that came back to his mind, and looked at the bag in his hands. Nozomu was carrying a bag in his arms. Inside it was a cloth dyed with coloring dye. It was a piece of cloth that cannot be used at the tailor. "What would you use it for?" "I will get a reasonable price even if I sell it to a second-hand clothing store. I think it is possible to repair clothes with it. And there are many other uses." Not to mention repairing damaged clothes, even repairing armor also used cloth and strings to connect metal plates. In fact, needles, strings and threads to tie, a knife to cut, and cloth were necessities for life in the forest. All of them were indispensable tools. Even Nozomu sometimes used threads as warning lines. "I see ... Nozomu sure is amazing. You can do various things by yourself. You can even enter that forest alone." "Is that so? But I can''t use magic like Irisdina, and also..." Her figure going straight ahead and walking on her own path. To be honest, Irisdina looked dazzling to Nozomu. He understood that it was something he didn''t have at the moment. Silence flowed between them for a while. "¡­¡­Hmm!?" "Is there something wrong?" The two were silent, but suddenly Irisdina made a gasping voice. When Nozomu asked what happened, Irisdina offered her hands. Her both hands were swollen red. "Somehow ... my hands are itchy ..." "It''s swollen ... Ah~, maybe the juice got on your hand when you plucked the grass leaves." According to Nozomu, the grass juice can be used as a dye, but it seemed to cause a rash on the skin. It''s okay if some time has passed, but it seemed that freshly extracted juice wasn''t very good for the skin. The housewives who were used to it might be able to prevent the juice from getting into their hands, Irisdina wouldn''t be able to do her job like housewives up to that point. "The juice makes your skin swell quickly, but it will also subside quickly. I think that the swelling will soon disappear if you leave it for a while. If you are still worried, just apply the ointment sold at the tool store, and right away it will be... hmm? What is this? " While explaining things to Irisdina, Nozomu''s hand, which was holding a bag, touched something hard. Nozomu tried to take something from the bag, a small bottle came out. There is a milky white jelly-like substance inside of it. "... This is an ointment" What Nozomu got was an ointment that was effective for treating the swelling of Irisdina''s hands. Probably the one who put it in was the old lady. She knew Irisdina didn''t know about juice that could cause swelling, so she kept it in the bag as a thank you. It''s a smart measure. "Iris. I think applying this will reduce swelling." Nozomu presented a bottle of ointment, but for some reason, Irisdina didn''t take the bottle. As Nozomu tilted his head, wondering what she was thinking, Irisdina stretched out her red and swollen hand. "Nozomu, I''m sorry, but can you apply the ointment to my hands?" "¡­¡­Eh?" Actually, Irisdina''s hands were so itchy that she couldn''t touch anything. She asked Nozomu to help her and apply the ointment, but a question was dancing inside Nozomu''s head. Wondering what she was saying, Nozomu felt the heat in his head rising all at once. Nozomu wondered if it was really alright, but Irisdina looked the same as usual, and she extended her hand and asks her to hurry up. "... My hands are so itchy that I couldn''t touch anything. Nozomu, I''m sorry, but I need your help." "I-I understand ..." Nozomu finally understood the situation and looked at her outstretched hand. Irisdina''s skin, which was normally as white as snow, was now a little red like it was burning. Opening the bottle cap and taking out the ointment, Nozomu gently applied the ointment to Irisdina''s hand. "Nn~!" "! Are you okay?" "Ah, it''s alright. It was a little cold so I accidentally let out a voice." Irisdina''s strangely charming voice made Nozomu nervous, but Nozomu continued to apply the ointment. The surrounding gazes were fixed on Nozomu and Irisdina. The current Nozomu, who was touching a woman''s hand, could be seen from the side as lovers in heat. Nozomu''s face immediately turned red when he realized his situation. He tried to ignore the eyes around him and concentrated on Irisdina''s hands applying the ointment. However, when he focused his mind on Irisdina''s hand, he could feel her hand more clearly. Her hands were so soft that he couldn''t think of her as someone who practiced martial arts. Maybe her body temperature was lower than Nozomu''s, a cold sensation spread across Nozomu''s hands, and Nozomu''s body heated up even more. On the other hand, Irisdina was very calm. She is the exact opposite of Nozomu. Either because she was used to being the center of attention, or because she was the daughter of a famous family and was usually taken care of by the maids. After it was done, Irisdina felt relieved and exhaled. But Nozomu sighed as if he was tired. "Umm, mom. The two of them are very close! Are they lovers!?" "That''s right. I wonder if they''re lovers." The voice of a parent and child that seemed to come to the park reached Nozomu''s ears. Lover¡­¡­. Nozomu''s face seemed to turn red due to that word. However, that word dug up Nozomu''s past. His memories about his best friend''s betrayal and his lover''s appearance leaving him behind were passing through his mind, and his burning face diminished at once. "Fufu, lovers ?... such a cute girl." "Yes ... ." Irisdina talked to Nozomu while waving her hand to the parent and child. She was calm and doesn''t look unusual. Nozomu intended to answer with his usual voice, but he had a slightly choked voice instead. "Nozomu?" "... Let''s go." Due to his strange behavior, Irisdina called out to Nozomu, but Nozomu began walking toward the guild and blocking her words. Nozomu quickened his legs as an emotion similar to the wicked impulse rose within his chest. However, Irisdina''s words could be heard from behind. "Nozomu. Thank you for hanging out with me today. If you don''t mind, would you please continue to do this kind of work together with me? I want to learn more." The words he heard were gratitude for today and a request that to continue working together. Her words slightly contained the wicked impulse that arose inside his chest. The momentum of the black vortex in the depths of his chest subsided and became slightly warmer. Nozomu''s heartbeat was beating slowly, sending a warm heat throughout his body. "...Well, I''ll go with you when the circumstances allow." While looking back, Nozomu smiled at Irisdina. His facial expression that had become stiff had returned to its original state before he knew it. *** "... When the circumstances allow, right?" Irisdina pondered Nozomu''s words as she returned to her house. "But today sure was amazing. I wonder if it was a natural thing for every housewife ..." Irisdina was a prestigious aristocrat from the country of Foskia, no matter how much she interacted with ordinary people at school, she is inevitably ignorant of worldly circumstances due to her birth. Thinking he couldn''t stay like that forever, that''s why she tried to help Nozomu with his job, and today she experienced a series of new things. To be honest, she wanted to learn more and try another job, but it couldn''t be helped. She promises him to continue doing his work together in the future. She looked at the palm of her hands. Perhaps the ointment that Nozomu had applied had worked, the swelling had subsided. When the housewives were asking her questions in the tailor. When they started asking about him. When she had him smeared ointment on her swelled hands. A heat that she couldn''t even understand was swirling in the depth of Irisdina''s chest. Somehow She felt hotter than when she first dated Nozomu. It was especially noticeable when Nozomu was applying the ointment to her hands. She seemed calm and composed, but she was only accustomed to fake her facial expressions due to her past social gatherings experiences. Her swollen hand felt warm. Her chest was filled with feelings that surpassed interest towards Nozomu. She wanted to know more about him, at the same time, she also wanted to know about his ex-girlfriend... Irisdina walked down the road to her mansion, gently touching her chest as heat swirled inside. *Want to know more* Chapter 5.8 Translator : PolterGlast In the afternoon of the holiday, after training at the outer edge in the morning, Nozomu and his friends had lunch at Ushitotei and resting for a while. Originally, they had no plans for today''s training. However, because of Feo, they didn''t have enough training yesterday. So, Nozomu and his friends gathered and trained again today. However, there was no Ena on their side. She joined them when there were no customers in the shop, but right now, the seats at Ushitotei were filled with people having lunch in the afternoon, and the hardworking girl was still busy with her job serving customers. Mars also tried to help, but Ena said, "You''ve been training, so have a good rest before helping me." So he''s taking a break now. "Even so, it was quite bad this time, right Nozomu?" "Ahaha ... well yea~h. I''ve always felt his strange gaze, and I was wondering what his purpose was, but his reason was completely interest-oriented, and that alone caused such a fuss ..." Nozomu answered Mars'' words with a dry laugh. "Sure, the Fox Tribe is known to be pretty capricious, but I''ve never seen such a lively Feo before." Tom, who was in the same class as Feo, reiterated the difference when Feo and Nozomu have a duel and the Feo on a daily basis. Feo, who was by his side, was scratching his head with a shady smile on his face. "But, I don''t think challenging him so suddenly is a good thing to do. If you want to know about Nozomu, you should talk to him and become his friend." "Well, it''s a bit painful to say this, but there are places where I''m a little lacking..." However, he was reflecting on it now. With Irisdina''s harsh words, Feo awkwardly made his gaze swim in the air. "... By the way, Feo, I want to ask something." "Hmm? What is it?" As Sh¨©na opened her mouth as if she remembered something, Feo turned his gaze toward her. "... Why are you here?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The air froze in an instant. As far as they remembered, Feo didn''t come to train in the morning. Nonetheless, he was sitting next to Nozomu''s chair before they knew it. "What? Why can''t I be here?" "Why you say?..." Sh¨©na asked Feo why he was here, but he asked her back and she got perplexed by his words. "Well, I''ve received my punishment, right?" "...I don''t think that''s the place for me to say..." "Well, it''s alright. I think he''s already repented..." Feo made an excuse one way or another, but Nozomu accepted it because he had no particular reason to chased him away The other members were surprised, but they didn''t seem to disagree with Nozomu''s decision. They probably already understand Nozomu''s personality. Although Feo seemed to be causing quite an uproar, there was no malice or harm. He was hard to understand because of his childlike behavior, but oddly enough, he doesn''t have any ill will towards Nozomu. "Speaking of which, it''s about time for *SITC*." "Ah. Is that why the inside of the classroom has been tense lately?" *SITC* is an abbreviation for Special Integrated Training Class, which is a special class that will be held in the near future. Usually, students of each class were training separately, but this training is held by gathering students from the same year regardless of the class difference. This training is held for two days, and each student forms a party and earns points while performing various missions in the designated area. On the first day, parties can only be formed within the same class to handle each mission, and from the second day, parties can be freely formed regardless of class. The contents of the mission vary, such as escorting a designated object or person, defeating a specific training target, finding and securing a designated object, etc. However, what is different about this training is that it is allowed to interfere with other parties. If it is an escort mission, points will be given to the party that succeeded in obstructing the escort, and defeating a specific training target or finding a designated object is on a first-come-first-served basis. Of course, there would be battles between parties here and there, but if they lost and became incapable of fighting, they would lose all the points they had gained so far. What''s more, the points they had when the special training ended would be reflected in their grades, so everyone would fight desperately to protect the points they had earned. "... Yes. Haven''t you been told a long time ago?" "Sorry~ ... I totally forgot about it. Ahahaha..." Feo tried to cover it up by laughing while scratching his head. It seemed impossible that someone would forget a training that directly reflected one''s grades, but in this boy''s case, his gaze was always fixed on what he was interested in, and that was what he just did. Everyone in this place who knew about it couldn''t help but sigh at the same time. "... In other words, on the first day, Nozomu and I are enemies." "Yeah. The party on the first day is formed in the same class, so inevitably we will be divided into three groups." The eyes of the two maidens were directed to Nozomu. Within their gazes, Nozomu could feel their enthusiasm that was unthinkable based on their beautiful appearances. Spontaneously shivered down Nozomu''s spine. Even though they deserved to be called flowers, they were still Solminati Academy students and were gradually starting to gain their presence as first-class warriors. "...Please be gentle with me." "No, I''ll be serious. I think I should be ready with you as my enemy." "That''s right. I rarely have opportunities like this, so I''ll do my best to fight you." "Ahahaha....." Nozomu made a slight appeal to the girls who were fully motivated and made a declaration of war, but he couldn''t calm them down, and instead, he was completely swallowed up by their momentum and could only let out a dry laugh. In a sense, the two were looking forward to fighting Nozomu, but Irisdina suddenly spoke to Nozomu as if she remembered something. "Nozomu, that was for the first day, but what about the second day?" "Eh?" "Hmm, about the second day. There are no restrictions when forming a party on the second day ..." Certainly, on the second day, there will be no class restrictions on recruiting party members. However, Nozomu has very few friends, so he can only thinking of inviting Mars for the second day. "Um, that. If you''d like, we..." "Ah~!!" Irisdina called out to Nozomu to invite him. Sh¨©na made a panicked voice when she heard it, but Irisdina couldn''t care less about Sh¨©na and kept trying to speak her mind. "Hey, Nozomu. Why don''t you do it with me !?" "Teamed up ... eh?" However, just as Irisdina was trying to convey her words, her voice was suddenly crushed by Feo''s loud voice speaking to Nozomu from the side. Both Sh¨©na and Irisdina, who were overtaken by Feo, were dumbfounded by the sudden development. "Eh? With Feo?" "That''s right! I have been listening to your conversation story, so why don''t you teamed up with me this time? Even if I look like this, I can do various things, and as far as I can see your movements during our duel, I think that our compatibility is not bad! " "Well, I think it''s good enough ..." Certainly, there was no limit to the number of people who could join a party, and he knew that Feo''s abilities were quite reliable. Nozomu was about to refuse, but he had no choice but to accept it. Because there was a lot of pressure that he could felt from the side. The pressure was comparable to that of a dragon. Nozomu felt cold sweat running down his back, but Feo wasn''t the cause of the pressure. The ones who caused it were... "Yess! It''s been decided. Then for the second day ... Hmm? Why are you two have such scary faces?" Feo finally noticed Sh¨©na and Irisdina were staring at him. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­No,it''s nothing¡± "Yeah ... nothing." "Hmm, is that so? Then! Nozomu, let''s meet again at the school~~" Feo who had just said what he wanted to say, quickly left the shop after that. Whether he was unaware of the pressure of the two, or whether he was deliberately ignoring it. Surely it was like a tornado or a storm that came to lay waste and destroy, and it was Nozomu who took the blow. "Um ... What''s wrong with both of you?" "... Does it even matter?" "Well, you don''t have to worry about it because it doesn''t matter anymore." "Ummmm¡­¡­" Nozomu curl himself up in response to their absolute zero gazes. He tried to shake off the cold atmosphere, and he spoke his mind with the last of his energy. "U-ummm... both of you. Would you like to team up with me on the second day?" "I don''t need it. Aren''t you glad? There''s already someone you can rely on." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± The black-haired girl refused Nozomu''s request with just one sentence. That overly critical mental attack trampled Nozomu''s heart, but he managed to withstand it. Nozomu dropped his shoulders and fell onto the table. Maybe Sh¨©na wasn''t too interested in his request either, she pierced him with a cold gaze like how she used to be. He didn''t mind having Feo at the party as there was no limit to the number of people at the party, but apparently, both of them did. "Ha~a ... Nozomu-san, what were you doing ..." Somia leaked a voice that seemed to be amazed by such a pathetic Nozomu. Nozomu looked at Sh¨©na. As far as he could see from her attitude, he thought she would also reject him¡­ "¡­¡­Alright" "... Eh !?" "... Ha !?" Nozomu and Irisdina were taken aback by Sh¨©na''s words. Because of her attitude, Nozomu and Irisdina thought that Sh¨©na would refuse his invitation. "I told you, I''ll join your party. I thought I could leave the vanguard to you¡­ what? If you''re not satisfied with me, then forget about it." Nozomu shook his head in a hurry. "Then it''s decided." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± Sh¨©na softened her expression, she was in a good mood perhaps because of Nozomu''s approval, but in contrast, Irisdina''s gaze towards Nozomu was as cold as a frigid cold wave. "... Ha~a" Somia, who was watching the situation from the side, was amazed by the two helpless people, and she could only sigh. At that moment, Mars stood up. "... Sorry, I remembered there was something I need to do. That''s why I went out for a bit. Ena, I''ll be back around dinner to help out with the store..." "Ah~! Wait a minute, On¨©chan !?" Mars just said a word and left the store without saying anything further. When he left the store, he had a troubled expression on his face and said nothing to Ena when she called out to him. "... What happened to Mars?" "Who knows" "... Ah, s-sorry everyone. I also remembered something to do..." When Nozomu and the others were wondering what happened, Tima also hurriedly left the store as if she remembered something. "What happened? Even Tima-san too..." "... well, it''s alright. Maybe she left something at the school yesterday so she went to get it. " While everyone was wondering what was going on, only Hannah, who was listening while working at the counter with Irisdina, nodded with a convincing expression. After that, their gathering was immediately disbanded, but in the end, Irisdina remained cold towards Nozomu from beginning to end. *** Mars'' POV The destination after I parted from Nozomu and the others was the outer edge where everyone was training in the morning. As soon as I arrived at the outer edge, I pulled out the greatsword on my back, swung it, and started warming my body up. "Fu~! Ha~! Zea" I swung the greatsword down from above at once, immediately I turned it around and launched a reverse slash, and with that momentum, I turned my body while swinging the greatsword. While continuing to swing the sword, I gradually increased my speed and swiftly moved my body accordingly. Every time I swung my greatsword, the wind roared, and the torn air swept through my hair. The sun high in the sky shone mercilessly, and I still continued to swing my sword with all my might. The wind, which had just stroked my hair, gradually became stronger, and finally, my swing began to produce wind comparable to a gust of wind. Eventually, the wind blew away the sweat that had appeared on my forehead and pushed the grass growing on the ground down with just the pressure. "Haa! Haa! Haa ..." I didn''t know how long I''ve been swinging my greatsword, but eventually, I started to run out of breath and my speed gradually slowed down. I once again swung my greatsword. I swung it towards the ground, but just as the sword was about to hit the ground, I exerted all the muscles in my entire body to stop the falling sword. The greatsword that was being swung stopped its movement as it almost hit the ground, and instead, the wind generated by the pressure of the greatsword blew up and ran along the ground. "Haa, haa, haa ... fu~u ..." I exhaled to lift my lowered sword up and prepared for my next move. I wielded the greatsword once again with a Seigan-no-Kamae attitude. While slowly sending my Qi into the greatsword, I released my magical power at the same time. Qi and magical power. While feeling two different powers at the same time, I activated the Qi technique *Dust blade*. The wind generated by the Qi began to swirl around the greatsword like a vortex, and eventually, the greatsword was enveloped by the wind blade. Furthermore, while I put magical power into the greatsword to pass through the center of the wind vortex, at the same time, I chanted enhancement magic. I applied enhancement magic to the blade of the greatsword. The greatsword gradually glowed with the magical power infused into the blade, but after a while, after the magical power was infused into it, the wind that enveloped the blade of the greatsword began to sway irregularly. "Kuh!" Immediately, I tried to recover the unstable Qi, but this time the magical power contained in the blade fluctuated, and the magic power became unstable. "Damn !! ... Uwa !!" I tried to pour magical power in a hurry, but it was too late, and the enhancement magic I applied was scattered. The magical power scattered in the air interfered with the Qi technique *Dust Blade*. The unstable Qi technique was unable to maintain its shape, and the blades of wind spread to the surroundings. It cut through the surrounding vegetation indiscriminately and carved wounds on my body. "Guh~ !!" I suppressed my voice while holding back the pain that ran through my body. The wound itself was not deep and barely bleeding, but more than the wound, regret and frustration increased the impatience in the depths of my heart. "Damn!" This didn''t go well. I was about to use Qi and magic at the same time. It was all started when I met Nozomu and Iris Dina. I thought that even if there was someone who used magic as my enemy, I would be able to defeat him by slashing him before he used his magic, and I thought that I could handle the magic if I had enough Qi. While I was encountering an enemy that I can''t reach by my own strength, I came to realize that Nozomu and Irisdina were stronger than me. And as a result of squeezing my head, I came up with the idea of ??using magic to make me stronger. If all goes well, I will be able to think of my magic powers that I rarely used as my new powers, and not only will I get the "sword of my own" that I''ve been yearning for, but I''ll have more ways to fight in every sense. However, I couldn''t see any signs of improvement in the combination of Qi and magic. I desperately struggled to keep up with Nozomu who was running ahead of me, but only impatience continued to accelerate within me. I felt like I was drowning in a bottomless swamp. "~ !! Once again !!" I gritted my teeth in regret, but I stood up once again. I haven''t treated my wound. As I wielded my greatsword and tried to use the technique one more time, at that moment, I heard a familiar voice. "Haa, haa. Mars-kun ... You were here after all ..." "You¡­¡­" It was Tima who was supposed to be in the store with Nozomu and the others. Maybe because she was running, her face was slightly red, and she put her hand on her chest to get rid of her rough breathing. Seeing that figure, I felt my heart skip a beat. "...Why did you come here?" "A¡­¡­" I was embarrassed to see her, so I turned my eyes away from her. I asked her a question in a blunt tone. A little lonely voice leaked from Tima''s mouth, and when I heard it, I also felt pain in my chest. "Umm ... Mars-kun, I thought you''d practice that technique again, so I was wondering if I could help a little ..." "You don''t need to do that ..." Knowing she was worried about me, I was embarrassed and happy at the same time However, since my training didn''t go well, I took out my frustration on Tima, who was only worried about me. I know that''s not the attitude I should give to her by any means. ¡°B-but, Mars-kun, you are injured¡­ you need treatment first¡­¡± "... Chi" With such an attitude, Tima''s was scared but she did not stop worrying about me. Her gaze was directed at my wound made by the previously unsuccessful technique, and she looks as if she was the one who had suffered the injury. Eventually, I gave up and casually presented my injured arm to Tima. "Wait a minute ..." Perhaps she was relieved that I was willing to be treated, Tima started chanting healing magic with a slightly gentle expression. Light overflowed from her hands, enveloping my body. The pain that had been tingling disappeared, and the wound gradually began to close. I was impressed by her dexterity. She''s said to have a hard time controlling her magical power, but she''s still a lot better than me. "... You''re good" "Th-that''s not true! I''m nothing compared to Ai..." She said, "That''s not true," in a hurry. Perhaps Tima''s magic control wasn''t as bad as Tima thinks herself. "...Um, Mars-kun. Why are you so impatient... I don''t understand..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± "I think you''re a little too hasty. Isn''t it fine to train a little slower?" Tima simply spoke her opinion. It''s not that I didn''t understand what she was saying. I hadn''t been able to control the combination of Qi and magic, and the success rate was only about 10%, so it was just a fluke that I succeeded in the mock combat the other day. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± I knew that Tima would say that. Due to the mighty magic power that she was born with, Tima had been struggling to control her magical power. I didn''t know what happened to her in the past, but if I looked at her power and how she was scared of her surroundings, at least I might have been able to guess that she was still worried about her own power. "...The treatment is over, right? Then, please step back a bit. I''ll do it one more time." "Mars-kun..." The impatience swirling within my heart easily blocked my judgment that my technique was still "premature", and I wielded my greatsword once again. Although my chest hurts a little, I was driven by the craving and impatience that I wanted to catch up with him, so I couldn''t hear Tima''s words anymore. *** Arcazam Administrative District. At the Francilt Mansion, the owner of the mansion, Irisdina, and her sister, Somiriana, were having dinner, but the situation was different from usual. Their appearance, eating food prepared by first-class chefs gracefully lined up in front of them, was full of elegance that only the chosen one had. However, it seemed that the dining room they were eating in was somehow in a tense atmosphere. The maids who refrained from being near them also had stern expressions as they were exposed to such an atmosphere. The one who created such a tense atmosphere was Irisdina Francilt, the owner of the mansion. Irisdina''s POV ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I was silently moving the knife and fork I had in my hand. I usually talked to Somia about what happened at Ecross and what happened at Solminati, and talked about what I enjoyed on holidays, and have a good meal. However, I''ve been frustrated by what happened at Ushitotei today. Although I am still young, I am the next head of the Francilt Family. Due to that responsibility, I never exposed my feelings to any misconduct and exposed my disgraceful behavior. Yes, I just thought about something in my own heart... "Umm, Ane-sama. Did you want to team up with Nozomu-san that badly?" "Buh~ !!" I was taken aback by Somia''s words and suddenly exposed my disgraceful behavior. "So, Somia. What are you saying so suddenly..." "Ane-sama was in a bad mood since then. Your face is just like this." While saying so, Somia lifted the outer corner of her eyes with her index fingers. "Somia, your manner is bad. You''re also from the Francilt Family ..." "Ane-sama, don''t change the subject" I tried to remonstrate the bad-mannered Somia, but Somia stared into my eyes and I got stuck in words. For a long time, I had been vulnerable to Somia''s gaze staring straight at my eyes. The appearance of my younger sister seemed to arouse my desire to "protect" her. And I always listened to whatever she said. Even so, I tried to correct my words without looking at Somia''s eyes which were staring at me, so as not to expose my disgraceful behavior. "What are you talking about? I''m not in a bad mood ..." "You''re in a bad mood, everyone has been scared of Ane-sama since we came back today." In the blink of an eye, Somia blocked my escape route. Certainly, the mansion''s maids who saw me after returning were strangely frightened, and several maids desperately tried to hold back their voices. I dared not think about it, and it was strangely painful to be pointed out the fact by my sister. "Well, Nozomu-san was a little insensitive, but wasn''t Ane-sama''s response a little too cold?" "Muu..." "Besides, Nozomu-san has already invited Ane-sama to his party, and wouldn''t it be unwise to refuse? How will Ane-sama join his party now?" "Guu~..." Certainly, it''s difficult to have a party with him as of now. Having refused so clearly, he might already consider having a party with another person. Finally, I realized the facts that I previously dared not pay attention to, and I no longer groaned. "... Haah.. Ane-sama should just apologize honestly. Or is there still something to worry about?" "That is¡­¡­" The feeling of anxiety and dissatisfaction about Nozomu within me. I felt anxiety about the bond that once existed between Nozomu and Lisa. I felt dissatisfaction with Nozomu for hiding it within himself, and with myself for not being able to help at all. How good it would have been if I could ask Nozomu straight away. (I want Nozomu to tell me about himself) It would have been so easy if I could convey those words to him. Then I would have known more about him. However, I was still hesitant to do it. Talking to Norn-sensei in the infirmary before made me feel a little better, but still, it kept smoldering in my heart and didn''t disappear. Today, perhaps because the darkness in the depths of my heart made its way out, I vent it out on Nozomu at Ushitotei, "So what are you going to do, Ane-sama? Invite Nozomu-san one more time?" "That is¡­¡­" The fire that was sleeping in the depths of my chest began to burn again, and my heart was dyed with impatience. Without being able to answer Somia''s question, I had no choice but to continue asking myself questions that could not be answered in agony. *** A room in the women''s dormitory. There, two girls who had already changed into their nightwear were chatting on the bed. Sh¨©na''s POV "Hey, Sh¨©na. What does Sh¨©na think of him?" "Who do you mean by "him"?" "Of course it''s about Nozomu-kun. You seem to be interested in him!!" Mimuru sinisterly smirked and grinned slightly. Her face is like a demon ready to eat me, I have a slightly unpleasant premonition, but I''m thinking about Nozomu again. At first, perhaps because I believed in the rumors, it was good to say that my feelings for him were the worst, but the black demon beast incident changed that. Outstanding sword skills, Qi control, and calm judgment. Especially his Qi technique, it was possible for him to cut through the flexible and tough body of the black demon beast. Even though my arrow couldn''t penetrate even if it pierced the surface, and the skin couldn''t be scratched without Mimuru and Tom''s help. So his skill is clearly beyond the reach of us students. And even though I blindly believed the rumors and said bad things to him, he still came to my aid when I acted alone. Given that, I know that he is a trustworthy person. "I didn''t have a good impression at first, but now it''s different. I know his abilities and personality are completely different from the rumors, and I think I can believe him..." That''s why I decided to team up with him on the special training. I have no problem with his abilities and personality, and most importantly, I hardly ever teamed up with anyone other than Mimuru and Tom. In the future, when I''m going to reclaim my hometown, I think I will need the help of various people, so I should gain more experience before that. When I remember my encounter with the black demon beast in the forest at that time, what comes to my mind is Nozomu, who moves faster and more accurately than anyone else. My position in that battle was the rearguard. Being able to see the battle situation more broadly and send more accurate instructions to my friends would definitely be of great help to me and my friends. That''s why I want to know why Nozomu can make such an accurate decision. "We~ll, I know about that. If Nozomu-kun going serious it would be dangerous." When we were fighting the black demon beast, Mimuru was stalling the demon beast along with him while I was in the process of contracting the spirit so that I could use spirit magic. I was restrained due to the process of spirit contract, and when the demon beast tried to stab me, he protected me. Among the three of us there, Mimuru was the closest to witnessing his battle, so she also understood Nozomu''s abilities. And when he had a one-on-one fight with Feo last time. I thought Feo''s abilities were high, however, at that time, Feo showed us that his abilities are definitely at a level that can compete even in 1st class, and if I think about it normally, students belonging to 10th class would be defeated with just one hit. However, Nozomu fought well against Feo. With that in mind, I could fully understand that Nozomu''s actual combat ability was also comparable to 1st class ... no, his sword skill and combat judgment were superior to that. ¡°Yup, if you fight Nozomu and you''re not good at melee combat, you''ll be defeated in no time. The surest thing is to use brute force and push it all at once, or defeat him with magic from a distance... That''s not it! What I want to talk now is not about Nozomu-kun''s abilities, but about Sh¨©na''s feelings!! " "¡­¡­What do you mean?" To be honest, I don''t understand what Mimuru wants to talk about. "In other words! I wonder if you have romantic feelings with Nozomu-kun!?" Romantic feeling¡­¡­. "... How was it?" "Hmm? A lighter reaction than I expected" "...What did Mimuru expect?" Mimuru tilted her head, probably because I had a different reaction than Mimuru expected. Honestly, I also tilted my head ... "You know. His face is stuck in your head! You can''t sleep at night because your chest hurts! Don''t you feel that way? Even today, when you tried to invite Nozomu, you were annoyed by Feo and were in a bad mood, right?" "That was¡­¡­" I''m a little embarrassed when I think about today, so I take my eyes off Mimuru and turn to the other side. "...Honestly, I don''t know what''s going through your head. It''s because I have nothing to do with it at all." At that time, I was certainly in a bad mood, but when I was asked what I thought of him, I didn''t understand either. Of course, I also want to experience a relationship like that of Mimuru and Tom. But until now, I only thought about revenge and reclaiming my hometown, so I''m not used to something like love and romance, and I''m not sure how I really feel. "...Hmm. Is it too early to talk about it? Well, elves live for a long time, so they don''t feel rushed to talk about it." "¡­¡­Is that so?" "Yup. Basically, you''re a long-lived person, so you don''t seem too patient about that. However, it''s a different story when it comes to the person you decide from the bottom of your heart¡­ Eh, why doesn''t Sh¨©na who''s an elf know about that?" "That''s why. It would have been better to train than to do such a thing ..." It can''t be helped. I''ve never thought about that before. Sure, I''ve seen some people fall in love and get married, but I just thought about getting stronger, and I thought it would be more meaningful to train or read a book than to poke my head into someone else''s love affair. "What a musclehead... Well, it can''t be helped then. Each person has their own way of romance, and we don''t know where to fall in love. When I first met Tom, I didn''t think I would love him as much as I do now... " "... You didn''t like Tom at first? How did you come to like him?" "Hmm~, we~ll ... When I first met him, I thought, "Tom is such a petite and dull guy." He was always bullied by the boys around him because he wasn''t strong enough, and at that time, I was also bullied Tom for fun ~ " Mimuru spoke while staring at the ceiling of the room, it reminded her of the past, but somehow her expression was a little depressed. She seemed regretful that she was bullying him, she was still immature back then. "But Tom was studying hard and became able to do various things. Before I knew it, I started to chase after him ..." She slowly talked about her encounter with Tom so as not to hurt the precious treasure that was stored deep inside her chest. "When I realized it, I started thinking about Tom, and I couldn''t help myself..." When she was talking about her love story, she always had the face of a maiden in love, who was so charming that I couldn''t think she was the same person as the usual innocent and energetic girl. "And right before coming to this school, Tom confessed... I think that''s when I realized I love him, and then we started dating." After saying that, her eyes turned towards me, her eyes are shining more than ever. "I see¡­¡­" "Yup! I think Sh¨©na will understand when you have someone you love. You want to be with that person for a long time, or you want to know about that person''s feelings." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "Well, but this is how I feel, my love journey. Sh¨©na should try to find your own love journey." "...Does that reason always lead to falling in love?" "Hmm? Not just love. Just like Feo who fought because he wanted to know more about Nozomu-kun." "So that''s why he attacked Nozomu-kun so suddenly? That''s no better than attacking random people on the street, right? Just because "he wanted to do that"? If that''s the reason Nozomu-kun was attacked, then I can''t stand it." "Well, that''s true ..." "Generally speaking, how can you stay calm? When we met Tom in Central Park the other day, didn''t you jump and hurt him when he just arrived at our meeting place? I knew you wanted to be with him, I knew you''ve been waiting for him, but in the end , it''s not good if you hurt him." "E, eh? For some reason, the direction of our conversation changed... Why are you preaching to me now?" Are you listening? She''s probably moving instinctively, like "If you want something, act immediately!" In addition, the moment she saw Tom, she immediately leaped on him. ¡­¡­I need to talk a bit about that. About Feo, about Mimuru. The beastman race, called Feo and Mimuru, were often easily carried away by their instincts. I don''t want my dearest friend to do such a thing. If so, I should talk to her properly. Mimuru isn''t good at listening to something she''s not interested in, but if it''s for her, I have to prepare my heart to become a demon for her. In the end, the sermon continued for three hours, and Mimuru was finally released after the day has changed. Chapter 5.9 Translator : PolterGlast ¡°¡­¡­¡­ U~a!¡± Early morning in Solminati Academy Boys'' Dormitory. The owner of this room, who was usually woken up by the rising sun shining through the window, woke up from another nightmare. His complexion was pale like a sick person, and his clothes were drenched in greasy sweat from all over his body, which clung to his body. "Ugh~ !!" He, Nozomu Bountis, rushed to the washroom while holding his mouth from the feeling of nausea and the unpleasant feeling of the sticky shirt caused by the nightmare he had just seen, and washed his face with cold water. "... Fuh~" He removed the clothes that were clinging to his body and wiped his body with a wet towel. His complexion was getting better. However, there were clear dark circles under his eyes, and it could be seen that he was not resting at all. (...Recently, the interval between one nightmare and another is getting shorter) Nozomu thought about the nightmare while holding his head down, which was throbbing and aching due to lack of sleep. Usually, he had a bloody red dream about once a week, but recently the interval has become shorter and clearer, and it surely eroded and exhausted Nozomu''s mind and body. (What should I do? If this continues....) Nozomu''s heart grew impatient. (Should I tell Iris and the others about me being a dragonslayer? But¡­) Talking to Iris and the others might ease his anxiety a bit. What comes back to Nozomu''s mind is the scene where he slaughtered the Cyclopes in the forest. At that time, Nozomu was definitely swallowed up by his anger, but he still used the dragonslayer''s power by his own accord. The anger, resentment, and hatred that he had tried not to notice, but certainly existed. He was willing to slaughter his enemies just to vent. " !! " Because he remembered that, Nozomu became hesitant to tell Iris and the others about his dragonslayer power. He had too much power in him. He had been shown what would happen if his powers spiraled out of control and turned towards his friends. And the fear that they might reject him if they found out what he was doing in the forest weighed on him. Tiamat kept running wild inside him, and he who kept running away from it. The fear of rejection was intricately intertwined, and the exhausted Nozomu couldn''t do anything anymore. Still, Nozomu wore his uniform, and while he was holding his bag, he left the room and headed for school. Even if there was anxiety or fear, he could forget his fears only when he was with them. (In the end, I''m still running away) So Nozomu went to school. Even if he realized he was still running away. *** Nozomu saw Irisdina and the others on their way to school, they were all already gathered. (Fu~u ...) "Good morning, everyone" Nozomu greeted them after exhaling to regulate his breathing so as not to make them realize his anxiety. "G-good morning ..." "Yeaa" "Good morning. Nozomu-kun" "Yo, Nozomu!" "" Good morning. Nozomu-kun "" They confirmed the appearance of Nozomu who greeted them, but among them, Irisdina, Mars, and Tima''s replies were somewhatawkward. Nozomu became anxious whether they noticed his anxiety. "Ah. Nozomu-san, good morning!" Somia replied with a cheerful greeting while Nozomu was anxious. As far as Nozomu could see, she didn''t seem to doubt his attitude, so he felt a little relieved and greeted her back. "Good morning Somia-chan. By the way ... what''s wrong with everyone?" "Mars-san and Tima-san have been like this since we met here today. And Ane-sama is...we~ll, I think she''s okay." Nozomu, who was wondering about Somia''s ambiguous answer, turned his gaze to Irisdina. "Iris, are you alright? It looks like something is different than usual ..." "A-aa. I''m okay. My physical condition is good and nothing is wrong. Yup." Nozomu called out to Irisdina, but she said "no problem". She certainly didn''t look pale, and her feet weren''t tottering. "...Is that so? Mars and Time seem a bit strange, is there something wrong?" "No, it''s okay" "Y-yup. There''s nothing wrong with my body." Nozomu was worried about the two strange atmospheres and asked what happened, but Mars and Tima just insisted that "nothing is wrong". "Hey, Nozomu. Do you have a little time? It''s about yesterday." "What? All of a sudden?" When Nozomu was wondering about what happened, he was suddenly approached by Feo. Even though a strange atmosphere had enveloped Nozomu and his friends since morning, the fox-tailed boy ignored the strange atmosphere with his cheerful smile. Nozomu was often swayed by Feo and got into a lot of trouble because of him, but his carefree and self-paced demeanor blew away the strange atmosphere of the place, so he came at the perfect time as a rescue ship. "Yesterday, we decided to team up for special training, right? Can I also participate in your training? There are only a few more days until the special training begins, so I want us to match each other''s ways of fighting." Nozomu nodded at Feo''s proposal. Of course, as long as they worked together, they needed to know each other''s strengths and weaknesses. "...That''s true. It''s indeed necessary. Is everyone okay with that?" "That''s fine with me. I didn''t know Feo could be so strong until Nozomu and Feo fought, so I need to train with him to reaffirm my comrades'' abilities." Sh¨©na, who was also in the same party, accepted Feo''s participation in their training. Nozomu looked around at the others, and they all nodded uniformly and no one objected. "Alright! It''s decided then. Everyone, please treat me well." Feo, who was satisfied with their answer, once again greeted everyone who was there. "By including Feo, the middle side will be more solid. So, I can devote myself as the rearguard, Tom and Mimuru can also devote themselves to their respective roles." "About that, sorry Sh¨©na. On the second day, we''re going to team up with other students." "Eh~!?" Sh¨©na was talking about the formation with Feo joining them, but she was taken aback by Mimuru''s sudden remark. When Sh¨©na turned her gaze towards Tom, he silently nodded, perhaps he agreed with Mimuru''s opinion on this matter. "We can team up with students of other classes, right? In terms of gaining various experiences on this occasion, shouldn''t we try to team up with different people?" Mimuru''s words made Sh¨©na remember her goal. Initially, She started training with Nozomu and his friends because she wanted to overcome her party''s weakness by gaining experience through training with various people. With that in mind, Mimuru''s judgment was correct and very useful in terms of gaining the necessary experience. "That''s true. It''s definitely better to do as Mimuru said. I completely forgot about it..." Reaffirming her aim, Sh¨©na immediately reformed the formation in her head. "Then, I''d like to ask Mars and the others too, could you team up with us on the second day?" "Huh? Me?" "Eh? Me too?" "Yes. Is that all right?" "Let me see¡­¡­" The two who received Mimuru''s gaze seemed to think a little. However, Tima seemed to be more concerned about Irisdina, and Tima seemed to be staring at her. TimaTima usually teamed up with Irisdina, so she seemed to be trying to hear the opinion of her usual partner. "Umm. that''s... right, yup. I think it''s alright." Pushed by Tima''s gaze, Irisdina glanced at Nozomu. It seemed like she wanted to say something to him. However, in the end, she couldn''t say anything to Nozomu, and she decided to cooperate with Mimuru and the others. "Ha~a, Ane-sama. It can''t be helped then..." Somia dropped her shoulders because of her sister''s behavior. She sighed and dropped her shoulders, but she looked at Nozomu and seemed to have decided something. "E? Um ... Somia-chan, do you need something?" Somia gazing strongly at Nozomu and Nozomu asked her what was wrong. Everyone around her fell silent, and before they knew it, they were paying attention to the little 11-year-old girl. "Nozomu-san. It might be rude of me to say this so suddenly, but can you give me some time after school today?" "Umm, today? As I said before, special training is just around the corner, so we''re all thinking about preparing for it today..." It was difficult because Nozomu had a busy schedule, but Somia still looked straight at Nozomu. Nozomu didn''t know what Somia was thinking, but he knew she didn''t want to back down. "Umm¡­¡­" "Somia, Nozomu-kun already has a plan.." "Is that so? Nozomu-san" "Somia ¡­¡­ " Nozomu thought about what to do. Iris Dina who saw the situation tried to pull Somia down, but Somia still refused to back down. While the atmosphere of the two sisters was gradually becoming heavier, it was Feo who opened his mouth. "Hmm. Somicchi''s errands seemed quite important. It''s only for today, so isn''t that fine, Nozomu?¡± He told Nozomu to go with her for today. "Eh?" "Wait a minute, Feo. You asked him to go with her, but I find that a little irresponsible on your part." Sh¨©na complained about Feo''s decision. Since she was a serious person, she had to do as much as she could to train together, but Feo now suddenly asked Nozomu to throw away the promised training. "Now, now. Sh¨©na also saw Somicchi''s eyes just now, right? At least she herself understands what she was saying was unreasonable. And she seemed to need to go out with Nozomu by all means." Sh¨©na pressed Feo for an answer. Feo explained as he tried to calm her down. "That was... I understand ..." Sh¨©na''s mouth shut due to Feo''s words. She also knew from Somia''s previous appearance that Somia was serious, so she couldn''t pursue it any further. Feo nodded and faced Somia once again. "That''s the case, Somicchi. The others and I are fine with it, so you can take Nozomu with you for today." "O-oi, Feo." "Thank you very much! Nozomu-san, is it okay!?" "......I understand, it''s fine. So what''s your business, Somia-chan?" Nozomu was confused, but he agreed to go out after school while giving Somia a bitter smile. Somia looked at him with sparkling eyes. Nozomu tried to hear her request one more time. However, Somia''s next words took him by surprise, like throwing a huge bomb at him. "Please date me after school today !!" Somia''s words stopped the time for everyone who was there. Nozomu and his friends had stunned faces, but as they gradually understood the words that came into their ears, their faces changed to astonishing colors. """Ha? E? Eeh ~~~ !!""" And thus, their loud screams resounded. While bathing in the morning sun, the birds in the trees by the roadside took off all at once. Chapter 5.10 Translator : PolterGlast Nozomu''s POV In front of the main gate after school, I met Somia for a date here. This morning, the word she said was shocking for everyone who was there, and her sister, Iris, was clearly upset and drew closer to her. However, Somia didn''t care about her sister at all, and instead, she asked me, "Nozomu-san, is it okay?" Her tone was polite, but I was swallowed up by the atmosphere and I nodded subconsciously. Somia-chan, who was the cause, simply said "Nozomu-san, please treat me well" and then ran to the Ecross school building. Those of us who were left there were just dumbfounded, but Iris'' condition was even more terrible. She was completely petrified that she was unaware when Tima called out and shook her body. Perhaps her consciousness finally came back, she slowly turned around and put her hands on my shoulders, then brought her face closer and said, "Make sure there''s no improper conduct", in a terrifying voice. It seemed comparable to the angry Shish¨­ at that time, and I instinctively nodded over and over again. "...Well, I know how Iris feels. It would be very upsetting to hear that her only sister is going on a date with a man, especially since her sister is the only and most important sister she''s known since she was a child." By the way, it''s been a while since I dated. When I was dating Lisa, I wanted to catch up to the talented Lisa and Ken, so I spent all my days training. Of course, I went on a date, but I didn''t have many opportunities because I spent my time training every day. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± When I remember those days, my chest hurts. This always happens when I try to remember the past. I knew I couldn''t go back to those days anymore, and I wanted to scream "Why!!" to Ken and Lisa. But in the end, after the violent emotions had passed, I was always hit by overwhelming loneliness and emptiness. Naturally, my hands stretched out to my chest, and I squeezed my chest tightly as if scratching it. "Nozomu-sa~n! Thank you for waiting!" As I was engrossed in my thoughts of the past, Somia ran from the Ecross school building and speak with a loud voice. She is full of energy as usual. I don''t think I have any particular feelings for her, and maybe it''s more like dating a friend than a lover or anything like that. "Haa.. haa..., I''m sorry. Did I make you wait?" "No, not really. I just came too." She must be in a hurry. A lot of sweat appeared on Somia''s forehead, maybe she was running with all her might. I took a handkerchief and wiped her sweat. "I don''t think you need to be in such a hurry..." "T-thank you, but the time we can play together will be shorter." Somia-chan protested with a slightly dissatisfied face, probably because my answer was dissatisfying. "We~ll, that''s true. Well then, let''s go." "Yes!" She changed her dissatisfied expression into a smile and jumped into my arms with his cheerful reply. I wonder if it was because I can''t help looking forward to the date, or if I was influenced by Somia-chan who cheerfully grabbed my hand, my gloomy feelings until now disappeared, and my cheeks loosened. The only thing I was worried about was that there were multiple presences looking in this direction from behind the school building, and they have been monitoring me since I came in front of this main gate. Besides, the presence that I felt came from people I was familiar with. (... What are Iris and the others doing? In addition, there is also Feo''s presence behind them ...) In addition, Iris has been looking at me with bloodlust since a while ago. Somia-chan, who is next to me, is completely unaware that Iris and the others are peeking, perhaps because their gazes are only pinpointed at me. "Is there something wrong?" "N-no, it''s nothing." Somia, who grabbed my arm, looked back with a look full of suspicion, but I tried to speed up while pretending not to notice the presence behind me. (... I hope nothing bad going to happen) However, the presence that I felt from behind would not disappear, and by confirming that they started to move after us, my anxiety increased. *** One of the presences Nozomu felt. At that place, Somia''s older sister, Irisdina, was watching the two who started walking towards the city. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "Hey Ai, let''s stop this ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "... Not yet. I can''t hear them." "Uu¡­¡­" Tima dropped her shoulders. Maybe Tima was in trouble because Irisdina didn''t have the ears to listen to her best friend''s words. "If you''re so worried, why don''t you just go together with them?" "Mars-kun, I don''t think that''s a good idea. It''s a girl''s date..." "Somia told me, "Don''t! Ane-sama!!". So, I was refused ..." "... then, I will follow your decision, Ai ... " Tima complained about Mars'' insensitive remarks, but Irisdina also seemed to decide to follow after Somia. (Ai, I know you''re worried about Somia-chan, but that''s too much¡­ But, for what reason is Mars-kun also following after those two dates alone¡­) Tima had no choice but to hold her head, feeling the headaches of two people who were misaligned. Certainly, for Irisdina, Somia is her beloved sister who she loves so dearly. Previously, when the contract between the Francilt and Waziart Family was about to snatch Somia''s soul, she had prioritized her cute little sister over her own household. However, given that the man is Nozomu, it is unclear if she is worried about her sister dating a man, or the man himself. Given her personality, she probably didn''t want to hurt Somia... "... Yup. Rather, Are you worried about the man Somia-chan is dating with?" "¡­¡­? What do you mean?" "U-un! N-noth..." "Ah~ !! " "... Eh?" When Tima, who was pondering her thoughts, tried to answer Mars'' question in a hurry, Irisdina''s surprised voice was heard. Tima stopped what she was thinking, and when she looked beyond Irisdina''s line of sight, there was Somia pulling Nozomu''s arm towards the city. "I''m going after them!" "Eh? Wait a minute, Ai! Wait!" "O-oi, you guys!!" Irisdina started chasing Nozomu and Somia, and Tima and Mars hastily followed her, so as not to fall behind. However, they did not notice the shadows behind them. "...It turned out to be interesting. I''ve never seen such a desperate expression on the black-haired princess''s face." "Right! She''s so desperate. She''s so cute!" They were Feo, Mimuru, and also Feo and Mimuru were like curious spectators, and since a while ago they were smiling happily while looking at Nozomu and Irisdina. They looked very suspicious, so it wouldn''t be strange for them to be immediately called by the military police, and Tom, who was forced to come along by them, sighed while looking at the two of them. "... Both of them look so interesting." "That''s natural! Seeing Nozomu seems interesting, but the black-haired princess is no less interesting!" "In that case, it''s a good idea to watch over them from a position where we can see the two of them!" "Watch over them? What a nice word to use, but your true intentions are leaking ... " What Feo and Mimuru said was only 10% of their true intentions. Hearing that, Tom tried to talk about 90% of their true intentions, but Tom was completely ignored by the two who were focused on looking at Nozomu and Irisdina. "...Does Sh¨©na agree for you to do something like this?" Tom had no choice but to use his trump card. Both Feo and Mimuru were well aware that a serious person like Sh¨©na could not accept such an act of peeking, and it was easy to imagine that she would be furious if she found out about this. The two''s shoulders shook at Tom''s words. Apparently, they were afraid of being caught by Sh¨©na. "What are you talking about? Do you think the straight-laced Sh¨©na will forgive this?" "Y-yes, If this is found out by her, we will immediately apologize." "...So you two know very well what will happen if Sh¨©na finds out, please stop what you are doing now." However, in the end, Feo and Mimuru couldn''t be stopped, and the two continued to peek. They knew that it would be a terrible thing if they were caught peeping, but they didn''t want to miss this opportunity. It could be said that they had to choose, but with their beastman''s impulse more dominant, as a result, they chose the latter. "Oh~, Somichi jumped into Nozomu''s arm!" "Oh, she''s so aggressive! The black-haired princess also let out such a terrific bloodlust!" "...Do you two remember? It''s almost time for special training, right?" The two couldn''t help but get excited. Their ears no longer listened to Tom''s words. "Hmm? Well, that''s true, but now all the truth is in front of me!" "Yes! We are alive for this moment! It means that we are alive to run through the thorny road in front of us with all our might!" "...Isn''t that just your way of escaping reality?" (Perhaps Feo, Did he know that this would happen so he withdrew his training appointment with Nozomu?) The suspicion that rose in Tom''s chest made Feo look suspicious. With Tom''s thoughts going elsewhere, the two beastmen fulfilled their desires as much as their instincts went. "Mmm~! Nozomu and the black-haired princess have begun to move! Let''s follow them !!" "Yeah, let''s go!" "Ha~a, I don''t know what to do anymore." They also started following Irisdina who started chasing after Nozomu. *** "So where should we go?" "Ah, actually, I have a store I want to visit!" When Nozomu asked Somia where to go, she seemed to already have a plan. "Hee, what kind of shop is that?" "Looks like it''s a fortune teller. Recently I heard from everyone in class that it worked out well." "A fortune teller... do you know where it is?" "Yeah, it looks like it''s in a commercial area. I''ve asked the location before!" Somia said so and took out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. It looks like it''s a map of the store. "Then, let''s go to that store first." "Yes!" Nozomu was enticed by Somia''s cheerful voice and smile, and his face naturally smiled. It was his first heartfelt smile in a long time. And then he felt intimidation rising from the shadows behind. (The problem is everyone hiding behind...) Nozomu sighed inwardly, and when he glanced behind himself, black hair similar to the girl beside him was sticking out behind the signboard of a store. Nozomu could also see the handle of the staff and the large sword beside it. It seemed that Mars and Tima were also there. In addition, a golden tail and a brown tail can be seen in the shadow of the building behind it. (...Was it because of this that he canceled his training appointment?) Just like Tom, Nozomu wondered the reason Feo canceled the training. His suspicions about Feo were almost spotted on. He knew that Feo did whatever he found fun and because of that he could get a little out of hand. (...What should I do? Should I reveal their whereabouts? But then this date will be ruined...) Nozomu didn''t want to ruin this date because Somia invited him at great pains. For the time being, he sent his gaze to everyone who was following him. He tried to prevent them from following him again by showing them that he was aware that they were peeking at him. Perhaps his hand succeeded, everyone peeking at him disappeared. However, as long as their presence had not disappeared, it seemed that they have not stopped tailing him yet, but for the time being, Nozomu was able to gain some distance. Since there were a lot of people passing by, it wouldn''t be easy to peek at him again. Nozomu stroked his chest and started walking with Somia again. "What''s wrong, Nozomu-san?" "No, it''s nothing. Anyway, if we don''t hurry ahead, it will be too late and the store will be closed." "Ah, that''s right. Let''s go!" Somia pulled Nozomu''s arm again. Being pulled by her little hand, Nozomu started walking a little faster. It had been a while since they started walking. Nozomu and Somia arrived at their destination, but the atmosphere of the store was strange. "... Somia-chan, is this really the store?" "Yes! There is no doubt that the appearance of the store matches with my friend''s story." "But this store is ..." Nozomu had to confirm to Somia if it was really the store, but he turned towards the store in front of him again after hearing Somia''s words of affirmation. The size of the store itself was not that big. It was better to call it a stall rather than a store. Cards and crystals lined up on the desk. Damaged talismans and accessories were stuck to the wall without any gaps. And a goat skull sat in the center of the store. The inside of the store was jam-packed with many items that the owner did not know what the purpose was and surely embodied chaos. Nozomu was familiar with the store, which he would never forget once he saw it. And about the owner of that store. "Ohh, is that a customer?" "¡­¡­as I thought" Appearing from behind the store was Zonne, an old man who had previously tried to sexually harass Irisdina. "Why are you again, boy. As you can see, I''m busy. So just go home quickly, go away." ¡°What a surprising greeting, right ero geezer?! No matter how I look at you, I can only see you having so much free time. Nozomu also returned the usual unscrupulous words to Zonne who took a sloppy attitude when he saw Nozomu. He had a very similar atmosphere to his master, Shino, and because of that Nozomu felt no need to hold back. "Hmm! Youngsters these days don''t know how to be polite to their elders. You have no attitude towards your predecessors." "It''s a different story if you deserve it. However, as far as your previous disgraceful behavior goes, it''s very unlikely." Previously, this old man appeared out of nowhere when Nozomu and his friends went to school. The old man left himself to his excessive sexual desire and tried to reach out to Tima who went to school with Nozomu. When Nozomu met the old man before that, the old man tried to touch Irisdina through fortune-telling. He naturally noticed Tima, who had the same beauty as Irisdina. "What are you talking about? A man will always be looking for a flower called a woman and the supreme nectar behind it. And it''s a man''s romance to keeps fighting to protect and obtain that flower." "But old man. At that time, when Mars threatened you, you ran away immediately." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Zonne fell silent due to Nozomu''s retort. Tima, who was originally weak and not good with men, was frightened by the approaching Zonne. She couldn''t fight the old man back who came with his animal instinct. However, at that time, it was Nozomu and Mars who stopped Zonne''s actions, and Mars even then tried to draw his greatsword, probably because he was quite enraged. As expected, Tima and Somia, who thought the use of weapons would be bad, stopped him, and in the gap, the old man fled in an instant. Mars couldn''t point a sword at Zonne yet, but at least the old man failed to make a pass at the woman he just met. In the end, Nozomu couldn''t really feel the man''s romance like the old man said when he ran away despite his pretense. "... Well, withdrawing from a fight is also important ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Zonne turned his gaze the other way, muttering in a small and inaudible voice. Nozomu glared at him with his gaze. "Well, what is your purpose in going to this store?" Zonne tried to divert the story in a hurry, and Nozomu''s mouth let out a sigh, but Somia, who was next to him, energetically stepped forward. "U-umm. I want you to tell me about my fortune." "Ohh, fortune-telling. You have good taste, young lady. At the request of such a promising future beauty, of course, I''ll tell about your fortune." "T-thank you!" "Then, first which one of your palms..." "None of them." "Kid. Don''t disturb us." "Don''t even try to do it, you understand right ..." "Come, young lady! Touch this crystal!!" Nozomu stopped Zonne who was trying to touch by fortune-telling as he did to Irisdina. Of course, using gestures by pulling out the katana slightly to intimidate him. Sure enough, as Somia sat across from Zonne at the table with a crystal, Nozomu felt a strengthened gaze from a girl hiding behind them. If Nozomu didn''t stop the old man in front of him, her sister might have rushed into this place. When Somia touched the crystal, it began to emit a faint light. It went from light blue to red, purple, and gray, and then the light disappeared. "Hmm, young lady seems to be worried right now. The vague color of gray is the proof." "¡­¡­Yes, That''s right" "Light blue means the young lady herself, red means the young lady''s goal, and purple means anxiety. It seems that the young lady is troubled by something." Nozomu was a little surprised at Zonne who started to take fortune-telling seriously. He removed his hand from the handle of his katana and listened to Zonne''s words. After hearing Zonne''s words, Somia nodded silently to affirm his words. Nozomu was surprised to see Somia. As far as he could see, Somia never seemed to worry about anything, she always seemed full of energy. At the same time, Nozomu''s chest hurt as he wondered if she was really overdoing it and hiding her problems. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Somia quietly waited for Zonne''s next words. ¡°Your problem is related to red. Red means energy and vitality, but in the case of the young lady, perhaps it is about your own goals. By looking at the color of anxiety and hesitation, you seem to be quite troubled when it comes to that.¡­¡± Somia nodded once again at Zonne''s words. "But even if it''s painful, both anxiety and hesitation are important to the young lady, because you''re still young. It''s good to keep running toward your goal, but sometimes it''s necessary to look back. If you have any doubts, don''t lose sight of what you think is important. If you are worried, you shouldn''t hold it alone for too long. Human is a creature that is too weak to live alone ¡­¡­" "¡­¡­Yes" "There is someone you cherish, right, young lady? Then it''ll be alright. The young lady''s own color is light blue. You who have a bright and gentle color are a kind-hearted girl who can take good care of that someone you care about ¡­ ¡± Zonne spoke to Somia with a gentle smile, it was like a grandfather talking to his granddaughter. Nozomu was surprised at the appearance of Zonne, who was not the ero geezer he had seen so far, and at the same time, was impressed by him who saw Somia''s troubles in a short time and offered a clue to the solution. Even if Nozomu heard Somia''s worries, could he get himself involved and explain all those things to Somia? Will he be able to lighten the burden on her heart even a little? "T-thank you very much! Um, about the price ..." Somia thanked Zonne and tried to open her purse, but Zonne stopped her. "Don''t worry. It''s the first time for the young lady, so this time it''s a service. Ah, if you''d like to, why don''t you date me about 10 years later !? The future of the young lady is very promising, so if you date me, this old man will do anything for you !! " "Uh, u-ummm ..." "I thought your last speech would be great, but is that it?!" "Ah~!" Nozomu tried to get a better opinion of Zonne, who listened to Somia''s problems and sought a solution for her. However, immediately after such a good conversation, Zonne started picking up the young Somia, and Nozomu lowered Zonne''s evaluation after it was raised. Nozomu used his strength to stop the old man''s evil deeds. Of course, there was no power adjustment to the hand sword he launched. "Gefu~u!! What are you doing! You hit my head every time we meet!" "That should be my line!! Do you even feel sorry picking up every woman you just met ?!! " "What did you say?! I''m a sensible person! I choose the woman I want to talk to!" "What kind of sensible thing is that!" Zonne protested with teary eyes while holding his head with both hands which was hit by Nozomu. Nozomu was also raising a loud voice that is not like the usual him, probably because he didn''t hold back on the old man in front of him, and the passersby turned their gazes towards them. "Certainly, the black-haired beautiful woman the other day seriously being fond of me! I don''t know why she was with a kid like you. Indeed, a wonderful woman like her should be with a better man like me ... " "T-this ero geezer ..." "C-calm down. Nozomu-san" Somia tried to calm Nozomu down who was reaching for his katana handle once again. Nozomu himself knew that he was not worthy of Irisdina. Irisdina was a very attractive woman. She had an undeniable appearance. Her noble thoughts, and the will to support it. She was clearly something out of his reach. Nozomu understood that it was ridiculous to compare her to him who fled to a past dream and didn''t try to accept the reality in front of him, but even so, when he was told by the old man in front of him, as a man, he was strangely angry. "Next is such a promising girl like this young lady. Ah, young lady, don''t get me wrong, but I''m not someone who likes to crush young flowers! Young flowers are not something to break, they are something to love. What kind of color will the flowers that haven''t bloomed show in the future ... It''s natural for a man to wait patiently for it! " "...As I thought, I''d better slash this old man. He''s the same as Shish¨­, so he won''t die so easily." "Nozomu-san! Hold on! Control yourself!!" Nozomu slightly pulled his katana from the mouth of the sheath. Somia desperately tried to stop him from slashing at Zonne. ¡°And in the end, even the fallen flowers still preserve their beauty. Of course, they no longer had the beauty of their past. Over the years, age has robbed them of their fair skin and beautiful hair. What is the despair of those who have lost their petals ... " Zonne, with his hands raised high, gave the great speech of the century. The gazes of the passers-by around him should be piercing him, but the old man was completely absorbed in his own world and didn''t care about the surrounding gazes at all. ¡°But nevertheless, they are still charming and attractive to the eye. It was proof that they had lost their former beauty but still shining, and they could not be easily taken away even with the passage of time! So, only respect is given to them. who can make those flowers bloom!" The content of the speech itself may be wonderful. But that couldn''t overturn the reputation that had gone rock bottom with his previous words and actions. "...the content of this speech was supposed to be about good things, but everything was ruined because I had listened to your previous words..." "A-awa wa wa..." "What the, even though I talked about good things... It''s rare to find such a blooming beauty. If I were you, I would immediately propose to her." "In the end, what you said was the same as usual! Why don''t you take care of yourself first!!" "What did you say. I said good things. It is better to share your feelings with others. Hiding something sometimes hurts you and the other person. So it is better to tell it than to hide it. That''s because there is still hope. And if you want to hide it, hide it thoroughly so that the other person does not notice it. Doing it halfway is the cruelest. It''s for both the other person and yourself. In the past, my grandmother found an obscene painting I had hidden from her. I should have obediently said that I had it. That painting was my favorite¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± No one knew what had happened in his past, but Zonne for some reason had a distant look in his eyes. Somehow his eyes looked moist. Zonne who conveyed his past feelings came into Nozomu''s field of vision. Nozomu felt as if his chest had been pierced by the words uttered from the old man''s mouth. It was because he was the only one who kept secrets but couldn''t tell them. Zonne''s words were certainly unprecedented and unreasonable, but there was a reason. Nozomu wasn''t so stupid that he couldn''t understand it, and he could look at himself now. That''s why he couldn''t say anything. Realized he was still running away and hit a dead end more than anyone else. And above all, he was the one who suffered for it. "Hmm, young lady, it''s about time for me to close the store. Please come again. Cute girls are always welcome." "Ah, yes. Thank you very much!" Even when Somia replied to Zonne with a smile, Nozomu just stared at them silently. It was as if he was trying to seal his helpless emotions into himself.====================================The next chapter will have 7k words. It will be a very long one. Chapter 5.11 Translator : PolterGlast Nozomu and Somia, who left Zonne''s store, walked through the commercial district again. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu remembered Zonne''s words he just heard. Nozomu hid various things, including about himself as a dragon slayer. He met Lisa and Ken just before going to the forest, and the wicked impulse that sprang up at that time. Irisdina and the others were worried about him, but in the end, Nozomu couldn''t tell them anything. It''s not hard to imagine that it hurt them. (But, if I tell them ...) Even so, Nozomu''s anxiety didn''t go away. It was like a fire that continued to burn and grew gradually. "Nozomu-san? What''s wrong?" "Eh? N-no, it''s nothing." Somia, who was walking beside him, spoke to him as she checked Nozomu''s expression. Nozomu was lost in his own thoughts, but he acted as if nothing had happened. "More importantly, Somia-chan. What are we going to do now? Looks like we still have time." As Nozomu said, the sun hasn''t set yet. It seemed that the number of people walking on the streets had not decreased, perhaps because the days were getting longer in spring. "U~n. What should we do... eh? Something smells sweet..." "Hmm? This smell is..." A sweet scent patted the noses of the two who were walking down the street. When Nozomu and Somia turned to the source of the scent, there was a small stall by the side of the road where several children had gathered. "Hey, uncle! Please give me that candy!" "Ah, that''s not fair! I''m trying to get that one too!!" "Look look, don''t fight. I will make everyone''s share properly." The stall was a candy shop that Irisdina and Nozomu had visited before. It seemed that the children gathered for sweets, it was the same when he visited before. Perhaps the shopkeeper was happy that the children were delighted, so he made candy crafts dexterously with a big smile on his face. "It''s done, here you go." "Uwa~! Thank you !!" The children who received the sweets happily thanked the shopkeeper and ran merrily with the candy in one hand and disappeared into the crowd. Nozomu called out to the shopkeeper when he saw such a sight with a smile. "Hello." "Hmm? Oh! You were the student who helped me before. What were you doing today?" The shopkeeper noticed Nozomu. He talked to Nozomu with a smile, but he never stopped making candy, and he continued to make candy that could be called an elaborate work of art. "I took a detour on my way home from school. Anyway, the sweets are as good as ever." "Oh, thank you. That girl is..." Nozomu was still impressed by the excellent work of the shopkeeper, then he realized that Somia had become quiet before he knew it. "Waa~~!" As Nozomu turned to Somia, she gazed at the many candy works in front of her. Her eyes shone so brightly. (By the way, didn''t Irisdina-san say Somia-chan doesn''t like sweets...) Nozomu remembered when he visited this shop with Irisdina before. Irisdina said Somia had no eyes for sweets because if she eats too much of it she will get cavities. "That''s right. Why don''t you make candy craft again?" "¡­¡­Eh?" Nozomu tilted his head at the shopkeeper''s sudden words. "How about you, young lady? You''ve never made candy before, have you? Why don''t you try it?" "Eh? Is it okay!?" "Of course. I still have the ingredients, and you can use them for two people without any problems. Of course, you have to pay for it." The shop owner proposed to Somia to make candy crafts with a slightly mischievous smile. Somia seems excited and interested in making candy crafts. "Nozomu-san, let''s do it!" "...Alright. I didn''t do well last time, so why don''t I try it again?" "It''s decided. Then, please come here." After the shop owner was satisfied with Nozomu''s answer, he guided them to the counter. After the shop owner was satisfied with Nozomu''s answer, he guided them to the counter. "Then let''s get started. You already know because you''ve done it before, right?" "Yea, first I do this..." Nozomu first set the pot with starch syrup inside it on fire. He added sugar and other ingredients as he boiled the candy, paying close attention to the heat so the candy wouldn''t burn. While stirring the pot, check the color and stickiness, and when he thinks it was just right, Nozomu took the candy out of the pot, divided it in half, and gave one candy to Somia. Nozomu used the other one and formed it with two sticks. "Wa~! Wa wa!" "! Oops!" It doesn''t seem to go as expected. Somia was about to drop the candy on her stick, and Nozomu was struggling with the candy that was likely to hang on the ground because of its softness. The stickiness of the candy that made it easier to shape was about to be worn out. It didn''t let Nozomu and Somia shape it however they wanted. Eventually, the heat contained in the candy escaped, and when it became hard, the two stopped their work. "Wha, it didn''t work." "That''s right. It has become something I don''t quite understand. What did Nozomu-san trying to make?" "Hmm? It was supposed to be a horse ..." Nozomu made a horse, but in the process of making the legs, the candy hung down and it became a strangely long-legged horse. "Mine is a cat, but somehow..." On the other hand, Somia made a cat. However, the ears were also oddly long, and the shape of its face was also distorted. "Ahaha. As expected, my first try won''t work." "Haha! That''s true. I intend to take revenge for my previous failure, but it won''t do with this long-legged horse." Somia smiled while looking at her own candy craft, and Nozomu laughed as if he was enticed by her smile. "Fufu, I still have the ingredients, but what are you going to do? Do you want to try it again?" The shopkeeper asked if they wanted to try again. ""I will do it!"" The two responded to the shopkeeper''s suggestion in unison. After that, they tried to make candy crafts several times, but all of their works were not clear at first glance what they intended it to be, and they raised their voices and laughed every time they failed. Somia and Nozomu found it odd to laugh at their own work, but they still enjoyed it from the bottom of their hearts. *** While Nozomu and Somia were enjoying candy crafts on the shopkeeper''s recommendation, Somia''s sister and the Beastman group that followed them looked at Nozomu and Somia who were struggling with candy crafts while hiding in the shadows. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± "Hey Ai, you don''t have to worry so much." "... But a while ago, Somia was about to be touched by that old man." Irisdina was probably talking about what happened at Zonne''s fortune teller shop. Irisdina, who found out that Somia''s destination was the sexual harasser''s store, was so worried about her sister that she gazed at the two standing in front of the store. And when Zonne came out from the back of the store, Tima and Mars had an unpleasant premonition. As expected, the ero geezer tried to touch Somia in the same way as when he tried to sexually harass Irisdina. "B-but Nozomu-kun managed to stop him ..." "But she was about to be touched ..." When Zonne tried to touch Somia with his fortune-telling as an excuse, Irisdina pulled out the rapier that hung on her waist and tried to charge towards Nozomu, Somia, and Zonne. Mars and Tima stopped her by blocking her with their bodies, and Even though Nozomu stopped Zonne with his attitude clearly showing that he would not hesitate to use his power, but since then, Irisdina''s gaze towards Zonne has become sharper. After that, Zonne started the fortune-telling seriously, Somia listened to Nozomu and the old man''s conversation, but Irisdina and the others couldn''t hear their conversation. She took some distance because Nozomu turned his gaze towards her on the way to Zonne''s shop. Irisdina had an impatient expression again because she couldn''t hear their conversation, but when she saw Somia had a clear expression and smile on her face, she understood that their conversation wasn''t bad at least. Irisdina who saw it finally quenched her bloodlust. In a sense, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Zonne''s fate was determined by Somia''s mood. "But it''s quite bad, isn''t it? It seems that Nozomu is aware of us, and Somia will eventually be aware of us too if we are too persistent, right?" "T-that''s right, Ai. More than this will be no good. Is it okay to be hated by Somia-chan?" "Ugh~ !?" Tima''s words, "Is it okay to be hated by Somia-chan?" struck into Irisdina''s chest. That word seemed to be enough to strike a wedge in her heart. "I know you''re worried about Somia-chan, but Nozomu-kun is with her, so it''ll be alright." "... Well, certainly that the ero geezer couldn''t get his hands on Somia because of Nozomu. If it''s him, he would surely stand up for her. Also Arcazam has a good public order ... " "... Uuu ~~" Mars was in tune with Tima''s words this time. Irisdina was advised by the two of them. Still, whether she was worried about Somia or for some other reason, she groaned but didn''t move. This made her more like a child. When Tima looked at Nozomu and Somia, there were two of them who were engrossed in candy crafts. Nozomu tried to make a craft with two sticks before the boiled candy hardened, but he had a difficult expression because it didn''t work the way he wanted, and next to him, Somia watched Nozomu, who was struggling against the candy craft, with a gentle smile. Although it was impossible to hear their conversation due to the distance between them, the two of them making candy together had quite a pleasant atmosphere. Irisdina looked at the two of them with a gaze like a lonely child. It was as if she was frustrated that she couldn''t be there with them. (... Ha~a, As I thought, Ai is not only worried about Somia, but it seems she is also worried about Nozomu who is dating Somia...) Tima sighed and looked at her best friend. Her best friend had a look she had never seen before. To her, Irisdina was her first friend and best friend after she came to school. But she had never seen Irisdina look like this before. (So you are worried about the two of them?) Tima knew that Irisdina was concerned about Nozomu. But she didn''t know whether Nozomu noticed it or not. Irisdina''s atmosphere, when she was with Nozomu, was definitely different from usual. "Hey, should we end it here? At least it doesn''t seem urgent anymore." Tima was absorbed in her thoughts while looking at her best friend, but after hearing Mars'' voice, she looked at him. Irisdina was pondering about Mars'' words, but she suddenly asked Mars. "...What will Mars-kun do if Ena-kun walks in with a man you don''t know?" "Huh? Why all of a sudden.." "What do you think?" "I never thought about it..." Mars said he hadn''t thought about it, but his averted gaze and clogging manner of speech exuded an emotion that contradicted his words. "... I''m worried. About Somia and Nozomu ..." Irisdina''s face suddenly turned bright red and she started muttering something. No one knew what was going on in her mind. She suddenly glared at Nozomu in the distance, after which she quickly lowered her head down. And then she lifted her face again. She was now holding her head and starting to worry about something. "...What are we going to do? This girl seems really confused." "What should we do ..." Even Tima, who had the longest relationship with her here, didn''t even know what to do with her best friend in front of her. At that time, Irisdina noticed a store on a section of the street. "That''s right, with this ..." "Wait, Ai! Where are you going?!" Irisdina rushed into the store without answering Tima''s question. She quickly came out of the store, but Mars and Tima were stunned by her appearance. "W-what is that?" "Umm, it''s probably Ai. I don''t know why she is wearing something like that..." Irisdina entered the clothing store. The store sells not only everyday clothes, but also working clothes, and sturdy clothes for travel. Irisdina came out of the shop wearing a hooded robe that covered her entire body, and the hood also covered her head, so others couldn''t tell it was her at first glance unless they look into her face. However, her appearance looked very suspicious. Dressed in a robe, she walked straight towards the candy shop where Nozomu and Somia were. "... No way, is she going to go see their situation in that clothes?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tima didn''t seem to answer when asked by Mars. Nozomu, who noticed Irisdina going to the candy shop, looked at her with a surprised expression. Irisdina approached Nozomu regardless. She seemed to be trying to talk to Nozomu disguised as a guest, but the hood on her head was moving unnaturally, and it seemed like the inside of Irisdina''s head was in chaos. The movement of the hood became more intense, and Somia, feeling suspicious, came to their side. Then Irisdina, who thought it was bad, grabbed the bag filled with candy that Nozomu presented, and she glanced back to tell Nozomu something. "... Somehow, It''s no good in various ways. " "¡­¡­Yeah" Mars and Tima who were hiding in the nearby bushes sighed at the same time. *** Nozomu''s POV After we finished with the candy craft, we thanked the shopkeeper and gave him the payment. This time we walked to the central park. Perhaps the sun was about to set in the west, the surrounding area was gradually being dyed red. "Ah! That was fun!" "Yeah. To be honest, I was worried about what should we do because we made too much." I nodded at Somia-chan''s words while looking at the bag in my hand. As a result, the number of candies we made was quite the number. If we heat the candy too much, it will discolor or lose its taste, so we can''t remake it. We were worried that we made too much candy, but the shopkeeper took the candy that we made too much and put it up for sale at a bargain price. Even though the shape wasn''t great, the taste of the candy itself didn''t change, and besides, Somia-chan started to take the initiative to attract customers, saying, "We made it." Seeing such Somia-chan, I also tried to invite customers together with her. Passersby who were called out immediately starting to looking at her. She was talking to a variety of people, including those who had finished their work, the old man who was taking a walk, and lovers who were about to spend time together. At first, they had suspicious expressions because they were suddenly called, but when Somia smiled and recommended the candies, they loosened their expressions and started looking at the candy lined up in the shop. "But the candy is sold out. So there''s nothing more to say." "That''s true, but I made Nozomu-san lose a lot of money." Somia''s facial expression was a little dark. Sure, the candy itself was sold out, but because it was badly shaped, it was sold at a fairly low price, so I made up for the shortfall. "It''s okay. I''ve been earning extra lately, so I have a little more money. And if it was the old man, he would say, "that''s what a man''s reliability looks like!"" Although reluctant, in order not to spoil the atmosphere as much as possible, I referred to that ero geezer. "... Ehehe! As I thought, you are so kind, Nozomu-san" However, Somia changed her expression. With her tongue sticking out, she smiled mischievously. "...Somia-chan. Perhaps, did you do it on purpose?" "Ehehehe!" "Haa..." Somia-chan''s smile brightened as if to affirm my words. I raise my hand immediately as I surrendered to her. Apparently, I was made fun of by this little girl. She did me good. Honestly, I feel terrified at Somia-chan, who can trick a man at her age. Somia-chan has the same glossy black hair and jet-black eyes as Iris. Although she was still a child, her appearance was enough to imagine how attractive she would be in the future. (We~ll, both Somia-chan and Iris seem to have some trouble because of that.) When we were at the candy shop, Iris came in wearing a hooded robe. I was quite surprised to see her appearance who was ordering candy with a trembling voice. I asked Iris what she was doing with a hushed voice so that Somia, who was nearby, couldn''t hear us. But She denied it with a dismayed voice, she said, "I-I''m... my name is not Irisdina." When I tried to pursue it, She got angry and denied it even harder, and Somia, who was by my side, asked, "What''s wrong?" We quickly said the same words at the same time, "It''s nothing!!" and I immediately wrapped the candy Iris ordered into a bag and handed it to her. At that time, suddenly my hands were clenched tightly, and I felt a piercing gaze came from inside of her hood. At that moment, even without words, I could tell her gaze was telling me, "Make sure there''s no improper conduct !!" ¡­ What on earth are you talking about? Somia is still 11 years old. Love was too early for her, and this date was more like brother and sister than lovers. "Nozomu-san. Why don''t we rest there?" "Ah~, alright. Let''s do that." She pointed to a bench in a section of Central Park. After we sat on the bench together, we took the candy out of the bag we had and put it in our mouths. The sweet smell and taste spread throughout the mouth and seemed to permeate the entire body. Somia sat on the bench with her legs dangling, while her expression looked so delighted with the sweet candy. Perhaps because she was doing something she had never done before, she was probably more tired than she thought. "...Nozomu-san. Thank you very much for today." "No, the feeling was mutual. It was fun and I enjoyed our time together. I got to try candy crafting again. The result... well, you already know." Somia-chan''s eyes and mine intersect and we smile at each other. Even though only a few words were exchanged, I could fully feel that today''s date was fun. "Um, Nozomu-san. Can you listen to my story?" "Hmm? What is it?" Somia-chan asked me again. "About today''s fortune-telling ... that ..." "¡­¡­is it about your problems?" Somia nodded at my question. Today''s fortune-telling. Maybe it was about what the old man had told her earlier. "I can listen to your story, but is that okay? I think Somia-chan''s better off talking to Iris about it." "Ane-sama is no good. Umm... since it''s about her..." It seemed she was worried about Iris. I nodded as if I understood. Somia-chan started talking about herself. "As you know Nozomu-san. I want to be like Ane-sama..." "Yes." Somia''s dream is to be like her sister, Irisdina. I heard it from her the first time I met her in this park. "Isn''t Ane-sama so wonderful? She''s beautiful, she''s strong, and she can do anything..." I also nodded at Somia-chan''s words. Of course, Iris is a very attractive girl. It seems that the number of people who confessed to her at school is more than double digits, and her parents are nobles in Foskia, and in the future, she will take their place. It''s hard to find flaws in her. (Well, it seems regarding Somia-chan is a bit different ...) I glanced at the other side of the park from the bench we were sitting on so Somia wouldn''t notice. Although I couldn''t see them, I could feel their presence from that place. They won''t be able to hear our conversation due to the distance, but it looks like they''re still following us. "I love that kind of Ane-sama, and I''m proud of her, but ... I sometimes think about things that I don''t like. I either envy her or she is very lucky. Of course, I understand that Ane-sama works really hard and does her best to be able to do many things¡­ Even so, sometimes that thought still pops into my mind.¡± "... perhaps, what you''re worried about is that?" Somia-chan nodded to my words. Iris is a very important family member, and although her goals remain the same, she sometimes envies her overly outstanding sister. And since she knew more than anyone else how much effort Iris has made, she may have hated herself for thinking that way. "... But I think it can''t be helped. I think everyone has feelings of envy for someone, and even sisters sometimes envy each other, right?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± The answer that came out of my mouth was too common. To be honest, I didn''t know how troubled Somia was, so I could only give such an ambiguous reply, and her expression remained stiff. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Silence flowed for a while. There was a bit of an awkward atmosphere, but Somia finally opened her mouth. "I used to hate Ane-sama." "¡­¡­ Eh?" Her words made me doubt my ears. Because I had seen Somia love Iris more than anyone, and she even described Iris as her future dream. "I''ve never seen my mother''s face. She died shortly after giving birth to me, so I don''t even know what she looked like. There''s only a portrait of her in my father''s room¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Somia-chan started talking about her past. I listened to her words in silence. ¡°My mother never hugged me, sang me a lullaby, or slept with me.Ane-sama often told me about mother. She had the same black hair as us and she was a very kind person ... " It seemed loneliness and regret came to her face as she continued to talk. "When I think about it now, since I didn''t know anything about our mother, Ane-sama wanted me to know about her as much as possible. But at that time, I thought Ane-sama was making a fool out of me, or maybe Ane-sama was resenting me for robbing our mother ... " ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That''s why I didn''t want to talk to Ane-sama or father. I loathe them, I hate them. I can only think like that.¡± The candy bag that Somia had was squeezed with a crumpling noise. "No one cares about me. No one worries about me. It was painful to stay at home because I thought so, that''s why I left my home. " "Eeh!?" Somia''s words made me let out a startled voice. Her household is one of the most well-known in Foskia, and of course, she should be well guarded. Moreover, Somia''s age at that time was supposed to be in single digits. But, no matter how tightly guarded a place is, it''s easier to get out from the inside than to get in from the outside, but it still needs a tremendous amount of effort. "But I was in the mansion all the time, so I didn''t know where to go. Eventually, the sun went down and I had no choice but to stay in a corner of the city. It was cold, it was so cold that I didn''t know what to do. Still. I didn''t want to go home¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I''m just at a loss for words for Somia-chan, who didn''t try to go home even when that happened. How lonely she was. How much loneliness had been pushed into her little body? "And finally it started to rain. I desperately embraced my soaked clothes and tried to withstand the cold. But my body just quivered and didn''t get warm at all. Eventually, when my consciousness became hazy, I heard a voice like someone was calling my name. " Somia-chan holds her legs tightly. Somehow, I could see a girl who couldn''t go anywhere while getting wet in the rain. "At first I thought that was the case. I thought I was not loved by anyone and no one would find me." Somia muttered, burying half of her face in her knees. ¡°But the voice that called out to me gradually became louder, and when I realized it, I heard the voice from the side. When I lifted my face, I saw Ane-sama who was drenched like me. She even came out of the mansion to find me.¡± Somia-chan''s face, which lifted after saying that, had a clear expression instead of the sad expression she had before. "But back then, I said something like "Why did you come here?!". Come to think of it now, I said something terrible back then. Ane-sama said, "I''m here to look for you", she then grabbed my arm and tried to take me home, but I still wouldn''t go home." Somia-chan let out a bitter laugh, remembering her disgraceful behavior back then. ¡°After that, there was a fight between Ane-sama who was going to take me home and me who didn''t want to go home. Neither Ane-sama nor I want to listen to each other. I didn''t hesitate to yell at some point." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Like Ane-sama, my father came to look for me, and in the end, I was brought back to the mansion. After returning, both Ane-sama and my father gave me a scolding. At that time, I vented my feelings that had been held in my heart for a long time, in front of everyone. Why don''t I have a mother! Why does everyone hate me! If you hate me, leave me alone! I cried and screamed. Then I was slapped by Ane-sama.¡± Somia stroked her left cheek. Maybe that''s where Irisdina slapped her. "I was angry and wanted to hit her back, but when I looked at Ane-sama, she was crying too. She was trying desperately to hold back her overflowing tears, but her tears didn''t stop. ¡­¡­. Ane-sama was always laughing in front of me, but when I think about it, I think she was also feeling sad because our mother died. But she couldn''t show it to the public, and she desperately tried to hide it, but what I had said made her feelings overflowed. " Come to think of it, Iris was around 10 years old at the time, and it was natural for her to hold back her feelings when a member of her family died. "After that, both Ane-sama and I cried and yelled at each other, and I fell asleep without realizing it. Then I fell in love with Ane-sama and wanted to be like her. Ane-sama desperately hid her sadness and kept smiling. I want to be like that. " ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± Having finished talking about it, Somia took a deep breath and stretched her back to loosen her stiff body. "Ha~a ~. It was refreshing!" "Hey, Somia-chan. Why did you tell me all of that?" I frankly asked questions that I felt. Our conversation just now was like a consultation, and at least it wasn''t a story that could be easily talked to people. "Hm~m. I don''t know! I just wanted to talk." "You just want to talk?" "Yes! I want Nozomu-san to know more about me. When I thought so, my mouth naturally opened!" She smiled as she said so. There was no longer a sad expression on her face, and she had her usual sun-like smile. As expected, this child is as strong as Iris. She has the strength to care for someone even though she is troubled by something. "... Somia-chan. I don''t have any siblings so I can''t really feel your worries about Iris." I have no siblings. My father, mother, and I are a family of three. "But, I still feel a lot of envy towards other people." But that doesn''t mean I wasn''t jealous of anyone. Every day I was told that I couldn''t get stronger because of my ability suppression, and even if I tried my best, I couldn''t do what I wanted. If there is no ability suppression. If I was stronger. Not that I never thought about those meaningless "what if" stories. "I can''t really put it into words, but in spite of that, you still love Iris, right?" "¡­¡­Yes" Everyone has envy feelings in their heart. I was also envious of Lisa and the others who became stronger and left me behind, and I felt sorry for myself who couldn''t become stronger. Back then, I covered my envious feelings with my promise to Lisa and various other reasons, but when I think about it now, I certainly had such dark feelings. In Somia''s case, she had hurt Iris with her envious feelings before, so maybe she was so worried about that. "Then isn''t it alright? Somia-chan, you thought Iris would feel hurt because of that, right? That''s why you did the fortune-telling and told me all about this." She is a kind-hearted girl who loves her sister. She remembered that in the past, she hurt her sister with her own selfish beliefs. She was afraid that her sister would find out about her envy. "...Yes. When my mother died, I remember that Ane-sama, who was always laughing, actually felt broken deep down... Still, Ane-sama took good care of me. When I thought I would hurt her, I just couldn''t talk to her..." Somia-chan lowered her head while letting out a sunken voice. "If so, then it will be alright. No matter how envious you''re of Iris, the most important thing in Somia''s heart is the feeling that you love your sister." "A¡­¡­" Somia-chan who heard my words raised her face. Her eyes swayed greatly. But, it was reasonable. She couldn''t talk about it with Iris because she didn''t want to hurt her. That''s because her sister is more important to her than anyone else. "Yes! I love Ane-sama!" Somia-chan declared so, vigorously. Her face was illuminated by the evening light, so bright that it looked like the first star to appear in the sky after the Sun set. "Alright! It''s almost dark, so should we go home?" "Ah! Wait a minute! There are still more." Somia-chan held me back from trying to get up from the bench. Apparently, she still had something to talk about. "Hmm? What''s wrong?" She took a deep breath as she faced me. It felt like she was about to make an important decision in her life, seeing that, my spine spontaneously straightened. "...When I almost lost my soul back then, Nozomu-san saved my life. I haven''t thanked you yet." "Eh? I''ve received the gratitude from your sister tho..." What she was talking about must have been the incident with Rugato of the Waziart Family. But by then, Iris and Somia-chan had already thanked me the next day... "Yes, but I want to thank you personally." After saying that, Somia-chan looked straight at me. To be honest, I didn''t really mind it, but Somia''s gaze that was looking at me made me feel that she had made a big resolution. I honestly don''t know why she''s so resolute about it, but at least I don''t want to waste her feelings. "... I understand. Then, I''ll receive Somia-chan''s gratitude." "Y-yes!" Perhaps she was relieved that I receive it, Somia-chan''s voice sprang up and she stood upon the bench. She''s only 11 years old, so naturally, she''s shorter than me. She stood on the bench until she reached the same height as me. What on earth is she going to do? "Um, please don''t move." "Hmm? What is..." "~ chu!" "Eh!?" When I tried to ask Somia-chan, who told me not to move, her face was reflected in my eyes. And after that, I felt a soft touch on my cheek. The sudden event turned my mind white and a blank expression on my face. "Ehehe. I kissed you." "E-eh?" When the soft touch on my cheek disappeared, the next thing I saw was Somia-chan with a bright red face. "That was my first kiss. It''s the first time I''ve done it with anyone other than my father." Somia-chan said it with a mischievous smile on her face. Her expression resembled Iris on the previous date. They really are siblings after all. "... As I thought, you really do look like Iris." "Eh !? Is that so! If you say so..." "Ahhhhhh!" "Hiu!!" Somia''s shoulders shook due to the loud voice that suddenly echoed. I reflexively looked towards the person who made the voice. Iris who was hiding behind the bush stood up and pointed her finger at me. "Wha, wha, wha-wha-wha ..." Perhaps because Iris was so surprised, her voice stuttered. Her fingertips trembled, and her usual calm appearance was nowhere to be seen. "~! No~zo~mu~~!!" "Wa, wait!" She shouted my name and rushed towards me in an instant. Her face was horribly tense and her eyes became bloodshot. It was almost like the "Eyes of Madness". To be clear, I''m scared. She came straight up to me, grabbed my shoulder, and pressed it hard with both of her hands. Her nails bit my shoulder, and because of the pain, I desperately tried to get her to let go of her hands. But her slender white arms squeezed my shoulders with tremendous force. "No~zo~mu¡­¡­ I already told you, didn''t I ?! "Make sure there''s no improper conduct !!"". "Y-yes! ..." My body was petrified like a stone due to her eyes that seem to have really activated "Eyes of Madness", and the grudge-like voice coming from the bottom of the abyss. We are just like a weak lamb and an angry cyclops. "If so, what does "that kiss" mean ..." "Umm, that ... hurts! It hurts! Iris! Please let go of your hands first!" The pain running through my shoulder intensified, and I could hear her squeezing hands. "No. If I let you go, you will run away. Come on, explain what was that means." "Ane-sama, that should be my line." "¡­¡­Ah~" Iris had been trying to forcefully question me, but I finally understood my current situation from Somia-chan''s voice I heard from the side. "Ane-sama, what does this mean? I told you not to follow me, right?" "Aa~ no, that''s..." Somia-chan glares at Iris with her eyes. On the other hand, Irisdina, who should be the older sister, was just flustered. "In addition, Mars-san and Tima-chan were involved ... So, Ane-sama, who in the wrong? " "N-no. I''m just worried about Somia." "I didn''t ask about that." Somia-chan''s scolding time has begun. By the way, when I first met her, I had a fight with the stray cat, Kuro, and she scolded me... I took a candy out of the bag and put it in my mouth. In front of me, I saw Iris being pressed by her 11-year-old sister by her side. Iris looks at me with tears in her eyes, but I pretend not to see. I decided to be on Somia-chan''s side today. "Yo, Nozomu" "Good evening. Nozomu-kun." "Oh." Mars and Tima who were with Iris came out of the bushes and called me out. As expected, they are still here. "That looks awful" "Yea, Irisdina wasn''t listening to us at all¡­ wait, I thought, you have noticed us, right?" I nodded to confirm Mars''s words. "But it seems that Somia-chan didn''t notice us. I thought that if we confront you, your date would be ruined at that point. But I also understand Iris''s feelings who is worried about Somia-chan. I wanted her to at least watch over the distance ... " "Ahaha ..." Tima''s mouth let out a dry laugh. I think she doesn''t know what to say about her best friend''s tantrum today. Of course, I was kissed by Somia-chan, but the place where I was kissed was my cheek. I think it''s more of a feeling of liking than love. But to Iris, her sister was more important than anyone else. Even if it''s only on my cheek, but it can''t be helped if she can''t stay calm if her sister''s kiss scene is shown in front of her. "Good grief. What was Ane-sama thinking!" "Uuu¡­¡­" Irisdina dropped her shoulders in front of her sister. I couldn''t feel the slightest hint of her usual dignified appearance, but of course, Somia-chan loosened her cheeks due to Iris'' appearance. The trouble Somia-chan was having, seemed to be blown away, albeit a little. "Ah, that''s right. Ane-sama, since you did something like this, such a bad sister should be given a punishment." "Pu-punishment!?" Irisdina, who heard that, immediately raised her face. "Yes. In the first place, I invited Nozomu-san for this date, and Ane-sama misdirected your anger at Nozomu-san who was just invited by me, so it''s natural to apologize to Nozomu-san." "W-what should I do?" Iris looked nervous and waited for Somia-chan''s next words. "It''s easy. Please have a party with Nozomu-san on the second day of the special training." ""¡­¡­Ehh?"" "Nozomu-san, is that alright? By the way, Ane-sama has no right to refuse." "Um. It''s alright ..." I turned my eyes to Iris. She had a red face for some reason and she hurriedly turned her face away. "Ane-sama, you understand, right?" "A-a! I understand! T-therefore! Nozomu, please treat me well ..." "Aa. Likewise ..." I shook hands with Iris, but her face was still beet red and her hands were shaking for some reason. Somia-chan looks at us while smiling. Perhaps she intended to do this from the beginning. Today she had me wrapped around her little finger from the beginning to the end. After that, we parted ways because the sun had set. Everyone is on the way to their home. By the way, about the other group that was tailing us was... *** "... Did Nozomu and Somicchi come to the park? I didn''t think Nozomu would be going out with 11-year-old Somicchi until night, maybe this is the place where they end their date." "That''s right. Up until now, their dates were somehow just normal. Well, Irisdina-san is quite interesting." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ha~a¡± Feo and Mimuru observed Irisdina and the others from behind. In the end, Feo and Mimuru continued to chase as they wished, and Tom sighed loudly behind them. Tom, who could be said to be the only person with a conscience among the three, spoke to Feo and Mimuru to stop, but no matter how many times they were called, the two beastmen didn''t listen to him at all. They are completely engrossed in their own world. By the way, when Irisdina went to see Nozomu and Somia in a disguise that couldn''t be called a disguise at the candy shop, the two of them burst into laughter. The most unfortunate person was probably Tom. He had his face flushed red from embarrassment due to the gazes of the surroundings piercing them. Right now, Nozomu and Somia were sitting on a bench in the central park and talking. "Hmm. As expected, this is too far. I have no idea what their conversation is about." "That''s right. Hey Feo, can you do something with your talisman technique?" "W-wait a minute, both of you! Are you going to use such a technique in a place like this !?" The two of them tried to not only peek but also eavesdrop using a talisman technique. Tom''s mental strength is scraped off by their series of insane actions. "Sorry, but I can''t. I haven''t made a talisman for that yet. Damn, there''s such an interesting thing going on. I should have made it even if I stayed up all night yesterday!" Feo who was seriously disappointed, vented it with his fist. This fox would use it without hesitation if he had a talisman ready to use. Behind him, Tom was relieved that they weren''t going to commit a crime. "But, seeing that black-haired princess was really enjoyable. Tima and Mars were desperately trying to stop her since a while ago, but it''s depressing that we couldn''t hear their conversation at all. Iyaa~, I didn''t expect the black-haired princess to be such a child. ~" Mimuru nodded at Feo''s words many times and had a loose grin on her face. "But, it''s getting late. Ha~a, isn''t anything going to happen anymore ... hmm? What?" "Hmm? What''s wrong, Feo?" At the end of their gaze, Somia stood on the bench and she looked straight at Nozomu. The next moment, Somia''s face approached Nozomu... "" Here it comes ~ ~ ~ !!!!"" The loud voices of the two beastmen reverberated. Somia''s passionate kissing act at the end of the date brings them to the climax of their tension. "You did it! You did it, Somicchi !!" "Kyahho !! Look at Nozomu''s face !! He''s completely embarrassed!" "Oh! The black-haired princess rushed out! Looks like she can''t bear it any longer!" "A bloodbath !? It''s going to be a bloodbath!! Alright, we can''t miss it even for a moment !!" Feo and Mimuru ran wild like rocks rolling down the slope with no way to stop them. However, they could only see the scene that unfolded before them and were unaware of their fate creeping up behind them. "...You guys, it looks like you guys are having fun. I wonder if you guys don''t understand your own situation?" ""......Eh?"" A dignified bell-like voice echoed. The two of them turned towards the familiar voice that entered their ears from behind¡­¡­and all they saw was despair. ¡°You guys have such a great hobby of peeking at other people''s dates. I was so amazed that I was speechless.¡± Long blue hair and pointed ears. A smile like a work of art appeared on her well-organized face, and at the same time, she spread out an overwhelming rage. Sh¨©na Yuliel, the most person Feo and Mimuru didn''t want to tell about what they were doing, stood behind them. "H-how did you know !?" "I had an unpleasant premonition. About you sticking your head into whatever you find interesting, so I was wondering if you would do something strange again to those two going on a date." Tom stood beside Sh¨©na. Maybe he called Sh¨©na, who happened to be in the park, to stop Feo and Mimuru. Her eyes were open and her mouth was smiling, but her gaze was genuinely angry. Feo and Mimuru, who received her gaze, began to tremble like small animals. "Still, today, I slightly renewed my assessment of you after seeing you give permission to Somia. But when I came to the park on my way back from the library, there were some people making a fuss and Tom was running in a hurry. When I came to see what was going on ... seemed like it was my misunderstanding." She then turned his gaze to Mimuru. Sh¨©na glared at Mimuru with her sharp gaze and Mimuru shrieked, "Hii~!!". "Mimuru. I told you yesterday, didn''t I? It could be a big problem if you move solely with such an "I want to do that" impulse ..." "Y-yes ~~ !!" Mimuru bowed her head towards Sh¨©na. Her animal instincts told her that Sh¨©na was currently at the top of the food chain, so she lowered her head earnestly as she tried to calm her best friend''s anger. "Both of you seem to have a lot of energy, so why don''t we go training now. It''ll be okay. If you have that much power, you can probably stay overnight, right?" However, even after she bowed her head down, Yasha''s anger in front of her could not be appeased. "Umm, that''s a bit..." "...Did you guys say something?" Sh¨©na smiled and spoke gently with her voice. With them talking back, it wouldn''t end well for them. Sh¨©na looked very angry as she made a crushing move with one hand. The two of them immediately lowered their heads to the ground and begged for forgiveness. "" Please forgive me !! "" "Gosh, you guys!!"'' And the time of their hellish tirade began. It is not clear when they were released from that hell. Tom, who was worried about them, went to see them. There he found Mimuru and Feo like broken dolls repeating the same words over and over again. Chapter 5.12 Translator : PolterGlast On the outskirts of Arcazam City. In the forest not far from the city. Usually, there were only demon beasts and animals inside, but today hundreds of humans had gathered. They were students belonging to the 3rd year of Solminati Academy and their school''s teachers. Today was the first day of their Special Integrated Training Class. In the forest, which was usually surrounded by silence, an administrative headquarters had been set up, and the din of hundreds of humans could be heard. Once a year, this forest is free from silence only during this period of time. Perhaps because the training that was about to be held would directly affect the students'' grades, all the expressions of the gathered students were tense and stiff. But at the same time, this training is also a great opportunity for the students. Therefore, their facial expressions not only exuded a sense of tension but also showed some expectations. "Fufufu. This looks interesting..." "...You must be looking forward to this, Mars" Mars, who was near Nozomu, had a fearless smile on his face. There was no tension in his expression and he seemed to be very much looking forward to this event. He wanted to be strong, and he had probably been waiting for this kind of event where he could test his strength. "We~ will yes. This is a good opportunity for me. And..." Mars stared at Nozomu and clasping his fists unconsciously. His gaze seemed to be trying to identify something. There was no trace of the frivolous atmosphere he had shown earlier. "...? What''s wrong Mars?" "... No, it''s nothing" Nozomu made a suspicious expression at the suddenly changed atmosphere of Mars. But Mars didn''t talk about his hidden feelings, he just kept his mouth shut. Nozomu tilted his head. Mars was originally a strong person and had high pride, but Nozomu felt that Mars'' behavior recently was a little strange. He seemed to ponder about something and became more and more engrossed in something. "Hey Mars, lately you seem to ..." "Oh, there he is! O~i, Nozomu!!" When Nozomu tried to talk to Mars, he was suddenly called from the side. Nozomu and Mars turned their eyes towards the source of the voice, they could see Feo waving and coming towards them. Next to him were Sh¨©na, Mimuru, and Tom, who came over with smiling expressions upon seeing Nozomu. "Yo! Good morning, you two." "Yea" "Good morning, Feo. I see, Sh¨©na and her friends were with you." Nozomu greeted Feo and turned his eyes to Sh¨©na and her friends, and they nodded lightly. "Yeah. Somehow, it looks like we''re going to have a party together. Feo is a versatile type, so I think he can move flexibly according to the situation. That''s why I decided to have a discussion with him and get him to team up with us for the first day." Sh¨©na smiled while saying so. The cool maiden''s smile looked very attractive, but for some reason, a chill ran down Nozomu''s spine. Was it due to the fact that sweat seemed to be pouring from the foreheads of the three people next to her? "Discussion? ... I think what you did with a bow and arrow ready in one hand was blackmail, not discussion..." Feo started muttering in a whisper while dripping sweat from his forehead. Mimuru was also trembling with her face buried in her lover Tom''s chest. "Ha ha ha¡­¡­" (...What happened to them?) Tom rubbed Mimuru''s back which was clinging to him while letting out a dry laugh. With their behavior looking like that, Nozomu thought it was better not to ask what happened to them. "Well, that''s how it is. I''m officially a member of Sh¨©na''s party, so today we''ll be enemies. Please don''t hold back." "...Oh I know." Feo presented his fist while declaring war on Nozomu. Nozomu also presented his fist and bump it with Feo''s fist. Feo stared at Mars while his fists bumped with Nozomu''s fist, but Mars returned it with a fearless smile while crossing his arms and puffing out his chest. His demeanor seemed to declare, "If you think you can, try it", without opening his mouth. They looked at each other with warlike smiles. However, at that moment, laughter that seemed to mock the three of them resounded. "Hahahaha! So the ones who make high-spirited noises so loud are the fox guy, the half-hearted person, and the bottom. No matter how you pretend to be strong, you still won''t be able to do anything." A voice suddenly mocking them could be heard. A beastman came from the direction of the voice earlier. Silver ears and tail. It was Kevin Ardinal, one of the five students to reach Rank A. He belonged to the first class at the top of his year. Behind them were students who seemed to be members of his party. The young silver wolf folded his arms and turned his contempt to Nozomu and the others. His party members behind him also looked down and smirked at Nozomu, and the unpleasant gazes made Nozomu''s facial expression stiffen. "So it''s you, d*mn dog" ¡°To suddenly appear and say something without thinking¡­ didn''t you end up making high-spirited noises too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Mars and Feo reacted to Kevin''s words. Nozomu was also glaring at Kevin with a sharp gaze, and Kevin''s party members were also glaring back at him. Mars had already reached for his specialized weapon on his back, and it seemed that he was about to slash Kevin, but the young silver wolf didn''t seem to be moving with his arms folded on his chest. Perhaps he was confident that he would be able to respond even if Mars attacked him. "Students over there, what are you doing!" The atmosphere was bound to explode, but there was an angry voice that blew the atmosphere away. Mars, who was reaching for his specialized weapon, took his hand off from the handle of his greatsword, and when Kevin''s party members glanced at the person who made the voice, they were shocked. Inda-sensei, the second-class homeroom teacher, with Irisdina and Tima, the first-year students, walked towards them. "What are you guys about to do!" Inda-sensei is a strict teacher. She probably came to scold the students who made a fuss after hearing their voices. "We didn''t do anything. Just said hello to them." "Kevin Ardinal, your abilities are indeed quite good, but try to act in a way that suits your ability a little bit." "Oh, I know." Kevin said he was reflecting, but with his arms still folded on his chest, obviously, his attitude was not that of a person who was reflecting in what he did. Inda-sensei''s scolding flew again towards Kevin who didn''t break his irreverent attitude, but Kevin only looked annoyed and shifted his gaze from Inda-sensei to Irisdina. "Irisdina, it''s not too late now. Would you like to team up with me?" "Sorry, but I''ve made up my mind." Irisdina immediately refused Kevin''s invitation. Judging by Kevin''s tone of voice, it seemed like he had invited her many times before. Kevin, who was rejected, distorted his expression for a moment, but immediately returned to his original confident expression. "Ha~, I wonder what''s good about such a dropout ... Well, it''s fine. If it''s you, you''ll soon understand who deserves to be your companion. Who should stand beside you..." Kevin left by simply saying what he wanted to say unilaterally. His party members followed behind him. The gazes of Nozomu and his friends watching them leave were cold, and Irisdina was somewhat disgusted without changing her expression. Maybe because her scolding wasn''t very effective, Inda-sensei had a difficult expression while holding her temples. However, as soon as she returned to her original sharp expression, she left Nozomu, Mars, and Feo who were there, and returned to the administrative headquarters tent. Irisdina and Tima came to Nozomu and the others as Inda-sensei entered the tent, but their faces were somewhat depressed. "Sorry, everyone. My classmates did something rude." She seemed to be apologizing for what Kevin said earlier. Nozomu quickly restored his tense expression and spoke to them as gently as possible. "It''s fine, Iris didn''t do anything wrong." Mars and Feo nodded at Nozomu''s words. Irisdina and Tima''s facial expressions weren''t as tense as before, and they returned to their usual selves. Originally, Irisdina was innocent. Indeed, Kevin and his entourage were in the same class as her, but she hadn''t done anything wrong for which she had to apologize. Seeing the expressions on the faces of Nozomu and the others, Sh¨©na and her friends also relaxed their tense faces and smiled little by little. "Well then, it''s time to register the party at the administrative headquarters, and then there will be explanations and instructions for the special training we will be doing..." Today, the first thing to do is to officially register the party and prepare the necessary equipment. After that, the person in charge of the special training, Jihad, will explain the content of the training and provide detailed instructions, and then the training will begin. "That''s right. For now, let''s register our party at the reception desk..." "...U-umm" As they tried to go to the administrative headquarters tent to register their party for the time being. There were students calling out to him to stop him. Nozomu and the others looked at the source of the voice. There are three boys and two girls. "You guys are..." "Hey ..." "Nozomu, do you know them?" "W-w. Well... yes..." Irisdina, who saw the reaction between Nozomu and the other party, asked Nozomu if he knew them. Of course, Nozomu was familiar with their faces. They were students from the same 10th class as Nozomu, and they were students he fought in his class mock battle when Nozomu and Mars formed a party together. They are Jin and Tommy, the swordsman who wields a longsword, Deck, who wields a spear, Cami, who wields a dagger, and Hamria, the mage. They were classmates who initially looked down on Nozomu. Nozomu wondered, what did they call him for? Nozomu spoke with Jin, who was at their forefront, to hear their story for the time being. "Do you guys need something?" "Ah. That... Actually, umm..." Jin spoke while stuttering. The other members behind him also awkwardly averted their eyes when they saw Nozomu and rushed Jin to say something from behind. Nozomu tilted his head while looking at them which looked strange, but Jin opened his mouth in a hurry as if he had decided something. "Actually ... About today''s training. Can you add us to your party?" "¡­¡­Eh?" At first, Nozomu didn''t understand what they were saying, but he finally understood when he saw Mars next to him. Mars'' abilities are high even in his third year, while Nozomu''s reputation at Solminati Academy remains at the bottom. Today, the students had to have a party in the same class, so Nozomu couldn''t team up with Irisdina and Sh¨©na. However, since they couldn''t team up with other classes, they probably wanted to gain the greatest power in the 10th class even if they had to go through their anxiety called Nozomu. Or so Nozomu thought. However, Jin''s next words completely refuted Nozomu''s thoughts. "Yes. We''d like to ask you and Mars for help." "...Eh? Me too?" Jin wanted to borrow the powers of Nozomu and Mars as well. There was no atmosphere of lying or playing around in their eyes as they looked straight at Nozomu, and Nozomu was overwhelmed with their sincere eyes. Nozomu was confused by their change because, until now, they looked down on him in class. "...We know we''ve ridiculed you and said bad things about you, but we still don''t want to be expelled from this school! Depending on the results of this special training, it will be a huge plus to our grades. We are totally aware that it is a selfish request, but... please! Please help us !!" "U-umm ... that is..." Jin bowed deeply to Nozomu. The other members also bowed to Nozomu, and Nozomu''s confusion deepened. "... Nozomu, isn''t it alright? Looks like they really need your help." "At least I don''t feel any hatred or hostility from them, and it doesn''t look like they''re lying." Irisdina, who was watching them from the side, suggested that Nozomu let Jin and his friends join. Feo also agreed with Irisdina. Mimuru and Tom also nodded. "Yeah. I think their feelings are sincere. I had a similar experience, so I was able to understand their feelings somehow..." Following Irisdina and Feo, Sh¨©na also agreed with their opinion. Sh¨©na hated Nozomu at first. She had also previously told Nozomu something terrible, and she apologized for it and reconciled with him. "¡­¡­Mars¡­¡­" Nozomu looked at Mars. Mars closed his eyes for a moment, thinking while he crossed his arms, then opened his eyes again and looked at Nozomu''s face. "...I think it''s fine. Since we''ve decided to win, I think it''s better to have as much power as possible." Nozomu nodded when he heard Mars'' answer and faced Jin and his friends again. "...I understand. Let''s work together." "Thank you!" Jin, who heard Nozomu''s words of approval, smiled as if he was relieved. Perhaps his party members behind him had the same feeling, they all smiled. "Then I''ll go to the administrative headquarters to register our party. But we have to be prepared. This year we have more talented students than usual, so it probably won''t be easy." Nozomu looked at Irisdina and the others while saying so, and Irisdina looked back at Nozomu with a graceful smile. Seeing such Irisdina, Nozomu shrugged it off and headed towards the tent where the administrative headquarters was located. *** After Nozomu and the others registered for their party, all the students in the third year gathered in front of the administrative headquarters tent. Since Irisdina and the others were his enemies today, Nozomu and his party members gathered at a different place Jihad Roundel, who was in charge of managing the special training, appeared on stage, and a detailed explanation of the special training began. "Well now, students, the Special Integrated Training Class will start today, but before that, I''ll explain the rules of this special training." Jihad then took out a pendant from his pocket. If someone else took a closer look at the students, they had the same pendant that Jihad had just shown, hanging around their necks. "First of all, this pendant is distributed to each student at the time of party registration, and it will determine your health points on this special training. When the pendant owner receives or accumulates a certain amount of damage, it glows red. At that time, the pendant owner will be disqualified and the pendant will belong to the other party. Of course, if you lose the pendant, you will be disqualified. Also, health points are assigned to each pendant, and those belonging to a higher class will have higher health points." "That means, Irisdina and the others have pretty high health points..." "That''s right. And we will be easy targets, so we need to move in groups.¡± Nozomu agreed with Mars''s opinion. Probably it was to maintain the balance between the lower class and the higher class students. Especially the need to seek profit so that students are willing to fight against those who have reached high ranks like Irisdina and the others. "Also, if the party is annihilated, the points earned by the losing party will also belong to the winning party. The points earned will be counted at the end of each day''s training session, and the next day everyone will start from 0 again." "So the points will reset every day..." "Oh, it looks like there will be students attacking randomly here and there..." However, we cannot be relieved just because we have earned points. Even if low-class students beat a high-class student in a group, and they were wiped out afterwards, they would end up back where they started. However, the fact that the points will reset the next day means the points for the first and second day will be calculated separately. In other words, how to survive becomes important. "Also, there are tasks written on the paper that was given to you when the pendant was distributed. You don''t have to complete the tasks, but if you do, you will be awarded points according to the completed task to the party. In addition, for the task of escorting, we teachers will be the escort target and assess the success or failure of the task." "So, what are we going to do? We can get more points if we complete the task..." "...To be honest, I can''t say anything because I don''t know how the other party will work, but let''s take it as a prospect to earn more points." Jin asked Nozomu what to do, but Nozomu withheld whether to decide to complete the task or not. It would be better if they could complete tasks and earn points, but the other party naturally thought of stealing their points. He wondered whether to earn points by completing tasks or to hide and preserve their points. Taking this into account to decide what to do will also be very important. "The practice area is written on the back of the paper where assignments are written, and when you leave the training area, the pendant will react and you will be disqualified. In addition, we teachers have already investigated the area in advance and monitored it, and even though the repellant to prevent monsters is already sprinkled on the boundaries of the training area, the threat of monsters and demon beasts is not completely eliminated. Lastly, consider using your specialized weapons like in the usual class, and be very careful.¡± No matter how many times they did investigation and monitoring in advance, nothing was absolute. What''s more, this time''s training was serious, and it wasn''t the mock combat training they had in class until now. In fact, past special training has resulted in casualties, and students had to complete a contract first to participate in this training. In other words, their life is their own responsibility. Of course, not filling out the contract and not participating in the special training will not reduce their grades, but it is undeniable that participating in this training will be a big plus for their grades, so only a few students do not participate. "Also, the area around the administrative headquarters is a non-combat area. Please note that parties fighting in this area will have their points deducted." This is natural in a sense. This cannot be tolerated. Management will be delayed with a battle near the place required for management. "In addition, a special target will be set in the training area. One of our teachers will be the special target, and the party that defeats this special target will be awarded higher points than any task. However, this special target will attack you and rob you of the points you have earned. But if you win, you will also get the points robbed by the special target." "So, a teacher will also participate..." "Perhaps, the teacher is acting as a powerful demon beast, or to move around and keep the special training in check." Cami is holding her head while groaning. Certainly, a teacher taking the role of the villain is nothing more than a threat. As long as Sominati Academy''s teachers were gathered from all over the continent, every teacher will have considerable ability. "This concludes the explanation of the rules for this special training. I look forward to your good performance... That''s all." Jihad''s explanation was over, and the bell was brought on stage. Special practice begins when the bell rings. "Nozomu, what are we going to do?" Jin asked Nozomu''s opinion. As the bell was getting ready to ring, Nozomu whispered in a hushed voice so others couldn''t hear him while looking around. ¡°...If we stay here, we will be attacked by the other party or we will be involved in their battle, and if that happens, we will be the ones who will be exhausted first. First, let''s stay away from this place as much as possible and make a base. " The other party members nodded at Nozomu''s words. They slowly moved to the edge of the venue. This was so that they could run as soon as the starting signal rang and leave this place as soon as possible. "We''ll sprint after the starting signal. Head to the west side of the training area. After that, set up a base and consider our next course of action." Nozomu reconfirmed their future actions, and when everyone nodded, the bell was ready to ring. "Hmm?" Nozomu was waiting for the starting signal to ring, but suddenly he felt someone''s gaze staring at him. He turned his gaze to the part of the place that was crowded among the students. It was too crowded that he couldn''t see the person looking at him at all, but suddenly he saw a familiar red hair through the gap between the students. "... Lisa?" "With this, the Special Integrated Training Class for the first semester of the school year begins! Nozomu tried to make sure who was the owner of the red hair, but the next moment, the bell rang along with Jihad''s declaration. All the students who were there were scattered in all directions. Nozomu was forced to give up on confirming the owner of that gaze and rushed out of the venue area with all his might. Finally, as soon as his figure disappeared from the venue, angry voices, screams, and yells began to be heard here and there. Apparently, battles immediately started here and there the moment they left the non-combat area. Thus, one of the biggest events, the Special Integrated Training Class had begun. Chapter 5.13 Translator : PolterGlast "Hey, Nozomu! Where on earth are we heading!?" "For the time being, we are going to the west side of the training area! It will be easy to hide since the vegetation is dense and overgrown there!" Under Nozom''s instructions, Mars and the others rushed out with all their might to avoid engaging in battle with the other party as soon as the training started. According to Nozomu, there were several small hills around the training area, but most of them were surrounded by forest, therefore, monitoring a large area from a high place seemed ineffective. On the east side of the training area, there is a highway connected to Arcazam, but there is no other characteristic terrain worth mentioning. At first, they were planning to build a base on a small hill. Certainly, there were no trees growing from the edge of the forest to the top of the hill, and it was easy to observe the approaching enemies, but at the same time there were no trees to hide them, so they would fight against the attacking opponents more often. Although there is Mars who has the strength equivalent to the upper class, there is Nozomu and the others who only have relatively low strength. So, they would lose if they were attacked in quick succession. Therefore, Nozomu rejected the plan and chose to hide in the forest instead. Currently, they are running towards the west side which has a lot of trees... "Haa, haa... No, Nozomu-kun! Behind, behind!!" "They''re after us!!" Hamria and Cami who were running behind raised their voices. When they took a closer look, they could see the figure of the other party running from the other side of the trees. The other party has found and chased the fleeing Nozomu''s party. "I know! Just run for now!" Nozomu encouraged them to keep running no matter what. Hamria, who was next to Cami, was probably the least physically fit, and her breathing shown that she was already in pain. "Hey, Nozomu! Isn''t it better to ambush them instead !?" "Don''t! The other teams aren''t scattered yet! If we fight here and meet with other parties, we will be the first to be defeated !!" Nozomu is most afraid of being attacked by two or more parties at the same time. For other parties, the low-strength Nozomu''s party would look like an easy point to earn. Nozomu''s party with such low strength is a good way to surely earn points in the early stage, and It''s one of the parties that will definitely be targeted. It is a foolish idea to stop in this state, which may be targeted by multiple parties, which is why Nozomu''s first objective is to gain distance and prepare for interception. "Uo! They are attacking us!" "It''s okay because there is still some distance! Instead, just focus on running for now !!" Various types of magic bullets such as fire bullets, wind bullets, and pure magic bullets were pouring down from behind. Tommy screamed because of the magic bullets that passed beside him, but Nozomu calmly measured the opponent''s distance and continued to urge his party to run. Even though the magic cast from behind was considered strong, it was still far away and was disturbed by the overgrown trees, so it didn''t hit Nozomu''s party. The Solminati Academy''s students had many mock battles on the training ground, so they didn''t have much experience when fighting in places with many obstacles such as forests. Of course, it wasn''t that they didn''t learn to fight in narrow spaces or in the forest, and many students have fought in the forest at the request of the guild. However, they had forgotten to make use of that experience, because they only focused on chasing right after the start of the special training. "Damn! Wait!" The party chasing from behind yelled and chased while releasing magic again and again. However, the released magic was still blocked by the overgrown tree and didn''t reach Nozomu''s party. What''s more, their own magic hindered them from pursuing further, and the distance between them and Nozomu''s group grew wider. The pursuers chased Nozomu''s party in a hurry, but it was too late, and Nozomu''s party had disappeared and was hiding behind the overgrown trees. *** "...Fuu. Looks like we managed to shake them off." "Haa, haa, haa ... I see. I''m glad." Nozomu finally stopped after confirming that there was no sign of any pursuers from behind. The other members exhaled, perhaps because they were relieved that they had shaken their pursuers off. Hamria collapsed on the spot. After gulping down the water from the water bottle and taking a breath, Nozomu took out a wooden rod wrapped in strings from his pouch. "... Nozomu. What are you doing?" "I will make a warning network for now. I wonder if we could confirm each other abilities in the meantime? Mars, I''ll leave it to you." Nozomu started to work while answering Mars'' questions. After one end of the string was tied to a tree, he immediately entered the forest and stretched the string around his party in a circular motion. Finally, after several laps, Nozomu returned to the original position, and then the other end of the string was tied to the wooden rod, the wooden rod was fixed by attaching it to a tree. If someone came and touched the string, the fixed wooden rod would fall and notify them that an intruder had arrived. This is the simplest alarm device. Mars asked about Jin''s abilities while Nozomu created the warning network. By the time Mars finished, Nozomu had also finished creating the warning network. "Then let''s make the base now, that said, it''s just setting traps around us." "Hey, Nozomu. Is it okay to just setting traps? I know it''s good for strengthening our defenses, but I wonder aren''t we too passive..." Mars complained about Nozomu''s idea. Of course, seclusion would not improve their situation while the other party took on one task after another and earned points in battle. On the contrary, it is better to take action as early as possible, considering that the other party will take on the tasks that can be done one after another. "I know. I''ve thought about it. So please listen to me first." With that said, everyone then devoted themselves to listening to Nozomu''s words. Nozomu''s idea is like this. First, divide their party into two. One of them is the team that handles the task. The other is the team defending the base. The team that handles the task consists of Mars, Tommy, and Cami. The team defending the base consists of Nozomu, Jin, Deck, and Hamria. The team that handles the task requires considerable attack power and mobility against the opponent. Therefore, Nozomu chooses Mars, the most powerful force in their party, Cami, a dagger wielder with high agility, and Tommy, a swordsman. Also, because it is necessary to defend the base, Nozomu who was the leader of the party, Jin who had commanding abilities, and Hamria who used a wide-range specialized weapon such as spear were chosen. Nozomu''s strategy is that the team performing the tasks will prioritize exploration tasks and earn points, while the defense team will defend their base. "Hey, wouldn''t it be better for everyone to act together? I guess it would be safer that way..." It was the mage, Hamria, who told Nozomu of her opinion in a reluctant voice. In her opinion, it was safer to act together, but Nozomu shook his head and denied it. "No. Rather, it''s worse to act together. We don''t have much effective defense against wide-area magic attacks. If we were hit by a preemptive strike while moving through the forest, we might be wiped out all at once." In Nozomu''s party, only Mars, who has a lot of Qi, and Hamria, the mage, who have effective defenses against magical attacks. It wasn''t that the other members couldn''t use magic, but considering that their enemies were more likely to be higher-ranked students than just the same 10th class as them, even if they could defend, there was a high possibility that they would be overwhelmed. by their magic. "That''s why our party''s task will be focused on exploration because they are less likely to meet the other party than escort tasks." In the escort-related tasks, the teacher plays the role of the escort target, but as long as the teacher becomes the escort target, they can''t expect them will defend themselves. Rather, the escort target may slow their movement speed down, or pretend to have an accidental problem and act as a shackle. In order to protect such an escort target, it is necessary to devote all of the party''s strength to the task, and as a result, the efficiency of earning points will decrease, and in the worst case, there is a high probability that the party will be annihilated due to the former reason. However, if it is an exploration-related task, all they have to do is bring the instructed item to the headquarters. The chances of being ambushed are not zero. However, if they reduce the number of people and choose only the fast-paced members, the chances of encountering an ambush will be much lower, and the faster they move, the more likely they are to escape. In addition, Mars, which has great penetrating power, should be able to adequately cope with the situation even if it occurs. "But is it really alright? Mars is good for the task team, but isn''t the defense team lacking in strength? " Jin leaked a worried voice. He seemed to be worried that the base will be defeated as the task team completed the task. "We don''t have to protect this base all the time. In this task, we must prioritize survival first, and in case of an emergency, we will abandon the base. When the time comes, I will let you know." Nozomu took out two stones. It was stones that were transparent like quartz, and its shape was symmetrical. "This is the [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate]. It glows red when a strong impact is applied, and when one of the stones glows, the other will also glow. When it is time to abandon the base, we''ll use this stone as the signal. Originally I bought it to use as a means of contacting with Mars when we got separated." Nozomu handed over one of his [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate] to Mars. "...I see, with that, we''ll know each other''s condition, right?" "Yes. After we abandon the base, we will meet at the place we have determined. North of here, there is a large tree in the northeast on the map, and there is a huge rock next to it. Also, if I got defeated and our party still survives, Jin will take command until Mars returns. " Nozomu gave instructions for consideration when he was defeated. It was to avoid confusion and annihilation of the party members if the leader was defeated first. Mars played with [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate] in his palm and stared at Nozomu. "...Mars, is there something you don''t understand?" "...No, it''s fine. I''ll accept this for now." Mars had a facial expression that seemed to be holding back something, he immediately put the [Twin Stones of Tragic Fate] that was in his hand back into his pocket as if nothing had happened. Nozomu was curious about Mars'' strange behavior, but since Mars didn''t seem dissatisfied with the operation itself, Nozomu decided to put it aside for the time being. "Then I''ll go. Nozomu, I''ll leave the things here to you." "Yeah, be careful." Mars nodded at Nozomu''s words and disappeared into the depths of the forest with Tommy and Cami. Nozomu stood up after seeing Mars and the others leave and started to act. *** "¡­¡­Ugh" "Gu~a ..." "Kuh~ ..." On the south side of the training area, the sunlight was gradually blocked by the overgrown trees, and the forest was dim even though it was daytime. A number of groans echoed in the dim forest. It was like a battlefield. About 10 students were lying on the ground. The only salvation was that no one died. Each of them either fainted or they were in so much pain that they couldn''t even move. However, all of the lying student pendants glowed red, indicating that they were disqualified from today''s training. If others took a closer look, they seemed to belong to 3rd and 4th class students. "Haa, haa, haa" Meanwhile, the only surviving male student wielded a sword and confronted someone. It was unclear what the person was like as it was hidden behind the trees, but the shadow looked like belonged to a woman. It was probably the one who beat them all. Anyone could tell that it was no ordinary opponent as it had beaten around 10 students in the 3rd and 4th classes. "Kuh~, ha aa aa !!" The previous sudden appearance of a formidable foe in front of the 4th class party alliance. Either all his friends had been defeated or he was abandoned. The male student holding the sword rushed towards the shadow. He probably had no other choice. Emitting Qi from his entire body, he rushed towards the enemy in front of him with all his might. The shadow also moved as the male student rushed. The shadow swung its arms as if cutting through the wind. As the sound of air being slashed rang out, the male student felt intense pain in his arm. "Uwa!" The male student groaned. The pain that ran on his arm stopped his legs from moving any further, and his movement stopped before he even reached half the distance into the shadows. "Kuh~ !!" Still, the male student managed to regain his posture. However, the shadow swung its arm in quick succession, and each time, explosive sounds reverberated through the forest. "Ga! Guu !! Uaaaa !!!" Every time the explosive sounds resounded, the groans of the male student could be heard, and laceration after laceration was engraved on his body. The boy''s consciousness became hazy due to the intense pain that ran throughout his body non-stop, and finally, his legs became weak and he fell to the ground. Immediately after, the pendant glowed red. The damage he sustained exceeded the set amount. "U, ugh ..." "... I''m sorry ~. Are you alright~~?" The male student who fell to the ground and groaned was called out by a voice that seemed to be worried. The shadow appeared from behind the trees. A cheerful voice, long wavy brown hair, and droopy eyes. The shadow''s true identity is Anri Var, the homeroom teacher of the 10th class. She gave treatment to the student she just defeated with an apologetic look. Perhaps because of her treatment, the facial expressions of the students groaning from their pain gradually subsided. However, the wounds on their bodies might still be painful, so the voice of their pain still escaped their mouths. "...Everyone~. I''m sorry for causing you so much pain~~" "N-no... this too... lesson..." Anri-sensei apologized to the students in a sunken voice. The male student who had just been defeated managed to answer Anri-sensei''s words, but the other students couldn''t answer probably because they hadn''t recovered yet. "Actually~, I wanted to take everyone to the headquarters~. ...But, sorry, I can''t~~." "N-no. Don''t worry about us...it''s fine, so...please continue your duties..." The male student answered Anri''s apology in a squeezed voice. Anri''s duty was to be a special target. In other words, she acted as a formidable foe by attacking the students and stirring the training area moderately to prevent the training from stagnation. Anri-sensei wept over the student''s words. After she nodded firmly at his words, she stood up and disappeared into the forest. Still, she seemed to be looking back at the students with anxiety over and over because she was worried. Anri was heading northwest, and oddly enough, that was the direction where Nozomu''s party was. Chapter 5.14 Translator : PolterGlast Mars'' POV Tommy, Cami, and I continued walking in the dim forest. The task Nozomu suggested was to collect Regina''s flowers. Regina flowers are used as the raw material for potions, and mixing this flower nectar with potions will significantly increase the potion''s effectiveness. However, this nectar is not something that can last long and will deteriorate within a few days after the flowers are picked. Well, in addition to its effectiveness, he chose this flower because it is an easy-to-carry item. I can see how much Nozomu takes mobility issues into account. "...Hey, will they be okay?" "...Well, I was worried about that too... It couldn''t be helped since Jin said he had to do this..." "...It doesn''t really matter, and that''s because we have to cooperate with you guys." Tommy and Cami who were following behind were muttering sharp words. Maybe they''re talking about Nozomu. Hearing their sharp words made me instinctively speak to the two of them in a harsh tone. They both looked at my face awkwardly. Their attitude made me even more annoyed. "Generally speaking, it was you guys who brought the stories. I wonder because of whom that we couldn''t unify our intentions properly. Isn''t it because of your leader?" "" !! "" Their leader. Was he named Jin? Cami and Tommy glared at me, perhaps because they thought I was ridiculing them. Perhaps, this damn Cami gets so angry because of my words, she looked at me as if I was pierced by her dagger. Hee, I thought she was scared, but it seems that she still has the courage. "Fuu~. So, you still have a bit of pride in you..." ¡°¡­Don''t make fun of me. We''re not as good as Mars, but we still have the pride that we''re still students of this school¡­¡± "That''s right! Then, how about you? It seems you have a lot of faith in Nozomu, but can you keep your attitude like that? When we come back and they have been wiped out, then our conversation will stop here." These guys, Tommy and Cami, charged towards me as they didn''t want to give in. Good. With this, there''s a meaning for us to work together. "What are you saying. You should have seen a part of his ability in the last mock battle. Nozomu and I are seriously going to win. So, will you guys show me your strength instead?" I dare to say it to the two of them in a provocative tone. If they''re the type of person who can''t do this much, then, I''ll have to reject them from here. "Bring it on! I''ll show you, so peel your eyeballs and take a closer look!" Cami declared so strongly and Tommy continued to glare at me while confronting my gaze from the front. After I was satisfied with their attitude, we started walking again. I glanced over my shoulder at the two following behind me. The two of them had more rugged facial expressions than before, but their morale seemed to have increased. It seems my ridicule lingers in their minds. (Well, I can expect a little from them) As I was satisfied with their facial expressions, I continued walking forward again. Speaking of which, Nozomu wasn''t lively until recently... When thinking of Nozomu, a question that I''ve been feeling a lot lately comes back to my mind. (... What is that guy hiding?) I don''t know what it is, but he must be hiding something. Because of that, he often looks strange these days. He insisted that nothing was wrong, but I knew it wasn''t a trivial matter. When I remembered that, for some reason I get restless. Tima said we should wait until Nozomu speaks for himself, but should I press him with questions from here on out? "¡­¡­Hmm?" When I thought about it, I was struck by a strange feeling of anxiety for some reason. What on earth do I need to be scared of? I just need to ask him a few words... Contrary to my thoughts, the irritation and anxiety in my heart never dissipated, and I spontaneously clenched my fists tightly. After we walked for about 10 minutes, light began to shine in front of us, albeit dimly. Perhaps our destination is an open place. I stopped and crouched down then instructed the two behind me to hide with one of my hands. When I looked at the place where the light was coming from behind the bushes, there was a big fallen tree, and Regina flower was growing beside it. Perhaps the fall of a big tree caused the branches and leaves that covered the sky to disappear, and light began to shine through it. Light shone through the gaps in the tree curtains. These flowers may be blooming due to this slight of light. "... We found it. Also, there''s a bonus." However, it wasn''t just Regina flowers that we found. We can see about four students beside it. Maybe they came to pick Regina''s flowers like us. "...So what are we going to do?" "...It''s decided....we will fight them." Cami asked me with a provocative smile. I couldn''t help but think about Nozomu, who had been in my head until now, but I clearly declared that we will go on the offensive. I''m quite worried about what Nozomu is hiding and his dissatisfaction with the increasing number of members in our party. But now it''s time to push that discomfort into my chest and concentrate solely on swinging my sword. After all, I will survive this training and become stronger. Let''s think about that for now. *** When Mars and his team find Regina flower, Nozomu and his team continue to set traps around the base. Due to time constraints, they could only set up simple traps, but they were still able to set quite the number. "Fuu~. Is it something like this?" Finally finished setting the trap, Nozomu sighed loudly. There were also Jin and the others around him, and sweat was dripping down their foreheads. "Thank you, everyone" Hamria handed the water bottle to Nozomu and the others who had finished setting the traps. They opened their mouths to take a sip of water from the water bottle that was handed over. Nozomu and the others breathed a sigh of relief at the water seeping all over their bodies. "...But is this traps good enough?" Deck muttered anxiously while looking at the traps he had set. Certainly, there were a lot of traps he had set, but they weren''t very good. There were many traps that could be easily detected. "It can''t be helped. We don''t have time to make it properly. Also, those traps are only used to cover the real thing." "...In other words, are all the other traps just decoys?" Nozomu nodded at Deck''s words. A trap isn''t just about defeating your opponent. There are endless uses for them, such as restraining, gaining time, and alerting the opponents with other traps so they will hesitate to take action. Nozomu is a bit adept at setting traps. Compared to the others, it was quite vast and profound, but he himself didn''t even know how far ahead he really was. Nozomu thought, what his team set up this time was just a means to find a way to win, and Nozomu didn''t think he could win with just those immature traps. He''s a swordsman, so setting up traps was not his forte. ¡°Even so, you seem to have gotten quite used to set up this kind of trap. Why are you so used to it?¡± Jin asked while looking at Nozomu. His gaze was a genuine curiosity about Nozomu. "Hmm? Oh, I guess it''s because I sometimes go alone to the forest. I''m used to setting up traps here and there to hunt prey or stalling time when escaping from demon beasts." """Ehh!!""" The three of them, Jin and his friends, opened their eyes wide due to Nozomu''s answer. It was no wonder. From their point of view, just entering the forest alone seemed like an act of suicide. "But I believe you can''t accept any request to enter the forest because of your rank..." Hamria asked a little reluctantly. To be precise, "Nozom''s rank makes it impossible to accept requests to enter the forest alone." She was probably worried about Nozomu, who had been her classmate for a long time. She just didn''t say it very clearly. ¡°Well that''s true, that''s why I was in the forest despite the request. Well, when I encountered the demon beasts, I ran from place to place¡­¡± Nozomu answered her question with a bitter smile. However, he remembered his past dangerous marathon ordered by an unreasonable master. Perhaps because he remembered the hell of that time, Nozomu''s cold sweat was flowing in a place where Jin and his friends couldn''t see. "...I see. I think I understand the reason why you can move so well in mock battles. Of course, if you can endure being chased continuously by demon beasts, it''s understandable that you can handle our attacks so well. If it was me, I didn''t want to do it tho." "A-hahaha..." Nozomu let out a dry laugh at Jin who nodded as he was convinced. Of all the runs Nozomu has done, there are many because of his Shish¨­, Shino''s tantrum. But it would be terrible to pursue it any further. (By the way, there was a time when I was sent to the forest at night just because I didn''t make enough side dishes for dinner... Even if I think about it now, it doesn''t make any sense...) At that time, the amount of supper was not enough. Shino said, "Get some side dishes!" and Nozomu was thrown into the forest. He encountered goblins who were also looking for food. Then he was chased by dozens of goblins. He had almost become dinner for the goblins. It was not even training if Nozomu died from it. However, if he had to choose between Shish¨­ or dozens of angry goblins holding a knife with one hand, even if he was asked a hundred times, Nozomu would choose Goblin every time. "Ha, hahahaha ..." "N-Nozomu-kun! Anyway, I wanted to ask you something..." Nozomu continued to laugh dryly with a ghastly pale expression. Jin and his friends, who felt chills by Nozomu''s atmosphere, stopped talking about this topic and tried to forcefully change the topic. At that moment, the bushes behind them let out a rustling sound. " !! " Nozomu instantly regained his composure. He turned and immediately stood up. Place his hand on the handle of his katana and prepare to slash at any moment. Perhaps because Jin and his friends felt that Nozomu''s sudden change in behavior was not trivial, they prepared their own weapons. Eventually, the rustling noise became louder, and multiple figures emerged from within the bushes. "Finally, I found you." What appeared was the party chasing Nozomu''s party before they got here. Their opponents were 4th class students. A male student was holding a two-handed ax as the vanguard. Probably he was the leader of their party. A boy with a sword and a girl with a spear could be seen beside him, and a girl and a boy with a staff could be seen behind them. "As I thought, this is where the dropout class is. You guys are only good at running away .... Hmm? That guy, Mars, isn''t here?" The enemy leader was suspicious that Mars cannot be seen. Even though they didn''t see the 10th class as a threat, but Mars, who had abilities on par with the upper grades, was probably the only thing that made them wary. Actually, he wasn''t here right now, so Nozomu''s current party strength was only four people, including Nozomu. But Nozomu had no reason to say that to his opponent. (Jin¡­¡­) Nozomu gave instructions behind his opponent''s back. He decided to take advantage of the trap he had just set up. "...I''m worried because I can''t see where that person is, but that''s fine. There are points in front of us. Let''s catch it." The enemy leader readied his weapons. Nozomu took something out of the pouch behind him so his opponent couldn''t see it. "Do it !!" The opponents began to move all at once with their leader''s command. The vanguard closed the gap at once, and the rearguard began chanting magic. "Deck! Hamria!" "Y-yes!" "I know!" Jin gave instructions to the two. With his signal, the two turned around and disappeared into the forest. At the same time, Nozomu threw what was in his hand at the enemy''s vanguard. It was the Flash Ball and Noise Ball that were thrown. Nuisance tools that he likes to use. Powerful flashes and sounds temporarily paralyze the opponent''s sight and hearing, and in some cases, can render them unconscious. However, their opponents were also Solminati students. They instantly covered their eyes and minimized the damage. Still, Nozomu and his party were able to gain a bit of time. "Jin! Let''s go!" "Alright!!" "Kuh! I won''t let you guys go !!" Nozomu and Jin rushed into the depths of the forest. And the enemy party started chasing again as if they didn''t want to let Nozomu''s party go. Nozomu kept running while listening to the angry voice of the enemy from behind. When the enemy party was about to chase after the Nozomu''s party. "Uwa !" "Kya !!" Two students who were at the front suddenly screamed and fell. When they looked closely at their feet, a rope was stretched between the trees, hiding in the overgrown grass. "What are you two doing!" The leader jumped over the two who had fallen and tried to step forward, but this time the leader''s legs were tied by the grass and fall forward. Meanwhile, Nozomu''s party continued to drift away. They ran straight towards their base while listening to the angry voices coming from behind. *** Nozomu''s party base. Deck and Hamria who retreated earlier were waiting for Nozomu and Jin to return. "Oh, you arrived!" "O~i. Jin! Nozomu!" Deck and Hamria who saw the return of Nozomu and Jin, raised their voices. "I made you wait" "They were caught by the traps. But, I think they''ll be here soon!" After they regrouped, Nozomu''s party formed a formation to intercept the enemy group that was rushing after them. The vanguard is Nozomu and Jin. Deck is behind them and behind Deck is Hamria standing with a staff in her hand. "... Hey, Nozomu. Is it really okay?" Deck raised a restless voice. The parties they would face were certainly opponents above themselves. That''s why Nozomu had already talked about strategies and methods to win in advance, but it seemed that Deck still couldn''t shake off the anxiety in his heart. However, it is natural. They never teamed up with Nozomu before. No matter how much they got a glimpse of Nozomu''s abilities in mock battles, that alone wasn''t enough to make them trust him. In order for a person to believe in someone, it is necessary to accumulate various events such as time and interaction to know that someone. However, there is still an overwhelming lack of opportunity and time to interact with Nozomu and to establish a clear relationship of trust between them. Therefore, their party members, including Deck, were worried whether their decision to trust Nozomu, which they were not familiar with, was correct. "...Hey, Deck. We don''t have any more time. We don''t have enough strength to survive in this Solminati Academy with our current abilities. That''s why we need to borrow the powers of Mars and Nozomu ... Haven''t you already know of his high judgment ability?" At that time, Jin called out to Deck. Originally, Jin was their leader. Perhaps they have built a relationship of trust in their student life. Deck nodded obediently to Jin''s words. "I''m not even sure we could have made it this far if we were alone. We might have been so busy overcoming the battle in front of us that we might have been defeated by another party due to the chaos in the early stages." "Well, maybe that''s true..." Deck agreed with Jin''s words in a sunken voice. Of course, many parties were swarming, so the parties fought each other immediately after the start of training. If they stopped at such a place, they would be swallowed up by the fierce battle in the blink of an eye. "Of course, I understand that you can''t trust him right away. But can you give me face here? It was me who decided to borrow their help. So can you believe me and follow me for a while?" "... I understand. I''m sorry, I said something strange. Also, Nozomu, I''m sorry. I was a little worried..." "No, don''t worry. It''s inevitable that you''ll be anxious if you''re suddenly instructed by someone you''ve never teamed up with." Deck apologized to Nozomu and Jin then he lowered his head. Nozomu understood his reputation from his surroundings. About his rumors with Lisa, and about him taking three additional exams to get promoted. So he thought it was inevitable for someone like Deck to feel uneasy about teaming up with him. This was largely due to the fact that Nozomu had been acting alone until now. Nozomu had been taking classes alone because he was isolated at school. So he went to the forest alone all the time to train with Shino. As a result, his ability to judge situations became extraordinary, but in return, it became difficult for him to build relationships of trust with others. In fact, in the third grade, the lessons were focused on party battles, and at that time, Nozomu couldn''t find a partner to teamed up with. It seemed that others see him as a hindrance. (... It can''t be helped. I''ve turned away from my surroundings until now so I reaped what I sow) The self-deprecating Nozomu sighed and glanced at Jin next to him. Even considering the previous mock battle, Jin''s fighting ability wasn''t good enough. Nozomu''s physical strength is better than Jin''s, and in close-quarter combat, there are plenty of openings to take advantage of. However, Nozomu felt that Jin was far superior to himself when it came to leading people. Jin took the initiative to lower his head so he could survive. That feeling became even stronger when Nozomu saw how Jin persuaded Deck. From the beginning of the special training until now, Nozomu had only told his party how to survive and made them follow him, but he didn''t relieve his party members'' anxiety like Jin did ... "...Hmm? Is something wrong?" Jin noticed Nozomu''s gaze and spoke to Nozomu with a suspicious expression. "No ... it''s nothing. I thought I was the leader. But, all I did today was just telling you guys how to survive ..." Nozomu glanced at Hamria and Deck behind Jin. Maybe they''re still nervous. Although they were a little stiff, they didn''t look anxious anymore. Maybe Jin''s words worked. "... I honestly think you''re better than me. I couldn''t believe it when I heard you have been going to the forest alone, but I was convinced when I remembered your way of fighting in our last mock battle. Also, Mars-kun acknowledged your strength. It''s frustrating, but I don''t think I have the power to be recognized by him..." Jin showed a smile at Nozomu''s self-deprecating words. Surprisingly, the facial expressions of the two of them were very similar. Nozomu couldn''t move forward without telling his friends about his hidden secret. Jin suffered from his lack of power to support his friends. Although there was a difference in content that the two of them were worried about, their appearance was the same. It was the human figures who realized their incompetence and were constantly bothered by it. At that moment, Nozomu felt multiple presences coming from the front. At the same time, someone touched the warning network set by Nozomu, and the wooden rod that was attached to a tree fell. "...Nozomu-kun" "...They''re coming" Right after Nozomu said that, the enemy party they encountered earlier appeared from within the bushes. Seeing that their uniforms were torn and their faces dirty, it seemed like they were struggling because of the trap that Nozomu''s party had set up earlier. "Haa, haa. I found you..." The enemy leader glared at Nozomu''s party with bloodshot eyes while breathing roughly. When setting up the traps, Nozomu''s party only emphasized the numbers. Nozomu''s purpose was to make the enemy side mentally and physically exhausted. Therefore, if the enemy side thought that they had crossed and avoided a trap, they would be caught in the trap beyond it. The outright visible trap seemed to say, "This trap is actually just a decoy, and there may be another trap ahead." So, they were both physically and mentally exhausted from being overly suspicious. "I can''t forgive you guys anymore. I''ll crush you ..." The enemy leader took out his two-handed ax with an angry expression and Qi began to radiate from his entire body. The other enemy party members also prepared their own specialized weapons. Surely, they were frustrated by Nozomu''s trap. Their facial expressions were as distorted as their leader''s. "¡­¡­Jin" "I know¡­¡­" Jin nodded at Nozomu''s words. That was the final confirmation. They were ready and determined to execute their strategy. Fortunately, they can definitely win, but if they make a mistake, they will be crushed in an instant, and in the worst case, they will be wiped out. Nozomu was unable to release his ability suppression due to the anxiety that eroded his heart, and since this was training, he was unable to use his extremely high killing techniques, so his party didn''t have the explosive power to erase their inferiority. "Do it!!" With that command, the enemy leader rushed towards Nozomu''s party along with the vanguards of his party. Nozomu and Jin also strengthened their entire body with Qi and ran towards them to intercept. ""What~!? "" "Eh~!?" Nozomu and Jin ran straight towards the enemy''s vanguard, but Nozomu and Jin suddenly split into left and right and gave way to their rearguard. At this rate, the enemy vanguard would quickly take down the rearguards of Nozomu''s party, Deck and Hamria, who were in the back. After that, Nozomu''s team, which was about to lose half its strength, would be defeated in the blink of an eye. However, at that moment, Nozomu shouted. "Deck !!" "Yeah!!" Deck kicked the stone at his feet. The kicked stone flew as if it was being pulled by something and disappeared into the bushes. Then, ropes appeared one after another from the feet of the enemy''s vanguard, and countless ropes were stretched around them. "Wh, what is this !?" The stretched rope surrounded the enemy''s vanguards like a cage, and they were trapped inside. This trap was the same one Nozomu used to escape from the Black Demon Beast. Nozomu''s strategy was for Nozomu and Jin to charge towards the enemy, stopping the enemy''s vanguards with a trap, and simultaneously defeating the rearguards. Now that the vanguard had been successfully stopped by Nozomu''s trap, Nozomu and Jin, who took a detour, attacking the enemy''s rearguards from left and right. "Kuh~ !!" Due to the crisis, the enemy vanguard tried to cut the ropes to escape by swinging their weapons. However, at that moment, a sudden gust of wind interrupted those who were about to swing their weapons. "W-what !?" They were surprised to see the gust of wind. There were Deck and Hamria, who had obstructed the movement of the enemy''s vanguards with their magic to give Nozomu and Jin time to defeat the enemy''s rearguards. They used wind magic, "Driving Mass of Wind" and were careful not to cut the ropes surrounding the enemy. It didn''t have the original power as it was slightly far away and was slightly weakened by the stretched rope. However, it was still capable of attracting the attention of the enemy''s vanguards. "Kuh~ !!" "This!!" The two enemy''s rearguards rushed in and fired magic bullets at Nozomu and Jin. However, after all, the magic bullet only moves linearly. Nozomu instantly overcame the oncoming magic bullet with "Instant Move -Curve Dance-" and Jin also managed to dodge it by rolling to the ground. At this time, if the opponent were to release wide-ranged magic instead of single-shot magic like magic bullets, both Nozomu and Jin might have been blown away. If that happened, the vanguards caught in the trap would escape from the trap, and Nozomu''s party would be at a disadvantage. However, the many traps that had been set so far had robbed the enemy of their calm judgments. Frustrated by the repeated storms of traps and failure to deal with their inferior opponents, they didn''t realize that they could usually deal with it, and they lost their calm judgment and ability to deal with it. "Ha!!" "Te~e~eei!!!" Nozomu and Jin swung the weapons they had in their hands. Jin''s sword slashed the boy''s arm, and Nozomu''s sheathed katana slammed into the girl''s belly along with its scabbard. Two enemy''s rearguards were defeated, and their pendants glowed red to announce their disqualification. This leaves only 3 enemies remaining. "Uoooo!" The enemy''s leader swung down his Qi-enveloped two-handed ax. The ropes that trapped them were torn and fell to the ground. The three vanguards who were freed rushed towards Deck and Hamria saying, "Now it''s our turn." Nozomu and Jin immediately turned around. However, since their enemies were closer to Deck and Hamria, the enemies arrived at Deck''s place first. "Be crushed! You bottom class !!" "Ooo !!" The enemy''s leader swung his two-handed ax and dropped it towards Deck and Hamria. Deck blocked it with his spear, but his opponent was overwhelmingly stronger and Deck dropped on his knees. However, he still didn''t want to give up and tried to push the opponent''s ax with his determination. "Guu !!" "Ooo !!" "This is as far as you go!" "Wait, isn''t this a bit too much! You guys!!" Although the opponent''s blade was approaching in front of him, Deck desperately blocked it, but he was pinched by the opponent''s spearman and swordsman who appeared from behind the enemy leader. However, at that moment, Hamria''s magic, "Driving Mass of Wind" was reactivated. The rushing mass of wind engulfs the enemy vanguards along with Deck. "Kuh~!" "Uoo !!" The spearman and swordsmen who were swallowed by the mass of wind were blown away. Deck and the enemy leader weren''t blown away, they were standing on their feet, but they were still caught in the violent wind and were momentarily paralyzed. However, Hamria had weakened her magic power before releasing it. Deck might be disqualified if she used her magic as usual. She used this magic just to buy time. "We made it in time!" "Deck, thank you for your hard work!" Nozomu and Jin caught up from behind. Attacking the spearman and swordman of the enemy''s party who were blown away by the "Driving Mass of Wind", and knocking them out with a single blow. "D-damn~ !!" "Guah !!" The enemy leader abandoned Deck and rushed towards Nozomu. His entire body emitted a dazzling light. He fully used his Qi and attacked Nozomu with it. "Fuh~!" After exhaling for a moment, Nozomu also started running with all his might. The two of them plunged in a straight line from the front. Eventually, Nozomu entered the opponent''s attack range, and the enemy leader swung his two-handed ax. The two-handed ax approached Nozomu with a sound tearing the air. Nozomu rotated his body and interlocking the muscles of his whole body. He launched his katana towards the two-handed ax that was swung down from above. Nozomu''s body rotation causes his slash to flow sideways, deflecting the trajectory of the opponent''s two-handed ax in the opposite direction. It was the same thing he did when he previously fought against the Cyclopes. "Wha~ !! Gua !!" The enemy leader''s two-handed ax was driven into the ground. While being covered with scattered earth and sand, Nozomu slashed the enemy leader''s arm while deflecting the handle of the two-handed ax with his katana. At the same time as the enemy leader let out a voice of agony and dropped his weapon, Nozomu struck the handle of his katana into the opponent''s belly. "Guh~ ..." The enemy leader stopped moving for a moment, but eventually, he fell to the ground and the enemy leader''s pendant glowed. At that moment, the victory of Nozomu''s party was decided. "Fuh~ ..." Nozomu exhaled when he saw the light in the pendant. His tense muscles seemed to relax. "Haa~. Nozomu-kun, thank you for your hard work." Jin spoke to Nozomu while sheathing his sword. His expression was bright, perhaps because he was also released from the tension. "We did it !!" "Wow! We really won!" Deck and Hamria rushed towards Nozomu and Jin excitedly. "Nozomu, thank you. And... I''m sorry I doubted you..." "No, it was actually walking on a tightrope, but I''m glad we succeeded." Deck bowed to Nozomu again. However, his face looked happy and tears appeared in his eyes. If they thought about it, their opponents were students from a class much higher than themselves. Until now, they had only been beaten by them. They are capable of defeating such an opponent. Above all, it must be their sincere feelings that make them happy. Hamria also cried like Deck, and Jin pretended to be calm but his mouth was smiling loosely. "Nozomu-kun, we''ll be working together only for one day, but once again, I''m in your care..." Jin reached his hands out to Nozomu while smiling. Both Deck and Hamria also smiled at him, and Nozomu felt that the wall they had before was gone. Nozomu nervously presented his hands out. Jin and his friends were still smiling at Nozomu, and their eyes were no longer the color of contempt that had been directed at Nozomu. At the same time, Nozomu felt a little embarrassed due to their gazes. "Y-yeah." Nozomu''s appearance who was shaking hands looked somewhat strange. Jin and his friends smiled at such a situation. Nozomu also relaxed his expression, which was previously tense. However, at that moment, a strong chill shot through Nozomu''s back due to someone''s gaze. " !! " Nozomu immediately let Jin''s hand go and held his katana. He looked in the direction where he felt someone''s gaze. Jin and his friends didn''t know what had happened, but they felt that Nozomu''s behavior was not trivial, and immediately readied their weapons and observed their surroundings. "Ah~, It''s Nozomu-kun. Yahho~~!" A woman came out of the bush with a slow-paced voice. Nozomu and the others felt familiar with her wavy brown hair and her previous voice. She is waving her hands towards them like a child. She is one of the school staff who meet Nozomu and his friends most often and she is also their teacher. "Anri-sensei. Are you ..." Nozomu was talking to himself but it was conveyed to Anri. "Yup. I''m also~ ... one of the special targets of this special training~." Anri Var. The homeroom teacher of the 10th class in the 3rd year, and the homeroom teacher of Nozomu and his party members. She stood before them as the special target. Chapter 5.15 Translator : PolterGlast Anri Var. She is the teacher of the 10th class 3rd year where Nozomu and his party members belong and is an irreplaceable benefactor to Nozomu. Without her, Nozomu would be completely isolated at school. To Nozomu, she was as important as Shino. She stood in front of them. She was smiling brightly as usual, but Nozomu couldn''t stop the cold sweat running down his back. Anri just says that she is the special target. Then she is now the enemy of Nozomu''s party. In fact, a pendant that became proof that she was one of the training participants, hung on her chest. (Nozomu-kun ...) (Don''t move. If we move poorly, we''ll be done for...) Nozomu felt chills and never stopped, he felt Anri''s fighting spirit hidden in the shadows of her usual smile. But at the same time, he couldn''t make a rash move because he didn''t know what kind of hand she would use. Nozomu''s party always saw her overseeing their lessons but never saw her actually fighting. "... Did Anri-sensei know we''re here?" "Hmm~, it''s not like that~. It''s my job to take a walk through various places. Of course, even though I''m walking around, I still do my job properly." She took out the pendants of the students she has defeated from her pocket. The number was at least 20 or more. She still spoke in a slow-paced voice, but looking around her, there was no one by her side to help her. Nevertheless, she has defeated more than 20 students. Jin and his friends were terrified by that fact. Despite their efforts and somehow being able to defeat five opponents, she was alone, defeating more than four times as many opponents. "...Are we also the target of Anri-sensei''s subjugation?" "... Yup, that''s going to happen. But, I''ll try not to hurt you as much as possible... Sorry~." Anri looked apologetic. But she said she would do what she had to do. After confirming that fact, Nozomu immediately decided on their next course of action. "Jin! Deck! Hamria! We''re running away!!" Nozomu took out a Smoke Ball and a [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate] from his pocket and threw them on the ground. Smoke spread out in the blink of an eye and concealed the appearance of Nozomu''s party and the [Twin Stones of Tragic Fate] that were rolling on the ground glowed red. Nozomu''s party had exhausted the traps they had set in the forest in the previous battle. Furthermore, as long as they faced their opponent in a state of being discovered, if they fought now, it would inevitably be a head-to-head confrontation. Nozomu had no idea how Anri had defeated more than 20 students, but after all, it seemed to be suicidal if they faced their superior opponent head-on. Besides, he wasn''t the only enemy in the forest. At least they should last until the end of the day. "Hurry up, you three!" "I get it!" "Y-yes!" "Okay!" Nozomu and his party members tried to keep their distance in an instant, but at that moment, Nozomu''s ears heard a wind noise approaching. " !! " Nozomu had an unpleasant premonition about the wind noise he heard. He jumped sideways and rolled to the ground, and, *Slap!* the ground he was on just now was hit by something. The ground scattered along with the sound of an explosion. "Ah... you avoided it. Then, how about this~~..." "Kyaa!" "Gah !!" After Anri-sensei swung her arm twice in quick succession, Deck''s and Hamria''s screams were heard along with explosive sounds, and both of them lost their balance and collapsed. Jin rushed over to the two who had fallen and tried to get them up, but this time, Anri raised her arm to attack Jin who was rushing at them. "It''s not good !!" Nozomu strengthened his body with all his might to support Jin and moved towards Anri. There was a difference in physical ability between him and his opponent. He had to close the distance as much as possible to make up for it. However, the calm Anri immediately changed her target to the moving Nozomu, and then she swung her arm. "Chi~ !!" At the same time as Anri swung her arm, Nozomu was startled by a chill that enveloped his entire body. The moment he saw something black at the edge of his field of vision, he kicked the ground and flew to the side. Explosions echoed and the ground scattered once again. Fortunately, Nozomu was unharmed. Looked like he managed to dodge it. "Jin! How are those two doing!" "They''re fine! They''re not disqualified yet !!" Judged from the pendant, Deck and Hamria were not disqualified. However, they remained on the ground. Deck and Hamria were probably having their arms broken. They dropped their weapons and hold their arms. Their blood dripped onto the ground. Jin took out the potion and sprinkled it on their arms. The potion quickly closed both wounds, but Nozomu continued to be exposed by Anri''s attacks while Jin helped the two. (Kuh~! I know she is attacking with something, but I don''t know what it is!) Every time Anri swung her arm, something appeared in Nozomu''s field of vision. It was too fast and he couldn''t see the object clearly because he was fighting in the dimly lit forest. Nozomu managed to dodge by feeling the chills running all over his body and reading the trajectories of the shadow that invaded his field of vision. Nozomu clicked his tongue while thinking about how to deal with the situation. "Fuwa ~~, Nozomu-kun is amazing~. There are only a few students who can dodge Sensei''s attacks this much." Anri was impressed, but Nozomu couldn''t afford to listen to her words. He knew that the intervals between her attacks were fairly fast, and he knew that if he had taken her attack even once and lost his posture, he would have no time to recover. Nozomu tried to focus his eyes and saw the shadow that invaded his field of vision. The shadow was so fast that it was hard to see, partly because he was in a dim forest. However, Nozomu has incredible concentration. His concentration sometimes speeds up even his thoughts, so he can see things moving slowly. As Nozomu followed the movement of Anri''s arm and the movement of the shadow, the movement of the shadow that could not be seen finally became clear. (It''s not a stick-shaped object, but a rope-shaped object. It seems to be quite flexible ...) Nozomu identified the weapon while dodging Anri''s oncoming attack. Eventually, Anri swung her arm sideways, and at the same time, the shadow attacked Nozomu''s side. "Here!!" Nozomu lowered his hips and at the same time lifted the scabbard up and placed it in the shadow orbit. Then, the next moment, something twined around the scabbard along with the sound of the wind. Nozomu immediately grabbed that something twined around the scabbard before Anri could do anything. "......Ah~" "...Anri-sensei, so this is your weapon." Anri let out a surprised voice innocently, perhaps because she didn''t expect Nozomu to be able to grab her weapon. Nozomu grabbed a black whip. Perhaps the whip was painted black to make it harder to see what she was doing in the dim forest. "Amazi~ng! Nozomu-kun, so you knew it~" "... I could see a whip moving through the air, so I just need to find the right timing for Anri-sensei''s arm movement and the shadow movement. To be honest, I was wondering what to do if your arm swing was fake." Nozomu''s mind was also wondering if the swing of her arm was fake. If she manipulated the whip with magic or Qi, he might have been attacked at a different timing than the swing of her arm. However, Nozomu felt no sign of magic or Qi in the moving whip itself. He thought he couldn''t feel it, but if he continued to avoid it, the situation would only worsen, so he decided to take action. Luckily his action was successful, so he was able to confirm Anri''s weapon. "It''s amazing that you can see it~. After all, in this training ground, my whip should be hard to see because it''s such a dark place." It wouldn''t have been possible without training with Shino. The sword swung at a speed that was sometimes faster than Anri''s whip at close range in the forest where visibility was barely effective. A high-speed maneuver that instantly disappeared from his sight. A sword technique that can be changed at will. A momentary misjudgment can lead to serious injury. Nozomu''s body had been hit by it literally which knocked him unconscious. It could be said that he could handle it because he had gone through fierce training that could be called torture. However, the situation had not improved even if he found out the identity of the other party''s weapon. Anri''s abilities are still unknown. In addition, his party members were injured. (To be honest, this is bad... This fight is completely on Anri-sensei''s pace. Also, I have to do something to those two behind my back...) Deck and Hamria manage to get up with Jin''s help. Their uniforms that had been hit by Anri''s attack were still torn, but their bleeding seemed to have stopped. It seemed that thanks to Jin''s potions prepared beforehand, they made it in time, but it was doubtful whether they would be able to protect themselves against such a powerful enemy. However, Anri was not an easy opponent so they could just run away. (When it comes to that, there''s only one surest way we can take to turn this situation around. I feel like I''ve done this before. To be honest, I''m not confident ... but, it can''t be helped now. ) "Jin! Take the two of them to a safe place first!!" "Eh!?" "If we stay like this, you will also be attacked by Anri-sensei! So please go to a safe place first and call Mars and the others!!" Nozomu told Jin, who was standing in front of the two injured party members, to take them away from there and call Mars and the others. But at the same time, Nozomu also thought it would still be difficult. In order for him and Mars to fight Anri together, they had to go to a place they had agreed on beforehand or he had to hold on until Jin and the others brought Mars towards him. However, it was difficult to go to a place they had agreed on beforehand while fighting Anri at the same time. Because of that, Nozomu thought of keeping Anri away from the party as far as possible. He would get Jin and his friends some time to escape so they could join Mars and the others. To be honest, Nozomu had no confidence that they could escape from Anri and he might not be able to hold it in until Mars and the others came, but if he fought her while the others fled through the forest, the chances of them escaping was not zero. Jin seemed to be hesitant for a moment, but maybe he believed in Nozomu''s words, he took them and disappeared into the forest. "Nozomu-kun, is it really alright?~~. The more people, the more likely you are to win~." ''"Our enemies aren''t just Sensei. So, as long as someone is injured in our party, we will prioritize their withdrawal. The pain due to the whip lasted a long time, but there is no problem because the pain can be reduced by recovery magic. Sensei too, aren''t you able to attack them who left earlier." "Yu~p. But Nozomu-kun, as soon as I try to attack Jin-kun and the others, you will immediately rush towards me, right~? Nozomu-kun will get to where I am before my whip beats Jin-kun and the others. ~~~" Indeed, it''s difficult to defeat an opponent with a single blow with Anri''s weapon. Originally, a whip is a weapon that causes pain and breaks the spirit of the opponents. If Anri attacked Jin and the others in this situation, she would be seized by Nozomu''s katana before she could defeat them. Anri never underestimated Nozomu. In this sense, Nozomu''s strategy worked. At least he could turn Anri''s attention towards himself. (Anri-sensei''s specialized weapon has a fairly wide range. It''s impossible for me to win against her, but I can''t let Anri-sensei chase after those three right now. In that case, it is necessary for me to fight her so I can continue to draw Anri-sensei''s attention towards myself...) After Nozomu drew such a conclusion in his mind, he emitted Qi throughout his body. Perhaps Anri felt that Nozomu was becoming more serious, Anri swung the whip with her hand. "Kuh!" The whip Nozomu was holding started to go berserk, and this time, it tried to entangle Nozomu''s arm. Nozomu escaped from the whip that tried to entangle him by letting go of it. As the grabbed whip was finally freed, Anri resumed her attack. Nozomu activated his Qi technique "Instant Move" and rushed from the front towards Anri. He acted as to stand out as possible because his purpose was to attract her attention. Anri immediately swung her arm and a black whip shot out along the trajectory. Nozomu immediately changed his technique from "Instant Move" to "Instant Move -Curve Dance-", twisted his body and causing his body to move slightly to the side. Anri''s whip flowed and grazed Nozomu''s temple, and Nozomu thrust towards Anri in an attempt to close the gap all at once. However, Anri had already predicted Nozomu''s goal. She turned her wrist, the whip behind Nozomu jumped up. The whip that jumped up attacked to knock Nozomu from behind. " !! " Due to the chill he felt from behind, Nozomu twisted his body again and turned 90 degrees to the right. The next moment, the whip that was attacking from above Nozomu''s head hit the ground where he was before. "Wa~! You dodged it again! Amazing~!" Anri touched her mouth while feeling a little surprised. But she immediately pulled her whip into her hand and launched it aimed at Nozomu, who was running towards her. Nozomu passed by a tree in front of him and used it as a shield against the whip approaching in front of him. The whip that was launched hit the tree trunk and tore the bark of the trunk. "Teya ~. Here ~~" Anri''s repeated voice echoed around him, but contrary to such a voice, she made accurate and powerful whips in quick succession. Nozomu continued to use the overgrown trees as a shield and ran in a circular motion while handling Anri''s whip, but his expression clearly showed he wasn''t calm. As long as there was a huge difference in ability and distance between them, all he could do was keep up with her attacks. Eventually, Anri shifted her aim to the spot in front of Nozomu as if she was predicting the direction of Nozomu''s movement. Both attack and defense continued for a while, but Nozomu, who was circling around Anri, suddenly changed direction. He plunged straight from the front towards her. "Yup. As expected, you will come straight at me." Anri knew that Nozomu can only find a way out in close-quarter combat. She wasn''t surprised by Nozomu''s sudden change in actions, and she calmly launched her whip to intercept him as he drew closer. A whip that faithfully followed the trajectory of her swung arm weaved its way through the overgrown trees and aimed accurately at Nozomu. Nozomu tried to shook off Anri''s attack by moving curves through the overgrown trees with "Instant Move -Curve Dance-", but Anri''s whip was still able to accurately caught his leg, and the blown ground reduces Nozomu''s momentum. A slight slowdown increased Anri''s chances of attacking once more, and she didn''t miss her chance, this time, she aimed straight at Nozomu. "Nozomu-kun~. If it continues like this then you will... eh?" As the whip was about to hit Nozomu''s body, an explosive sound could be heard. In her eyes, she saw Nozomu, whose body should have slowed down, suddenly accelerate and rush forward again in a forward-leaning posture so that his body almost hit the ground. Actually, the explosion she heard just now wasn''t the sound of her whip hitting Nozomu. The true nature of the explosion was the torrent of Qi ejected from Nozomu''s back. When he was handling Anri''s whip with the tree as a shield, he compressed his Qi on his back so Anri couldn''t see it, and he released it the moment the whip was about to hit. He lowered his posture at once, accelerated at the same time, and plunged into her. Anri''s reaction was clearly delayed. She thought she had definitely hit him. Nozomu was only a few steps away from her, and she couldn''t seem to get her whip back in time. "Haaa !!" Nozomu swung his katana while screaming loudly. The blade accurately aimed at Anri''s shoulder. "E-e~~~i !" However, at the moment when Nozomu''s katana blade seemed to reach Anri''s body, Anri suddenly shouted a loud voice. "Ehh?" The next moment, the sight of her jumping into Nozomu''s eyes took him by surprise. With her hand, Anri flipped her own skirt. What appeared in Nozomu''s eyes was her white and soft skin under the skirt fluttering in the air. Her slender and smooth legs. A cute pink cloth. And a black iron that contrasted with her white skin, was tied to her slightly plump thighs. It was a black iron rod. It was about 30 centimeters long. Looking at it, there is a guard and handle on it. It was clear that it was used for combat. Anri grabbed the iron rod with her other hand and swung it up at once. " !? " Nozomu''s katana blade and the black iron rod collided. Nozomu''s blade never reached Anri''s body and was blocked firmly by her rod. "I-it was dangerous ~~" Anri let out a voice of relief in their current grapple situation. Even though Anri blocked Nozomu''s katana with just one hand, her black iron rod was unperturbed. "Ee~~ i !!" Anri tried to push Nozomu back while making a sound. Nozomu was also desperately trying to resist the force that was pushing him, but he, who was under the influence of ability suppression, couldn''t resist it. "Kuh !!" Judging that his strength wasn''t enough, Nozomu used his katana sheath to stop her momentum. He moved around Anri''s side and launched another slash. However, Nozomu''s slash was again blocked by Anri''s black iron rod, which was quickly overturned. Nozomu continued to launch slashes after that, but all of them were shot down by Anri''s black iron rod. Anri''s black iron rod, which is shorter than Nozomu''s katana, excels in maneuverability and does not allow Nozomu''s blade to touch Anri''s body. "Teya ~~!" As Anri lowered her posture, she fired a roundhouse kick at Nozomu''s side. The white legs that peeked through her waving skirt attacked Nozomu with a force that couldn''t be imagined from its appearance. "Uwa !!" Luckily, Nozomu crouched down in time and managed to dodge Anri''s roundhouse kick, but she kept moving and shot her black iron rod at Nozomu''s head. Nozomu tried to escape to Anri''s side by twisting his body while deflecting the black iron rod, which was swung downwards, with his katana. However, she fired another roundhouse kick. "Gah~ !!" This time, Nozomu couldn''t dodge. He put the scabbard between himself and Anri, but he couldn''t stop the momentum of the kick and he was blown away. "Kuh~ !!" Nozomu jumped while rolling backward. As Nozomu took some distance, Anri''s whip that she fired in pursuit hit the ground. "There ~~" Aiming at the moment Nozomu landed, Anri swinging her whip further. Nozomu raised his katana and tried to cut through Anri''s whip, but it wasn''t easy to cut through the flexible whip that was approaching at high speed. If he didn''t handle it properly, his movement would stop. After that, it would be an opportunity for Anri. However, when Nozomu landed. Suddenly a gust of wind blew. "Uwa !!" The gust hit Nozomu directly and blown his body away. Anri''s whip didn''t hit Nozomu''s body and only hit empty air. "Bufu~ !!" Due to the sudden thing, Nozomu couldn''t take a defensive stance and ended up kissing the ground with his face. Nozomu''s face was distorted by the bitter taste that filled his mouth. "Peh! Peh! What the hell was that !?" Nozomu checked the person who was blowing the gust while spewing dirt out of his mouth. He saw a man and a woman in school uniform running towards him. "I''m glad. You are safe." "Looks like we made it in time" The men and women in uniform were Deck and Hamria, who were supposed to go with Jin. Nozomu opened his eyes wide because of the two people who shouldn''t be there. *** The next chapter will be a very long chapter with 7k words Chapter 5.16 Translator : PolterGlast When Nozomu started fighting Anri, Jin and his friends were running through the forest to join Mars and the others. They were trying to join Mars as soon as possible, but Deck who was running behind suddenly stopped. "Haa, haa ... Deck, what''s wrong?" "... Jin. I''ll go back." "¡­¡­Huh?" "Think about it. We don''t need the three of us to tell Mars about the fight with Anri, the others should go to help Nozomu, who is earning us time right now." "That is¡­¡­" Jin thought about Deck''s words. Certainly, if they only needed to contact Mars, they wouldn''t need the three of them to leave at once. "But Deck. Isn''t your arm injured? Even if you go to help him, that arm..." Jin turned his gaze on Deck''s arm, whose uniform was torn, and Deck raised his arm as if nothing had happened. "The wound is closed, so I can use the spear now. And there are other ways to fight even if it''s not close-quarter combat. Also... can you burden him any more than this?" What Deck said was the same as what Jin felt in his heart. They propose to combine their party with special training in their minds. However, Jin also felt that they are only very dependent on Nozomu and Mars. Strategy, planning, base building, trap installation, and operation command. Everything has been proposed and implemented by Nozomu. Of course, Jin and his friends were not powerless and useless. The cooperation of Jin and his friends was indispensable in the fight with the 4th class party earlier. Certainly, Nozomu was the one in charge of their joint party. However, in their hearts, the question of whether it would be okay to leave everything to Nozomu continued to rise. "... Jin, I''ll also go back" "Hamria ..." Following Deck, Hamria also declared that she would go back. Probably because she was still scared of the fight with Anri, she gripped her wand tightly. However, even so, her eyes were only firmly stared at Jin. "...Thanks to Nozomu, we were able to defeat the opponent we couldn''t win until now. I think it will be difficult for ourselves to win in the future. So, his strength is absolutely necessary." "And we don''t know how long Nozomu will last against Anri-sensei. Then there should be someone who can help him even a little bit. I know Nozomu won''t complain. Also, until we join Mars, you will be the one in command. He said that, right?" "... That''s true. Deck, Hamria. Now, you two go back and support Nozomu-kun. I''ll let Mars know about this." Jin nodded at Deck''s words. Smiles appeared on Deck and Hamria''s faces. "Alright, I''ll leave it to you. Please come before we are wiped out. " "Jin-kun, please." The three nodded and confirmed each other''s intentions, and each of them rushed out for what they should do. *** "Wha! Why are you two here!?" "Why? Of course, we came here to support you" Nozomu was surprised that Deck and Hamria, who should have been instructed to join Mars, came back. When Deck declared to him that he came to help without hesitation, he stepped between Nozomu and Anri and wield his spear to protect Nozomu. "Nozomu-kun. Are you okay?" "Y-yeah." As Deck faced Anri, Hamria came to Nozomu''s side and helped him. Nozomu stood up while staggering and wield his katana once again. "Hmm~. Did they decided to go back?" Anri put her hand on her cheek and tilted her head cutely. Coupled with her appearance and atmosphere, it was an extremely picturesque sight. But that was unless she had a whip and an iron rod in her hands. "Deck ..." "Right now, Jin is on his way to call Mars and the others. In the meantime, we should hold on here. Is that okay?" Nozomu stared at Deck with an expression like he wanted to say something, but Deck didn''t look at Nozomu. He only said one sentence then focused on wielding his spear. The word "we" came out of Deck''s mouth. The word slowly seeped through Nozomu''s heart and started buzzing. His body was shaking and his heart was beating faster. "¡­¡­A!" Nozomu''s hand holding the katana was full of energy. He stomped his foot firmly on the ground and looked straight at Anri. Anri, who saw such a situation, opened her mouth with a happy expression. "... Alright! Then, here I go ~" The Qi emanating from Anri''s entire body increased all at once. Her body was enveloped in a faint light, and the light extended to her weapon. Apparently, after Nozomu''s party members joined the fight, she decided to take them seriously. Nozomu and Deck rushed out at the same time as Anri swung her whip. Hamria moved further back, and the moment she stepped out of the range of Anri''s whip attack, she started chanting her spell. "Deck! Anri-sensei can also fight in close quarters! Don''t let your guard down!" "Yes!" Anri''s whip approached Nozomu and Deck. They ran with all their might, facing the web of whips that spread out in all directions. *** When Deck and Hamria joined with Nozomu and resumed the battle, Mars and the others were waiting for Nozomu''s team at the designated place. Mars'' pendant shines, it is a sign that he has completed the task. Regina flower is being sought for the task. Mars and the others found another party near the flower, so they immediately decided to defeat the enemy party. First, Mars jumped in an instant and blew away several enemies, and Cami attacked the opponent''s mage through that gap. Of course, even though the enemy was surprised, they were still a high-class student. The remaining members immediately regained their composure and tried to push Mars and the others back. However, Mars retaliated against the opponent who tried to push them back with his Qi technique *Dust blade* and wiped the enemy out. The enemy party, whose formation was torn apart, was finally annihilated without being able to stop Mars rushing towards them, and Mars managed to gain points for both completing the task and defeating the enemy party. After that, Regina flower was delivered to the headquarters, and just as he was about to return to where Nozomu''s team was, Mars''s [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate] shone and he immediately headed straight for the designated place. "...That guy, Nozomu. He''s late" A worried voice escaped from Mars'' mouth. It''s been a while since Mars'' team arrived at the designated place, but Nozomu''s team didn''t seem to show up. The distance from the base where Nozomu was to this designated place was closer than the distance from the position where Mars'' [Twin Stones of Tragic Fate] shone to the designated place. So Mars thought that Nozomu''s team was already there when they arrived. Even though it took time for Nozomu''s team to escape, still, they took too long no matter what. "Maybe everyone is already done ..." "It''s possible. There were students of the 4th class who chased us before we got to the base. If they were to chase them to the base then ..." Tommy muttered so, and Cami started talking about the students chasing them to agree with Tommy''s opinion. Tommy nodded at Cami''s words, but Mars was skeptical and put his hand on his mouth. "Is that really the case? Even if he can''t win, I don''t think he can be defeated so easily..." At that moment, they heard something approaching from the depths of the bushes. Mars and the others, who thought it was an enemy, readied their respective weapons. But what came out of the bushes was not their enemy, but Jin, who was supposed to be with Nozomu. "Haa, haa, haa ..." "O-oi! Are you okay!?" "What happened? What happened to Deck? What about Hamria?" Tommy caught Jin who was rushing towards them while breathing roughly. Cami knew that Jin was the only one who came here, and she asked what happened to the other companions. "Haa, haa... A-Anri-sensei... is a special target... attacking the base..." """ !! """ What came out of Jin''s mouth struck Mars and the others into a whirlpool of astonishment. Nozomu stayed behind to stop the attacking Anri. On their way, Deck and Hamria decided to go back to assist Nozomu. And while they were stalling Anri to gain time, Jin went to call Mars and the others. "... I understand. Let''s go join Nozomu and the others now." "W-wait a second! Does Mars think that they haven''t been disqualified yet!? The enemy is a school teacher, right? Isn''t it impossible to win!?" It was Tommy who prevented Mars from trying to join Nozomu. Cami next to him also nodded as she agreed with his opinion as to whether she had the same opinion as Tommy. If Jin''s story was true, then it was been a long time since Nozomu''s team came into contact with Anri. Besides, Nozomu seemed to be fighting alone against Anri. No wonder those who were skeptical of Nozomu''s abilities, doubt the survival of Nozomu and the others. "Then what would we do? Are you guys going to stay here? I''m going. I don''t think he can be defeated so easily. Maybe he''s already beaten Anri." Mars smiled as if provoking them. Tommy and Cami frowned due to his smile. In such a terrible atmosphere, Jin who was still breathing roughly stood up and began to return to where he came from. "¡­¡­Jin?" "O-oi ..." Tommy and Cami were confused to see such a situation. With two people behind him, Jin tried to get back to Nozomu and the others as soon as possible. "¡­¡­Are you alright, Jin?" "Haa, haa ... I-I''m fine. Anyway, let''s go quickly. Otherwise, it''ll be a burden on Nozomu-kun and the others..." "I told you! They may have been disqualified!" Mars worried about Jin, whose breathing was still panting, but Jin said he was fine and tried to get back to Nozomu and the others. Tommy yelled when he saw Jin like that, but contrary to his painful breathing, Jin''s expression was calm. "It''s okay. I think Nozomu-kun and the others haven''t been disqualified yet..." "What is the basis for you to say that..." Tommy, who can''t believe that Nozomu and the others haven''t been disqualified yet, asked for Jin''s reasons. "... When we were waiting for you guys to return, the enemy party that chased us before we came to the base caught up. They were 4th class students..." "Wha~!" Tommy''s expression clearly still couldn''t believe Nozomu. Jin just decided to talk about how they defeated such a superior enemy party. Tommy opened his eyes wide at Jin''s story. ¡°If we were the only ones, we would have been instantly defeated, but in the end, we were able to annihilate the enemy party that was chasing after us¡­ why do you think we could do that?¡± "Why ..." Talking so far, Tommy could imagine who helped them win. Even so, Jin pointed out the fact to him who didn''t want to believe it. ¡°It''s all because of Nozomu you know. Thanks to the traps and strategies he devised, we were able to win. I''m sure he''ll be fine even if the opponent is Anri-sensei. You probably won''t believe this because the opponent is a teacher, not a student. But, I believe he will be okay¡­¡± "" ............... "" "...Then, let''s check it ourselves." "Eh?" Jin proposed to the two of them who were silent without saying anything to go check it out. Of course, they wouldn''t know what happened to Nozomu and the others who actually fought Anri. The only way to find out is to actually check it out. "That''s why, let''s check it out. We can only hope Nozomu and the others are safe by the time we get there, right?" "B-but. If they are defeated, we can be the next..." Jin, who worried about their further decline in strength, tried to give Tommy a push. "Anyway, if we lose them, our party''s strength will drop significantly. Do you think we can survive this training under such circumstances? Nozomu is the brain of this party, so if we lose our heads, I don''t think we can continue fighting properly, isn''t that right? "Uh~ ..." Their party was inferior compared to other parties in terms of individual abilities. In order to overturn it, it was necessary to have the number and coordination. And if those three, Nozomu, Deck, and Hamria, were gone, nearly half of the members at their party will be gone. With this, it would be impossible for them to continue in this training. "...It''s decided then. Let''s go." Although a little reluctant, maybe because they believed in Jin''s words, Tommy and Cami started chasing Mars and Jin who had started running. When they started heading towards Nozomu''s team, Nozomu''s team was in trouble. *** The battle between Anri and Nozomu was dominated by Anri. As Nozomu''s party members joined in their fight and the fact that he was almost landing a hit of his counterattack, Anri decided that it was okay to take them seriously. She enveloped her Qi not only to her whole body but also to her weapons, which made her whip even sharper, and her attacks literally became like illusionary movements. However, Nozomu and the others were unwilling to remain silent. Nozomu and Deck took advantage of their numbers to sneak through the whips and get close to Anri. Hamria also used magic to launch ranged attacks. However, even if Nozomu and Deck ignored their wounds to approach Anri, in the end, they were blocked by the black iron rod, and Hamria''s magic from a long distance was dodged or knocked down by the whip. Even though it had been a long time since Deck and Hamria had joined the fight, they were gradually being pushed back instead. "Guh~!" Anri''s whip hit Nozomu''s shoulder. Blood spurted from where it was struck, but Nozomu never stopped. He flew sideways and hid behind a tree, he dodged the whip that struck again. " ! " Deck closed the gap with a dash while Nozomu was attracting Anri''s whip. Deck thrust his spear from the side, but Anri blocked it with her black iron rod without difficulty, and she turned over the wrist of her hand holding the whip. "Ee~i !" "Uwa !!" Anri entwined her whip around Deck''s legs, and she flung Deck''s body with all his might. Hamria activated her magic in that gap. A flame bullet approached Anri, but she parried it off with her whip after she sent Qi into it. "Th-this is bad!" Beyond the direction of the flame bullet that Anri parried off was Nozomu who was hiding in a tree. If nothing was done, he would be burned by his own ally''s magic. The flame bullet landed on the tree at almost the same time as Nozomu jumped out of the shade of the tree. At that moment, the exploding flames scattered around and burned the surrounding trees and vegetation. "I-it was dangero- ... -eh, again !!" Anri''s whip approached Nozomu once again who jumped out of the shade of the tree. Just like before, Nozomu tried to deal with the approaching whip using his Qi technique "Instant Move -Curve Dance-" and the surrounding trees as his shield, but the whip was sharper than before and continued to aim at Nozomu accurately while weaving through the gaps between the trees. "Damn!" In the end, Nozomu was unable to shake the whip off and retreated temporarily. He went towards Hamria, where the whip couldn''t reach him. "Are you alright?" "Yes, I was saved." Hamria casted recovery magic on Nozomu who had retreated. The light that enveloped his body accelerated his body''s healing. It closed the wound on his shoulder caused by Anri''s whip. Deck who was flung away also comes to Nozomu and Hamria. "...As I thought, we are no match for her." "That''s right. Anri-sensei is very strong. I didn''t expect it from her usual behavior..." Deck sighed as he remembered Anri''s lessons in class. Anri didn''t chase Nozomu and Deck who retreated. Her expression was the same gentle smile as usual, but there was no opening in her posture. Anri closed the distance and didn''t attack them with her whip, but she walked slowly as if to tease them. The intimidation they felt from her appearance remained the same, but Anri''s cheeks seemed to smile at Nozomu. "U-umm, sensei. Sensei''s rank is A rank, isn''t it?" "Hmm~. My rank~? That''s right~" Hamria asked about Anri''s rank timidly, and Anri clearly confirms that she was A rank. Deck and Hamria were gasped due to that fact. "Umm, hey, is A rank that strong?" "...How shall I say it? Even though one''s has the same A rank, I think their ability varies. In the first place, apart from us students, other people''s rank is based on their achievements. So the rank is just one of the guidelines ... " Deck asked Nozomu, but Nozomu couldn''t answer the question clearly. If they were students, the ranking will be determined by your grades. Others, such as adventurers and soldiers, were based on their own achievements, so their rank didn''t necessarily lead appropriately to their abilities. It was quite possible that even if the person had the ability, he/she may not have sufficient results or achievements. Nozomu indeed felt a lot of intimidation from the current Anri, but he didn''t felt it as intimidating as his master Shino. In particular, the intimidation Nozomu felt when he ended up fighting a deadly battle with Shino was incomparable compared to the intimidation he felt from Anri right now. "...I think there is no doubt that Anri-sensei''s rank is A rank. Also, I think her abilities are considered high in A rank." From that fact, Nozomu thought that Anri''s abilities would be much higher than A rank. However, no matter how much Nozomu understood Anri''s abilities, it didn''t mean that Nozomu and the others would have the advantage. Some of Nozomu''s acquaintances are of the same rank as Anri, such as Irisdina and Tima. But there was no doubt, even Irisdna, who was at the top of his year, would struggle against the current Anri. (Anyway, her whip is the most troublesome thing. If we don''t do something about it, we will be pushed out ...) "... Nozomu-kun~. What''s wrong~? If you don''t come, I''ll go there instead~." "Kuh !!" Anri swung the whip while saying so. Nozomu and the others left their place by scattering before the whip that was swung down reached them. Nozomu and Deck jumped left and right, and Hamria retreated backward. Anri who saw Nozomu''s team spread out, immediately took aim and swung her arm. The aim was Nozomu. Nozomu tried to dodge it with "Instant Move -Curve Dance-", but when Nozomu changed direction, Anri''s whip also changed direction to follow him. "Guh !!" Anri changed the direction of the whip by manipulating the Qi she put into the whip and the movement of her wrist. Finally, the whip hit Nozomu''s upper arm. Unlike the fight before Deck and Hamria came, Anri''s whip was definitely started to reach Nozomu. Anri''s whip and Nozomu''s moves. The former was overwhelmingly superior in terms of speed, but it was still difficult to catch Nozomu due to Nozomu''s complicated curve moves. However, what allowed the whip to reach Nozomu was just a simple reason. (Umm, what would Nozom-kun do after this~? There''s still some distance, so I wonder if he''ll jump back a little~?) After Anri thought so, Nozomu jumped back while holding his upper arm which was hit by the whip. For the time being, he kept his distance. (Then, in the next moment~, while pretending to retreat~, he will move forward at once~~) Anri launches her whip. Her aim was a place in front of Nozomu. In the next moment, Nozomu, who had once jumped backward, activated his "Instant Move" with all his might as soon as his feet touched the ground. Anri had been watching over her students for a long time. Therefore, she could predict what their next move would be. "Wha~ !!" As a result, Nozomu moved towards the place that Anri had predicted. Nozomu tried to dodge the whip that was approaching towards his head from above, but the whip had already gained momentum and cannot be avoided. He averted his head and avoided a direct hit to his head, but the whip that was swung hit straight at his shoulder. "Gah !!" A voice of agony came out of Nozomu''s mouth as intense pain shot through his shoulder. Anri raised her arm as she was about to launch another attack on him. (Then~, when I try to attack Nozomu-kun~, Deck-kun will come from behind~) Anri suddenly looked back while raising her whip. There, Deck, who was going around from behind while Nozomu stalled for time, was about to thrust his spear. "Kuh~ !!" Deck, who knew that his actions have been read, distorted his face in regret, but he still thrust his spear without stopping. However, Anri parried the spear with the black iron rod in her other hand, and she immediately closed the gap and launched a roundhouse kick on Deck''s flank. "Gat~ !!" Her strengthened kick blew Deck''s body easily, and the blown Deck was slammed into the trunk of a tree. Anri turned around after Deck had blown away. At that moment, a flame bullet grazed her side and hit the tree behind her. (Hmm~. Is it a little to the side?) Anri, who easily dodged Hamria''s magic, fired a magic bullet at Hamria. The magic bullet that was fired landed on Hamria''s wand she was holding, and the impact caused her to be blown away. (For an impromptu team, they certainly have good cooperation~. Nozomu''s movement is good, Deck and Hamria''s follow-up isn''t bad either~. I wonder if the problem is that I''m a little too serious~.) Anri inwardly praised Nozomu''s current team. The cooperation itself was not bad. Rather, it was quite well done. The timing of the attacks wasn''t too bad, and they could follow each other''s movements in their own way, so the others wouldn''t think this was the first party they''d formed. Perhaps there was something that connected them so far. Anri was genuinely happy that Nozomu, who had been isolated in the class until now, was able to work with classmates other than Mars, but even if they had a little cooperation, it still wasn''t enough to sneak through her whip. Others tended to be fooled by Anri''s usual laid-back atmosphere, but contrary to her atmosphere, she certainly had a considerable insight. Nozomu''s team was solid in terms of defense because their roles were clear, with Nozomu as the vanguard, Deck as the middle guard, and Hamria as the rearguard. However, each of their movements had been seen by Anri so far. It wasn''t too difficult for Anri, who had always watched over them, to read their movements. Their purpose was to gain time, but it was still difficult to do so since Anri was able to use the whip freely. Moreover, as their actions were predicted by Anri, they gradually became unable to handle Anri''s attacks. (Are they already done? ... ara?) After Anri managed to attack Nozomu and the others, this time she tried to attack Deck who was blown away. But Nozomu rushed in at Anri once again. "I''ll tell you~. Your attack is solid~, but... it''s easy to read~." " !! " The whip that Anri was about to launch towards Deck turned around and instead launched towards Nozomu. The whip approached Nozomu from diagonally above at a speed that was clearly faster than before. Nozomu sent all of his Qi into his feet and released them all at once. The burst of Qi released made Nozomu reach top speed in an instant. His own speed wasn''t fast, but he tried to ward off Anri''s whip with an instantaneous acceleration. However, the same hand didn''t work for Anri twice. With her full power, she instantly turned her whip back, and she in turn fired her second shot as if to hit Nozomu from the side. "Kuh !!" Nozomu bit his lip as he faced the approaching whip. He already knew that the whip couldn''t be avoided with "Instant Move -Curve Dance-" alone. And if he handled it with his katana, he would be exposed in that gap. (Then!) Nozomu ignored the approaching whip and thrust in. At the same time, he sent his Qi into his hand that was not holding the katana and compressed it. (Anri-sensei''s weapon belongs to the striking type. If I take a hit at the part where I compressed Qi, then I will be able to handle the blow!) Nozomu dared to ignore Anri''s attack and tried to close the distance. His extreme concentration was able to read the trajectory of Anri''s whip, causing the tip of the whip to accurately be received by the part of his arm that had been enveloped in an extremely compressed Qi. "Gee~ !!" *Slap!* A shock pierced his arm with such a sound. The pain spread from the arm to the brain, and the voice of agony escaped from Nozomu''s mouth. But still, Nozomu didn''t stop. He was only a few steps away from reaching her with his katana. He couldn''t go down here. Nozomu raised his katana overhead while holding back the pain in his arm. Anri was already preparing to confront Nozomu with her black iron rod. Anyway, it was necessary for Nozomu to close the distance and bring Anri into a situation where she couldn''t use her whip. However¡­¡­. "Wha~ !!" Nozomu''s katana suddenly stopped in midair. When he saw his katana, Anri''s whip wrapped around the blade of his katana. (Damn! She can control the whip with her Qi ...) The whip that Nozomu thought he had repelled had been manipulated by Anri''s Qi which she sent to her wrist and whip. The whip interrupted Nozomu''s katana''s trajectory, wrapped itself around his katana, and made it stop moving. Anri stepped towards Nozomu. At this moment, Nozomu was entwined together with his katana, and his upper body was completely floating. Anri tries to hit the black iron rod against Nozomu''s defenseless body. "Kuh~ !!" Nozom pulled out the scabbard on his waist to block Anri''s black iron rod, but his posture was greatly crushed. Furthermore, Nozomu was blown away by receiving Anri''s kicks in quick succession. "Gah~ !!" He was struck to the ground and suffocated. Nozomu managed to stand up by forcing his aching body. Looking closely, Deck and Hamria also managed to stand up. "~! Are you two okay...?" "Well, somehow..." "Yes¡­¡­" The voices of those who answered Nozomu''s question weren''t good either. To be honest, Nozomu thought it would be impossible for them to gain any more time. (The most reasonable decision would be to withdraw from this place¡­ but, certainly, Anri won''t let us do that.) Anri''s weapon was suitable for mid-range combat, but she can also use magic. She didn''t seem to be using magic since she was currently using Qi techniques, but she might use magic if Nozomu and the others start withdrawing as she was no longer worried about being approached. (It''s better to think that conventional tactics and cooperation can be easily read by her. If so, there is no other choice but to take unconventional methods ...) Nozomu remembered the time he had a one-on-one fight with Anri. Nozomu was once able to get close to her, though Anri wasn''t serious about it. At that time, Nozomu''s movement exceeded Anri''s expectations, even if it was only temporary, and he was able to bring her into close-quarter combat. Then, if he could surprise Anri, his opportunity would come again. "Nozomu. You still have some ways, right?" "Eh?" Deck suddenly said such words, and Nozomu''s mouth made a surprised voice. Deck, who saw Nozomu''s expression, grinned and smiled. "I can tell from your expression. So... can we win?" "¡­¡­It''s possible." Nozomu''s plan was quite absurd and had many uncertain factors. But they can only do so with their current number of people despite the difficulties. "If so, let''s do it. It seems difficult for me and Hamria to fight any more than this, and I can''t think of any other way. Then we have to bet on that plan." When Nozomu looked at Hamria, she also looked straight at Nozomu and nodded. "... There is another way which is for us to withdraw, but we need one person as a decoy so Anri-sensei couldn''t chase the others." "You fool. Then there''s no point in us coming here!" "That''s right! We need Nozomu''s strength to survive in this training. Besides, I want to beat Anri-sensei." Hamria held her wand firmly. She who was timid earlier was like a lie. "We were nothing at school. We were always ridiculed by students from other classes. We were always losing and facing our head down ..." Hamria said so while looking down and clenching her teeth in regret. Certainly, 10th class students were a complete loser from the perspective of the students of other classes, and the 10th class was a class for students who couldn''t keep up at school. Nozomu was particularly despised even among the 10th class students due to the rumors that flowed and the suppression of his own abilities, but that didn''t mean the 10th class students never received the same treatment as Nozomu. As they walked through the corridors, they were sometimes seen with contempt, and sometimes they were struck by heartless words. "But thanks to Nozomu, we were able to beat students from other classes. You proved to us that we can win." That''s why Nozomu, who proved that they won''t lose to any other classes, looked dazzling to Deck and Hamria. They believed that they could win if they followed this person. "That''s why I want to win. To the students in other classes and Anri-sensei. Above all, I want to prove to those in the same class that we won''t lose." Hamria staring straight at Nozomu without hesitation. Deck also stares at Nozom with a strong will in his eyes. Nozomu was overwhelmed by their eyes. Unlike himself who continues to worry, they aim to win without hesitation. And Irisdina, who had previously told him about her dreams, seemed to overlap with them. Nozomu stared straight back at them. Hamria looked straight at Nozomu without hesitation. Deck also looked at Nozomu with a strong will in his eyes. Nozomu was overwhelmed by their gazes. Unlike himself who was constantly worried, they aimed to win without hesitation, and Irisdina, who previously told him about her dream, seemed to overlap with them. Nozomu looked straight at them. "¡­¡­I get it." Nozomu, whose back was pushed by their gazes, told the two of them the strategy he had in mind. To those two who wanted to win and wanted to prove that they wouldn''t lose. "¡­¡­Eh?" "... Seriously?" Hamria and Deck, who heard Nozomu''s plan, all opened their eyes wide while letting out surprised voices. Nozomu''s strategy they heard was too crazy. However, their shocked expressions were only momentary. They immediately tightened their facial expressions, they were ready to confront Anri. "Are you done~?" Anri''s voice reached the ears of Nozomu and the others. "Yes, with this we will defeat Sensei." "Hmm~. I wonder if you can really do it~." "Yes, for sure." " !" Nozomu and the others responded with their premature declaration of victory to Anri who had a provocative smile on her face. Anri''s expression, upon seeing such a declaration, instantly changed from a provocative smile to a gentle smile that looked happy. Deck also followed Nozomu''s victory declaration, and Hamria replied while squeezing her wand tightly. "... I see. Then, show it to your Sensei. Your "growth"!" Anri swung her whip. The Qi-strengthened whip cut through the air and approached Nozomu and the others. Nozomu stepped forward and called out to Deck, exposing himself to the approaching whip. "Deck!" "Yea, I know!" Deck was chanting a spell behind Nozomu. The air around him gathered at the tip of his spear. Eventually, he created a fist-sized wind mass and pierced the ground with the spear along with the wind mass. The exploding wind mass blew up a large amount of soil and hid the appearance of Nozomu and the others. Anri''s whip disappeared into the smoke, but she didn''t feel any reaction. Looked like she missed her targets. The next moment, a number of air bullets appeared from within the smoke and attacked Anri. She immediately swung her whip and knocked the air bullets down. But just as Anri was about to knock down the last air bullet, a shadow shot through the smoke. It was Deck. "Oooo !!" "I predicted that ~" Anri immediately responded to face Deck who was thrusting while dashing. She aimed her whip on Deck''s legs as he ran towards her, reducing the momentum of his rush to gain time, and suppressed her Qi at the tip of the returning whip. She swung the whip towards Deck''s temporal lobe. Deck tried to block it by raising his spear in a hurry, but he was unable to block it completely. When the whip hit Deck''s spear, it coiled around the spear and hit his shoulder strongly, and at the same time, the Qi that was infused into the whip exploded. Deck was burned, blown away, and fell to the ground. (I wonder if it''s Nozomu-kun next? or maybe Hamria-san''s magic? But that alone won''t be able to reach me~) Anri suddenly heard a burst of noise and someone cut through the smoke. Anri looked back at the smoke and held her whip again to intercept it. "So, next is Nozomu-kun~. But at this point, you will... eh?" "Ee~i!" Anri thought Nozomu had rushed in, but it was Hamria who rushed in instead. She rushed towards Anri at a speed that didn''t seem like the usual mage. "Eh~, eh ~~~ !!" Anri thought Hamria was supposed to be at the rear end. She didn''t expect Hamria to rush in instead. She swung her whip and tried to intercept, but the whip that was swung was repelled in the air and didn''t reach Hamria. Hamria, who was rushing towards Henri, hugged Anri''s waist and slammed Anri''s body against a tree trunk without slowing her momentum. "Wh, wait a minute~. Hey~~!. Anri swung her black iron rod down and tried to tear off Hamria, who was clinging to her, but the black iron rod was repelled again in midair. When she took a closer look, a thin film of light surrounded Hamria''s body. In fact, the thin film of light was a magical barrier, and because of this film, Anri''s whip was also repelled before. Hamria also activates the magic that she had chanted beforehand. Earth chains wrapped around Anri''s body and restrained her body. The chains also restrained Anri''s whip, tying her whip to a tree along with her body so she can''t use it. "Eh? Eeh? Eeehhh!?" When Anri was shocked, suddenly a wind blew towards her. There, Nozomu appeared in front of her. He put his katana into its scabbard and showed his sword-drawing stance. Anri''s body was already completely restrained. She could free herself by force if she wanted to, but now she didn''t have the time. When she realized it, Nozomu''s katana was pulled out. The accelerated slash with the scabbard as the launch pad cut Anri''s pendant in half. "... This is our victory." Nozomu declared their victory. His aim was to disqualify Anri by destroying her pendant, which was proof of the training participants. Everyone was hiding in the smoke created by Deck, and first, Nozomu retreated and goes to Hamria''s back. Deck then plunged in to divert Anri''s eyes, and Hamria cast a magical barrier on herself to strengthen her own defense. In addition, Hamria cast restraint magic, and when her magic was ready to be cast at Anri, Nozomu blew Hamria towards Anri with his Qi technique *Cannon*. And while Hamria was clinging to Anri''s body and restraining Anri with her restraint magic, Nozomu aimed to destroy Anri''s pendant. "A~ a~. You got me~." Anri made a slightly disappointed voice, but her facial expression was gentle and looked very happy. "It''s a shame I was defeated. But I''m happy to see everyone''s growth." Anri smiled in satisfaction. For her, her students grew more than she expected. And that might be enough to ensure that Nozomu fits into the party. (Yup! With this, he''ll be alright! Nozomu-kun and his party members, I wonder how far they''ll go~) "Oi Nozomu! Are you okay!?" At that time, Mars and his team came from the depths of the bush. Looked like they arrived just now. "Lies... They won..." "¡­¡­Are you serious" "Are you all okay?" Jin, Tommy, and Cami appeared from behind Mars. Tommy and Cami were looking at Nozomu''s team who defeated Anri as if they were looking at something incredible, and Jin helped Deck who was lying on the ground. "I''m alright." Hamria answered Jin''s question in a cheerful voice. She had protected herself with a magic barrier, and she had no visible scars on her body. "Yea, somehow I can still move ... but I''m disqualified ..." "Ah~¡­¡­" However, it was not the case with Deck who sustained damage by Anri''s whip. His pendant glowed red, announcing his disqualification. Nozomu''s face was distorted when he knew it. He was disappointed that he had disqualified Deck even though Deck had come to help him. However, Deck didn''t seem to be depressed at all and he had a cheerful expression instead. "Don''t worry, Nozomu. I''m rather grateful because we were able to beat that Anri-sensei ..." It was a pity for him to retire on the way, but Deck didn''t feel any regret. He was able to win twice against opponents he had never thought he could win. He who wanted to win but couldn''t win. The victory he had gained by confronting the existence that was supposed to be stronger than himself. It gave him a feeling of satisfaction that he had never experienced before. Therefore, he was grateful to Nozomu and had nothing to blame. "¡­¡­Ah." Perhaps his feelings were transmitted to Nozomu, his stiff expression was slightly loosened. "Everyone, congratulations~. You''ve done your best~. You''ve beaten me, a special target, so I''ll give you this~" Anri happily gave the pendant she got from other students from her pocket to Nozomu''s team. The number was more than 20. Considering the points for defeating the special target and the points Mars earned, it would be enough points to get to the top of the ladder at once. "... W-with this... how high is our ranking?" Deck was shocked that they have earned so many points at once. The rest of the members were the same, and only Nozomu and Mars weren''t surprised by it. "It''s hard to say, but I think it''s possible." "For now, let''s move to another location. We have to move because we just had a flashy confrontation with Anri-sensei in this place..." Mars and Nozomu calmly assessed the situation, and they tried to move to another location. The special training wasn''t over yet. The ranks of the fighting parties from now on would rise all at once. The incompetent parties will be defeated leaving only those with solid abilities. "I''m done here so I''m going back to headquarters. Nozomu, thank you." "I should be the one thanking you. If Deck and Hamria hadn''t rushed in, we would have been defeated." Nozomu and Deck bump each other''s fists. It was the moment when Nozomu was united in trust. "By the way, Nozomu-kun. That''s... umm~." "Hmm? What''s wrong Anri-sensei?" Anri suddenly stopped Nozomu who were about to bid farewell. Her face was red with embarrassment. Moreover, for some reason, she was holding onto her skirt while fidgeting. "It was about something earlier~.... Did you see it?" "See? ...ah~" The skirt that Anri was holding. When he saw it, a scene reappeared in Nozomu''s mind. The white and dazzling skin that could be seen inside the skirt fluttered gently in the air. Her slender and smooth legs. And a cute pink cloth. Nozomu''s face suddenly turned red due to the things that came back to his mind. With that alone, Anri understood everything. "So you saw it~! My...my...!!" Anri started to get flustered with her face brighter than Nozomu. She was so embarrassed that she swung her hands around like a child, and steam was rising from her head. "W-, w-, what should I do~! I haven''t shown it to anyone yet~! I''ve decided that I''ll only show it to the person who will become my husband~~!" "... Nozomu, what on earth were you doing to gain time?" "What''s with that eyes! That''s not it! I was fighting to earn time !!" Suddenly receiving such ridiculous words that came out of Anri''s mouth, Mars glared at Nozomu. For Nozomu, it was an unexpected accident during the battle, but due to the atmosphere dropping at an unreasonable speed, it made his voice unintentionally loud. However, it only deepened the misunderstanding even more. "W-what should I do~!! If it''s like this then, Nozomu-kun has to take responsibility~!!" "Wait! Why did sensei say something like that!!" ""Nozomu-kun..."" "Nozomu... you..." In the end, Anri even came up with disturbing words, "take responsibility." Nozomu finally got cold stares from Jin and the others. "I-I''m so enviou- ... N-no, what a rude guy! ... but, what color was it?" "...E-even I can only see such things in my dreams..." Somehow, Tommy and Deck''s gaze began to exude bloodlust. However, it was somewhat mixed with their desire, jealousy, and delusions that shouldn''t be leaked. "It''s a misunderstanding !!" Nozomu''s scream echoed in the forest. He desperately explained that it was an accident to clear up the misunderstanding, but he ended up spending more than 30 minutes trying to resolve the misunderstanding. Chapter 5.17 Translator : PolterGlast Jihad''s POV As the sun rising from the east reached the centerline, I, Jihad Roundel, observed the training area in the lookout tower set up at the administrative headquarters. "There is no problem so far ..." I looked around while muttering. Since the training area is covered by forest, I can''t see the situation directly from the lookout tower, but I can''t feel any disturbing atmosphere from the training area. At least so far there doesn''t seem to be any abnormality. I turned my eyes to somewhere under the lookout tower, I first noticed the tent where the operations headquarters was located. The teachers who took care of this training were busy going in and out of the tent. In addition, there were several students who were already disqualified from training in front of the administrative headquarters, and some of them were injured. Students with minor injuries only received medicine, and those with scratches were treated by Norn-sensei, a doctor in charge, in a tent built next to the administrative headquarters. Despite some injuries, there were no reports of deaths and no reports of anyone trespassing into the training area. For now, I let out a sigh of relief after confirming the training that proceeded without any major problems. At that moment, I realized that I was not my usual self and was nervous. It was laughable that my mouth naturally loosened. Maybe I was nervous because there were various things that happened recently, such as the massacre of the Cyclopes and the black demon beasts. (But certainly, I can''t neglect my vigilance ...) The matter of the black demon beast was gradually resolved. The defeated black demon beast has been found, and its corpse has been recovered and is currently under investigation. So far, there have been no reports of any other black demon beasts, and it is almost certain that it was alone. In addition, there is no particular change in the movement of the demon beasts in the forest. On the other hand, about the case of Cyclopes. There''s no progress on it so far. It was known that it was defeated by a human or something similar to it. However, even though the captain of the guards, Mauzu, and the knights of the Silver Rainbow Knight Order were pursuing its whereabouts, the person who did it had yet to be identified. It was night when we found the corpses of the giants, and we couldn''t bring back all the corpses because there were only a few manpower. All that was brought back were the pieces of arms and chunks of meat that had been cut off, and no clues were found. Judging from the severed parts such as the severed arm, it turned out that all the wounds were made with the same weapon, and from that, the one who slaughtered the giants was probably alone. Since the giant was heavily injured with almost a single blow, that person''s rank was at least rank S. Being able to fight those giants by himself. There might be someone so powerful hiding in this Arcazam. (What if I make a mistake... In some cases...) My hands reached out towards my companions'' backs before I knew it. Thinking about it, I realized that I was overthinking it, assuming that I would have to fight that person before I knew it. (...I''m too impatient. I guess I''m impatient because I can''t have a picture of that person at all.) I closed my eyes and exhaled while feeling the wind blowing on the lookout tower. The impatience in my chest was still smoldering, but it didn''t burn significantly. At least for now, it will be fine. It''s still not too late to find out who defeated the Cyclopes. I don''t know if that person has left the city or is still hiding, but so far, there has been no major impact on the management of Arcazam itself. (...For now, it''s better to concentrate on what''s in front of me. Today''s training is only half-day left before its over. I hope it stays like this... hmm~) After I reorganized my thoughts, I heard the sound of someone coming up to the lookout tower. Looking back, there is Ms. Inda, the second-class homeroom teacher. "So you''ve been here all this time, Jihad. For the time being, half of today''s training time is over, so I''m here to report." "Is that so? ... so how about it?" Ms. Inda shifted her gaze to the report in her hand. "Currently, the number of parties continuing training is one-fifth of the total. Also, the party of the first-class Irisdina Francilt and Tima Lime. The party of Lisa Hounds and Ken Notice. The party of the second-class, Kevin Ardinal''s party, and Shina Yuliel''s party. They have defeated the special targets." Ms. Inda, who read her report in a loud and brisk tone, handed the report into my hands. After I received the report, I read it myself. The pendants worn by these participants had some magic imbued just in case. It can display the position of the pendant on the map with a special technique, which allows the students to be quickly located in an emergency, and we can also find out which party has how many pendants. "I see... Even if they are first-class students and have high abilities, at least their experience hasn''t caught up yet, so I thought it wouldn''t be strange if they lost, but... they seem to be growing properly. " I purely commend them for beating the special target while reading the report. Despite having the same A rank, there is a clear difference in experience between students and teachers. No matter how high their abilities were, the difference in experience could not be easily overcome. Those who were not yet ripe have beaten the teachers who should be ripe. Of course, they had numbers, but it was enough to see their growth. "And there are also second-class parties that have defeated special targets. Aren''t Inda-sensei''s students quite excellent?" And they were the ones who defeated the black demon beast. I see, did the previous matter make them grow¡­? "Y-yes. Thank you very much. They have been enthusiastic and proficient lately. Especially the coordination within their parties was excellent, and I was honestly surprised. I was a little worried that Feo Rishitza, who had not teamed up until now, would want to join their party in this training, but the results did not show any problems¡­. I''m proud of my student.¡± It was unusual for her, who had always been indifferent, to speak so excitedly. She seemed to be inwardly pleased with the growth of her students. Ms. Inda''s face turned slightly red, but the next moment her facial expression became clouded. "Actually, there''s something..." Inda-sensei hesitated to say her words. She probably still had something to say. "Hmm~, is there anything else?" "Y-yes. Actually, there is another party who defeated a special target..." Prompted by her words, I read ahead of the report. Certainly, there is another party in addition to the previous four parties that defeated the special target. "Nozomu Bountis, Mars Dickens ..." I feel familiar with their names. Mars Dickens is a student who has a high level of ability but has problems with his behavior. The other is Nozomu Bountis. He is one of the students who encountered the black demon beast, just like the students in Inda-sensei''s class who defeated the special target. But, somehow he was a little worrisome boy. I didn''t hear very good stories from other teachers and students about him. About that black demon beast. I know how dangerous it is. It has great vitality and regenerative abilities. And its best feature is that it can absorb other organisms and transform its body. I met that demon beast 10 years ago, and to be honest, I don''t want to remember it. I encountered such a demon beast and take it down alone and survived. Of course, there''s an element of luck, but it''s not the only one. ¡°Y-yes, their party members are the largest among the parties that have defeated the special target¡­¡± It seemed she couldn''t believe Nozomu Bountis'' party defeated a special target. Certainly, there had never been a 10th-class party defeating a special target since the founding of Solminati Academy. While thinking so, I continued to read the report in my hand. "Their opponent is their own homeroom teacher, Anri Var .... Do you think she''s going easy on her own students?" "No ... that won''t be happening ..." Ms. Inda answered my question as she was somewhat at a loss. As far as I can see from the expression on her face, the most appropriate thing to describe her feelings must be bafflement, so it seems that this result is not due to Ms. Anri''s unfairness. "Sure, she''s a teacher who is very close to her students, but at least, she doesn''t spoil her students." Ms. Inda is a very talented and strict teacher. It can be seen from the fact that she is still in her twenties and is in charge of the upper class, which is the second class in this school. She has a serious sense of responsibility. She is proud of this school. She sometimes takes charge of the first-class lessons on my behalf, who is busy. Therefore, although she is a person who cannot tolerate unfairness and wrongdoings, she is inflexible and tends to be a little rigid in her thinking. On the other hand, Ms. Anri is the exact opposite of Ms. Inda. She is very easygoing and kind. She might be viewed by others as being too kind, but at least she wasn''t the type of person to be unfair in such situations. She is a woman who is fully aware of the difference between pampering her students and being kind. "Although she is a person who thinks differently from you, as a teacher, I think that she is still looking at the same place as you. In the first place, unpredictable situations might occur. In such a case, aren''t we training our students every day for this moment? " Ms. Inda was shocked by the fact that a 10th-class party had defeated a special target this time, perhaps because she decided on her own that this result was impossible. We cannot predict what will happen in an actual battle. In that sense, it would have been very beneficial to be able to produce this unpredictable result. For our students and for us teachers. "Yes ... I''m sorry. I just can''t believe they can defeat Anri-sensei ..." Then, Ms. Inda bows her head after saying that. She seems to be ashamed of her own thoughtlessness. But that would be the same for me. Until recently, I had been trapped in my own thoughtlessness, just like Ms. Inda, who is in front of me. "You don''t have to worry about it. Everyone has an immature side. Even I was laughing at my own immaturity just now." "Eh?" Ms. Inda leaked out a voice that seemed to be taken aback by my sudden words. She instinctively replied to me while showing her unusual facial expression, which she was usually knitted her brows and stiff. "Fufu. Well, let''s go back to the headquarters." "Y-yes" Ms. Inda followed me after I started to get off the lookout tower. (Nozomu Bountis¡­ right?) A student who has been said to have fallen out since the school started, is that really the case? As long as he encountered that black demon beast and survived, I don''t think the rumors are true. And with Ms. Anri''s disqualification this time, that idea is even more evident. Ms. Inda has been putting her hand on her mouth with a pondering expression. Perhaps she is thinking about Nozomu Bountis. Ms. Inda''s thoughts about him will not change easily. However, I hope this will be an opportunity for her, who only judges her students based on their grades. Arcazam is still young. About the city itself, about the students, and about the teachers. (Should I ask Ms. Anri about Nozomu Bountis?) Just then, a wind that was stronger than the wind that had calmed me down until now blew. "¡­¡­Hmm." I feel something is mixed in it. The foreign air spreads ripples like paint falling on the surface of clear water. It was something I used to smell 10 years ago. It was the air of the battlefield. However, the discomfort immediately melted into the air of the training area and disappeared. (... I hope it was nothing.) I wonder, is it because I thought of the Cyclopes and the black demon beasts? There''s still a bit of anxiety left in my chest. *** Lisa''s POV On the north side of the training area, a party of me, Ken, and Camilla were walking around while observing the surroundings. "For the time being, everything is going well so far." I muttered so while holding the pendants we got from the other party. In the morning, we defeated multiple parties while moving counterclockwise around the training area from the south side, defeating a special target, and earning considerable points. I don''t know if we''re at the top of the ladder or not right now, but I''m sure we''re at least in a position to aim for the top. After taking a break, we started to act to earn more points. "That''s right, but to be honest, it''s only natural. Only we or Irisdina''s party are A rank. So, no party other than them or Kevin''s poses a threat for us" Ken smiled while saying so. However, I feel that the expression on his face contains contempt for the party that was defeated by us. Why is it... When I look at the current Ken, my heart feels strangely uneasy. "... Hey Ken. Did you change recently?" Maybe Camilla was thinking the same thing as me, she spoke in a questioning tone towards Ken. "Hmm? Why do you think so?" "Because you ..." "Nothing has changed. Yeah, nothing ... Isn''t that right, Lisa?" Ken smiled at me as he said so. Ken supported me when I was betrayed by Nozomu. The same smile that hasn''t changed since then. But why? Even though it''s the same as usual. Even though that smile should make me feel relieved. "... Yup. Ken hasn''t changed at all." "See." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I ignored the uneasiness inside my chest and said so. Ken smiled at my words as usual, but Camilla''s expression was still stiff. "...If Lisa says so" "That''s right. Ken hasn''t changed..." Yes, nothing has changed. Ken didn''t change. He never left my side like he did... "Isn''t this conversation enough for now? More importantly, after this... hmm?" When Ken tried to change the topic, we heard something from a distance. The sound of metal clashing and someone screaming. Perhaps some party is fighting. "... I can''t hear it anymore." However, the fighting sound disappeared immediately. Perhaps it has been settled. "¡­¡­What will we do?" "I think it''s fine to check who was fighting and defeat it by surprise if possible." Ken answered Camilla''s question. I don''t think that''s a problem. With a significant number of parties dropping out in the morning, the chances of getting points diminished. As much as possible, I want to earn points when we can. After I saw the other two and nodded, we started walking towards the source of the angry voice while erasing our presence. *** The northern part of the forest where Lisa and her friends were. There, two parties were competing against each other, but the situation was too one-sided. "Take this!" "~!" A girl with jet black hair fluttering in the wind slashed the arm of a male student who was confronting her. Without seeing the student whose arm was slashed drop his sword, the girl immediately spun her rapier and slammed it against the student''s chin. The boy''s chin jumped up, and at the same time he collapsed, the pendant around his neck glowed red. "Fuh~ ..." The female student with a rapier. Irisdina Francilt exhaled and put her rapier into its scabbard. "...Looks like it''s over." Tima Lime, who was behind Irisdina, spoke. Six students were lying down around them. All of their pendants glowed red, announcing that they had been disqualified. "Yeah, to be honest, it''s quite troublesome...are you guys okay?" ¡°Y-yes¡­ somehow¡­¡± Irisdina and Tima called out every student they had defeated. It seemed they cast simple healing magic on those who were injured. After a series of treatments, the students handed over their pendants to Irisdina and returned to the administrative headquarters. Tima gave a potion to Irisdina who saw them off. It was a medicine that heals and speeds up the recovery of magical powers. "Ai, thanks for your hard work." "Thank you." Irisdina drank the potion she received. Tima also took out another potion and drank it. "Fuh~ ..." After Irisdina drank the potion, she sighed and looked up at the overgrown trees. She looked somewhat gloomy. It was a sight that made people drawn in because of her beauty and artistic appearance, but Tima, who was looking at her best friend with a sideways glance, could feel Irisdina''s anxious feelings mixed in her gestures. "Ai, as I thought, are you worried about Nozomu-kun?" "¡­¡­Yes." Irisdina answered while facing her head down. Tima who was watching her seemed to feel her heart tighten. Tima thought that the words she said earlier, had led to the sad face of her best friend in front of her. "... Hey Ai.... Honestly, I regret it." ¡°¡­¡­Regret?¡± Irisdina made a perplexed expression due to the words Tima suddenly said. "We talked to everyone before. About Nozomu-kun''s strange behavior recently..." "¡­¡­Yes" Nozomu has been weird recently. When they realized that, they tried to talk to Nozomu, but it was Tima who told them to wait. Tima was isolated from her surroundings due to her extraordinary magical powers. She was more sensitive than the others, so she could sense that Nozomu''s worries were deep and heavy for him, and she said it was better to wait for Nozomu to talk to them than to try to talk to him unnecessarily. It could be her personality that made her hesitant to get into other people''s problems in a relationship, and Irisdina and Mars were about to ask Nozomu when she told them to wait. However, as a result, a strange trench was created between Nozomu and his friends, and even though on the surface it did not change, the trench gradually expanded. "... But maybe we should have talked to him ... That''s why Mars also looks weird these days ..." Just like Tima said, Mars'' behavior has been weird recently, probably because of Nozomu. He repeated his reckless training, and every time Tima told Mars not to overdo it, Mars said he understands it, but he didn''t seem to stop his reckless training. Every time Tima saw him like that, her chest ached. Certainly, her words were one of the factors that cast a shadow over Nozomu, Mars, and their relationship. "... No, it''s not only Tima''s fault. I couldn''t talk to him either. I wanted to listen to his story, but I couldn''t step in to ask..." However, not only Tima but also Irisdina couldn''t do it. At Tima''s suggestion, she stopped asking Nozomu, but she just used "waiting for Nozomu to speak" as an excuse. Actually, there were plenty of opportunities to ask him after that. (Why couldn''t I ask ...) Irisdina couldn''t muster up the courage even though she desperately wanted to know Nozomu in her heart. When Irisdina noticed it, she was struck by a tight sensation in the depths of her chest. " !! " Before she knew it, Irisdina clasped her hands over her chest tightly, but she didn''t know the reason. Her chest felt warm when she thought about Nozomu, but at the same time, it hurt like her heart was being ripped apart. Indescribable anxiety arose and it clouded her mind. She kept wondering why, but her head was a mess and she couldn''t control her own thoughts, and the questions kept swirling in her head. She shook her head in an attempt to reorganize her messy thoughts, but her lustrous black hair just danced in the air and her mind still doesn''t calm down at all. No, on the contrary, the momentum inside her head that kept spinning was steadily increasing. Feelings of warmth and coldness, and many other opposite feelings, continued to disturb her mind. It was reasonable. It was the first time she had felt such a feeling. "...Ai, after this training is over, let''s ask Nozomu-kun." "Eh?" "Mars-kun and Nozom-kun.... I can''t bear to see Mars-kun and Nozomu-kun like this any longer." It was Tima''s own words that created this situation, so she regretted it. She felt guilty for her previous words and still wanted to do something about it. "Yes, let''s do so ..." Irisdina nodded slightly at Tima''s words. At that moment, the bushes behind them shook. Chapter 5.18 Translator : PolterGlast " ! " Irisdina immediately reacted to the sound she heard from the bushes behind. She used her instant deployment ability to generate three magic bullets and shoot them at the bushes. The magic bullet that was released disappeared into the depths of the bushes, and an explosive sound resounded in the next moment. At the same time, a shadow jumped out of the bushes and attacked Irisdina. "Kuh!" Irisdina quickly pulled out her rapier and blocked the shadow''s attack. Irisdina was about to be overwhelmed by the sword strike that was heavier than she imagined, but while parrying the attack, she shifted her body and allowed the attacker to pass through. "Kuh~! It was parried!" "Lisa ?!" The shadow that attacked was Lisa Hounds, Irisdina''s classmate. Irisdina tried to thrust her rapier at Lisa, whose body had moved past her after the attack was parried, but Lisa twisted her body without killing the momentum and repelled Irisdina''s rapier. "Hmm!" Lisa repelled Irisdina''s rapier, but she didn''t go any further and just jumped away from her. Irisdina felt puzzled by it, but the next moment an ice spear flew from the bushes where Lisa had jumped out. "! As I thought, you have companions ..." Despite an ice spear was approaching in front of her, Irisdina''s expression remains unperturbed. The reason became clear immediately. A burst of magical power suddenly exploded behind Irisdina. The enormous magical power instantly turned into fire, the wind swirled and gathered towards the fire while making it burn further, and formed a huge fireball. "Ai! Here I go!" Her best friend''s voice came from behind. Irisdina didn''t look back and she nodded in response. The magic that Tima cast was the magic of *Calamity of the Sinner*. It''s magic that converted one''s magical power into flames, manipulating the wind, accelerating combustion, fused, and launched it. It''s advanced magic that manipulates multiple attributes, and it''s an extremely powerful magic that exerts immense power in combination with Tima''s immense magical power. The next moment, the huge fireball was launched. The mass of fire that passed through Irisdina engulfed the approaching ice spear and instantly vaporized it. Next, the fireball that vaporized the ice spear flew straight towards the bushes. "Wha!" "Uwa !!" Ken and Camilla, who were hiding, jumped out of the bushes in a hurry. In the next moment, *Calamity of the Sinner* landed. The flames exploded and in an instant turned the bushes to ashes. "As expected, Irisdina and Tima. It doesn''t seem easy to defeat them." Ken muttered as if he was impressed by the two. Lisa, Ken, and Camilla, who heard the sound of fighting, hid in the bushes and observed the situation. They planned to look for an opportunity to carry out a surprise attack, but Irisdina detected them first and took the initiative. But they didn''t get agitated with just that. Ken blocked the magic bullet fired by Irisdina, Lisa moved through that gap, and Camilla tried to beat Irisdina with her *Icicle Dance*. However, Irisdina and Tima couldn''t be easily defeated either. Tima chanted her magic while Irisdina defended standing at the front. Tima''s magical qualities are outstanding as a mage. *Calamity of the Sinner* unilaterally neutralized Camilla''s *Icicle Dance*. If Ken and Camilla stayed at their place, it seemed like Tima''s magic would be able to defeat them. But they managed to dodge it by a hair''s breadth. As a result, both sides faced each other without casualties. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both sides faced each other and remained silent. There was no doubt that both were the top party in their class, and they understood that whoever won this battle would jump to the top. Irisdina pointed the tip of the rapier in her hand. Lisa and Ken also wield their respective weapons. A large amount of magical power came out of Tima''s body again, and Camilla also started chanting a spell. The next moment, Irisdina, Lisa, and Ken ran towards each other. *** When Irisdina and Tima were confronting Lisa''s party, Nozomu''s party was also on the north side of the training area. They had a hard time winning the battle with Anri, and they had left that place and arrived at this place to regain their composure. "...Nozomu-kun, what are we going to do now?" Jin asked Nozomu. "...Hmm. To be honest, I don''t think our past methods of setting traps and waiting for the opponent to come over are very effective in gaining points." The number of surviving parties decreased due to a large number of parties dropping out in the morning, and the points held by one''s party increased. As a result, the points that can be obtained in one battle increase, but at the same time, it would be difficult to encounter other parties. If they lost once, they would lose all their points, so if they prioritized surviving this training, they wouldn''t have to move much. However, as the points that can be obtained through one battle were increasing, the rankings can easily change in one battle. All the simple tasks would be taken up by the other party from the start, so if they wanted to maintain their rank, they had to keep earning points. "... That''s true. Then we don''t have a choice but to fight a high-class party..." Hamria muttered anxiously. Tommy and Cami were as nervous as she was, and their expressions weren''t bright. "...Well, it depends on the opponent, but I think there is still a chance for us to win." "R-really!?" Hamria shouted as Nozomu told them that there was still a chance to win. ¡°Now Mars'' team is joining us. Even though Deck has been disqualified and our party members are reduced by one, but the other members can still fight. It was very likely that there were vacancies in other parties as well. And depending on the number of opponents, I think we can win ... What do you think? " Deck was indeed disqualified in the previous battle, but the same might happen to the other parties. In this rapidly changing situation, one might not always be able to continue fighting in the expected situation. After hearing Nozomu''s words, Hamria stroked her chest in relief. She probably trusted Nozomu because of the battles they had gone through so far. Jin, who was by her side, also relaxed his expression. However, Tommy and Cami still had stiff facial expressions. Indeed, they saw Nozomu''s team defeated Anri, but for sure, they still felt uneasy about Nozomu. Previously, after hearing Nozomu''s opinion, Tommy even dared to ask in a questioning tone. So from that moment on, a bit of an awkward atmosphere started to form between Nozomu and Tommy. "...Everyone. We''ve come this far, why don''t we give it a try?" "Jin..." It was Jin who spoke to erase such an atmosphere. "To be honest, I''m worried, but at least we''ve made it this far, which means if Nozomu-kun, Mars-kun, and us work together, we''ll be able to fight, right?" "That''s right. There will be a shortage of people if it''s just me and Mars..." Certainly, what Jin said was true. It would be difficult for Nozomu, who originally had a limited amount of Qi, to fight consecutively. Even in today''s training, Nozomu had been engaged in a continuous battle while using the combat techniques, traps, and tactics he had developed so far. However, only with the help of Jin, Deck, and Hamria can they win. In order for them to win, the strength of Nozomu''s party and Jin''s party was indispensable. "See? And since we''ve come this far, why don''t we go out together a little more? We of the 10th class have managed to fight this far. Considering our grades, I think the teachers will understand with just that fact. ... " Well, Jin''s words might not make sense at the meritocratic Solminati Academy, but at least they should be able to impress the teachers with their existence. "... That''s right. If it is like this then, let''s do it!" "Yeah. It''s a good opportunity to give other classes our gratitude!" Perhaps inspired by Jin''s words, vitality returned to Tommy and Cami''s expression. Considering their grades, it might be fine for them to lay low until the training was over, but due to their accumulated anger that they had been insulted by other classes until now, they immediately chose to continue fighting. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Meanwhile, Nozomu notices that Mars has a strange gloomy expression. He put his hand on his chin while looking at his greatsword as if he was thinking about something. And After looking at Jin and his excited friends, he glanced at Nozomu and his katana. "? Mars, what''s wrong?" "... No, it''s nothing" His mind was not there. Nozomu asks Mars what he was doing, but he averted his eyes and said nothing was wrong. "...What''s wrong? You''ve been weird lately?" "Didn''t you also... no, it''s fine. Really, I''m fine..." Nozomu was worried that Mars had recently come up with the idea of ??using magic and Qi at the same time and started repeating such absurd training, but he couldn''t pursue it any further due to his guilt and anxiety that he couldn''t tell the fact that he''s a dragon slayer. Even though he knew he was running away, his mouth always refused to utter any words. Mars was frustrated that Nozomu would never tell his problems to him. However, he also couldn''t tell Nozomu that his technique would not improve at all. To him, Nozomu is an equal companion, unlike those around him. Nozomu is his friend at school, whom he made after a long time. However, no matter how much he thought so, the fact that they were hiding their own problems from each other stood out as an invisible wall between the two. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Silence flowed between them. Even though they were both worried about each other, they couldn''t help but remain silent because of the frustration they couldn''t express. "Hey, Nozomu-kun. It''s about what we''re going to do from now on..." Jin''s voice echoed between the two. Nozomu hurriedly turned towards him. "H-hm. What''s wrong?" Nozomu responded in a hurry, but while he was a little relieved that the subtle atmosphere with Mars had eased, at the same time, in his mind, he still felt disgusted and frustrated with himself that he could only escape. "For the time being, we want to help as much as we can. We''ve come this far, so we want to fight until the end." "I see... I understand." Jin and his friends declared that they would aim even higher. The party members behind Jin all nodded. Trying not to make Jin and his friends suspicious, Nozomu pretended to be calm by ignoring the frustration that burned in his chest. Mars glared at his back. "Alright then. For now......... hm~!!" Nozomu tried to spoke to escape from Mars'' line of sight, which he felt from behind, but his keen senses sensed something. He sensed multiple presences approaching. In an instant, Nozomu''s expression turned harsh. Considering the content of this training, it was easy to guess that their opponent was by all means superior to themselves. "...Nozomu-kun?" "? Nozomu, what''s wrong... I see..." Mars and Jin suddenly turned their suspicious gazes to Nozomu, who had a harsh expression, but Mars immediately sensed from Nozomu''s expression that enemies were approaching. He wielded his greatsword and stood beside Nozomu. "~! Everyone! Beware!" As Nozomu and Mars were ready to fight, Jin and his friends finally realized that enemies were nearby and they immediately form a formation. Eventually, the bush in front of them shook, and three students emerged from it. "... What the. Just when I thought there was something bad smelling in my nose, so it was the bottom and the half-baked..." A silver wolf boy with silver ears and tail appeared with unscrupulous words. It was Kevin Ardinal and he came with his party members. Behind Kevin was a male student with a sword and a female student with a spear. Perhaps the two of them were students belonging to the first class. "So there''s also the dropouts behind you... you''ve been able to escape until now. I''m impressed by your escape speed!" Kevin mocked Nozomu and his party members with his laughter, and the students behind him started laughing too. Nozomu''s gaze became sharper, and bulging veins appeared on Mars'' forehead. Jin and his friends all changed their facial expressions, probably because of Kevin''s laughter. "...Even if that''s true, but what about you? Looks like your party members have decreased a lot." Because of Nozomu''s words, Kevin stopped laughing and glared at him. Kevin''s party members were definitely smaller than when they met Nozomu before the start of training. Nozomu didn''t know, but Kevin''s party actually managed to defeat a special target, but at that time three members of his party had to be disqualified. After that, one person also dropped out in a battle with another party that was attacking. The number of Kevin''s party members fell to less than half. "...Don''t worry. If it''s just you guys, we can squeeze you with just one hand." Perhaps Nozomu''s counterattack words crossed his mind, Kevin glared at Nozomu. Although he was easily caught up in provocation, he was a student who had already reached rank A. Nozomu''s crisis detection ability emitted an alarming bell as he felt an intimidating feeling. However, Nozomu''s expression did not change. He''s had several fights with more intimidating opponents than Kevin. Therefore Nozomu was not swallowed up by the alarm bell ringing in his head. Nozomu glanced at the appearance of Jin and his friends behind him. Tommy and Cami had slightly stiff facial expressions due to tension, but Jin and Hamria didn''t get too stiff and looked quite normal. Especially Hamria, the strange atmosphere she had since morning was barely noticeable. "Chi! I don''t like this~. You probably don''t have a lot of points anyway. Why is Irisdina like a guy like this ..." Kevin was even more frustrated by the fact that Nozomu''s party didn''t seem to be afraid. Apparently, he intends to crush Nozomu''sparty with his words. "This is troublesome. We should just destroy these unsightly flies quickly..." Kevin didn''t use any weapons. His weapons were his own fists and body. He used the backs of his hands and the legs of his feet, but it was only the bare minimum. With Kevin''s fists clenched into a fist, the skin on the back of his hands let out a crackling sound. He put his strength into his feet which were standing firmly on the ground. Behind Kevin, a boy with a sword and a girl with a spear were chanting magic. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu also raised his katana. With a *Seigan no Kamae* stance, he placed the blade of the katana in the center of his field of vision, focusing his attention on Kevin and his two companions behind him. Next to Nozomu, Mars held his greatsword and enveloped wind on its blade. Jin, Tommy, and Cami were chanting magic with Hamria while holding their respective weapons behind Nozomu. "Well, even if we fight, the result is obvious. But, if you crawl on all fours and never come near Irisdina again, I can forgive you." Kevin, who fell in love with Iris Dina, didn''t like Nozomu, who is closest to her now. Kevin thought Nozomu was just a fool standing beside the best woman, even though he didn''t have much power. Kevin''s mouth smiled happily, considering that he will now be able to beat this fool to his heart''s content. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu, on the other hand, did not return any words. Kevin''s words had not yet reached his ears, who were already in combat mode. He kept concentrating on not to overlook Kevin''s every move. Kevin realized that Nozomu''s party wasn''t willing to give up, so he burst out his body''s Qi at once. The explosive Qi released generated a gust of wind and attacked Nozomu''s party. The next moment, the students behind Kevin activated their magic. A fireball and a wind blade, which were as large as a human torso, attacked Nozomu and the others. On the other hand, Jin and his friends also activate their magic. Jin and Tommy fired flame bullets, while Hamria and Cami launched ice spears. The flame bullets collided with the wind blade. While the ice spears collided with the fireball. Two explosions overrun the surroundings. "Wha, their magic is comparable to ours!" "Kuh! As expected, so is this first-class?" They offsetting each other''s magic. Tommy and his friends let out surprised voices to their opponents which were able to offset their magic which was equivalent to two people alone. However, their other party members did not wait. Kevin rushed through the billowing smoke from the magic collision. His speed was clearly faster than Irisdina''s. "I''ll show you our difference! You, the lowest!" Nozomu also activated his *Instant Move* and moved towards Kevin to intercept Kevin who had already rushed over. Kevin frowned slightly at Nozomu, who rushed in from the front. He clad his fist with Qi, turned his fist into a knife-hand strike, and thrust it towards Nozomu. Coupled with his rushed momentum, Kevin''s knife-hand strike approached in the blink of an eye. Nozomu activated *Instant Move -Curve Dance-*, swung his katana to deal with Kevin''s oncoming knife-hand strike, and parried it. " !! " Both of them crossed in an instant. The uniform on Nozomu''s shoulders was torn and blood spewed out. Kevin''s knife-hand strike, coupled with the rush momentum, was heavier than Nozomu had expected. He couldn''t completely parry it. However, Nozomu immediately moved behind Kevin with *Instant Move -Curve Dance-* and tried to swing his katana towards Kevin''s defenseless back. "Haa~ !!" However, Nozomu''s katana did not reach Kevin''s body. Kevin jumped like an acrobat and knocked Nozomu''s katana down with a roundhouse kick. Furthermore, he used his other leg midair and tried to hit Nozomu''s head with his heel drop. "I won''t let you !!" "Chi~ !!" However, Mars got ahead of Kevin by swinging his wind-enveloped greatsword. Kevin blocked Mars'' greatsword with the back of his hands but was sent flying into the air instead. However, Kevin did a full spin in the air, landed on the ground as if nothing had happened, and rushed forward again. Nozomu and Mars also run towards Kevin. Nozomu, Mars, and Kevin cross over each other. The other party members also clashed with their respective weapons. When Irisdina and Tima started fighting Lisa''s party. The battle of Nozomu''s party also began. *** When Nozomu''s party started fighting, there was a place that remained quiet as if it had nothing to do with the commotion. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In a deep dark place. In the abyss where there was neither sun nor moonlight, only firefly-like lights shone and lit up the surroundings like starlight. Around, there was a shadow far exceeding a person''s height. Something was there. As the shadow moved slightly, its body, which was shaped like a mountain range, swayed. It''s just sleeping in this place. Sleep, sleep, sleep... Honestly, it didn''t even know how long it''s been sleeping. "Gururururu ..." It sleeps. Until the time comes. And when the time comes, it will start moving again. It will do what it wants. To satisfy its own thirst. For that reason, it just keeps sleeping. The cravings and urges within itself. It''s no longer its own. Because it has become one with nature ... Chapter 5.19 Translator : PolterGlast In the afternoon, as the first day of special training approached the second half of the day, Feo and the others had finished the escort task and were in the process of completing the task at the reception desk of the administrative headquarters. "Yu~p. With this, our task is done. So, what are we going to do now?" "Yeah... I''ve seen the remaining tasks, but there aren''t many left. For the time being, shouldn''t we just intercept the party we met while doing the remaining tasks?" "Eeh~! That''s annoying. Why don''t we attack a party like Irisdina who seems to have a lot of points? We can gain points and reduce our opponent at the same time. That''s killing two birds with one stone." Shina gave a safe answer to Feo''s question. However, Mimuru raised a dissatisfied voice with her proposal. Until now, they had not moved from the southern part of the training area to make full use of Shina''s spirit magic. Her spirit magic, which specialized in base defense, fully demonstrated its abilities, and combined with Feo''s swordsmanship and Tom''s alchemy, they were strong enough to be called a fortress in the southern region. They were able to build a good base. Perhaps because of that, most of the parties they encountered so far would only be defeated by Shina, Feo, and Tom''s ranged attacks. Shina''s accurate bow shooting and spirit magic, Feo''s talisman technique that could monitor the situation from a distance, and Tom''s magic that had increased its power by using a catalyst. Due to this abundant surveillance and ranged attack technique, most enemy parties were slaughtered without being able to get close to them. As a result, Mimuru, who emphasized close combat, had accumulated frustration. "...Mimuru, I know we managed to defeat the instructor who was the special target, but that''s no reason for us to be negligent, right?" "I know Shina. But you worry too much~." Shina held her temple with her index finger. Maybe she had a headache with Mimuru''s usual behavior. Tom, while seeing such a usual scene in front of him, make a bitter smile, then he spoke to Shina. "Now now. However, I think Mimuru has a point. From now on, the only way to earn points is to fight the other parties..." ¡°That''s true, but¡­¡­¡± Certainly, as Tom said, attacking was more efficient than defending to earn points from now on. "More importantly, where do you think Nozomu is~? I didn''t see him on the southern part of this training area..." Feo still maintained his own pace even in front of the three of them. Shina felt her headache getting worse. "Hey, why don''t we go to the northern part this time? We haven''t gone there yet." "That''s right! Let''s go!" Mimuru and Feo had started to harmonize completely. It seemed that the pace of the two 2nd-class troublemakers who don''t listen to people will not change even in this special training. "Haa, could you guys be a little more cautious?" ¡°But it can''t be helped if we think about it. We''ve been in the southern part so far. Shina had signed a spiritual contract and intercepted enemies that came within the contract''s range, so the number of parties had decreased and it was becoming very inefficient now. Also, we''re done with the escort task, right?" Eventually, Tom, who was supposed to be Shina''s only ally, started to get in tune with Mimuru and Feo. But Shina herself understood that their previous strategy wasn''t as efficient as before, so she had no choice but to nod at Tom''s opinion. "That is ... haa, I understand." "Yeah! We''ll do it!! Thank you, Tom." "W-wait a minute, Mimuru... Uwa, pu~!" Mimuru hugged Tom, probably satisfied with the way Tom persuaded Shina. When Tom''s petite body fit snugly in Mimuru''s arms, she started to rub her cheeks against Tom''s. Tom was embarrassed, but he was happy to be in close contact with his beloved woman, so he didn''t resist, and Mimuru had done so occasionally. "But it will be dangerous if we are ambushed, so proceed with caution." Even though she had an amazed expression on her face, Shina looked at the two of them with a smile. Feo also smirked seeing something interesting. After that, they headed to the northern part of the training area. Surprisingly, it was the place that became the fiercest battlefield right now. *** As Shina and her friends were heading to the north, the battle between Irisdina''s party and Lisa''s party was on par with each other. "Waa~!" Lisa swung the saber in her right hand. Her slash along with her overwhelming physical strength tried to reach Irisdina, but the rapier struck the belly of the saber and diverted its trajectory. "Your back is left exposed!" "Kuh!!" However, in the meantime, Ken went around behind Irisdina and tried to swing the longsword he was holding. Irisdina repelled Lisa''s saber and without killing the momentum she blocked the oncoming Ken''s attack, but she was pushed back by the longsword''s momentum and lost her posture. Lisa chased Irisdina further, who was out of shape. Lisa turned her saber around and tried to hit Irisdina''s body with her full blow. However, Irisdina deployed a magic barrier with the ability "Immediate Deployment" to prevent Lisa from pursuing. "Not good enough!" Ken has attacked to replace Lisa again. Perhaps Irisdina thought that being surrounded by two enemies was a bad thing, she tried to take a step back, but Ken persistently followed because he didn''t want to let her do that. However, Tima''s magic stopped his legs. A large fireball attacked from Ken''s side. *Calamity of the Sinner* faithfully carried out its master''s orders and flew towards Ken who was trying to catch up to Irisdina. "Kuh~!" Ken gave up chasing and tried to dodge the magic by jumping out of place with all his might. As soon as he jumped, the huge fireball landed on the ground. Tima''s immense magical power that conjured *Calamity of the Sinner* exploded at once to show off the immense power hidden in her body. The rapidly dispersed flames caught up with Ken, who should have been quite far away, and the flames attacked him. However, Ken was also a student who had reached rank A. He immediately put up a barrier and tried to block the effects of Tima''s magic. "Kuh~! As usual, such a tremendous power!" However, the attacking flames tried to engulf Ken''s magic barrier with its overwhelming power. Originally, Tima was the strongest when it came to magical power only. Her magic wasn''t easy to block. When Ken''s magic barrier cracked, Lisa cut in between Ken and the approaching flames. She quickly deployed another magic barrier and pushed back the flames that were trying to engulf Ken. "Camilla !!" "I know!!" This time, Camilla, who was chanting a spell in the back, activated her magic. It wasn''t comparable to the huge fireball Tima had created, but she created several fireballs and fired them at Tima who had just activated her magic. "I won''t let you!" Irisdina immediately deployed and gathered the surrounding wind. She released the wind that gathered in a spiral towards the fireballs that flew towards Tima at once. The *Wind Tunnel of the Hungry Beast* activated by Irisdina swallowed Camilla''s fireballs and dispersed them. Irisdina stood in front of Tima to protect her while looking sideways at the falling pieces of the fireball. Lisa and Ken stood with their respective weapons to protect Camilla who had just used her magic. "Didn''t we just go back and forth repeatedly? ..." "Yeah. My party is superior in terms of numbers, so I thought it would be resolved quickly since Camilla is here, and if we continue our attack and defense like this, we will be able to overwhelm you." Lisa replied to Irisdina''s voice. Certainly, Lisa''s party had the advantage in terms of numbers, and if they thought about it normally, they would think that Irisdina and Tima would end up being overwhelmed eventually. In fact, it was difficult for Irisdina to beat Lisa and Ken at the same time. Moreover, Camilla supported them from behind with magic. However, it was somehow balanced because Irisdina was supported by Tima, who was behind her. Despite the fact that Lisa and Ken had the advantage because of Camilla, Irisdina and Tima managed to fight because of their fighting experience. Previously, they had to fight a powerful S-rank enemy named Rugato to save Somia. When Rugato fought to take Somia''s soul with the contract as his pretext, they literally fought for life and death. Magical power, experience, and fighting techniques far surpassed themselves. A battle with an opponent who could easily destroy what they had cultivated so far. Even if they were unable to reach Rugato''s heights at that time, the experience of fighting for their loved ones was engraved in their blood. (Ai, what are we going to do? At this rate...) (I know¡­¡­) However, frontal confrontation was still disadvantageous to Irisdina and Tima. Irisdina thought about how to manage their situation. However, Lisa''s party didn''t give them much time. Lisa immediately doubled the effectiveness of her body strengthening magic with *Niveei Witch*. She rushed towards Irisdina to end their fight at once. After the activation of Lisa''s body strengthening magic, Camilla also started chanting a spell. "Tima! We''re running away!" Upon seeing the situation, After seeing the situation, Irisdina immediately activated her magic with *Immediate Deployment*. The next moment, darkness spread all around and engulfed Irisdina and Lisa in the blink of an eye. "Kuh~! This is ..." Lisa stopped in a hurry as her vision was obstructed by the darkness that enveloped her. Ken, who was right behind her, also stopped and observed his surroundings. What was activated was magic called *Thick Fog of the New Moon*. As the name implies, it generated a thick black fog that robbed the opponents of their sight. "...They didn''t attack?" "I see, are they going to run away like this?" At first, they thought Irisdina would launch an attack when the *Thick Fog of the New Moon* blocked their vision, but Lisa was skeptical that there was no such thing. Ken wondered if they had escaped, but Lisa didn''t think so. "No, it''s not ... I see! I understand!" Lisa turned around. Her destination was where Camilla was. When Camilla started to appear beyond Lisa''s field of vision, as she had expected, a shadow rushed over from Camilla''s side. "I won''t let you!" "Kuh~, just a little bit more!" Lisa plunged into the shadow creeping at Camilla and cut into it with the saber and dagger in her hand, but the shadow jumped away while parrying her attacks. It was Irisdina, who was creeping from the darkness, trying to attack Camilla from the side. The reason why Irisdina shouted earlier was to show the pretense that she was running away and let the other party be on guard, but she gritted her teeth when she was found out. Moreover, Ken and Camilla tried to attack her with magic, but Tima''s magic activated before them. The *Wind Tunnel of the Hungry Beast* passed between Irisdina and Lisa''s party, and they were going back to square one again. The two parties glared at each other. At that moment, Irisdina heard a faint sound from a distance. *** In the vicinity of Irisdina''s fighting place, Nozomu''s party was also in combat with Kevin''s party. "O-ra~a !!" "Fuh~ !!" Nozomu parried Kevin''s fist. He swung his katana as soon as he parried Kevin''s attack, but his katana was blocked by the back of Kevin''s hand and was repelled with a high-pitched sound. Kevin made a full turn on the spot and tried to do a roundhouse kick into Nozomu''s flank, but Nozomu jumped back and dodged the roundhouse kick. On landing, he stepped forward again and tried to launch a slash, but just as Nozomu was about to move forward, Kevin was already approaching in front of him. "Too slow !!" "Tch~!" Kevin aimed his fist at Nozomu''s face. Nozomu decided that it was too late to swing his katana, so he jumped to the side and dodged Kevin''s fist. However, Kevin, who was superior in terms of physical ability, caught up to Nozomu in a blink of an eye. "I told you, too slow !!" "Kuh~!" Kevin caught up with Nozomu and he jumped lightly without killing his running momentum. Using the strength of his entire body, he tried to kick Nozomu while twisting his whole body. "Drop dead!" A roundhouse kick with even more power than before was launched at Nozomu. Even a high-class student would be seriously injured if got hit directly. Nozomu calmly matched the timing while observing the oncoming kick that tore through the air. "Fuh~ !!" In the next moment, Nozomu activated *Instant Move -Curve Dance-*. Using a circular motion originally used for a curved motion, he parried Kevin''s kick with his katana. "Wha~!" Kevin, who did not expect his kick to be blocked, was very surprised by the sudden event. Moreover, when Kevin lost his posture, Nozomu crouched while twisting one of his legs so as not to kill his *Instant Move -Curve Dance-* momentum, then launched a kick from below. "Guh~!" "Take this~ !!" Kevin blocked Nozomu''s kick with the back of his hand, but Nozomu put all of his strength into his leg. Kevin was slightly lifted by Nozomu''s kick. Mars chased further from behind Kevin. "Uoooooo!" "!!" Mars swung the wind-enveloped greatsword. Kevin tried to block Mars'' slash with his leg while twisting his body again in the air. "Haaa!" "Gah!" However, Kevin couldn''t maintain his posture in midair, and it was impossible to completely block Mars'' slash under such circumstances. Kevin was thrown and slammed to the ground. However, he did a backroll and got up with a jump. His face was dyed red with the color of anger. "Damn it! These guys!!" Kevin glared at Nozomu and Mars with a murderous gaze. He thought he could win easily, but he was forced to struggle unexpectedly. Because of that, he was furious. On the other hand, unlike Kevin, Nozomu was more concerned about Jin and his friends'' situation. The four of them fought against two of Kevin''s party members, but their situation wasn''t good. Perhaps because their opponents were students of the first class, the swordsmen and spearmen of the enemy party were dominant against Jin and Cami, Tommy and Hamria, respectively. They were holding out pretty well, but it was only a matter of time before they were defeated. And if Jin and his friends collapsed, the rest of Kevin''s party would turn to support Kevin. When that happens, Nozomu and Mars can no longer win. (The question is how can we overcome this situation as quickly as possible...) "¡­¡­Mars" "What?" Nozomu spoke in whispers to Mars, while keeping an eye on Kevin. Upon hearing his proposal, Mars was surprised and opened his eyes wide at the crazy idea. "¡­¡­Are you serious?" Mars asked Nozomu to make sure. Nozomu nodded to answer his question and started sending his Qi throughout his body. Mars, knowing that Nozomu was serious, looked a little doubtful. But he also began to make up his mind and released Qi throughout his body. Kevin''s entire body started radiating in the same way as the two who released their Qi. The next moment Nozomu and Mars moved. The Qi released by Nozomu was sent to his feet and exploded at once. A rising cloud of dust enveloped the three and covered their field of view. "Damn! So you intend to hide yourself with that?!" Kevin spat out curse words, but suddenly he heard a sound, *Bam!*. He reflexively put himself on guard because of the sound. The next moment, he saw something in his vision tearing through the soaring cloud of dust. Kevin clenched his fists to confront it. However, the one who rushed, passed by Kevin without doing anything. " !? " The sight that jumped into his eyes was Mars trying to attack his companion who was fighting Jin and his friends. Mars mustered all his Qi to strengthen his body and activated the Qi technique *Dust Blade* with the wind-enveloped greatsword. A roaring sound was produced as he ran and released the wind from his feet as propulsion. He aimed at the swordsman who was fighting Jin and his friends. Nozomu''s proposal to Mars was for him to ignore Kevin and go to support Jin and his friends. If they think about it normally, they wouldn''t have thought that Nozomu alone could suppress Kevin who had already reached rank A. No one would ask Mars, who was the most powerful person in Nozomu''s party, to ignore Kevin. But, that''s why Nozomu dared to take that approach. As a result, Kevin and his party members were surprised because no one expected it. In front of Kevin''s vision, Mars blew the swordsman off with a single blow and driven him into an incapacitated state, and started chasing another member of Kevin''s party, namely the spearman. "Wha... damn it!" The ignored Kevin rushes to help, but Nozomu interrupted his path and slashed Kevin as if not letting him do so. "This guy !!" "Sorry, but this way is closed!" Nozomu swung his katana swiftly. He swung his katana down towards the head. Then he swept the katana sideways. "Don''t get in my way... Kuh~!" Kevin tried to get past Nozomu''s katana. He tried to run past Nozomu''s side, but this time he was blocked by the scabbard that Nozomu swung. Nozomu tried to stop Kevin by mobilizing not only his katana but also scabbard, kicks, and other physical techniques. Nozomu swung the scabbard in succession after he swung the katana, and he used the recoil to turn his body and launch a roundhouse kick. Kevin was agitated by the unexpected fierce attack. Each blow was not heavy, but he retreated unconsciously as the slashes and strikes were aimed accurately at the gaps in his defense. Meanwhile, Mars hunted down the female student who used a spear. Perhaps she was agitated by the sudden development, her movement was clearly lacking. Eventually, her spear couldn''t fully block Mars'' slash that was swung up from below. Without being able to stop it, her spear got flicked upward and exposing her defenseless upper body. "Heyaah!" Mars swung his greatsword towards the unprotected upper body. Of course, he aimed the belly''s greatsword towards his opponent so as not to injure her. Even so, if she were to receive it head-on, she would be forced to become incapacitated with a single blow. "Kuh!" The female student gritted her teeth due to the unavoidable situation. However, the next moment, a flame bullet that had flown from somewhere landed and struck Mars and the female student. "Ma, Mars-kun!?" "W-what the !?" A shocked voice escaped from Jin''s mouth due to the sudden event. Nozomu and Kevin, who were fighting, were also distracted by the exploding flame bullet and stopped temporarily. "D-damn! What the hell was that !?" Mars popped out of the smoke from the explosion of the flame bullet. He didn''t appear to have been disqualified, but he had burns all over his body and his clothes were stained here and there. Perhaps he was defending himself by sending Qi throughout his body. The female student was thrown several meters away, probably because she couldn''t defend herself from the explosion. Her pendant didn''t glow red and didn''t seem disqualified, but she struggled to get up, probably because she was badly injured. Furthermore, several arrows were now coming towards Nozomu and Kevin. "Kuh~ !!" "Wha!" A group of arrows pierced the ground as Nozomu and Kevin jump out from the spot. Furthermore, a shadow jumped out of the bush and attacked Nozomu. What was the true identity of the shadow? "I found you, Nozomu!!" "Feo! So, it''s you!" It was Feo who belonged to Shina''s party who attacked them. The fox-tailed boy who stepped into Nozomu swung the staff he held in his hand at once. "Damn!!" Nozomu jumped back and dodged the staff, but Feo turned his body and stepped forward again, and the staff was swung towards Nozomu again. Nozomu crouched down and dodged it. He immediately swung his katana as the staff passed over his head. "Don''t ignore me!" "Damn! This one too!!" However, Kevin was attacking from Nozomu''s side this time. Nozomu tried to intercept Kevin by changing the trajectory of the katana he was trying to swing. Nozomu''s katana collided with the back of Kevin''s hand and scattered red sparks. "Ora~a !!" "Guh~ !!" In addition, Kevin immediately launched his next attacks. He straight out launched an elbow strike and connected it with a palm strike, a low kick, and a high kick. Nozomu blocked the elbow strike with his katana guard, then he twisted his body along his right arm that was holding the katana to parry the palm strike that was shot towards him, and thrust the scabbard into the low kick trajectory. But he wasn''t in time to prevent the high kick. The high kick approached in front of Nozomu. Kevin''s kick was aimed at Nozomu''s face. However, Feo who was beside him parried the high kick with his staff. "This stupid fox! Damn you!" "Don''t bother me! Nozomu is my opponent!" Feo got in the way of Kevin who was trying to defeat Nozomu. Kevin decided that such Feo was also his enemy, so he tried to defeat them altogether. The three continued their offense and defense while getting mixed up with each other. Before they knew it, a three-way battlefield was taking place there. The battlefield where Mars and the others were also had a three-way battle. Mimuru intruded on Mars and the female student, who were initially fighting, and stirred them up by taking advantage of her agility. Jin and his friends tried to surround Mimuru by taking advantage of their numbers, but Shina''s shooting and Tom''s magic didn''t allow Mimuru to be surrounded from behind. Mars, who had wielded the greatsword, was in a fierce battle with Jin and his friends around him, so he couldn''t swing his greatsword with all his might. The situation changed even further. Suddenly, a roaring sound resounded and a nearby tree was crushed as the ground was gouged out. Five shadows broke through the rising cloud of dust as pieces of wood and soil scattered. "Tima! Are you okay!?" "Y-yup! Somehow!" "Lisa! Did you get them!?" "No, they slipped away!" Five women and a man, Irisdina, Tima, Lisa, Ken, and Camilla, appeared after breaking through the rising cloud of dust. "What!? I-Iris!? And also... Lisa!?" "No-Nozomu!?" "This is...~!!" "... Hee." Nozomu, Irisdina, and Lisa who were looking at each other made startling voices. Everyone seemed to be taken aback by the people who had invaded their battle. Nozomu, Irisdina, Lisa, Shina, Kevin. All five parties that defeated the special target in this special training were gathered in one place. *** "Gurururu ..." Even now, it continued to sleep. The darkness that surrounded it never changed, wrapping around its body to protect its sleep. Its body moved slightly. It turned its body over as if a human who was difficult to fall asleep. What was bothering it? Looking closely, something fell from above it. It shook its head to shake off what had fallen, probably because something had fallen on its body disturbing its sleep. Perhaps it still wasn''t awake, it just moved its neck and its eyes were still closed. And it tried to return to its deep slumber again. However, this time, a banging sound echoed in the darkness. Its body moved again due to that sound, and its sickle-shaped neck lifted up. And its eyes, which had been closed for a long time, opened. Its pupils glanced towards above itself. It was aimed at the ceiling of the cave where it was sleeping. Chapter 5.20 Translator : PolterGlast There were five parties that managed to defeat the special target in this special exercise. All of those five parties gathered in the same place. As a result, fierce battles broke out in the northern part of the training area. "Haa!" "Kuh~!" "Camilla! Support me!" "I know ... wha~, both of you, get down!" Lisa tried to attack Tima with her [Niveei Witch] ability activated, while Ken and Camilla supported her. With Irisdina''s [immediate deployment] ability and swordsmanship, she managed to gain time for Tima to cast her magic. After Tima managed to use her powerful magic, they managed to repel the onslaught of Lisa''s party in a coordinated manner. *** "Tommy! Are you okay!?" "Y-yeah. More importantly, If it stays like this, we will...!" "I know! Anyway, we have to do something about Shina''s party... Damn it! Mimuru, don''t disturb me!!" "Don''t demand something unreasonable! If Mars-kun were to be free in this situation, I might be the one to be crushed instead!" Mars, Tommy, and Hamria were attacked by Shina, Mimuru, and Tom. Mimuru made full use of her agility and disturbed Mars and the others. Moreover, Shina and Tom shot arrows and magic from behind regardless of Mimuru''s movements. However, the released magic and arrows did not hit Mimuru, and were aimed at Mars and the others accurately by weaving their way through the gaps between her movements. Like Irisdina and Tima, Shina''s party also showed great coordination. Near Mars and the others, Jin and Cami were fighting with the female student who had recovered with her own recovery magic. "Take this! Why can''t I put an end to this?! Even though they are just bottom class!" "What''s wrong with us being in the bottom class?!" Before Shina''s party interfered Jin and Cami were overwhelmed by the spearman, but since the spearman''s injuries hadn''t fully recovered from Tom''s magic, the battle was now evenly matched. Mars gritted his teeth while looking sideways at the battle of Jin and his friends. "Damn it! If it stays like this then..." Feelings of impatience gradually filled Mars'' heart. (What should I do! Nozomu and I have our hands full. Jin and the others are the same!) The current situation was maintained in a fragile balance. He can''t move badly because a slight change may lead to party annihilation. And that fuelled Mars'' impatience even more. (Should I just go straight to where Nozomu is? No, Jin and the others will be defeated in the meantime. How about plunges into Shina and the others¡­¡­ no, they won''t give me such a chance) It wasn''t just Kevin''s party that was agitated by the sudden change of situation, but also Mars and the others. (Damn it, what should I do¡­ That''s right. How about I use that¡­) What came to Mars'' mind was about the "technique" he had practiced. Since it was incomplete and unstable, Tima asked him not to use it, but he needed to protect important things even at the expense of some sacrifices. (They said I shouldn''t use it yet, but in this situation, I should use every means I can. It''s worked once before. I''m going to make it work again somehow!) Even though it was only special training, Mars was exposed to such a battlefield atmosphere. Believing that his decision was correct, he began to send two forces into his greatsword. *** When Mars and the others were struggling in a turbulent battle, Nozomu, Feo, and Kevin were still clashing with each other''s weapons and they would get mixed up with each other. "Gosh! You''re so persistent, Feo!" "Don''t say that, Nozomu! This is a good opportunity, so let''s fight one more time...... oi, don''t get in our way! Kevin!!" "Shut up! I''ve been annoyed since a while ago! I''m going to crush you two here!!" Kevin attacked Feo who was trying to hunt Nozomu down. Feo spun the staff with both hands towards the approaching fist to handle it, but Kevin shifted his body and attacked Nozomu in that gap. (Damn! This situation is bad...) Nozomu''s mind gradually grew impatient. Nozomu''s party had many members whose initial strength was low. Until now, they had used strategies and traps to win, but in such a fierce battlefield with enemies and allies mixed in, the strategies and tactics he had prepared beforehand were of little use. In such a situation, individual strength directly leads to the survival rate. In other words, if the battlefield remained like that, the party most likely to collapse first would be Nozomu''s party. In fact, Nozomu had been using his tactics to keep up with Kevin and Feo''s movements. (If this goes on for too long, it will be bad¡­ I can''t carelessly use Qi techniques because I''m exhausted) Nozomu who is currently fighting Feo and Kevin will most likely be defeated first. He glanced around, but the battlefield situation was getting worse everywhere, and everyone in this place had their hands full. In other words, if one battlefield collapsed, the other battlefields would be resolved in a chain reaction. (The most effective thing to do is to break through with Mars'' power ...) However, his current state of being pressed by Feo and Kevin prevented Nozomu from reaching Mars and the others. To separate himself from them and to support Mars. Both must be done simultaneously. (...well, there''s still a way...) Something came to his mind. However, Nozomu hesitated to use that method. First, if he did poorly, he would be disqualified. It could also directly lead to the defeat of his party in this chaotic situation. Second, the danger of the technique used. Nozomu rarely used offensive Qi techniques in school, including mock combat. This was because of the killing power, including [Phantom], every single of his Qi techniques were too dangerous to be used within the scope of the school. "Why are you looking away?!" "Kuh~!!" Kevin hit Nozomu, who had looked away, from a blind spot. Nozomu twisted his body to dodge it, but Kevin''s Qi-enveloped fist grazed Nozomu''s cheek with the wind pressure alone. After all, if this three-way battle continued, Nozomu''s defeat would be almost certain. (...It''s a gamble, but... it can''t be helped. In short, I don''t need to hit anyone directly. If I can aim well, there won''t be any problems.) If attacking directly was not possible, then he only needed to attack indirectly. Fortunately, the target of his Qi technique was not a human. When Nozomu decided to send Qi into his katana, a sudden gust of wind blew. "W-what happened!?" Nozomu, Kevin, and Feo who were fighting turned their eyes to the source of the gust of wind, the wind was gathering on the greatsword of Mars. Moreover, the gust of wind was definitely stronger than the one he always used. If they took a closer look, there were two different forces swirling around in his greatsword. No doubt. This was the simultaneous use of Qi and magic that Mars used in the last mock battle. The swirling wind, with the help of Mars'' abilities, gathered on his greatsword with even more momentum. "Guuuuuu!!" "This is ..." "Ma, Mars-kun!" Nozomu was surprised by its power. The wind force it generated was certainly in a different league. Nozomu''s spine was struck by a frozen sensation in a different sense. A power that was so strong that it lacked control. Such an uncertain power fueled Nozomu''s sense of crisis. Perhaps Mars was impatient with this situation because he couldn''t see a way out and decided to use the technique he had promised not to use. Maybe Tima also felt it was dangerous, she shouted at Mars to stop him, but instead, Mars pointed the tip of his greatsword at where Nozomu was. "Nozomu!! Avoid this!!" "What!!" At the same time that Nozomu left the place with [Instant Move] as he was commanded by the sense of crisis that hit his head, the wind that had gathered was released all at once. A torrent of wind burst with a roaring sound. The combination of Qi technique [Dust Blade] and magic [Wind Tunnel of Hungry Beast] moves in a straight line while drawing spirals so that they are intertwined with each other. It rushed towards Nozomu, Kevin, and Feo. The ground gouged up and many trunks of trees scraped off. "Wha~ !!" "Wait a minute! What is this!!" Kevin and Feo tried to escape from their place when they saw a huge spiral of wind approaching in front of them. However, they were a step shorter, and the two of them were swallowed by the torrent of wind. "Kuh~ !!" Nozomu was worried about the two who got hit by such a powerful technique, but Nozomu''s vision showed Shina aiming for the defenseless Mars. He chose to break through this situation. He sent his Qi into his katana and fired a flying slash towards its target. A flying slash cut the tree trunk behind Shina and Tom, and the tree fell on them. "Wha! What the~!" "Tom! Run!!" Tom and Shina left their place in a hurry. The moment when the support attacks stopped. Mars, who regained his posture in that gap, used his greatsword to blast Mimuru away. However, while being flown, Mimuru, whose body was light, made a full spin in the air and landed on the ground with her flexibility. Meanwhile, Tommy went to where Jin and Cami were fighting with the spearman of Kevin''s party. "Kuh~ !!" The female student tried to deflect Tommy''s sword that had been swung by lining the spear along with the sword. However, her movements were blocked by Tom''s magic, and she had no spare capacity to deal with Jin, Tommy, and Cami''s attacks. The female student greatly lost her posture due to Tommy''s slash. "Teyaaaa!" Jin slashed her in that gap. In addition, Cami also attacked from the side. As Jin and Cami''s blades hit her body, the pendant glowed red, announcing her disqualification. Mars tried to rush towards Shina while Jin and his friends defeated the spearman. However, Mimuru managed to stop Mars, but Mars'' breakthrough power cannot be stopped by Mimuru alone. However, when Mars tried to shake Mimuru off, Feo rushed in from the side. Maybe because of Mars'' technique earlier, Feo''s uniform was tattered and there were cuts here and there. "What are you doing all of a sudden! If I didn''t use my talisman technique in time, I would have become a rag!" "Chi~, so it didn''t work... Then, what happened to the dog guy?" "Hmm? I don''t know." Perhaps Feo wasn''t interested in Kevin, he just answered Mars'' questions while focusing on stopping Mars'' movement. As a result, Mars was stopped by Feo. Meanwhile, Shina and Tom regained their posture, and the battle would shift to Shina''s party and Mars'' team. *** Nozomu activated his [Instant Move] while looking sideways at the scene where Mars'' team and Shina''s party were facing each other. He rushed to the place where Irisdina and Tima were fighting. His aim was Camilla, who was in charge of the rearguard of Lisa''s party. (Hit-and-run is my highest priority. After that, join everyone and defeat Shina''s party!) Nozomu''s aim was to make a disturbance on the battlefield and then leave immediately. After all, his aim was only to disturb them. Camilla changed her aim from Irisdina to Nozomu. She shot several ice spears, [Icicle Dance], at him. "Fuh~!" Nozomu slipped through the gaps of the icicles with [Instant Move -Curve Dance-]. An ice spear managed to carve a wound on Nozomu''s body, but Nozomu kept pushing forward without stopping. "Wha~! What''s going on!!" Camilla panicked because she couldn''t stop Nozomu with her magic. The next moment, Nozomu broke through the magic, and Camilla couldn''t launch any more ice spears at him. Nozomu raised his katana overhead, but at that moment a shadow cut in between Nozomu and Camilla. "What, so you can do it if you try, Nozomu" "!!" Ken cut in between them and swung his longsword with the same momentum. Nozomu managed to block it with his katana, but he was still blown away. "Kuh~!" Nozomu managed to regain his posture in the air and landed on the ground. However, Ken fired an ice spear as a pursuit. Nozomu managed to dodge the oncoming ice spear by rolling on the ground. Meanwhile, Ken narrowed the gap and swung his longsword again. "Kuh~ !!" Nozomu swung his katana to parry Ken''s slash with all his strength and rotated his body to launch an overturned slash. Ken rotated his body to dodge Nozomu''s slash, but Nozomu swung his katana again regardless. However, the slash was stopped by Ken with his flexibility. The two engaged in close combat. However, Nozomu, who was inferior in physical ability, gradually began to be pushed, and Ken''s blade approached in front of him. "Gu~u!" "Fuh~ ........." Nozomu tried to push Ken back desperately, meanwhile, Ken had a big smile on his face. This showed the difference in pure physical ability between the two. Regret and impatience invaded Nozomu''s heart. Why. why! why!! Such regret tried to wash away the hesitation in Nozomu''s heart. (Attack him with your deadly Qi technique such as [Phantom], and release the Ability Suppression.) (Unleash your power now and trample him.) "Isn''t it nice? Struggle to your heart''s content. It would be much amusing that way ..." " !! " The voice that suddenly echoed inside his head became a sweet temptation and tried to dilute Nozomu''s reasoning. Nozomu tried to resist the temptation by biting his lip. Maybe because he bit too hard, the taste of rusty iron spread in his mouth. Perhaps Ken was feeling better with Nozomu''s desperate appearance, he smiled with a distorted smile in a way that no one else could see. Ken ridiculed Nozomu with his face so close they could hear each other''s breathing. "Nozomu... you''re pathetic." "!!" "But to be honest I was surprised. You still survived this training..." Ken was probably very surprised that Nozomu is still surviving in this training. However, his face was ugly and distorted, and his tone contained a clear disdain. "But you can''t reach Lisa or me. You can''t be by her side. It can''t be helped. You''re so weak and pathetic." "~! Ken! Damn you...!!!" "Well then, let''s get this over with now. I have to hurry back to Lisa, and I can''t spend my time with you forever. Then Nozomu. Better know your place and scram quietly. It''s a piece of advice from your "best friend" ... " The moment Nozomu heard those words, something broke in Nozomu''s head. The wicked impulse emerged from the depths of his heart and burned in an instant. It was as if a dead leaf had burned. "~!!!" Nozomu jumped back. Ken also got back with a big smile. "What are you going to do if you can''t even use magic?" Ken decided that Nozomu''s actions were meaningless, and chanted magic while mocking him. A huge ice spear appeared in front of Ken. The huge ice spear, which exceeded Ken''s height, pointed its tip at Nozomu. Nozomu leaped back while sheathing his katana, sending his Qi towards his katana with all his might, and compressing it extremely. At the same time as his landing, he activated his [Instant Move]. Nozomu thrust towards Ken head-on. "Haha! Have you finally lost your mind!? ...Okay. I thought you were quite annoying, so I''ll end you here and now." Ken shot the huge ice spear while showing his hideous smile. The released ice spear flew towards Nozomu to counter the approaching Nozomu. " ! " Nozomu thrust in regardless. After the Qi he sent into his katana completely enveloped and took the shape of the katana, he glared at the approaching ice spear in front of him. The next moment, the color of his field of vision changed. Nozomu exerted extreme concentration. In a world where color had disappeared, he took out his katana and swung it at the huge ice spear approaching in front of him. "Wha~ !!" The next moment, a startling voice escaped Ken''s mouth. The huge ice spear he created with all his might was slashed in half in front of Nozomu''s katana and shattered in vain. Nozomu didn''t even look at the ice spear he just slashed and kept running towards Ken while moving past the ice shards. "Take this!!" Ken shot his sword down at Nozomu who rushed at him. Despite being shocked by the unexpected situation, Ken''s body subconsciously swung the sword at the right moment. Ken''s longsword was longer than Nozomu''s katana, and Nozomu''s katana wouldn''t be able to reach Ken. Maybe Ken knew that, his face still looked impatient, but his mouth lifted into a smile. However, his mind was instantly blown away by Nozomu''s next action. Nozomu stomped his right foot on the ground and twisted his body. The next moment, Nozomu''s body spun at an extremely high speed, along with a shocking explosive sound. "Wha~!" Nozomu''s katana launched like a flash of light. The katana blade shot Ken''s longsword down, and the longsword pierced the ground in vain. The aforementioned explosive sound was the sound produced by the release of Qi that was extremely compressed into Nozomu''s sword. The release of this highly compressed Qi accelerated the speed of Nozomu''s katana in an instant. The speed of his katana accelerated to a speed he would normally never be able to reach. Furthermore, he twisted his body in the opposite direction and fired a reverse slash. Nozomu''s katana approached Ken, if it went like that, the slash would definitely cut Ken''s throat and kill him. Nozomu was watching the sight of his katana blade approaching Ken''s throat in a world where color had disappeared. (If I keep going like this, I can kill this guy! but¡­¡­.) What came to his mind as he thought so was the horrific sight he might cause. A tragedy because he used his powers with his wicked impulse. The nightmare he kept seeing might become reality. The him who kept swinging his katana and killed everyone while being engulfed in flames. "~! Aaaa!!" Realizing what he was trying to do, Nozomu diverted the blade that was about to be sucked into Ken''s throat. But he couldn''t divert it completely and his katana cut into Ken''s cheek. "~!!" "~! Ken!!" Ken''s face was distorted by the pain running down his cheek. Lisa was crossing swords with Irisdina, but when she heard Ken''s voice, she plunged into Nozomu. Her face was tinged with hatred, and she was literally glaring at Nozomu with her eyes full of resentment. "Get away from Ken !!" Lisa invoked [Niveei Witch] and made a huge fireball in her hand. She fired it at Nozomu as if to slam her hatred towards him. "Kuh~!" Nozomu flew to the side to dodge the fireball, but the burst of exploding flames approached as if to swallow Nozomu. "Nozomu!" However, [Wind Tunnel of Hungry Beast] flew from the side scattered the flames that were approaching Nozomu. In addition, Tima activated her magic, and a wall of fire appeared between Nozomu, Irisdina, and Lisa. Meanwhile, Irisdina rushed towards Nozomu. "Are you alright?" "Y-yes. I''m fine." Irisdina spoke while looking at Nozomu with worried eyes. On such a battlefield, Irisdina''s beautiful white face and jet black eyes seemed to be able to suck up whatever was reflected in Nozomu''s eyes. Nozomu couldn''t meet her eyes directly and quickly turned his face away. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu and Irisdina couldn''t say anything to each other. At that moment, the wall of fire was blown away. Lisa''s party emerged from the remnants of the flames fluttering around. "!!" Lisa sent her hateful gaze towards Nozomu. Behind her, with the same hateful gaze as her, Ken did it to show off that he was by her side. When Nozomu saw Lisa''s angry gazes and his former best friend behind her, Nozom''s chest hurt, and an indescribable emotion rose in his heart. (Gurururururu ¡­¡­) "~!!" However, Nozomu''s expression changed as "that" voice echoed in his head. He forcibly swallowed the wicked emotions that were starting to surface and tried to pretend to be calm. At that moment, Irisdina offered him an unexpected suggestion. "Nozomu, why don''t we cooperate during this battle?" "Eh?" Nozomu was perplexed by Irisdina''s suggestion. He had promised to have a party with her on the second day, but today he was her enemy. However, as Irisdina said, it would be better to work together when facing Lisa''s party and Shina''s party. "... Is it okay?" Nozomu asked Irisdina to make sure, and she nodded without hesitation. "... Alright. Thanks for your help, Iris." Nozomu accepted Irisdina''s suggestion. Irisdina smiled happily. Nozomu was mesmerized by her smile. The wicked emotions that had been boiling in his chest until a moment ago gradually faded away. Lisa''s party held their respective weapons. Irisdina also held her rapier while getting closer to Nozomu. At that moment, Nozom felt as if the core of his body was getting warmer. It felt like he felt Irisdina''s body temperature. The heat inside Nozomu''s body, which seemed to be burning earlier, gradually turned warm. Nozomu was holding his katana while slightly loosening his cheeks, but at that moment, a burst of explosive energy suddenly wrapped around the area. "W-what happened!?" While feeling uneasy about what had suddenly happened, Nozomu and Irisdina confirmed that it was a flow of Qi emitted by someone. Mars'' team and Shina''s party who were fighting were all looking in the same direction. "... You bastards. You''ve finally done it ..." It was Kevin. He was the one who should have been swallowed up by Mars'' technique earlier. Due to his anger, he could not control the excessively released Qi and it leaked out of his body. "You made a fool out of me ..." In response to his anger, a huge amount of Qi gathered in Kevin''s hands. The palms of his hands were quivering and made a creaking noise. His appearance was like a floodgate that was about to collapse. Kevin''s angry eyes shot through Nozomu. "First, the bottom. Next is that half-baked guy, I will crush you so that you can''t stand up anymore!" The next moment, Kevin''s body transformed. His hair began to grow on his body, and his muscles bulged. His mouth protruded forward, literally transforming into the face of a wolf. It was the same ability as Mimuru, [Beastification]. Like the Wildcat Tribe, the Silver Wolf Tribe''s beastification increased their physical and Qi abilities. However, just as his transformation was about to complete, shock suddenly ran across the ground and the ground was pushed upwards. "Uwaa!!" "W-what is this!? An earthquake!?" Everyone present there was shocked by the sudden occurrence. Kevin, who was about to become a beast, was also surprised and released his beastification. At the same time as countless cracks appeared on the ground, a rotten odor began to drift through the air. The next moment, the ground turned over and something appeared on the towering ground. Its claws and fangs were as big as an overgrown tree and were so strong that they could most likely tear a diamond. "Gurururururu ..." Its growl reverberated as if announcing its true intentions. It''s a threat in a nutshell. An existence that should be at the pinnacle of demon beasts, which is rarely seen here. "Dragon¡­¡­" Someone muttered so. But the dragon looked very strange. One of its wings that should have been used for flying was completely gone, and the other wing was almost completely melted down. Its scales that were reminiscent of steel were peeled off in several places, and some of its muscles were exposed. At that moment, the dragon''s eyes caught Nozomu and the others. His eyes were also cloudy white and definitely not the eyes of a living creature. "Guaaaaaaaaaaa !!!" While making a roaring sound. The dragon spread its rotten wings, sprinkling rotting gas, and rotting flesh all around. An Undead dragon, an existence that was once a dragon. It attacked Nozomu and the others in an attempt to quench its thirst that couldn''t be satisfied even after it died. Chapter 5.21 Hello PolterGlast here As usual, I want to say thank you to my patrons. Thank you for your continued support. Also, thank you spaghetti_man and Shouyuu. for your coffee. *** Translator : PolterGlast "Guaaaaaaaaaa!!!" A roar resounded in the forest. The sound shook the trees and the atmosphere. Everyone reflexively covered their faces from the wind that came along with a thunderous roar. Dragon. It has strong scales and vitality, and wings that allow it to fly through the sky. Its scorching breath can even melt iron. It was the most prominent among the demon beasts, and depending on the individual, it might even be able to destroy a fortress. It wasn''t an existence that would normally wander around in such a place. However, its body lacked the brilliance of its past vitality. The Dragon''s eyes were cloudy white and one of its wings was missing. Its scales, which normally glowed in the sunlight, were also cracked in several places. The skin underneath it was peeled off and the muscles exposed. An existence called Undead Dragon exposed its bare dead body under the sunlight. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Everyone present, including Nozomu, were dumbfounded as they looked at the beast in front of them. Their thoughts were halted by the sudden occurrence. The Undead Dragon shook its head, perhaps because the sunlight had bothered it, but its white and cloudy eyes turned to Nozomu and the others. "~! Dodge it, everyone !!" Nozomu, who felt goosebumps from the Undead Dragon''s gaze, immediately shouted and jumped from the place. His actions were followed by Irisdina, Tima, and Kevin. The next moment, the Undead Dragon took a deep breath, and a scorching flame was exhaled from its mouth. The exhaled flames flowed in a straight line, instantly carbonizing the vegetation and the ground in its path. After spitting out flames for a while, the Undead Dragon lifted its neck and opened its mouth again. It rushed and attacked Kevin and the others. Kevin shot a magic bullet at the Dragon''s face to distract it, and at the same time, everyone scattered at once. The rushing Undead Dragon lost its target, and its head simply plunged into the ground. Escaping from the approaching giant, they joined the other party in the meantime and regained their posture. "Oi, oi oi! What the hell just happened?!" "Wha~! I didn''t expect this situation at all! Why is there an Undead Dragon in a place like this!!" "Wait a minute Jin! What are we going to do!?" "What should I say?... We have no choice but to survive!" Kevin, Feo, Jin, and the others were shocked by an unexpected mighty existence that suddenly appeared before them. This makes sense. They had trained to the point of bleeding at Solminati Academy, but they had never met a demon beast of this caliber. On the other hand, despite being taken aback by suddenly facing such a threat, those who were still able to move while thinking about what to do should be commended. An average knight would stand terrified in front of such an Undead Dragon or become panicked and be killed in fear. Kevin immediately distanced himself from the might of such an opponent, but his party members lying on the ground were reflected in his field of vision. "Tch~! It can''t be helped!" Kevin rushed towards his party members who had fainted as the Undead Dragon stuck its face into the ground. He probably thought that if he continued to fight this Dragon, he might be crushed by it. So, he held the fainted swordsman and the spear-wielding girl under his arm and started running in a hurry. "Gugu, ge~efu ..." The Undead Dragon lifted its neck while letting out a muffled voice. Its cloudy eyes caught Kevin who was holding his companions. "Guaaaaaa!" "Tch~!" The dragon rushing towards Kevin. Kevin runs at full speed trying to escape with his fainted companions in his arms, but the corpse gradually closes the distance while making a rumbling sound on the earth. "Damn it! How long are you going to faint! Wake up or I''ll throw you guys away!" While cursing his fainted companions, Kevin never tries to let go of them. The Undead Dragon approaches and managed to get just behind them. It opened its mouth and tried to eat them. Its sharp fangs look like a knife, and its breath mixed with rotten odor could be smelled. The shadow of the Dragon covered the running Kevin, and when its mouth was about to catch him, a huge jet-black magic bullet was struck into the side of the Dragon. "Gyau!" The Undead Dragon screamed and staggered. Furthermore, a huge mass of wind struck its giant body, and the Undead Dragon collapsed due to the impact. Meanwhile, Kevin succeeded in escaping from the Dragon''s clutches. "I-Irisdina. Even Tima?" Beyond his line of sight was Irisdina, who was standing with her rapier pointing at the Dragon, and Tima, who was holding her wand. Apparently, they were the ones who struck the Dragon with their magic. "Kevin! Come over here!" Although he was a little perplexed by Irisdina''s call, Kevin go towards her with his companions in tow. "Are you okay?" "Y-yeah. You saved me..." Kevin showed a relieved expression on his face. Irisdina turned her gaze on her classmate Kevin was holding, she looked worried. Kevin was also worried about his companions, but when he catches sight of Nozomu next to Irisdina, his expression turned sour. As expected, he wants to make fun of Nozomu right now, but he refrained. "Kevin, what about your companions'' condition?" "They''re not dead, but they''ve fainted... I wonder what would have happened to them without me ..." At that time, Mars'' voice was heard in Nozomu''s ears. "Nozomu!" "Mars?" Mars running towards Nozomu. Behind him are Jin and Sh¨©na. At that time, the fallen Undead Dragon began to rise once again. "Hey, you lowest. You guys are in the way, so get away quickly." Kevin saw the rising dragon and strongly insisted on Nozomu and others to leave. But Iris Dina opened her mouth to block the words. "Nozomu, I have a request. I want your party members to take Kevin''s companions to a safe place along with them." Irisdina wanted Kevin''s companions to be taken to a safe place. Certainly, it was impossible for the fainted Kevin''s companions and the exhausted Jin and his friends to face the Dragon they were about to face now. "Y-yeah. I don''t mind. Jin, can I leave them to you?" "Yes. How about you guys?" Jin and his friends understood that their current abilities would be a burden to them, so they obediently accepted Irisdina''s suggestion and carried Kevin''s companions on their backs. "We will give you time to escape. Mimuru. Please tell about this to the administrative headquarters in advance." "All right! Tom, please be careful." "Yeah. The same goes to you, Mimuru." After Mimuru nodded at Irisdina''s request, she called out to her lover, Tom. Tom also spoke back to her. Two people smiled at each other. After having a quick glance, whether it was enough for them, Mimuru quickly jumped into the forest. Following her, Jin and his friends also carried the injured students on their backs and disappeared into the forest. "Everyone else, including Nozomu and Mars, will deal with this Dragon. Is that okay?" Kevin complained against one name Irisdina mentioned in her words. "Oi, oi Irisdina! Even if this fellow is here, he would only burden our feet..." Kevin pointed at Nozomu while saying so, but Irisdina interrupted his voice. His reaction, in a sense, was natural. Kevin had been swallowed by Mars'' technique, so he didn''t see Nozomu''s [Phantom]. "It''s okay. He''ll be fine." While saying that, Irisdina smiled despite the situation. "Yeah. I think so too. He knows this forest better than anyone, and he has more experience fighting demon beasts than we do. So naturally, we need his power." Furthermore, Sh¨©na went along with Irisdina''s words. There was a certain amount of trust in the eyes of the two who stared at Nozomu, as did Tom behind her. Behind Tom, Feo looked at Sh¨©na and Irisdina with an amused expression. "... Tch!" Kevin clicked his tongue with an expression that looked like biting a bitter worm. For him who is in love with Irisdina, it wasn''t amusing to hear the name of a different man came out of her mouth. Meanwhile, Nozomu and Lisa''s line of sight crossed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Lisa and Ken glared at Nozomu. Nozomu felt ridiculed when he received their gazes. An indescribably heavy air enveloped the place. When Lisa tried to open her mouth to say something, Irisdina interrupted her. "Lisa, I don''t know what happened between you and Nozomu, but right now..." "Right now, what to do with the dragon is our top priority. I already knew without being told..." Lisa further interrupted Irisdina''s words. Her expression completely rejected Nozomu. It was as if she was imposing herself to do so. Ken next to her was also glaring at Nozomu. His expression was expressionless, but his gaze was full of hatred that could freeze one''s spine. "~! It''s coming!" At that moment, Mars'' voice could be heard. With his voice, everyone who was there held their respective weapons at once. "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The Undead Dragon''s roar resounded once again. The dragon opened its mouth and released a scorching breath towards them. "Tima!" "Leave it to me!" Tima responded to Irisdina''s yell and cast a magic barrier. If they received the scorching breath directly, their bones would become charcoal, but the invisible wall cast by a human with the highest magical power did not allow such scorching breath to invade. After Tima blocked the Dragon''s breath, Irisdina cast magic with her [Immediate Deployment]. The surrounding wind gathered in front of her in a spiral and let out a reverberating sound. Irisdina''s [Wind Tunnel of the Hungry Beast] collided with the Dragon''s breath and the continuously released flames scattered for a moment, creating a path towards the Undead Dragon. "Hey, lowest! Don''t get in my way!" Kevin ran after throwing cursing words at Nozomu. In the blink of an eye, he dashed through the gaps of the scattered flames and rushed towards the Undead Dragon. When the Dragon saw Kevin rushing in, it moved its neck and tried to direct the scorching breath it was currently vomiting at Kevin, but the hot breath couldn''t catch Kevin''s movement and only burned the ground. "It''s slow!" Kevin focused Qi on his fist. The distance had already been shortened by dashing, so he slammed his palm against the Dragon''s chin. It was as if his claws were stabbed into his prey. "Take this!" Qi technique [Piercing Claw and Fang] A Qi technique that simultaneously strikes the opponent with a double attack, the impact of an explosion of Qi released from the palm and the piercing claw. Along with a shockwave echoing through its belly, its fragile scales cracked and blood spurted out of its skin. However, the Undead Dragon still tried to eat Kevin regardless of the blood gushing out from its wounds. "Hup!" Kevin slipped under its chin and dodged the Dragon''s fangs. Kevin moved around towards the other side. At the edge of his field of vision, the Dragon''s mouth closed with a crackling sound above its head. This time he focused his Qi on his toes and fired a kick towards the Dragon''s chin once again. Qi technique [Ripping Blade] The kick-enveloped Qi that was swung out swiftly slashed and cut through the exposed skin whose scales were peeling off, like a knife. However, the dragon tried to stomp on Kevin with its forearm while the skin on its chin was torn. "Tch~! Is it not working?" Kevin jumped back and dodged the Dragon''s oncoming arm, and Mars rushed in that gap. "Then, how about this!" Marus, who was moving around from the other side, thrust in while holding his Qi-enveloped greatsword. "Teyaaa!" Mars swung his Qi-enveloped greatsword downwards. With sufficient speed and acceleration, the greatsword shattered the Dragon''s scales and cut its flesh deeply, furthermore, the wind blades attached to the greatsword gouged out the Dragon''s flesh. However, regardless of its injury, the Dragon raised its tail as high as possible to get rid of Kevin and Mars. "~!?" "Guh~!?" Mars and Kevin tried to dodge the approaching tail, but Mars who had just swung his greatsword couldn''t move immediately. On the other hand, Kevin whose body was suffering from severe pain from the wounds inflicted by Mars'' combined use of magic and Qi, had his movement slowed down for a moment as he tried to jump back up. At that moment, Kevin couldn''t dodge the oncoming Dragon''s tail in front of him. The swung tail hit them directly. "Guha~!" "Damn! Gaahh!" Being hit, both of them were thrown to the ground. Furthermore, the Undead Dragon approached the two who had fallen. "Mars-kun!" "Tch~, it can''t be helped!" Tima saw the blown Mars and made a sad voice. She immediately chanted [Calamity of the Sinner] and cast it at the Undead Dragon. Feo also took out a talisman from his pocket, created three flame bullets, and fired them. A huge explosion hit the Undead Dragon. The explosion overran the surroundings. In addition, Feo''s flame bullets hit the Dragon directly. The smell of burning meat could be smelled all around. The soul was blown away and the ground was gouged out. Irisdina and the others relaxed their facial expressions slightly when they saw such a scene, but when they saw a huge shadow from the depths of the rising smoke, they immediately hardened their facial expressions again. A gigantic body emerged from within the smoke. However, perhaps not completely unharmed, its body was burned in several places. Apparently, the exposed skin where the scales peeled off was burned. Mars and Kevin stood in the meantime However, Kevin''s left arm hangs loose, seemingly broken, and Mars appears to be standing with his greatsword for support. Both of them had an unsteady gait and blood was dripping from their mouths, probably because their internal organs were injured. Obviously, their injuries were quite serious. "Gururururu ..." While the smoke raised from its whole body, the Undead Dragon tried to go toward Kevin and Mars. "Kuh~!" "Damn it¡­¡­" Kevin and Mars gritted their teeth. It seemed that their bodies, which were completely paralyzed from the previous impact, were able to stand up but were unable to move. "It''s bad!" Nozomu threw a Flash Ball at the Dragon. The Undead Dragon temporarily lost sight of Mars and Kevin due to the flash generated by the Flash Ball. Meanwhile, Nozomu and Feo rushed towards Mars and Kevin, then grabbed their collars. "O-oi!" "It''s a little rough, but please bear with it!" "Wait~..." Nozomu and Feo left while dashing with their legs. It was as if they were dragging them. The Undead Dragon tried to chase after them, but the support from Irisdina, Tima, Sh¨©na, and Tom stopped the Undead Dragon''s movement. "Ken! Camilla! Support me!" Lisa, with her crimson hair fluttering in the wind, headed towards the Dragon to replace Nozomu and Feo. Moreover, a torrent of magical power exploded from behind her. Camilla and Ken chanted [Icicle Dance] magic and shot several ice spears at the Undead Dragon in quick succession. Most of the ice spears that attacked the Dragon were blocked by its scales protecting it, but some of them hit where the scales had peeled off and pierced through its skin. Furthermore, Ken created a huge ice spear and shot it at the Dragon''s chest. The Dragon''s body hit by the huge ice spear staggered, and meanwhile, Lisa activated her [Niveei Witch] ability and gave it to her own saber to double the damage dealt. As her blade burn and drew a trajectory in the air, she closed the gap at once. Aiming at the Dragon''s abdomen, she swung the saber in her hand with all her might. "Haaa!" Her slash was blocked by the Dragon''s scales and repelled with a sound that hurt one''s ears. The sound was like metal rubbing against each other. However, her slash managed to peel the Undead Dragon''s tattered scales off and exposed its soft skin. "Take this!" In addition, Lisa overturn her saber and stabbed it deep into the Dragon''s abdomen. She immediately activated the magic contained in her saber. The torn wound burned at the same time she activated her magic, burning the Dragon''s internal organs from within. A clearly fatal blow. The feeling that came to her hand was certain, and Lisa was relieved and naturally smiled. "¡­¡­Eh." However, her smile soon turned into a surprised expression. The dragon, whose stomach was torn and its internal organs should have been burnt, raised its log-like arm. Regardless of its own seemingly fatal injury, the Undead Dragon swung its arm at Lisa. "Kyaa!" "Lisa!" Lisa was blown away slammed into a nearby tree. Due to the shock, her breath was blocked and she coughed violently. She couldn''t move at all, probably because she was slammed too hard. Ken rushed to help Lisa. Camilla tried to cast her magic again but they were clearly not in time. The Undead Dragon opened its mouth while trying to eat Lisa. "Aa ... aa" Lisa had no choice but to be stunned and look at the approaching death in her eyes. However, the next moment, something flew towards the Undead Dragon''s right eye. At the same time, the Dragon''s face exploded. "Eh¡­¡­?" Furthermore, a shadow cuts in between Lisa and the Undead Dragon. The shadow sent his Qi on the katana he had in his hand and swung it towards the Undead Dragon. Qi technique [Phantom -Recurrence-] Nozomu''s extremely compressed Qi turned into a flying slash and cut off another eye of the Undead Dragon. Perhaps the Dragon, which had completely lost its sight, was taken aback, so it staggered as it moved backward. "... Nozomu?" Nozomu received Lisa''s surprised voice on his back without looking back. ========================================= (¡­¡­I made it in time) Nozomu felt relieved while muttering so in his heart. Mars and Kevin, who couldn''t move due to their injuries, were entrusted to Tima and the others who went to support them. It seemed that what he did was correct. "... Nozomu?" Lisa''s voice seemed surprised. It had been a long time since Nozomu had heard her voice without hatred. The same nostalgic voice as when she was still with him. At the same time, various emotions came and went into the depths of Nozomu''s heart. However, he didn''t know how he really felt. Whether it was the anger that came from being betrayed, the sadness that he continued to be hated by her, or the joy that he was able to protect her once again. His feelings kept rising from the depth of his heart, mixing into a mess and became chaotic. "~!!" A tingling pain ran through his nose, and swollen emotions ran down his throat. However, Nozomu desperately restrained himself from leaking the thoughts that kept popping up in his heart. The vortex of overly chaotic thoughts continued to rage like a storm, and if he uttered a single word, Nozomu himself had no idea what he would say. Nozomu was confronting the Undead Dragon while feeling her presence behind his back. The Undead Dragon''s huge body was as big as a house. The rotten odor could be smelled by his nose. Its wings and scales were tattered. The greatness that once existed now became a ruin. "Lisa! Are you okay!?" Ken rushed to Lisa''s side. As soon as Nozomu heard Ken''s voice, the violent emotions that filled his heart began to blacken. (What''s wrong? You just need to swing your sword, right?¡± A voice could be heard from the depths of the abyss. The appearance of a giant dragon with 6 wings and 5 colors flashed every time his heart made a sound. The Undead Dragon in front of him and "that" figure overlapped. "Yo, Nozomu! What the hell was that. You had such a ridiculous skill." Feo rushed to Nozomu''s side and spoke to him in the same way as usual. He was surprised that Nozomu, who was inferior to him, had the ability to cut through the Dragon''s body and its scales, but the current Nozomu couldn''t afford to answer his words. "~!!" Nozomu tried to shake off his wicked emotions that had started to dye his mind black. The Undead Dragon took a deep breath and tried to exhale a scorching breath at Nozomu. Nozomu moved his legs and activated his [Instant Move]. He kicked the ground as he thought about tearing the shackles due to his Ability Suppression. He didn''t move directly in front of it, but diagonally near the side of the Undead Dragon. He lowered his posture and ran through the side of the scorching breath. The scorching breath that could even melt iron burned Nozomu''s hair and skin that was grazed by it. But still, Nozomu didn''t stop. He had no choice but to fight in close-quarter combat. In order to grasp his only chance, Nozomu ran towards the Dragon''s body and slipped into the Dragon''s feet. "Haaaaa !!" Nozomu activated [Phantom -Clad-] on his katana and slashed at the huge figure in front of him. The blade, which was infused with extremely compressed Qi, turned into a magic blade. The blade sliced through the Undead Dragon''s body along with its scales and the friction caused sparks. A stench emanated from its open wound, and its flesh spilled out. On the other hand, Feo slammed his staff into the gap between the scales. The Undead Dragon swung its arms and tail as if to repel the clinging worms, but Nozomu kept slashing at the giant while moving following the Undead Dragon''s blind spot relentlessly. "Shit! It''s not working at all!" However, Nozomu''s slash wasn''t as effective as he expected. Perhaps because Feo''s attacks were also ineffective, Feo also had a stiff expression on his face. Originally, the Undead Dragon was dead, so there was no pain. Apart from humanoid-sized undead, Nozomu''s katana and Feo''s staff were too small to slash through such a giant, which was bigger than a house. "Nozomu! Get away!" Nozomu and Feo gave space by taking some distance because of Irisdina''s voice that was heard from afar. Immediately after, a rain of magic fell and hit the Undead Dragon''s body, but it was mostly repelled by its scales and scattered in vain. "Tima!" "Y-yes!" Next, Tima made a huge rock spear with [Sharp Rock Dance] and shot it at the Undead Dragon. The huge rock spear reminiscent of a battering ram pierced the Undead Dragon''s scales and pierced its chest deeply. "Gaaaaaaa!" However, the dragon, which had turned into an Undead, rushed towards Tima in the direction where the magic had flown from, regardless of whether the rock spear had pierced its heart. "Eh! Kyaa!" "Tima!" "Kuh~ !!" The Undead Dragon that rushed in tried to attack Tima with its arm. Irisdina and Camilla cast their magic in quick succession, and Nozomu fired another flying slash. The flying slash cut through its body and the magics exploded. However, the Undead Dragon didn''t feel any pain. There was no other choice for Irisdina to strengthen her body with all her might and rush towards Tima like a gale. She held Tima''s body and tried to jump away, but she couldn''t completely dodge the Dragon''s arm that was swung. She deployed a magic barrier with [Immediate Deployment]. She managed to block the Dragon''s arm for a moment, but the magic barrier that was generated instantly couldn''t withstand it for long, and the two of them were flung and slammed into the ground. "Iris!" "Tima! Damn it!" Nozomu and Mars screamed when they saw the two who were blown away. (No way... are they...) Such a thought came to Nozomu''s mind, and his chest tightened. "Ouch~..." However, the two bodies twitched and moved slightly, perhaps in response to the voices calling out to them. Apparently, the worst thing Nozomu feared didn''t happen. Meanwhile, the Undead Dragon was calmly searching for its next target. "Grrrrrrrr..." The next thing the Undead Dragon noticed was Camilla who was still casting her magic. "Kuh~!" Nozomu rushed to the Undead Dragon with [Instant Move] to prevent it from going. Nozomu cut the Dragon''s body while clinging to it. Feo also used his magic from behind and attacked with all his might. However, they couldn''t stop the Dragon because their attacks couldn''t do much to stop it. Sweat dripped down Camilla''s forehead, and the facial expressions on Nozomu and Feo''s faces also looked impatient. "Kuh~!" At this rate, even they would be killed. With that thought in mind, Nozomu grabbed the invisible chains that bound his body. They were the shackles that exists inside him, the chains that bound the dragon. Even though it was the surest way to kill the Undead Dragon, the release of that power could cause another tragedy that Nozomu himself could not have imagined. In fact, he had once used that power and sunk into his rage. It literally caused a tragedy. His opponents back then were demon beasts and not humans, as well as giants who had the ability to surpass ordinary humans with ease. If such a power that could easily slay giants was used against humans, then the nightmare he had been having all along would become reality. "!!" Nozomu still couldn''t overcome his hesitation. However, at that moment, a light suddenly surged behind Camilla. "That is¡­¡­" Certainly, it was contract magic with spirits he had seen before. The light grains gather at one point while drawing in a spiral. Standing at the point of convergence was an elven girl with blue hair. She decided that she couldn''t defeat the Undead Dragon with her own strength, so she sought help from the friends she had spent time with since she was a child. (Maybe this will work¡­¡­) Nozomu considered her spirit magic, which could even seal the black demon beast, as a way out. But something unexpected happened. A gust of wind suddenly appeared. The vortex of wind flowing in the opposite direction blew away the gathered spirits around Sh¨©na and dispersed the contract magic. "W-w-what happened !?" Sh¨©na let out a panicked voice at the unexpected occurrence. When Nozomu and the others turned their gaze to the source of the wind, it was Mars with a greatsword in his hand. One of his hands was broken, so he was holding the greatsword with the other hand. He sent his Qi and magic power into his greatsword with all his might. "No matter how strong the dragon is, if I use this then...!" Beyond his line of sight was Tima, who had fallen on the ground. The moment Tima and Irisdina were blown away, anger and impatience instantly burned his heart. Mars tried to use his strongest skill right now, thinking that he had to do something about the current situation while being pushed by those flames. Certainly, he was able to use that technique in the previous turbulent battle. But that was only because he could "use" the technique, but he still couldn''t "manipulate it at will." Unaware of that fact, Mars misunderstood that he could master it now, and as a result, the situation that Tima and Nozomu feared occurred. "Gu~uu~uu!" A burst of magic power and Qi made a noise and swirled within the body of the greatsword. The stormy vortex of power continued to rage in harmony. Due to the injection of excessive power that originally couldn''t mix, Mars couldn''t control it and started running wild. "Why! Guahhh!" "Kyaa !!" The wind beast was released with a roaring sound. The wind that gathered around the greatsword finally left Mars'' control and bared its fangs to the surroundings. The explosion blew away the creator Mars, as well as Camilla and Tima who were nearby. Sh¨©na was protected by the spirits she gathered, but as a result, she completely lost her spiritual protection afterward. Sh¨©na, who had lost her spirit protection, shot her arrow with a bitter expression, but the Undead Dragon wouldn''t stop with just that level of attack. "Kuh~ !!" The Dragon headed towards them without worrying about their desperate attack. Its figure was almost exactly the same as the figure of the giant Dragon that Nozomu saw in his nightmare. Nozomu had no time to hesitate anymore. In front of him were Irisdina, who had fallen to the ground, and Sh¨©na, who was holding back her fear while continuing to shoot arrows. Swinging his katana, Nozom dashed past the Undead Dragon''s side as if to dispel the nightmares, fear, and anxiety in his head, and then he immediately turned around. He turned around, scraped the ground roughly, touched the invisible chains that bound him, and tried to tear them apart with all his might. "W-why ..." However, for some reason, the invisible chain didn''t break. Nozomu tried to break the chain repeatedly, but no matter how hard he exerted his strength, the invisible chain didn''t budge. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Nozomu was taken aback. At that moment, the approaching Dragon swung its tail and hit Nozomu and Sh¨©na with it. "Uaaaa!" "Kyaa!" Nozomu and Sh¨©na were thrown and slammed to the ground. Nozomu couldn''t take a defensive stance because he was attacked when he was completely taken aback, and his consciousness turned pure white due to the impact. In his vanishing consciousness, Nozomu''s hazy field of vision shifted from the Dragon''s fangs approaching in front of him to a man wearing silver armor and carrying a black gigantic sword that appeared like a gale from the depths of the bushes. ==================================== "Hmm¡­¡­" The darkness slowly faded. The first thing reflected in Nozomu''s blurry vision was the ceiling of the tent. "Where is this¡­¡­" "Looks like you''re awake." Looking at the person who spoke those words, Norn-sensei came from the back of the tent. Apparently, this was the first-aid station at the administrative headquarters. Norn came to Nozomu''side, grabbed his hand, measured his pulse, and looked into the back of his eyes to check his physical condition. Norn diagnosed Nozomu and told him what happened after he lost consciousness. According to the story, when Nozomu and the others were in trouble, Jihad, who received the report from Mimuru, took off immediately and started fighting the Undead Dragon. Eventually, the Dragon was slashed by a blow of Jihad''s gigantic sword, and its neck was severed. It seemed that the Dragon was defeated by being slashed by a single blow. "Yup. It''s alright now. Despite being undead, I was worried when I heard that you encountered a dragon, but I''m glad you''re safe." After finishing the diagnosis, Norn started to put away the equipment she used earlier. Nozomu was worried about everyone else''s condition and opened his mouth to ask Norn. "Umm... what about the others?" "Irisdina and the others have already been treated and are outside now. Certainly, everyone''s injuries aren''t minor, but none are life-threatening. Except for Sh¨©na..." "I''m here." Sh¨©na''s voice could be heard from the other side. When Nozomu turned around, there was Sh¨©na who just lifted her upper body on her bed. A bandage was wrapped around her head, and a bloodstained bandage could be seen from under her uniform coat. "¡­¡­~" Red spots on her white skin that shouldn''t have stains. Nozomu''s face was distorted by the painful sight. "...I''ll call Irisdina and the others. You two just get some rest." After Norn-sensei came out, the inside of the tent was filled with silence. Sh¨©na looked at Nozomu, but Nozomu couldn''t look back at her. (Because I couldn''t release my power at that time ...) Regret swirled in his heart. If he could release his Ability Suppression, they might not be hurt. "Hey ¡­¡­" Of course, that''s a possibility. But, that was meaningless now that the battle with the Undead Dragon was over. However, the fact that he couldn''t do what he needed when it mattered the most, deeply pierced Nozomu''s heart. "Hey!" "¡­¡­Eh~" Nozomu suddenly turned around because of Sh¨©na''s call. "Please listen. I''ve been calling you since a while ago..." "S-sorry..." Maybe she thought she was being ignored, Sh¨©na showed her dissatisfied expression to Nozomu. Nozomu hurriedly apologized to her, but his mind still drifted elsewhere. "Yup~, everyone''s safe, you know." Sh¨©na sighed at Nozom''s behavior, but maybe she was trying to cheer him up, so she spoke to Nozomu in a bright voice as much as she could, in the same way that Mimuru would usually say. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± But Nozomu''s expression showed no improvement, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists to endure something. Then they both fell silent. As silence enveloped the tent, Sh¨©na opened her mouth again to ask Nozomu something. "Hey, what was ..." "Nozomu, are you awake!?" But when she tried to say the words, Irisdina rushed into the tent to block her next words. Maybe she came in a hurry, she was breathing wildly and her chest was inflating and deflating violently. It seemed that Irisdina wasn''t the only one worried about them, Tima and Feo could be seen behind her. "Y-yeah. Looks like you two are alright." "Um. I''m glad ... I was worried." Irisdina was relieved when she saw Nozomu''s safety. Her pure feelings could be seen from her expression and her moist jet-black eyes. If others looked closely, she had bandages all over her body, just like Sh¨©na. "Yeah. Sorry, I made you guys worry..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu''s expression who saw Irisdina''s wound became even more cloudy. Irisdina fell silent because of Nozomu''s behavior. "Yo, Nozomu, the most important thing is that we''re fine. And also..." "Oi..." Feo who was behind Irisdina tried to talk to Nozomu, but just then, Mars appeared from behind them. "Mars¡­¡­" Maru appeared blocking Feo''s next words. He walked up to Nozomu''s bed, ignoring everyone else. The next moment, Mars'' fist was reflected in Nozomu''s field of vision, and shock hit Nozomu''s cheek. A striking sound echoed through the tent. Nozomu''s body was thrown off the bed and knocked down a table beside him. A medical examination instrument was thrown to the ground. Mars'' face was dyed fiery red with anger, and he was still glaring at Nozomu. "Why ..." Mars'' voice was suffocating. His clenched fist quivered, and he gritted his teeth to the point of crushing. "Why didn''t you take it seriously !!" Mars rushed to the fallen Nozomu and grabbed his chest. "If you were serious, you could have easily defeated such a lizard !!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu couldn''t say anything to Mars'' words. He just looked down and gritted his teeth to endure. Nozomu took his words as punishment. However, Mars became even more frustrated with Nozomu''s behavior, who said nothing. "This ... just say something!" Mars swung his fist again. Irisdina and the others were flabbergasted by the sudden occurrence, but they immediately tried to stop Mars from trying to hit Nozomu again. "Mars-kun! Don''t!" "Stop it! Mars!" "Wha~, calm down!" Tima and Irisdina clung to Mars'' arm, and Feo jumped onto his waist. Mars refused to lower his raised arm, despite three people trying to stop him. He let himself sank into anger and shook off Tima who was clinging to him. "Kyaa!" "Tima!" Tima, who wasn''t strong, was easily shaken off. Perhaps Tima twisted her leg, she was holding her ankle while her face was distorted in pain. However, since the anger has already reached his head, Mars didn''t even look at Tima, and he hit Nozomu again with his freed arm. Nozomu collapsed again on the medical examination instrument. Norn screamed from the tent entrance as Mars tried to plunge further into Nozomu. "What are you doing! This is no place for you to make such a fuss!" "~!!" Everyone became calm as if they were hit by water. Their eyes swam in the air and their behavior seemed awkward to one another. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Mars was still staring at Nozomu. His eyes were angry but somehow he looked sad and sullen. However, the color of his eyes changed to disappointment due to Nozomu''s behavior of refusing to say anything. "...I thought you were different..." "Ma-Mars-kun!" Mars spoke so, turned around, and left the tent. Tima called out Mars'' name, but he left without even looking back. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "...Nozomu, are you okay?" Nozomu, who had fallen, stood up, but his legs were weak and staggered. Irisdina offered her hand to support Nozomu''s body, but Nozomu didn''t take the outstretched hand. He ignored her and headed for the tent exit. Irisdina tried to reach Nozomu''s back as he left, but her hands couldn''t reach him and just float in the air. After the two came out, only heavy silence floated in the tent. Chapter 5.22 Translator : PolterGlast An Undead Dragon suddenly appeared during special training. Because of this, the special training was canceled and a thorough investigation had to be carried out. The students immediately returned to Arcazam. They were disbanded as soon as they arrived at the school and were confirmed to be safe. Jihad was in charge of the investigation on the field, so Irisdina and the others were dismissed by their substitute teacher, then they immediately headed to the 10th classroom. However, there were neither Nozomu nor Mars in the 10th classroom, and when they ask Jin and his friends, it seems that the two of them disappeared as soon as they arrived at school. "Everyone, did you find where Nozomu and Mars are!?" Irisdina and the others gathered in front of the main gate after searching around the school for a while. Maybe because they were running around in such a big school, everyone was gasping for air. "Haa, haa. They''re not at the training ground... How about you, Ai?" "My side isn''t good either. According to Anri-sensei, he was here when we arrived at Arcazam, but when I tried to ask the students in his class, he wasn''t around anymore..." After visiting the 10th classroom looking for the two, Irisdina visited the teacher''s office. She tried to hear about Nozomu from Anri, but she wasn''t in the teacher''s office either. Later, when she met Anri who was in the school building. Turns out Anri was also looking for the missing Nozomu and Mars. According to Anri''s story, they already disappeared even when she took the class rolls in the 10th classroom. "That means most likely the two of them aren''t in the school anymore..." "That''s true, but where are they then..." Feo muttered while looking out of the school, and Tom also agreed with Feo''s opinion. "It can''t be helped. I think we have no choice but to find a place where the two of them are likely to go." Mimuru suggested going out to the city and looking for them. At that time, there was a figure calling from Ecross school building. "Ane-sama!" "Somia!?" It was Somia. She rushed to Irisdina while attracting onlookers'' eyes and jumped into her chest. "Why are you here ..." Irisdina was confused by the appearance of Somia clinging to her body with all her might. Despite being confused about what happened, she gently hugged her beloved sister. "U-umm... I heard that Ane-sama and the others were injured in the fight against a Dragon during the training ... so I was worried ..." Somia spoke with a stuttering voice and tears in her eyes. Apparently, Somia was worried about her sister''s safety. She was quite anxious when she heard that Irisdina had fought a Dragon and she was injured. They are sisters who are tied by deep bonds. Somia, who heard that Irisdina was attacked by a Dragon, was frightened because she thought that she might lose her sister. Just like Irisdina who was swallowed up by despair when she was about to lose her sister. "It''s alright now. I''m here. I''m not going anywhere ..." "Fue, hick! Egu ..." Somia was desperately trying not to cry, but seeing her sister''s safety might have broken her tension. Tears spilled from her eyes. As Irisdina rubbed Somia''s back to comfort her sister, Somia slowly regained her composure. As Somia finished crying and slowly let go of her embrace, Sh¨©na asked Irisdina. ¡°Hey, Irisdina-san. I want to ask you a little, it''s about the things Mars-kun said, what does that mean?¡± "... What do you mean?" Seemed like, Irisdina didn''t understand what Sh¨©na meant. "Wasn''t Mars-kun said something like this, "You could defeat the dragon if you were serious". What does he mean by that? I know Nozomu is strong, but I don''t think he could easily defeat a dragon. Somehow ... is there something we don''t know? " "That is¡­¡­" Irisdina hesitated to answer Sh¨©na''s question. Sh¨©na and her friends did not know that Nozomu could release his Ability Suppression, nor did they know about the extraordinary power that Nozomu exerted at that time. And recently, Nozomu''s behavior has changed compared to before. (But¡­ it''s the same with us¡­ we don''t know much about that power he has. That extraordinary power¡­ it''s too powerful if it is just a mere release of suppressed power ... ) He described his power as the release of his Ability Suppression. However, if the originally suppressed power was released, it would be strange if Nozomu, who was good at controlling power, was drained of so much power. His way of fighting didn''t rely on power but made full use of his good control and excellent swordsmanship to get maximum effect with minimum power. His appearance when he released his Ability Suppression was contrary to that. "Irisdina-san... I wonder if you can tell me?" Sh¨©na stared at Irisdina. Her intentions were so strong that Irisdina immediately noticed that Sh¨©na was unwilling to back down. "......Ane-sama." Irisdina''s ears could hear Somia''s small voice but contained a strong will. Her best friend, Tima, also looked at Irisdina with the same eyes as Sh¨©na. Irisdina, who received their gazes, looked up at the western sky. The red-dyed sun was setting on the horizon. Nozomu and Mars are somewhere in this city. What are they doing now...? With that thought, she started to think about what happened on her sister''s birthday. It''s certainly not easy to talk about the secret agreement with the Waziart Family. However, the view of the city, which was dyed in twilight and began to be enveloped in darkness, fueled Irisdina''s impatience. If this continued, she couldn''t talk about anything¡­ Irisdina thought she had to do something. Otherwise, nothing will change. Between Nozomu and Mars... and them... Irisdina nodded as if she had made up her mind, and she faced Sh¨©na straight. "We knew it when Somia celebrated her 11th birthday ..." While taking Sh¨©na''s gaze head-on, the black-haired princess started to talk about the beginning she knew about him. *** In the forest where special training was held. After the special training was canceled, Jihad was investigating the cause of a dragon''s sudden appearance along with the Arkazam Guards and the dispatched investigators. When they investigated the inside of the hole where the dragon had appeared, there was empty space in it, and dragon bones were scattered here and there. "In other words, there''s a dragon''s lair underneath. Is that right, Torgrain-dono?..." Jihad''s calm voice echoed. In front of him was a hole where the Undead Dragon appeared. A man in his mid-20s in a white coat came to report. He came along with his escorts who were knights of the Silver Rainbow Knight Order. "Yes. I''ve examined the dragon remains in this hole. From the state of the scattered bones, they have died around 10 years ago. Moreover, most of the bones found are young dragons right before becoming adult dragons." A young man named Torgrain answered Jihad''s questions with humility. The gentle eyes that could be seen behind the glasses exuded intelligence. He also had a delicate physique, and of course, he was not one to make a living from fighting. In fact, he was a researcher at the Gloaurum Institute who was convened to investigate this matter. The Groaurum Institute is a comprehensive research institute built within Arcazam. The facilities of this research institute were built in parallel with the Solminati Academy, and researchers gathered from every country conducted various research day and night at the facility. The results obtained from the research were announced to each country once a year and were useful in many areas such as agricultural land development, city infrastructure, equipment development, countermeasures against monsters, and preparation for a major invasion that might occur again in the future. In addition, several researchers at the Gloaurum Institute gave lectures at the Solminati Academy which was also actively developing human resources. "10 years... in other words, it happened before Arcazam was built..." "Yes. The exit was blocked with rocks and dirt, so the exit was probably collapsed for some reason we don''t know. The young dragons that couldn''t be fed due to being trapped were killed by cannibalism. In the end, there was only one left. Although it was dormant due to lack of food, it probably died debilitatingly. " "Then it became undead ..." Arcazam, which was built after the great invasion 10 years ago, is a very young city. No wonder some people even lived here before Arcazam was founded. Of course, the surrounding area was investigated even before the construction of the city, but at that time the entrance to the dragon lair was blocked, and the surviving dragons were either dormant or had already become undead. "Torgrain-dono, what about the Undead Dragon that attacked the students?" "Nothing in particular. There was nothing special other than being undead." Jihad exhaled as if he was relieved by Torgrain''s words. The escort knights stared at him with puzzled expressions. Jihad looked up at the sky with his hands on his beard. Even though he was within a dim forest, he had far less visibility than before he started his investigation. Perhaps the day is getting dark. "... Alright. We will conduct a detailed investigation later, but it''s almost dark, so we are going back to Arcazam for today. Prepare for withdrawal ... " "Alright." "Understood." After instructing Torgrain and his men to prepare for withdrawal, Jihad looked down at the large hole in the ground. Beyond the hole, deep darkness looked back at his face. In the report, no demon beast-like creatures could be found in the depths of the hole. He simply stared at the inside of the supposedly empty hole, watching the investigators and knights went up to the ground one after another. *** Arcazam commercial district after the sun set in the west and starlight filling the sky. As usual, the lights never went out even at night, and the voices of people passing over the stone pavement illuminated by street lamps resounded. At Ushitotei, an inn as well as a bar in the corner of the commercial district, a young man was drinking sake in desperation. The young man, Mars Dickens, arranged the countless sake bottles on the table and increased to the number of empty bottles one after another. He was quite frustrated, giving off an atmosphere that seemed like he would explode just by touching him. Because of the intimidation he gave, all the customers who just walked into the shop today had to return their heels and leave immediately. "Glug, glug ... haa ..." Mars poured the sake into the glass and drank it all at once. He didn''t care about the deserted state of the store. Along with a burning sensation in his throat, the sake fell into his stomach, and Mars'' head became hazy and vague each time he drank. However, no matter how much he drank, Nozomu still flashed through his mind. Nozomu''s appearance in mock battles at the end of the second year. Called him to the outskirts of the city and challenged him to a battle. After that brought him to Ushitotei and mocked each other on the way home. Always training together at the outskirts after they start talking to each other. His figure overwhelmed the S-class vampire, Rugato, in a battle. All of that shone so brightly, but the anger that burned his body did not subside. (That guy! Why didn''t he take it seriously! With his abilities, it would have been easy for him to defeat it! )) However, the more he felt irritated at Nozomu who didn''t do his best, the more Mars felt something different from anger welling up inside of him. To deceive his own feelings, Mars drank sake once more. At that time, Ena who couldn''t stand seeing Mars'' behavior, complained to Mars with an angry expression. "On¨©chan, please stop. If you drink in this place like this. All the customers will be going away!" "Shut up..." Ignoring Ena''s complaint, Mars tried to pour more sake into the empty glass, but Ena reached out from the side and took the sake bottle and glass away from him. "... Give it back." "No. On¨©chan today is just being a nuisance." Ena refused Mars'' request. In addition, Hannah at the counter went along with Ena. "That''s right, Mars. There''s no more sake in the store for you to drink! "Tch ..." Mars who was drunk, glared at Ena and Hannah while clicking his tongue. But then, Dell, who was cleaning the floor, called his name. "¡­¡­Mars" "...What''s wrong? Oi! What are you doing!" Suddenly, Mars was grabbed by Dell. He desperately resisted it, but Mars'' resistance was no big deal to Dell''s sturdy arm. "I don''t know what happened, but you can''t do anything with such a hot head. Cool your head in the night breeze for a while." "Wha! Uo!" Dell dragged the resisting Mars to the store entrance and threw him down the main street. While the thrown Mars groaned, the owner of the Ushitotei quickly changed the "Open" tag hanging on the entrance to "In Preparation" and closed the door to lock it. "Haa, we''re in trouble because of on¨©chan, aren''t we?..." "There''s nothing we can do about the store today. The customers are completely gone ... " A sigh escaped from Ena and Hannah''s mouths. Inside the store, there was the sound of Mars hitting the door violently. However, he realized that he couldn''t enter, so he left. After a while, the hitting sound on the door stopped. "But... I wonder what happened to on¨©chan. He hasn''t been like that lately..." "That''s true. He hasn''t gone berserk or gone wild since he met Nozomu-kun..." While saying so, Ena and Hannah recalled Mars'' behavior which had started to change recently. After meeting Nozomu, Mars no longer rampaged as he used to be. Certainly, he still looked scary to everyone in the shopping district, and although he used his brute force to get rid of the bad drunkards who visited the store, he didn''t bother other stores. However, Mars'' behavior since he came back today was the same as him when he was still rough. Ena''s gaze glanced at the locked entrance while cleaning the table where Mars was, wondering what was going on at school. Dell''s big hand gently rested on Ena''s shoulder. "Don''t worry. He may be like that now, but if he calms down, he will come back. At that time, we should give him a scolding or two." "Father¡­¡­" A warm hand rested on Ena''s shoulder. The warmth she felt from those hands. Perhaps she was comforted by the warmth, Ena''s expression that had sunk gradually recovered. "That''s right. He made Ena sad, so I have something to settle with him." Hannah puffed out her chest with a smirk to reassure her daughter. Ena''s tension was loosened due to Hannah''s smile, and Ena smiled back at her and gave a small nod. At that moment, the entrance door was lightly knocked. "Yes, who is it?" Mars seemed to have left earlier, so Ena wondered if a guest had arrived, and when she opened the door, there was a brown-haired girl who was out of breath. "Ti, Tima-san ..." "Haa, haa ... I''m sorry for visiting this late at night! Mars-kun, is he back yet!?" Perhaps she was in a hurry, Tima''s white skin was burning red, and white steam was rising from her body. She turned her glance at Ena, while still breathing roughly on the chilly spring night. "On¨©chan had been drinking sake in the store a while ago, but he was kicked out by father just now ..." When Tima heard her words, Tima dropped her shoulders. At first, Tima tried to ask Ena about Mars, but when she felt Ena''s innocent atmosphere, she didn''t open her mouth. "U-ummm... On¨©chan''s behavior has been weird ever since he came back. Certainly, on¨©chan hasn''t done anything bad recently, but today he was drinking sake at the store... What happened?" "Um, that is ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tima opened her eyes wide upon hearing Ena''s words. Ena was convinced that Tima knew something was going on, so Ena looked at Tima with her piercing gaze. Tima tried to avert her eyes, but her eyes met Hannah''s and Dell''s eyes. The two of them also looked straight at Tima, and Tima knew they were worried about Mars. "U-umm ... Actually ..." The moment Tima was pushed by their strong gazes. She thought she needed to find the whereabouts of Mars anyway, so she started talking about what happened at school. *** "Haa, haa ... uph~!" Mars, who had been kicked out of the store, walked through the back streets of the commercial district with an unsteady gait while being drunk. Unlike the main street, which was neatly cleaned and illuminated by the lights, this place was dimly lit with dust scattered around. However, the dimness was reassuring for the current Mars. At least he didn''t have to be seen by others like this. "Ugh~ ... Kuh~" He supported his staggering body with his hands on the wall. Nozomu''s appearance still crossed his mind. However, perhaps because he stopped drinking the sake that had dulled his mind, his feelings and thoughts were a little calmer than when he was at Ushitotei. It was certain that Mars'' irritation for Nozomu, who didn''t fight seriously even though his comrades were going through a crisis, burned in his chest. However, at the same time, Mars also remembered that Nozomu''s behavior had become strange recently. Nozomu had been depressed for quite some time, but despite experiencing some problems, he desperately tried to hide it. Mars'' hand was reflected in his blurred field of view. It was the right hand he used to hit Nozomu out of anger today. (Damn it ... why... I wonder why he couldn''t trust us that much ...) However, his reasoning, which slightly returned, was immediately swallowed up by anger. Nozomu was just looked down without replying. Nozomu''s appearance at that time reminded him of the time Nozomu was despised and bullied, and his anger turned his vision bright red. But at the same time, Mars also felt a pang of fierce guilt for some reason. Mars gradually quickened his pace, all the while feeling the agony of his anger towards Nozomu and the guilt he didn''t even know the reason for. At that time, Mars heard people making noises in his ears. "No, please stop!" "You came to a place like this late at night alone. Isn''t that why you wanted to play, right?" "How about playing with us? Until morning, of course!" He heard the voice of a woman asking for help and the voices of vulgar men. As Mars walked towards the source of the voices with a hazy mind, he immediately saw young men of the same age as him hanging out in the back alley. The young men surrounded a woman and argued. What they did was picking up a woman on the street, but it was too one-sided and lacked consideration. The woman clearly didn''t like it, and she desperately shook her hands as she tried to escape from the approaching men. The surrounding men were bad and assholes in terms of appearance and behavior, but Mars found faces he was familiar with. "... You guys, what the hell are you doing?" Mars'' eyes were glued on the two men closest to the woman amidst the bad guys. They were the 10-class students who used to be Mars'' entourage. "Oh? ... What is it? Mars?" "You can see for yourself, right? We''re playing." "P-please let me go!" One of them grabbed the woman''s arm. The woman desperately tried to shake it off, but her opponent was a student of the Solminati Academy. Albeit in the 10th class, the power of an ordinary woman couldn''t even affect him. On the other hand, the men became even more excited to see a woman desperately rejecting them but she couldn''t. They jeered at the woman while trying to touch her breasts and buttocks. "Hyuuu~~. She has a pretty good body! This is a hit." "Oh! I thought we could enjoy it for the first time in a long time. Hey, never let her go." "S-st-stop..." Perhaps her fear towards the men who continued to be excited had finally exceeded the limit, the woman fell and sat on the ground. "Isn''t it alright? It''s your first time in this city, right? So why don''t we make some good memories together while we''re here..." Their words didn''t consider the woman''s feelings at all. Another man surrounding her tried to touch the woman''s clothes. However, the next moment, Mars'' former entourage was punched and flew through the air. "Mars! Damn you! What the hell are you doing!" It was Mars who punch him. The former entourage falls to the ground while involving the other men. "You guys are noisy. I''m frustrated right now. What you guys doing in front of me makes me even more frustrated..." All the men became furious in an instant when they saw their comrades being beaten. However, Mars glared at them without moving. In such a situation, the one who came forward was Mars'' other former entourage who should have known Mars'' abilities more than anyone else. "Hee~... you want to fight me?" "Hey! What are you talking about? We won''t lose to you whose fangs are completely ripped out and become tame!" Mars smirked. What swirled inside his chest was the urge to release his frustration and the joy of finding a place to vent it. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "Generally speaking, it was since you hanging out with that lowest ..." The moment the former entourage mentioned Nozomu, Mars exploded and immediately hit the former entourage. It signaled the start of the brawl. For a while, punching and kicking sounds, and swearing voices continued to echo in the back alley. *** "-Ugh! Those bastards ..." Mars, who had a fierce brawl with his former entourages, did not return to the main street but sat down in the back alley with his back on the wall of a house. His beaten face swelled red in several places, and when he touched it, he felt a tingling sensation. The brawl itself ended after both sides hit each other for a while and then the woman who fled in that gap called the military police. Maybe it was unpleasant to be taken by the military police, the men immediately stopped the fight and ran away in a hurry. Mars was drunk and couldn''t use his martial arts. So he couldn''t put up a meaningful fight against as many as 10 opponents. As a result, he only receiving hits repeatedly, causing scratches around his face, and it was still throbbing and painful. (... what am I doing...) Mars ridiculed himself when he remembered having a fight with his former entourages. From someone else''s point of view, Mars seemed to be helping the woman, but in truth, he didn''t care about the woman. However, he just wanted a place to vent his anger. Anything was fine as long as he could release his frustration. It was such an uncool thing to do. (¡­¡­¡­¡­) Mars'' head had cooled down due to the rampage. But instead, he felt guilty for punching Nozomu and guilty for hitting his friend in a fit of anger. However, the anger that continued to smolder in his heart never disappeared. The fire of "anger" had actually been in his heart for a long time. Mars has had strong physical strength since he was a child and has formed a habit of acting violently. The reason he rampaged was the anger that always arose in his heart. Even though he realized that strong anger was constantly rising within him, his young heart was unable to contain the anger. Even now, the anger inside him was trying to rage with guilt. Mars clenched his fists and gritted his teeth to resist it. (Damn it ... why am I always like this ...) Mars felt angry towards himself for not being able to control his own "anger". Every feeling he felt would turn into anger and continue to erode his heart. (Perhaps she is also disgusted... seeing these bad habits of mine and the pathetic me earlier...) Tima''s face appeared in his mind. She taught him magic, accompanied him in his selfishness, and she wasn''t the type to abuse her own powers. At first, Mars thought Tima was a sloppy and pathetic person, but she was actually a strong and surprisingly dependable girl even in an emergency. But Mars disappointed her. He disregarded her advice and used the unstable combination technique, putting all of his companions in a pinch and imposing an unnecessary burden on them. At that time, the reason why Nozomu and the others were in trouble was that Mars couldn''t control his technique. He didn''t want to admit and correct his mistakes so he blamed everything on Nozomu. (Really¡­ I''m so pathetic¡­) A dry laugh escaped from Mars'' mouth. At that moment, Mars felt the presence of someone running towards him. "Haa, haa, haa... I found you. Mars-kun." His name was called by someone. When Mars raised his face, there was the face of the girl he had just thought of. He didn''t understand why she was smiling at him in relief, even though she should have been mad at him. Tima walked towards Mars and sat next to him. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Mars and Tima were silent to each other. Only the hustle and bustle of the main street echoed in the dimly lit back alley. The two were silent for a while, but Tima nodded as if she had decided something, and slowly started to speak. "Mars-kun. I''ve heard, about Mars-kun and Ena-san''s real parents..." "~! Where did you hear that story from!!" Mars reflexively shouted and questioned Tima. The only one who should know about that story is his family. "...After school, when I went to Ushitotei looking for Mars-kun, Hannah-san who heard the situation spoke to me..." "... Tch!" After Tima visited Ushitotei to look for Mars and told Hannah and the others about his situation at school, they looked down with serious expressions. Ena clung to Hannah as if she was afraid of something. After that, Dell exhaled and started talking slowly about Mars and Ena''s past. Hannah and Dell are not Mars and Ena''s real parents. Mars and Ena''s mother died from a pandemic when Mars was young. Then, after losing his wife, their depressed father begins to drown in alcohol and women. And he gradually stopped returning home. Their father gradually disappeared for a day or two. When he came home, he did not see them and locked himself in his room. Mars and Ena, who were still young, desperately called their father outside the room, but the father who came out of the room did not speak kindly to them and used violence instead. Their fathers did not stop using violence even if they begged him to stop. Mars and Ena, who were still children, had no choice but to endure the violence from their father. When such days continued for about a year, their father finally stopped coming back. According to the stories they heard, he fled to another city with a woman he met at a bar. After that, the relatives discussed what to do with the two who had lost their parents, but what happened was not a discussion, but throwing responsibilities at each other. At that time, there were still various anxieties due to the lingering effects of the great invasion. All the relatives only think of protecting their own home. They threw cursing words at each other in front of the eyes of the brother and sister huddled together on the edge of the room. It was at that time. The fire of anger lit up in Mars'' chest. He shouted at them and told them to be quiet as he held Ena. However, at that moment, there was a woman who suddenly shouted and interrupted the conversation between the disputing relatives. She was an aunt in the neighborhood who befriended Mars'' parents when they were alive, and she cherished the two of them very dearly. She spoke to Mars and Ena, who were clinging to each other, and to relatives who didn''t even see the two of them. She said, "I will adopt them", and took their hands and went to her own home. Her husband was initially surprised when he saw his wife suddenly bring two children back. They were originally a couple who were not blessed with children. Her husband also nodded without saying anything when he heard the situation and agreed to adopt the two of them. It was Hannah and her husband, Dell, who brought Mars and Ena back to their home. When she heard this story. Tima opened her eyes wide in surprise. It was true that Ena and Hannah often angered Mars, but that was probably due to their very close family ties, and Tima also felt that their entire family trusted each other internally. In fact, she heard that Mars never brought his entourage to Ushitotei. However, although his current family believed in each other, Mars still couldn''t control his anger until now. After hearing Hannah''s story, Tima knew. It was a kind of self-defense. The trauma he experienced when he was a child. It was his act of desperation due to the fact that he was abandoned by his relatives and the unreasonable violence he received when he was a child. "...I want to be strong... I want to be strong enough to overwhelm such unreasonableness. In my heart, I thought that if only I had the same strength as Nozomu or you..." That was the real reason why he continued to seek power. And he was jealous of those who had the power. "I thought if you taught me magic I would be able to grasp that power, but that was my misunderstanding... In the end, I couldn''t even control my anger." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tima just sat next to Mars listening to him talking to himself while hanging his head down. "...Such a pitiful story, huh? I drowned in my own anger, and what I did was the same as that damn man..." "...Mars-kun" Mars'' regrets and confessions. The days when he couldn''t contain the anger raging in his heart, his jealousy towards his friends, and his confession of the mistakes he made. His thoughts started to overflow and never stopped, and it was the first time for Mars to reveal what was on his mind to others. "It''s the same... What I did to Nozomu today. I was overwhelmed and proud to be able to use that technique. Back then, if I had left it to Sh¨©na and the others, this probably wouldn''t have happened... In the end, I just... " Mars gritted his teeth and blood dripped from his clenched fists. Tima gently put her hand on top of Mars''s hand. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "Tima?" Mars tilted his head, probably wondering about Tima''s actions. Tima clasped Mars'' hand and once again opened her mouth while looking straight at him. "I know. Actually, Mars-kun is very kind. Everyone knows. Ai, Nozomu-kun, Somia-chan, even Sh¨©na-san too..." Tima spoke the words slowly so she could convey them to him. "Mars-kun, you know... When we fought against Rugato-san before, this hand protected me... and this hand also helped my best friend." Tima''s hands were a little cold. However, for some reason, her hands felt warm for Mars. It was able to melt the frozen ice and unravel Mars'' solid heart. "What Mars-kun did might be a little wrong, but we can still fix it. Since you''re not alone, Nozomu-kun and we are still here for you, right?" Hearing Tima''s words, Mars raised his face with a surprised expression. The time with his real father, who is now gone, could no longer be brought forward. Ever since his father ran away, Mars really had nowhere to vent his anger in his heart. However, if it''s with Nozomu, he can still make it in time. Since Nozomu should still be in the city, Mars wanted to meet his friend once again. "... Can I make it in time?" His inner anxiety did not go away, so Mars asked Tima to make sure, and Tima answered in a firm tone. "You''ll make it in time. Yup, let''s make it in time. You''ll meet Nozomu again and say it properly this time. "You! What are you hiding from us!" let''s tell him that." "Haha... Are you trying to imitate me?" Perhaps Mars found it a bit funny when Tima imitated his tone, a natural smile appearing on his face. Mars closed his eyes again and took a deep breath to organize his thoughts. Mars took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly as if he was dispelling his anger. Exhaling and opening his eyes as if he had made up his mind, and he stood up vigorously. "...That''s right. I have to meet him again and apologize. "Don''t hide anything from us!", I have to say that to him." A fearless smile appeared on Mars'' face. It was his usual expression. A smile also appeared on Tima''s face when she saw Mars'' expression. The same thing they were thinking about, (Meet Nozomu, bow down and apologize to him, then ask Nozomu to tell us what he''s hiding.) "Then, for the time being, we have to find where that Nozomu guy is ..." "That''s right. Ai and the others are still looking around the city, so we ... aw~!" Once they decided what they were going to do, the two of them tried to find Nozomu in a hurry. However, Tima''s face was distorted when she tried to stand up, and her body staggered. In a hurry, Mars supported her body. Mars'' eyes caught the sight of Tima''s ankle which was swollen red. "You ... that ankle." Mars looked at Tima''s ankle with a surprised expression. The next moment, his expression turned harsh. He realized that her wound was due to him pushing her when he hit Nozomu. "Eh!? Ah! I-it''s okay. It hurt a while ago, but now I don''t feel much pain anymore..." Tima panicked when Mars saw the wound on her ankle. She tried to gloss it over, but Mars yelled at Tima. "Idiot! Of course, it''s not okay! It''s getting worse!" "Eh~! Wait! Mars-kun!?" Mars put his hands on her shoulders and legs. He picked her up and hugged her. He immediately started running. His destination was Ushitotei. His head was full of the thought that he needed to take care of her right away, and he didn''t notice Tima''s face turning bright red due to the way he carried her which was princess carry. "Anyway! Let''s go to my house and treat you right away!" "E~, ah! Wait, wait!... Kyaa!" Mars ran across the city at night while listening to Tima''s screams. By the way, after arriving at Ushitotei and treating Tima, he was scolded by Hannah and Ena, and they also questioned them about the princess carry, and both of them made their faces turn bright red. Chapter 5.23 Translator : PolterGlast Unlike in the city, the outskirts of Arcazam were shrouded in darkness. The moonlight illuminates the overgrown vegetation, and the fireflies dance with their faint light. Nozomu was in a place not too far from where he always trained with Irisdina and the others. He desperately swung his katana while standing on the grass. It was as if he was desperately trying to shake off something that had attached to him. "~!!" Regardless of his intention, he kept swinging his katana over and over again. The slash of his sword that flashed in the darkness of the night was fierce, but it still stood out under the moonlight and fireflies. "Haa, haa, haa ... !!" Due to the influence of Ability Suppression, he felt exhausted in the blink of an eye, and a tremendous sense of malaise invaded Nozomu''s body. But Nozomu bit his lip, endured the pain, and tried to send his Qi into the katana with all his might. "Kuh~! This ... Ugh~!" However, due to the sudden depletion of Qi, his legs became unsteady. Even so, he kept trying to swing his katana while regaining his posture, but the balance that had begun to crumble did not recover, and instead, swinging his katana in an unstable posture caused him to fatally break his posture. "Uwa!!" Nozomu managed to support his body by touching the ground. He tried to stand up again to continue swinging his katana, but no matter how hard he put his strength into his legs, his legs didn''t move. "Damn it!" He thrust his katana into the ground and used it as a cane as Nozomu desperately tried to stand up. However, his unsteady body did not move as he wished. After arriving at Arcazam, Nozomu headed straight for this outskirt and continued swinging his katana. His chaotic mind made him not able to think about his own exhausted body. "Ku~uu!" Nozomu even touches the invisible chain that binds him. He tried to tear off the chain as he lose his calmness and vents his anger towards it. However, the invisible chains that were easily torn like paper in the past, were now tightly wrapped around Nozomu''s body like real chains. Nozomu even touched the invisible chains that bound him. He tried to tear off the chain as he lost his composure and vented his anger towards it. However, the invisible chains that used to be easily torn like paper, were now tightly wrapped around Nozomu''s body like real chains. "... Damn, damn it..." It was that feeling of fierce guilt and deep remorse that assaulted his immobile heart. On top of that, the swordplay he was waving right now was so terrible. If his master had seen him, he would have been beaten without question. His katana would have been taken away and ordered to redo his training. Nozomu punched the ground with all his might as he got angry towards himself who could only swing such pathetic swordplay. Blood dripped from his clenched lips and fell onto his fist. The light of the fireflies flew around as if dancing to cheer him up. "... So you''re in a place like this." A bell-like voice could be heard. The moment Nozomu lifted his face, a long blue hair fluttered in the wind, and white porcelain-like skin illuminated by the moonlight jumped into his eyes. "Hey ... what are you doing in a place like this ..." It was Sh¨©na Yuliel who stood there. Perhaps she got pretty impatient and ran until she reached here, her long blue hair was messed up here and there. "You too... why did you come to this place ..." Nozomu asked with a surprised expression. He didn''t know why Sh¨©na was here. Sh¨©na answered with an amazed expression as if she was wondering why she had to answer such a silly question. "Of course I came to look for you. You didn''t go back to school and suddenly disappeared¡­ So, everyone has been looking for you." "Everyone¡­¡­" Nozomu muttered with an unclear facial expression. Sh¨©na came towards the soulless Nozomu, and she crouched down beside him. "Yup~. Irisdina-san, Tima-san, Somia-san. Anri-sensei, Mimuru, Tom. Even that troublesome Feo is looking for you, you know?" "I see¡­¡­" Sh¨©na tried to speak cheerfully, but she couldn''t change Nozomu''s clouded expression. His lips were tightly shut and he refused to talk to her any more than that. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu and Sh¨©na fell silent. Sh¨©na glanced sideways, but Nozomu didn''t seem to want to speak. She sighed as she couldn''t help it, and she started talking about what she could call a trump card she had heard from Irisdina earlier. "I heard from Irisdina-san. About your power..." "~!!" A feeling of tension ran down Nozomu''s face in an instant. Surprise and fear could be seen from the expression on his face. Sh¨©na didn''t know what he was afraid of, but she thought she had to talk anyway, so she continued to speak no matter what. "Release of Ability Suppression. I''ve never heard of such an ability before. I haven''t even seen it in a book in the school library." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu''s answer was silence. Either he didn''t want to answer or he couldn''t. But Sh¨©na presumed it might be both. ¡°Moreover, you fought against vampires of the Waziart Family and won. It was one of the seven clans that united the Dizart Empire. What you did is just like a very unbelievable story ..." The story told by Sh¨©na showed that Irisdina and the others knew how powerful Nozomu''s power was. At the same time, the guilt for having kept hiding so much power swelled in Nozomu''s heart. "...Isn''t that true? Stories like that are like delusions you can easily hear from anywhere..." The words that somehow came out of Nozomu''s mouth were painful words that seemed to be self-deprecating. Naturally, Sh¨©na cut off meaningless words "Sure. If they don''t know you, they will judge you like that. That is if they only know the "Nozomu Bountis at school"..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Sh¨©na emphasized the words "him at school". That was as proof of her belief in Irisdina''s story, and as a precautionary line to keep Nozomu from evading. "But we already know. You''re totally different from the person in the rumors. The abilities and personalities. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have helped me who used to say harsh words to you." Sh¨©na laughed and smiled at Nozomu. However, Nozomu couldn''t see her smile. Let alone her smile, he was facing his head down and didn''t even look at her face. "...But I couldn''t do my best back then. If I had fought with all my strength at that time, Tom wouldn''t have been hurt and Sh¨©na wouldn''t have experienced something so unreasonable. I couldn''t do anything even though I had power that I can use¡­¡± The words that came out of his mouth were words of regret and confession as if he had condemned himself. Nozomu felt guilty for not being able to remove the chains when Sh¨©na and her friends were attacked by the black demon beast. Even though he knew he had to move forward, he screamed in his heart that he couldn''t do it. "But I''m grateful because you helped me face Mimuru, Tom, and the spirits again." However, Sh¨©na didn''t blame him when she heard his confession. It wasn''t blaming words that came out of her mouth, but words of gratitude. Nozomu looked at Sh¨©na with an expression as if he didn''t understand why she said such words. "Sure, you may not have been able to use that power, but what you did helped me to understand what was important. Previously, I only thought about fulfilling my hatred and anger, and when I bumped into a wall, you gave me a chance to remember that I had friends who supported me. Also, if you didn''t come to help me back then, I would have been killed by that demon beast. " Previously, Sh¨©na''s mind was filled with taking revenge on the black demon beast and regaining her hometown. When she encountered the same demon beast as her past enemy, she confronted the demon beast while she was still caught up in her revenge, but as a result, she was greatly defeated without a fight. In addition, Tom gets injured due to her selfishness, which then caused her to collide with Mimuru. After that, while suffering from her own sense of responsibility and helplessness, Sh¨©na left the injured Mimuru and Tom to Nozomu and tried to fight the black demon beast alone. However, she couldn''t compete with the black demon beast alone. The archery she practiced was unable to reach it, and she desperately asked for the spirit''s help. However, her heart, which was unstable due to revenge and responsibility, did not reach the spirits who were frightened by the black demon beast. Nozomu, who was chasing after her, appeared in front of Sh¨©na, who already gave up because she couldn''t do anything anymore. ¡°Why are you chasing after me!¡±, Sh¨©na made such a loud voice. Nozomu faced the black demon beast while saying, "You fool!" After that, Sh¨©na collided with Tom and Mimuru. They collided with their true intentions, and because they could understand each other, she was able to make a contract with the spirits. Finally, she was able to defeat the black demon beast. But that was also because Nozomu made it in time. (That''s right. You''re not helpless. Even when you can''t move forward, you''re still desperate to help us¡­) At that time, he was able to help Sh¨©na and her friends many times. He served as bait for them to escape, provided a place for the injured Tom, and prepared food for them. She didn''t think Nozomu was a helpless person because he helped them even though he was having a hard time. "And... if you had shown your strength back then, I''m sure I would have become even more impatient and thought if I could have that power." As far as she heard from Irisdna''s story, she determined that Nozomu''s power when he released his Ability Suppression would be considerable. And his power was enough to fight against that black demon beast. That''s why, if she were to see Nozomu''s power at that time, she would definitely be eager to get that power. If that happened, there probably wouldn''t be a chance for Tom, Mimuru, and the spirits to support her. "That''s why I''m content with this. At least that''s what I think." While staring straight at Nozomu, she declared with her dignified expression that this was fine. Nozomu just stared back at Sh¨©na in a daze. "Also, I get worried if you make such a miserable facial expression. That''s why... umm..." Nozomu''s gaze was fixed on Sh¨©na. In response to his gaze, Sh¨©na suddenly felt her face heat up, and she suddenly became embarrassed to see Nozomu''s face, so she averted her gaze away. Nozomu tilted his head at Sh¨©na, who suddenly changed her behavior. At that moment, a voice that could be heard from afar echoed. "I found you~~~!" ""Eh?"" Sh¨©na turned her gaze towards the source of the slow-paced voice, and there was a shadow of a person rushing towards them while raising a cloud of dust. If they looked closely, the shadow was slender and feminine, but the dust cloud rising behind it was so great that neither of them could accept such a scene as realistic. "Nozomu-ku~~n !!" The shadow rushing towards them was Anri-sensei who was also looking for Nozomu. She rushed towards Nozomu in a hurry, and she jumped at him with all her might. "Bufu!!" Nozomu couldn''t receive her properly because he was shocked. Nozomu''s body was pushed down by Anri. His back slammed into the ground with his face pressed against her chest. "Why did you suddenly disappear~. I was looking for you~! I was worried about you~~! I didn''t know where did you go~~ !!" Anri-sensei shook Nozomu''s body violently with her chest pressed against Nozomu''s face. As he was sandwiched, Nozomu felt pain run up the back of his head together with a soft sensation on his face. "...Anri-sensei, please calm down." Sh¨©na pulled Anri away from Nozomu. Anri looked dissatisfied, but Sh¨©na naturally ignored her. The released Nozomu muttered Anri''s name as if surprised by her sudden appearance. "Anri-sensei..." "Nozomu-kun, are you okay~?" The back of his head still hurt, but Nozomu couldn''t take his eyes off Anri. "Are you hurt anywhere~? Irisdina and everyone are worried about you~" Seeing Anri''s worried eyes looking at him, Nozomu finally realized the fact that everyone was worried about him. At the same time, he felt that he was not alone. What appeared in Nozomu''s mind was the face of his master, who had a relieved smile on her face after he survived the death battle with Tiamat. For some reason, his master''s face overlapped with Anri''s face in front of him. "Anri-sensei. I..." "Hmm? What''s wrong~?" She had the same smiling expression as usual. Her expression was warm and looked like his master when she was welcoming him home after fighting Tiamat. Perhaps, he felt compelled by that gaze, or because he confessed to Sh¨©na that he had the power to defeat the Undead Dragon. When Nozomu noticed, he naturally spoke the words he had been hiding until now. "... I... What should I do?" "Hm~?" Anri tilted her head at Nozomu''s words. "...I''ve been hiding something. Believe it or not, actually, I have a way to defeat the Undead Dragon." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu suddenly started confessing. Anri didn''t say anything, she just listened to Nozomu''s words. ¡°Today, when we were attacked by the Undead Dragon, even though I had the power to do something about it, in the end, I couldn''t do it¡­ Because of that, everyone was injured¡­¡± Nozomu''s words stopped there due to his regret. Anri who was staring at the silent Nozomu slowly opened her mouth, and Nozomu was surprised by the words that came out of her mouth. "Hey, Nozomu-kun. Why didn''t Nozomu-kun consult it to your master." "Eh!?" "Master?" Sh¨©na, who couldn''t grasp the conversation, was tilting her head, but Nozomu was unaware of Sh¨©na''s appearance and stared at Anri with his eyes wide open. It was natural. Nozomu had never told anyone about Shino. "H-how did you know about Shish¨­!? I never told anyone..." "Because~...Nozomu-kun, you used to use a sword instead of a katana at the beginning of the first year, right? If such Nozomu was able to learn so many katana techniques in just the last few years, I wonder if there was someone who taught you." Nozomu gasped reflexively. No matter how talented he was, it wasn''t easy to change from a sword technique to a katana technique on his own. Then it''s normal to think that someone else taught Nozomu about katana techniques. It wasn''t strange that Anri, who had been watching him since the first year, noticed that. "...Yes, that''s true. I had Shish¨­ who taught me katana technique." "Who is that person~~?" "... She just passed away the other day." Nozomu''s face had a sad expression. Anri who heard Nozomu''s words lowered her head and apologized. "... Sorry ~" "It''s okay. Shish¨­ was able to laugh at the end ..." It seemed that talking about Shino even a little was able to stimulate him. Nozomu started talking about the days he spent with her. "After I was dumped by Lisa and trained desperately in the forest, it was Shish¨­ who helped me when I was attacked by a demon beast. It was the starting point for me to learn about katana techniques, and every day after school and when there were no classes, I was training with Shish¨­ in the forest. " Ever since he met Shino, he started using a katana instead of a sword. The hellish training days that started at that time. He ran around in the forest where the demon beasts were and repeated sparring that could cause serious injury even if he made the slightest mistake. After receiving her teachings, he was desperate to survive every day. However, Nozomu''s tone was very gentle, contrary to the content of the story, and even a smile appeared on his mouth. Nozomu talked about his days with Shino with an expression that looked like he was proud of his precious jewels. He showed Sh¨©na and Anri a different side of him compared to when he was at school. "Nozomu-kun~, it seems that you really love that person~" "... Yes. She was a very ridiculous person, and I was bullied during the training every time, but ... she was a very important person to me." She was certainly a ridiculous person. Despite her extraordinary abilities and experience, she was childish on the inside, sometimes throwing tantrums and there were times when she broke into a smile due to sweets. Nozomu trained with her for about two years. He didn''t spend much time with Lisa and the others, but the time he spent in that hut still occupies a big part of Nozomu''s heart to this day. "...At the end, Shish¨­ told me, "It''s fine to run away, but keep in mind that you''ve run away. Even if you run away now, if you don''t forget about it, you will move forward one day." " Shino''s last words. These were words of support for the current Nozomu and it became a promise between Nozomu and her. ¡°I thought I would be able to move forwards if I kept it in my heart¡­ but, in the end, I ran away again¡­¡± Even if he kept remembering the promise and realized that he was running away, he couldn''t move forward until now. There was a mocking smile on Nozomu''s face as if to despise himself. "...Nozomu-kun might have run away~. But you can still start over, right~. Because Irisdina-san and the others are still looking for you~" "That''s right. Irisdina-san and the others were looking for you. If they didn''t care about you, they wouldn''t be looking for you like they do now." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Anri and Sh¨©na tried to encourage Nozomu, but he still couldn''t take any big steps. However, the fact that he could understand them even a little gave Nozomu the courage to take half a step forward. To Nozomu, who had endured growing anxiety alone thus far, their words were like the shining moonlight to guide him through the overgrown branches of trees as he got lost in the pitch-black forest. "...So, Nozomu-kun. What do you want to do now?" "...I want to be with everyone..." He wanted to be with everyone. He didn''t want to go back to when he was alone. Those must be Nozomu''s true feelings. Betrayed by his best friend, his lover disappeared from his side, and the heartless words and gazes around him continued to pierce his heart. And his heart stopped and his mind couldn''t think of anything. He always kept his head down and spent his days covering his ears. "I was alone at school all the time. I kept running away and trying to stay alone. I only talked when I was with Shish¨­ ..." From Anri''s words earlier, not everyone in the school looked down on Nozomu. However, Nozomu, who had closed his heart, was not aware of such a thing. He couldn''t realize it. "Sometimes, Shish¨­ took care of me all night when I came back after being injured in battle. When Shish¨­ told me, "Welcome home", I cried unintentionally ... However, Shish¨­ is now already passed away." Shino already passed away. If Nozomu was still the same as before, with his heart closed, he would have been truly feeling lonely. However, he didn''t. There was a promise with his master. And he met Mars, Irisdina, and the others. "It was really fun to be with Iris, Mars, and everyone ... I was happy to have someone next to me and when we were talking, it makes me forgot about the time." "Then ..." Nozomu spoke his next words before Anri could say, "Then, let''s talk it out with them". ¡°But! ¡­But I''m still afraid. The power I got has a will of its own. It even considers Iris and the others, and the people of this town as food. If I released it, ... it will definitely kill them all." "... I see~. So, that was the case~." There is another will inside of Nozomu that accompanies that power. When she heard Nozomu''s words, Anri understood that Nozomu had some influence on that will. Nozomu lost his loved one, Lisa, and his master which was like his family. He had lost the warmth in his hands twice. Nozomu has been losing someone important to him. It was his promise with his master that made his heart not break so far, but what would have happened to him without that vow. Perhaps he would be swallowed by that will inside of him, or he would be drowned in his own power. In any case, the current Nozomu might have disappeared. And Anri could understand that Nozomu couldn''t confess it to Irisdina and the others because he lost his loved one twice. Important people disappeared from his side. Perhaps he was afraid of losing Irisdina and the others as well. Perhaps he had been suffering from such anxiety. However, the problem was the true nature of Nozomu''s power. Unless Anri knew that, she couldn''t really understand Nozomu''s anxiety. Anri thought so and asked the true nature of Nozomu''s power while looking straight at Nozomu. "... Hey, Nozomu-kun~. What is the true nature of the power that Nozomu-kun is so afraid of~?" "That is¡­¡­" Nozomu gritted his teeth and was silent. Anri decided that it was impossible to ask it directly in such a situation, and changed her question instead. "...In that case, I will change my question~. Does your master know about that power of yours?~" "¡­¡­Yes." (Perhaps ...) Nozomu already told his master the true nature of his powers. After Anri heard that fact, she asked Nozomu in quick succession. Perhaps it was because she was half sure about her own conjecture. "Then, Nozomu-kun... Did your master talk about something important~?." "Something important?" "Yup. Aside from, "Even if you run away, you can''t turn away from the fact that you''re running away right now." "That... Shish¨­ didn''t say anything other than that..." Nozomu pondered Anri''s question with a difficult expression, but he still had no idea. "Please remember ~. Your master must have told you something~. Maybe she didn''t put it into words, and she may not have intended it~. However, what you need to overcome your anxiety must be hidden in some way." Hearing Anri''s words, Nozomu closed his eyelids and recalled his last training with his master. The first thing he remembered was the last word his master gave to him, the promise that he would not turn away from the fact that he was running away. "What Shish¨­ told me ..." "Yup. In what form did Nozomu-kun''s master convey her words?" Prompted by Anri, Nozomu slowly remembered his last night with Shino. "... Shish¨­ was suffering from sleepness disease. At that time, I didn''t know about that, but she suddenly started attacking me on her last night, saying that it was our last training." "And then ~~" Shino suddenly attacked Nozomu while hiding that she suffered from sleepness disease. Nozomu managed to fight back while being surprised by the sudden occurrence. "Shish¨­ attacked me with the intent to kill. I desperately fought back, but Shish¨­ didn''t listen to me... In the end, my shoulder was slashed." "Ehh!?" However, there was no chance for Nozomu to win against the serious Shino. Nozomu was seriously shocked by Shino''s feat of offsetting his Phantom that was originally difficult to see and defend with the same Phantom. Sh¨©na was surprised by his words that he was suddenly attacked, so she gasped unintentionally, but Nozomu continued to speak. "I was dying. But Shish¨­ didn''t weaken her ferocious attacks. Then, I thought it would be fine if I was killed by Shish¨­..." At that time, despite being attacked, Nozomu had no intention of fighting back. His will to live withered and he prepared himself for the moment he was about to receive a slash. "...However, at that moment, Shish¨­ suddenly stopped and started talking about why she came to this continent." "Is it about the past of your master?" "...Yes, Shish¨­ told me that the person she loved was her sister''s beloved person, and she was betrayed by her sister and came to this continent..." Nozomu''s tone dropped perhaps because of his master''s painful past. To him, his master''s past was not easy to talk about. Maybe Anri understood that, she spoke in a soft tone and cheered Nozomu on. Sh¨©na didn''t say anything, and she quietly listened to the conversation between the two. "...What did your master''s expression look like when she talked about her past~~?" "... Shish¨­''s expression?" What appeared in Nozomu''s mind was that Shino had a painful facial expression while holding the katana. "... Somehow ... She had a very painful expression." "Why does Nozomu-kun think your master had such an expression?" "...I...because I didn''t understand what Shish¨­ truly wanted to say to me." Yes, that''s what Nozomu thought. At that time, Shino lamented that her intention was not conveyed properly to Nozomu. It must have been a heart-breaking feeling for her. "...Is it really just about that~~?" "......Eh?" "Why did your master look so much in pain and about to cry~? Is that really the only reason~?" However, Anri said there was another reason. Another reason why she almost cried, apart from not being able to convey her intentions properly. When Nozomu heard Anri''s words, Nozomu remembered Shino who spoke while shedding tears. (Please, my last wish. Will you accept it?) Shino''s feelings gushed out and overflowed. She looked just like a lost child. An expression that seemed to cry at any moment because she was worried about whether she would be accepted. "... Shish¨­ was worried... She was worried whether I could properly accept her feelings." "Yup. I''m sure I would feel the same~. Not everyone has the courage to talk about their painful past." "...That''s true. It''s still hard for me to remember and talk about my family and hometown." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Sh¨©na closed her eyes as she confessed and remembered. For her, the calamity that hit her hometown ten years ago remained a major scar in her heart. Human beings are timid creatures by nature, they tend to hide things that are painful or unpleasant to them, and confessing it requires a great deal of mental strength. What''s more, Shino confessed to her only disciple. About her family and the feud with her sister that caused her to live in such a place. It wasn''t hard to imagine how much anxiety she was suffering from. "But, did Nozomu properly accept your master''s feelings?" "... Yes. Even though Shish¨­ thought I might reject her feelings, Shish¨­ still told me about her past, so I was able to release the Ability Suppression and face her properly." In order to answer Shino''s feelings who told him about her life and her past while crying, Nozomu released Tiamat''s power for the first time. For that, he confronted Tiamat on the shore of that lake. Tiamat furiously attacked Nozomu. It was no longer a battle, but a one-sided execution. Tiamat came to kill Nozomu from the beginning, unlike when they fought for the first time. Nozomu couldn''t beat Tiamat, who became serious. Half of Nozomu''s body was eaten and chewed. He was almost completely overpowered by Tiamat, but he never gave up. He didn''t give up until the very end, and his outstretched hand succeeded in stealing part of Tiamat''s power. The moment Nozomu took away part of Tiamat''s power, Nozomu returned to reality and confronted Shino. He was able to answer Shino''s feelings by fighting with all his might. "Isn''t that because you really want to accept your master~? Sh¨©na-san, Irisdina-san, Mars-kun, and the others also want to accept Nozomu-kun, just as Nozomu-kun wanted to accept his master~." "That''s right! That''s why everyone is looking for you right now." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu''s fists clenched tightly. His trembling hands, his prone gaze, and his tightly bitten lips showed Nozomu''s hesitation. With such Nozomu in front of them, Sh¨©na and Anri went in front of Nozomu and gently wrapped his trembling hands with theirs. "¡­¡­Aa" "It''ll be alright~. Nozomu-kun" "Yes. I think the current you can face them properly." The warmth that slowly came from his palm gently guided Nozomu''s heart. "Both of you ..." "Sure, you''re a little hesitant now, but if you truly wanted to be able to meet the people you deem important, then you should be able to face them again." Sh¨©na''s clear eyes continued to capture Nozomu. Her translucent skin and hair that received the moonlight were a fantastic sight. As Sh¨©na stared at him, Nozomu felt as if a small spark ran through his heart. A small fire lit up in his chest. It was a faint and ephemeral light, but it was trying hard to dispel the darkness that had enveloped Nozomu''s heart. "You gave me the opportunity to understand what is important to me... I am very grateful to you. So this time I want to be your strength." "Sh¨©na..." (I want to be your strength) Her words popped in Nozomu''s heart. The small fire that was lit in Nozomu''s heart instantly burned in response to Sh¨©na''s words. And the heat radiated through his body causing blood to spring up throughout his body. Next to Sh¨©na, Anri-sensei had the same smile as usual. Sh¨©na said she wanted to help him and Anri kept smiling as usual. The warmth and kindness of the two of them made Nozomu''s heart, which had shrunk in fear, regain its vitality in a blink of an eye. "I am¡­¡­" Previously, Nozomu told Shino that he had killed a dragon and become a dragonslayer, and was pointed out that he had been running away all this time. Nozomu, who had been running away, was forced to face reality. But after that, Shino''s facial expression showed a smile of relief. (¡­¡­¡­¡­Welcome back. You have worked hard.) The words that Shino spoke. She didn''t change even after she knew that Nozomu was a dragonslayer. Because Shino was such a woman, Nozomu was able to reveal everything and accept the past that Shino confessed. The girls in front of him now had the same face as Shino back then. Then, Nozomu once again asked himself what he really wanted now. Irisdina. Contrary to her dignified atmosphere at school, she has a mischievous side, such as imposing sanctions on the geezer who did sexual harassment through fortune-telling. And also followed her sister''s date anxiously. Somia. A bright and honest girl who is always smiling. However, not only that, she is a girl who has the power to behave brightly even though she is going through hard times. Mars. He has a violent temper and a big physique. That''s why everyone is afraid of him. However, he always obeys his sister willingly. Tima. She''s a little frail and usually timid, but for the sake of her friends, Tima will become serious and tries to protect her friends even if her opponent is superior. The faces of his friends who were by his side and the memories he made with them flashed through his mind. It had only been a few months since he had met them, but they had become important people he didn''t want to lose. (I wish I could laugh with them again...) ¡°I¡­ I want to tell everyone¡­¡± When he said those words himself, his desire was clearly formed in Nozomu''s heart. (What do I want to do from now on? What should I do to do that?) All he needed to do was tell his friends what he really felt. If he did not expose himself, his true intentions would not be transmitted to the other party. Sometimes, the truth may be ugly from a human point of view. And that might be disgusting. That is why it triggers fear and as a result, may be rejected. But there was someone who wanted to help. Even if there will be others who didn''t like his true self, that someone will still be there for him. Just like his master at that time. He thought it was okay. There is fear. There is also anxiety. However, it seemed that he could move forward with just that one step. "... Sh¨©na, Anri-sensei. May I ask for a little favor?" Just like Sh¨©na and Mimuru, he wanted to face Irisdina and the others and laugh together once more. (For that purpose, let''s tell them myself, just like Shish¨­) With that in mind, Nozomu decided to step forward again. Chapter 5.24 Translator : PolterGlast Irisdina and the others ran around the city looking for Nozomu and Mars, but since it was getting dark, they decided to gather in front of the school''s main gate once again. Everyone was out of breath, and expressions of impatience could be seen on their faces. "How was it? Did you find them !?" "Not good. I didn''t see them in the north section ..." "The craftsman district is also not good..." "I think they aren''t even in the city ..." Irisdina asked them, but the result was not good. All that''s left were Tima, who went to look for Mars in the commercial district, and Sh¨©na, who went to the outskirts. When Irisdina started looking for Nozomu and Mars, she immediately went to the men''s dormitory. However, there were only the dormitory students who were surprised to see her, and no Nozomu and Mars could be found among them. She then ran around the city looking for them, but again she couldn''t find them. "Mars is probably somewhere in the commercial district, but Nozomu is ... Kuh~! Where are you ..." Irisdina tried to stay calm while biting her lip. If only she had asked him earlier¡­ Such regret enveloped Irisdina''s heart. "Ai! Mars-kun... I found him!" However, her best friend''s voice reached her ears. Irisdina turned her gaze to the source of the voice and saw Tima and Mars rushing towards her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Mars and Irisdina faced each other and were silent. All gazes directed at Mars were equally sharp. Mars gulped at their gazes, but he had already made up his mind, so he bowed deeply in front of them. "Everyone, I''m sorry! All of you got into a dangerous situation because of me!" A word of apology from Mars. Irisdina and the others accepted Mars'' words with stern expressions. "I know it''s too convenient to just forgive me! So, just hit as much as you want!" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± For a moment, silence flowed between them. Mars was still bowed down and waiting for their words. Eventually, Irisdina slowly opened her mouth. "...Mars-kun, who do you think you should apologize to the most? You know that, right?" "...I know. If it''s about Nozomu, I don''t mind how much he hits me when we meet again. I''m willing to accept any humiliation! So that''s why. Please let me search for Nozomu together with you guys. !" "... I understand. Everyone, is that alright?" Mars begged to be allowed to search for Nozomu with his head still lowered. Perhaps they accepted his apology, everyone nodded uniformly at Irisdina''s words. "¡­¡­Thank you" Mars was grateful to them for accepting him again even after doing such a thing. "So, everyone was already gathered." At that time, Sh¨©na''s voice echoed in front of the main gate. Behind her, they could see Anri-sensei, who shouldn''t be with her. "Sh¨©na-kun! And also, Anri-sensei!?" Irisdina and the others were surprised by Anri''s appearance, but Sh¨©na continued her words regardless. "We found him" "Really!?" Irisdina shouted at Sh¨©na''s words. She looked around Sh¨©na in a hurry, but she couldn''t see Nozomu. "... But I coldn''t see Nozomu tho" "He went into the forest after we talked" "What did you say!?" Irisdina shouted when she heard Sh¨©na''s words. Perhaps because she was so emotional, she instinctively grabbed Sh¨©na. "Why did you let him go!? He''s still injured, isn''t he!?" "Irisdina-sa~n! Please calm down~~!" Anri was surprised by Irisdina who grabbed Sh¨©na, but Irisdina was getting more emotional and approached Anri as well. "Anri-sensei! Why didn''t you stop him!?" "Of course sensei and I tried to stop him! But he said he wanted to go there no matter what. Well, after we talked to him, we understood his feelings as to why he wanted to go there." Sh¨©na remembered Nozomu''s appearance when he asked her for a favor. (I want to calm myself down in Shish¨­''s place for today. I''ll be waiting at the hut where I guided Sh¨©na, Mimuru, and Tom before, so I want everyone to come to that place tomorrow.) Despite the anxiety and fear hidden behind his eyes, Nozomu still looked straight at them. Even though he was somehow still got pulled back by his grief, Sh¨©na and Anri could still feel his strong desire to move forward. What''s more, he had chosen the place of his memories with his master as the designated place to talk to them. There was clearly no better place for him to solidify his will now. "Nozomu-kun is~. Right now, he is at his master''s place." "Master?" Irisdina and the others tilted their heads at Anri''s words. It was Sh¨©na who answered their questions. "It was the person who taught him the katana technique. It seems that the place he went to was his master''s house." "¡­¡­Was?" "... Yes, looks like his master is already passed away..." Sh¨©na told Irisdina and the others that Nozomu was talking about his master when they were on the outskirts. How he met his master and how he began to learn the katana technique. Every day he practiced and continued to swing his katana. And the last words left for him by his master before her death. "Looks like Nozomu''s master left a few words for him at the end, her words were "It''s okay to run away. But keep in mind the fact that you are running away. Even if you run away now, if you don''t forget about it, you will be able to move forward someday."" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Anyone could understand how deeply the two were bound just from those words. On the other hand, they haven''t even been told that Nozomu has a master. Irisdina remembered the pain she felt at the bottom of her heart. (Did Nozomu couldn''t trust us that much ...?) Such thoughts pierced her heart, and she felt like the time she had spent with him was gradually fading away. Sh¨©na glanced at Irisdina whose head was facing downwards, but she continued her story regardless. "... And one more thing. He didn''t talk about the true nature of his power, but his power might be more dangerous than we think." "¡­¡­What does that mean?" Everyone present narrowed their eyes and waited for Sh¨©na''s answer. "He said, there''s another will in his power, and it thinks that the humans in this city are nothing more than food." Irisdina''s mind recalled the overwhelming power Nozomu displayed in the battle with Rugato. The torrent of power even affected Rugato''s magical power who was covering the mansion. Even such an S-rank powerful person was overwhelmed by Nozomu''s power. Such power. If she thought about it calmly, such overwhelming power would come at some cost. "¡­¡­~!!" Irisdina subconsciously bit her lips tightly. It''s no wonder Nozomu''s appearance has been strange recently. Even though she already realized something was wrong... (Why didn''t I ask him before¡­¡­.) Only regret eroded Irisdina''s chest. "Maybe he has been worried about that power a lot, and he doesn''t talk to anyone and keeps suppress it into himself." "...Does that mean he can''t tell us either?" "Somia..." Somia, beside Irisdina, muttered with a teary expression. (That''s not the case, Somia. It''s because we didn''t ask him¡­) Irisdina tried to comfort her sister, whose tears were about to spill, but Irisdina''s mouth couldn''t utter those words. "That''s not the case. I think it''s the other way around. He couldn''t talk because it was important. I know because I have experienced it before. The more I suppressed my worries, the harder it was for me to speak. There were times when my heart became stiff and I couldn''t move forward." However, Sh¨©na comforted Somia instead of Irisdina. She went towards Somia and bent down, gently caressing Somia''s head with her hand to comfort her. Irisdina''s pain in her chest grew stronger. The back of her eyelids became hot and her tears were about to come out. "~!!" Irisdina desperately bit her lip and desperately tried to hold back her tears from falling. Sh¨©na glanced at Irisdina''s figure with a sideways glance. "Nozomu is waiting for us at a hut in the depths of the forest. I know the location, so I''ll show you the way tomorrow." "A hut in the forest?" Upon hearing Sh¨©na''s words, Mimuru and Tom look puzzled at first, but then they spoke with a surprised expression as if they had noticed something. "Hey, Sh¨©na. About that hut ..." "Yup, Mimuru. That was the hut we evacuated to before. He asked us to be a guide there." "... Evacuate?" "Hey, Sh¨©na. About that hut..." "Yup, Mimuru. It''s the hut where we took refuge before. He asked us to be guides when we went there." "... Refuge?" Mars and the others were unable to understand Sh¨©na''s conversation. In addition, the disturbing word "evacuation" made their expressions even sterner. "I''ll tell the story tomorrow, I''ll talk when we head to the hut. That hut is where he practiced his katana technique with his master, and it''s an unforgettable place for him. Nozomu said he still wants time to think a little, so let him alone for today." "... But" Sh¨©na wanted to give Nozomu some time. However, Irisdina''s voice interrupted her words. "No-Nozomu is still injured ... So, he''d better rest in a proper place..." "But that also applies to us. Even if we are familiar with the place, it is not a good idea to enter the forest at night when we are exhausted." They could sense impatience from Iridina''s words. Driven by the frustration swirling in her chest, she thought she should go to Nozomu as soon as possible and she tried to go to the forest. However, her words were immediately refuted by Sh¨©na. "... Stop it, Irisdina" However, surprisingly, it was Mars who stopped such Irisdina from leaving. Sh¨©na''s words "everyone is exhausted" awakened his impatient heart. "If he says we have to wait... so be it. He already said he''ll talk properly, right?" "Yes, he said he would." Sh¨©na nodded and answered Mars who was asking Sh¨©na to confirm. "Then that''s enough for me... If it''s him, he''ll be fine even in the forest at night." With the words he spoke, Mars was not the usual him which always carried his haughty atmosphere until recently. "Ara? You''re so obedient now. I thought you''d try to enter the forest alone just because it doesn''t matter to you." "...With the things I''ve done. I have no other choice." Mars responded powerlessly to Sh¨©na''s bitter words. He had a self-deprecating smile on his face. "Is that alright, Irisdina-san?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The desire to meet Nozomu as soon as possible and the desire not to endanger everyone collided within Irisdina''s heart. Somia, who was by her sister''s side, gently grasped Irisdina''s hand, which was clenching her lips. Feeling her sister''s warmth transmitted through her hands, Irisdina slowly nodded at Sh¨©na''s question. "Then, let''s head out after school tomorrow. The meeting place is on the outskirts as usual." As everyone parted ways after Sh¨©na''s words, Mars called out to her as she was about to return. ¡°Sh¨©na, umm¡­ I''m sorry about today¡­¡± Mars bowed deeply and apologized. Sh¨©na also didn''t want to pursue it anymore, because she remembered she did the same thing not too long ago. Previously, when she fought against the black demon beast, she endangered her companions because of her mistakes. "... Alright. I''ve received your apology. What you need to do next is to apologize in front of him." "Yeah, I know." She mentioned one more person that Mars should apologize to. With just those words, Mars understood it right away. *** After returning to the mansion, Irisdina and Somia returned to their respective room after finishing their dinner. Irisdina fell onto her bed. Special training and battle with a Zombie Dragon. Irisdina''s accumulated fatigue after she ran around Arcazam in search of Nozomu and Mars due to the misunderstanding between them reached its peak. Her heavy limbs and exhaustion all over her body immediately tried to lure her into her sleep. However, contrary to her sleepiness, her head refused to sleep, and she ended up sleeping and waking up repeatedly. (What is he doing now ...) Everything that came to her mind was his figure. His appearance in her mind had his back turned towards her, and she didn''t know what his expression looked like now. That''s what made her even more impatient. When she first met him in the infirmary, he was willing to help treat the injured student. If she thought about it, it started after she felt that he was not connected to the rumored person, even after she found out that it was him. The next time she met him was in the central park after school. The second encounter was when she saw him talking to her sister on her way to pick up Somia. At that time, Somia was happily talking about making a new friend. But Irisdina never even imagined that person would be him. Maybe he also didn''t know that Somia''s sister was Irisdina, he was surprised to see her with his eyes wide open. When she saw him, she teased him and made fun of him a little... Her younger sister, who had been around aristocratic society since childhood, was sensitive to people who were hiding their muddy desires behind a mask of a smile. That''s why Irisdina wasn''t wary of Nozomu either. And the incident that happened on Somia''s birthday. He saved Irisdina and her sister in an incident caused by the secret agreement between the Francilt Family and Waziart Family in the past. And after that, he even gave Somia a birthday present. Nozomu didn''t change his attitude towards the two, even after he saved their lives. For Irisdina and Somia who had seen adults changing their attitude as soon as they had the advantage, it was probably inevitable that they would be attracted to Nozomu who never changed his attitude towards them. After that, Irisdina invited him on a date out of gratitude. Irisdina was often invited by men, but this was the first time she had invited a man. And she was very excited. The palm of his hand held by her hand was warmer than she expected, and it was fun to see Nozomu flustered. She was so excited that her legs naturally moved towards even places she hadn''t visited much. They stopped at a candy shop. On their way, she eats the candy he made for the first time. He had a tongue battle with Zonne, who he met for the first time at a fortune teller''s stall. She even told him to call her by her nickname. And she enjoyed seeing his panicked expression. And when she realized it, she peeked into his face as she walked beside him. Irisdina''s gaze locked on her palm. The night after she had a date with Nozomu, just hugging her hands on her chest made her heart beating faster and her heart warmed up. But now, only pain ran through her chest. At that time, there was a clicking sound and the sound of the door of her room opening. When Irisdina lifted her body and stared at the door, Somia in her pajamas was standing there with an uneasy expression. "... Ane-sama" "Somia?" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Somia stood in front of the door for a while, but then she rushed over to her sister on the bed and jumped onto her chest. Irisdina received Somia in a hurry. She tried to ask what happened, but she noticed Somia''s shoulders were shaking. "... It''s okay, Somia. It will be alright" Irisdina rubbed her sister''s back without seeing her expression. She hugged her gently as she treated something fragile, trying to reduce her sister''s anxiety as much as possible. Somia buried her face in her sister''s chest for a while. Eventually, as her shaking subsided, she separated from her sister''s body and lifted her face. However, her face was still stiff, perhaps because her anxiety had not gone away yet. "Ane-sama, it''s about Nozomu-san ..." As expected, what Somia wanted to talk about was Nozomu. Like Irisdina, Somia worried about whether she could make up with Nozomu. She probably came to her sister because she wanted to feel at ease. Irisdina also had her own anxieties. Even so, she gently stroked her sister''s head with a smile, trying to reassure Somia. "... It''s okay. According to Sh¨©na, Nozomu seems to be waiting for us..." Irisdina spoke to Somia with her usual smile. She tried to reassure Somia while killing her own inner anxiety. "...But if Nozomu-san were to go..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu is also important to Somia. A benefactor who saved her soul from being snatched away, and a close friend that she frequently went out to play with. The eleven-year-old girl, who was full of emotions, began to see the older boy who saved her as her older brother. She is a girl who is most afraid of losing her family. Her anxiety that Nozomu might disappear was so great that even her sister couldn''t completely wipe it out. It was like she was pinned against a wall. Irisdina''s anxiety in her heart also deepened. (If Nozomu-san were to go...) Doing morning exercises as they toil together on the outskirts. They would never cross swords in that place again. Lunch with Nozomu and the others. The food she ate didn''t change much, but it tasted many times better than usual. And they walked around town together. That moment when she could smile from the bottom of her heart. All of them will be gone. The moment she imagined such a future, a chill ran down her spine, and she felt as if her heart had collapsed and a hole opened in the depths of her chest. (I don''t want it... such a thing is...) (I don''t want that. I hate it if Nozomu leaves! I hate it when he''s not by my side!!) Anxiety welled up in her chest, as she thought Nozomu might be gone. However, there was also a desire to reject such a future. Her feelings inspire the will to reject such a future filled with a sense of loss and gave her the vitality to stand up again. Somia''s anxious face appeared in front of her. Irisdina thought her expression might as well look the same as her sister now, but the warmth of Somia''s skin on her arms warmed her heart, which seemed to freeze with anxiety, and the warmth erased the darkness that lodged in her heart. "...Somia, certainly, we have our backs pinned against a wall, but we still have another chance." "......Ane-sama" The desire not to lose him burned the unease in Irisdina''s heart. This became a crucial moment. The battle between her fear of losing him and her desire to reject it ended in victory in her desire to break through this situation. With such a desire not to lose the warmth she felt in her hands, Irisdina expressed her thoughts in rapid succession. "It hasn''t been decided that he will leave yet. We can still reach him. So... so let''s go see Nozomu again!" She told her dear sister, Somia, and above all, herself. (This time, let''s talk it out properly this time.) With such determination in her heart, Irisdina swore in front of her dear sister. *** In the forest where even the moonlight doesn''t come through. There was a giant body, about the size of a house, lying on the ground. A corpse that was covered in blood and a rotten odor. Its scales that had a jewel-like luster when it was alive were brutally scraped away, and its neck was cut off and its head rolled on the ground. A dragon that had a contradiction between life or death. Bound by its thirst and hunger. Now completely free from that suffering. It wouldn''t move anymore, and it would become food for demon beasts and insects. However, there was a moving shadow beside the corpse. A mysterious figure with a hood covering his head completely. When he touched the Zombie Dragon''s body with his hand, the Zombie Dragon''s body was wrapped in white light. When the light that stood out in the darkness covered the Zombie Dragon''s body completely, the Dragon''s body suddenly rose up. A banging sound echoed. *Ba-dump, ba-dump*. The Zombie Dragon''s body convulsing along with the sound that sounded like a heartbeat. As the white light wrapped around its back, its missing wings began to be restored. The neck that was supposed to be cut floated in the air and fit in the place where it belonged. Eventually, the heartbeat stopped and the convulsions subsided. The Zombie Dragon''s closed eyes opened, and the corpse, which should have stopped moving, woke up. The hooded man and the Zombie Dragon faced each other. The facial expression of the hooded person could not be seen. However, the Zombie Dragon didn''t seem to attack him either. Was it because the person in front of it brought it back to life, or was there some other reason? At least, although there was no sign of life in the Dragon''s eyes, for some reason, its previous wild behavior couldn''t be seen. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The mouth of the person in the hood moved. The Zombie Dragon just stared at the person, but after that, it spread its wings on its back. It flew into the sky and flew away. The person in the hood who was left alone only saw the back of the Zombie Dragon flying away. *** Around the time when the sun was about to reach the middle of the sky. Nozomu was waving his katana in front of Shino''s hut. His master''s katana and mortuary tablet were placed in front of the hut. Nozomu repeated his movements, feeling as if he was being watched by Shino. His whole body was still tired, his body was as heavy as lead, but Nozomu''s mind was still full of vitality. "Fuh~!" The katana that was swung cut through the atmosphere, and the wind blew against Nozomu''s cheek. The scent of trees and soil could be smelled from the surroundings. The sound of the wind that sounded every time he swung his katana pleased Nozomu''s ears and seemed to wash away his cloudy heart caused by hesitation and fear. It had been several months since he had fought his master in this place and received his thoughts. Even though time had passed for so long, Nozomu felt that time had only passed for a short time. He swore he wouldn''t turn away from the fact that he had run away, but he still couldn''t move forward either way. Anxiety always weighs on his heart. Anxiety about his own power. It had been nested in Nozomu''s heart all this time. (What if they find out that I''m a dragonslayer... What if my powers go out of control...) Such anxiety was further bloated due to the truth that Ken was throwing out and also due to himself, which was abusing his powers in a fit of anger. The anxiety grows day by day and it resulted in a misunderstanding with Irisdina and the others. A distance formed between them due to Nozomu who couldn''t reveal his secret and due to those who couldn''t ask Nozomu. It became even bigger due to the two never mingle together, and the crack between the two became even bigger. And this time, their friendship tore and broke during the battle with the Zombie Dragon. Nozomu, who hesitated to use his power at such a crucial time, and Mars, who went out of control because of his own selfishness, and Irisdina and the others that could ask him. The anxiety grew by the day and it resulted in a misunderstanding with Irisdina and the others. A wall was formed between them because Nozomu couldn''t reveal his secret and because they couldn''t ask Nozomu either. His anxiety got even bigger because they never mingled together, and the gap between them became bigger. And this time, their friendship was torn and broken during the battle with the Zombie Dragon. Nozomu, who hesitated to use his power at such a crucial moment, and Mars, who was out of control due to his own selfishness, and Irisdina and the others who couldn''t step forward to ask him. "But Sh¨©na and her friends can get over it ..." What came back to Nozomu''s mind was the appearance of Sh¨©na and her friends who made a mistake in the same way as the current Nozomu and the others. They couldn''t calm themself down. It was because Mimuru and her lover were injured, and Sh¨©na''s overwhelming hatred towards the black demon beasts who robbed her of her hometown. It became fatal because it happened when they were in a critical situation. However, in the end, they collided with each other''s feelings and thoughts, understood each other, and were able to overcome the crisis. They looked very dazzling to Nozomu and inside his heart, he was envious. ¡°If I used that power at that time¡­ the result wouldn''t be the same, would it?¡± Yesterday, when Nozomu went to the outskirts and waved his katana, the words Sh¨©na had spoken to him resurfaced in Nozomu''s mind. She said she couldn''t reconcile with Mimuru and Tom if Nozomu used the dragonslayer''s power when they fought the Black Demon Beast. (But I''m grateful that you helped me face Mimuru, Tom, and the spirits again.) Even though Sh¨©na knew Nozomu wasn''t doing his best, she still thanked him. And Anri, who was by Nozomu''s side, watched over him with the same warm expression as usual. (I want to be your strength) (Nozomu-kun, it''ll be alright~.) And he felt the warmth of their hands. The words and the warmth of their hands moved Nozomu''s heart again, who had been petrified from the feeling of guilt that he couldn''t use his power. It gave him the courage to move forward again. "Haa!" The sharp slash carved a line in the air. A vibrant sword dance that was completely different from when he was waving at the outskirts yesterday. There are people by his side. The joy made Nozomu take a powerful step. The muscles of his entire body interlocked perfectly. The katana was swung downwards as if to slash through all of his obstacles. Indeed, his eyes still had anxiety, but now he had a strong desire to move forward again. "¡­¡­Ha" Nozomu swung his katana without stagnation. However, the katana he swung slightly shook. As expected, the fatigue that had accumulated all over his body couldn''t be held back any longer. (What are you doing! I don''t remember teaching you such a dull katana technique!) Suddenly, Shino''s voice flashed through Nozomu''s head. Her angry voice never stopped when he was training in this place. Of course, it was impossible for the dead to speak, but Nozomu''s gaze was locked on the katana and mortuary tablet. (..I know, Shish¨­. I''ll do it properly now, so please pardon me for the punishment...) He knew she was gone, but Nozomu was still talking as if telling her through the mortuary tablet. (In that case, you should do so quickly! Next time, my katana will fly to you instead of my words!!) For some reason, Nozomu''s eyes could see the figure of his master quickly taking out her katana and extremely compressing her Qi into it. (... Shish¨­. Please don''t suddenly attack your disciple...) Recalling the nostalgic sight that was once his daily life, Nozomu''s mouth naturally smiled. And then, he remembered the unreasonable punishment that had always befallen him, and before he knew it, he felt sorrowful. *** Nozomu was swinging his katana for a while, and after he felt his fatigue had built up, he stopped swinging his katana, closed his eyes, and began to meditate. This place reminded him of the time when Shino confessed about her past that she was betrayed by her sister and ran away. Shino had a tearful expression despite slashing at Nozomu with *Phantom -Recurrence-* and hitting him with an even fiercer storm of slashes. She was sad that she couldn''t convey her thoughts and that Nozomu was trying to give up his life. "It took me... a lot. To realize it..." Shino could sense her own remaining time to live. She had tried to convey her thoughts to Nozomu by wasting all her remaining little time, which was far more precious than gold. If it didn''t get through him, she would have wasted her precious time. She had already made up her mind when she stood in front of Nozomu, but in her heart, she must have been worried whether Nozomu would really accept her after learning about her past. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be begging him to accept her thoughts with a tearful expression. It''s natural for all humans to feel worried when revealing the past and the secrets that make them want to hide it. Still, she advanced. To convey her thoughts even if she had worries and anxieties. "I wouldn''t have noticed if Anri-sensei hadn''t asked me..." Nozomu remembered why he could accept Shino''s thoughts. It was because Anri asked Nozomu about Shino so he could understand it slowly. Unlike back then, he is now the one who was about to confess. He''s still worried. There is also fear. Even so, the two''s words and the warmth of their hands supported Nozomu''s back. "I can''t be like this forever..." The anxiety that Shino had at that time. When she confessed that she was betrayed by her dear family and her lover, she must have been afraid that she would lose her loved one again. But she went forward regardless. To convey her last words to Nozomu. And above all, she wanted him to accept her true self. "In that case, I''ll have to move forward as well..." And there will come a time when he has to move on. Given the incident in the battle with the Zombie Dragon, if he wanted to continue to be friends with Irisdina and the others, it wouldn''t be good to keep hiding his power from them. "They know that I have extraordinary power, but they don''t know what it is..." Irisdina and the others knew that Nozomu had extraordinary powers, but they did not know that it was the power of dragonslayer. What kind of answer will they give when they find out the true nature of his power? "Maybe... maybe I''ll be rejected... But even so... I have to move forward, isn''t that right, Shish¨­? ..." By betting her life, Shino told him not to look away from the fact that he had been running away. Then, the figures of Sh¨©na and her friends, when they collide their feelings and thoughts so they could understand each other, appeared in his mind. It was Shino who told him not to turn away from the fact that he had run away. Then, the figure of Sh¨©na and her friends as they collide feelings and thoughts in order to understand each other. "If it''s just talking ... it might not be enough¡­¡± It might not be enough to just tell them he is a dragonslayer. He didn''t know if they could understand the true nature of his power just by talking. The source of his fear lies in the depths of that power. "... Can I release it in the first place?" Yesterday''s scene came back to Nozomu''s mind. In the face of his endangered companions, he tried to release his Ability Suppression, but the chains that bound him wouldn''t budge. "But once again ... surely this time ..." When Nozomu was about to meditate again, the bushes behind him shook. "... You guys have arrived" There was no need for him to turn around. What he felt on his back was their presence. He hadn''t seen them for just one day, but it felt like he had been away for a long time. Nozomu turned around slowly. There he could see his school friends... no, they would become his true friends. Chapter 5.25 Early Release!! Translator : PolterGlast The next day after school, Irisdina and the others were walking in the forest following Sh¨©na''s guidance. There were also Anri and Norn following them in the back. Their destination was the hut where Nozomu was. Anri and Norn also accompany them to see the results of their face-to-face meeting with Nozomu. "...Sh¨©na-kun, how did you know this place?" Irisdina asked Sh¨©na and her friends. She always wondered why Sh¨©na, who initially hated Nozomu, was able to get along with him in the end. She hadn''t been told by Nozomu or Sh¨©na until now, and there seemed to be a reason for that. "Oh, right. I promised to talk about that." As Sh¨©na walked, she talked about the incident when her party encountered the black demon beast in this forest. About their battle with the black demon beast. She lost herself due to her hatred for revenge and her impatience. What she did, forced her companions into a corner. Then Nozomu came to help them. Thanks to his help, she was able to defeat the black demon beast and befriend Mimuru and Tom again. Sh¨©na who was talking about her past mistakes, walked with her chest puffed out while looking straight ahead. It was as if it was an irreplaceable treasure to her and she was proud of it. Both Mars and Irisdina were overwhelmed by her appearance as she spoke about her past mistakes without hesitation. "Hm~m. So that''s what happened." "Yes, I think what I did was indeed foolish ..." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Mars glanced at Sh¨©na''s confident appearance while he continued to listen to her. Perhaps she noticed Mars'' appearance, Sh¨©na slowly turned around and looked at him. "...That''s why. I won''t blame you anymore for what you did. I don''t think I''m qualified to blame you for making the same mistake. But if you want to start over with him, face him again. Otherwise, you won''t even be able to talk to him anymore." "... Yes, I know." Sh¨©na gave words of encouragement to Mars, who had hurt his companions as much as she did before. Mars, who received her words, nodded heavily. His face was clouded with guilt for what he did and anxiety about whether he could start over with Nozomu or not. Marus looked to his side. Tima, who was walking beside him, looked at him. Perhaps she sensed Mars'' anxiety, she nodded slowly and smiled to reassure him. "... Ane-sama, are you alright?" Somia, who was staring at their conversation, muttered anxiously. It wasn''t as much as when she came to her sister''s room last night, but it didn''t seem like her anxiety had gone away completely. "It''s alright, Somia, it''s alright ..." Irisdina, who heard her sister''s thin voice, tried hard to answer with a smile. Her anxiety persisted as well, but more importantly, Irisdina didn''t want to lose Nozomu. Certainly, as Sh¨©na said, there was nothing more that could be done. So let''s face him properly this time. Yesterday she kept contemplating about her promise in front of Somia. Eventually, light began to illuminate the dim forest. They were dazzled by the sudden open field and incoming light that came to their eyes. In front of them, an open space and a hut standing in the back could be seen. A simple hut made of wood, and a boy stood in front of it. "¡­¡­Ah" Irisdina reflexively raised her voice. Her eyes fell on someone''s back before she realized it. The boy, Nozomu, slowly turned his back, perhaps he noticed their presence. "...You guys have arrived" Irisdina and the other''s gazes locked on Nozomu who slowly turned his back. "Thank you, Sh¨©na. For bringing everyone here." "You don''t have to worry about that. I want to help you. Didn''t I already say so?" Sh¨©na smiled while saying so. She shrugged her shoulders as if it couldn''t be helped. "Anri-sensei, Norn-sensei. Thank you for coming all the way to this place." "You don''t have to worry about that~" Anri replied so while smiling and Norn nodded with a smile. Perhaps encouraged by their smiles, Nozomu''s cheeks also loosened. ¡°This place is¡­¡­¡± His memorable place. The place where he made an important promise. After Irisdina muttered, Nozomu slowly opened his mouth. "Yes, this is where I was training my katana technique. Here I''ve been training with my master for about two years." "Master... according to Sh¨©na''s story, it was the one who taught you katana technique?" "¡­¡­Yes" Nozomu nodded at Irisdina''s question with an expression as if he was remembering his nostalgic days. His expression was so gentle that Irisdina and the others had never seen it before. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Irisdina somehow became fixated on his expression. At the same time, something hot emerged from the depths of her chest. A feeling that felt different, but similar to the feeling that she didn''t want to lose him. She gently placed her hand on her chest to feel what it was. "Nozomu..." "Mars..." When Mars stepped forward from Irisdina''s side, Nozomu''s eyes caught him. Mars'' usual unyielding behavior left the place silent and a heavy atmosphere drifted around. "... Nozomu, I''m sorry. I was..." Words of apology came out of Mars'' mouth. Nozomu just silently listened to his words. "I was jealous of you. You had such an extraordinary power ..." Mars admitted the jealousy he felt towards Nozomu. He wanted power like Nozomu''s, so he started using a combination of Qi and magic. He felt he had mastered it, and as a result of his shallow actions, he put his companions in a bind. And since he didn''t want to admit his mistakes, he vented it on Nozomu who didn''t try to release his power. Nozomu listened to him in silence. "...I didn''t think you would forgive me just by apologizing... You might as well not want to see my face. Even so... I want to see you again and apologize... I''m sorry." "...It''s alright. Also, I''m not qualified to be angry at Mars. Unlike you, I was just scared and couldn''t even do my best ..." Mars just lowered his head. Nozomu, who was just staring at Mars, began to squeeze out his thoughts while shaking his head. ¡°¡­I accidentally obtained this power. I simply fought because I didn''t want to die, and as a result, I obtained this power¡­¡± I just got it by chance. He confessed that he had been averting his gaze from Mars all this time, even though there were people like Anri who were on his side at school. His expression was tinged with regret. "I...I run away all the time. Even though I know I''m running away, I still can''t move forward." "It''s the same with me. I know you''re suffering and worried about something, but I couldn''t step in to ask you..." Along with Nozomu''s confession, Irisdina also began to admit her own mistakes. "If you''re my companion, if you''re my friend, I could have done more ... But I was just looking at you. Before I knew it, I was only able to do things that didn''t become a hindrance to you ... " She squeezed her hand on her chest. She was ashamed of herself, who couldn''t step in to ask him, even though all she needed was only one step. "That''s why I want to face you one more time" ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nozomu, who heard Irisdina''s words, stood with his eyes closed. It was only a few seconds. But to Irisdina, it felt very long. "I... I wonder if everyone would reject me if they knew the nature of my power. It might be even worse.... To be honest, I''m still scared until now..." While biting his lip tightly, Nozomu tried to stop the anxiety rising from the depth of his chest. "But I don''t think it will work if I continue like this. I can''t keep stopping any longer than this. I have to move forward so that I can use this power when it really matters. That''s why I have to move forward like Sh¨©na... " Nozomu enveloped his entire body with Qi to shake off his anxiety, placed his left hand on his chest, and clenched his fist. In his hand was the invisible chain that only he could see. As Nozomu strengthened his body with his Qi. As fighting spirit overflowed from Nozomu''s body, Mars reflexively reached out the greatsword on his back. "Mars..." However, Tima gently held his hand. Tima shook her head while wrapping Mars'' right hand with both of her hands. "It''s alright...it''ll be alright" With that said, Mars once again looked at Nozomu. Nozomu''s gaze in front of him was still harsh, but the warmth of Tima''s hand helped him regained his composure. "Fuh~ ..." Mars exhaled and calmed himself down. However, in the meantime, Nozomu''s Qi instantly swelled up. "Kuh~...!" Nozomu put a lot of power into his left hand. The chains that bound him resisted with a creaking sound as if to symbolize the anxiety and fear that still lingered in his mind. "Guh~... Ugh" As Nozomu put more power into it, red stains emerged from under his clothes. Perhaps it was a reaction to forcibly release the Ability Suppression that had been stuck. Blood oozed out like peeling off the lid of a wound. The wounds caused by the battle with the Undead Dragon reopened. However, Nozomu still did not loosen the power in his hand. He continued to endure the pain that ran through his body while clenching his teeth. At that moment, Nozomu felt himself being watched. He could feel many warm feelings as if he was being watched over. When he raised his face, Irisdina and Mars looked straight at him. From behind them, Sh¨©na, Anri, and the others were watching him. And he could feel a nostalgic feeling from his back. As Nozomu glanced behind him, Shino''s katana that was leaning against the entrance of the hut jumped into his eyes. (What''s wrong? Isn''t it alright now?) Such a voice entered Nozomu''s ears. It may be a hallucination. It may be a delusion created by his grief. But for Nozomu, that was fine. Everyone who came here did not lower their heads and they didn''t leave him. That alone made him ready to face it till the end. "Guuuu!" Nozomu concentrated all his remaining Qi onto his left hand. The resisting chains bit his left hand and blood came out, but the current Nozomu didn''t even mind such a thing. A myriad of cracks appeared on the invisible chain with a cracking sound. "Aaaaaaa!!" Nozomu tried to tear the chains by squeezing out the last of his strength. The next moment, the chains that bound him were torn with a crushing sound. In the next moment, a powerful burst of power was released from Nozomu''s body as he felt a severe pain running throughout his body. Tiamat''s power, which was suppressed, is now released with his own power. Tiamat''s power filled Nozomu''s body and tried to break through his body from within. That power easily leaking into the surroundings. The power leaking out of his body raged like a hurricane, imprinting its majesty on all beings around him. "Ku~u, it''s still a ridiculous feeling of intimidation..." "What... the hell... is this..." Mars and the others broke out in cold sweat in front of the intimidating feeling released by Nozomu that surged by an order of magnitude, and Mimuru and the others who were behind them opened their eyes wide and didn''t say a word. Even Anri, who was usually smiling, was stunned and speechless. "¡­¡­As I thought" Meanwhile, Irisdina looked at Nozomu with her calm eyes, while being nervous because of the burst of power released by Nozomu. By seeing him release the Ability Suppression again, she was convinced that the discomfort she felt was correct. "Wha~! Wait! Seriously ... What is this power ..." Among those who were speechless, Feo finally leaked out the words of disbelief. Everyone was uniformly mesmerized by Nozomu''s dramatic change. "Ugh~..." "Wha~! Sh¨©na!" Meanwhile, Sh¨©na suddenly moved backward and collapsed as if losing her strength. As Mimuru hurriedly supported Sh¨©na''s body, Sh¨©na''s face was deathly pale and her entire body was shaking as if frightened. "W-wait, Sh¨©na! Are you okay!?" "What... is that... a spirit? But there''s no spirit of that color. That kind of thing is..." "Sh¨©na! Sh¨©na, hold yourself together!!" Perhaps she couldn''t even hear Mimuru''s loud voice, she just stared at Nozomu in fear. "Inside of him... the power of several extraordinary spirits is swirling inside of him... it''s not something a human can possess. If he had such power... he would definitely break..." Everyone was shocked by Sh¨©na''s words and looked at Nozomu. The power that leaked from his body continued to swirl in a rush. Meanwhile, Irisdina took a step towards the swirling bursts of power. "... He said he got that power by chance. A forceful fighting style that doesn''t match Nozomu''s original fighting style. And the power of the spirits inside him that Sh¨©na felt. What the heck is that ... " "That power ... it''s not the power of average spirits... and also ..." With blue in the face, Sh¨©na muttered to answer the question Irisdina had inadvertently asked. She had the ability to respond to spirits, so her eyes could see the heterogeneity of Nozomu''s powers more clearly than Irisdina and the others. The crimson flame that governs purification, regeneration, and destruction. The blue water that governs creation and the coldness of life, but sometimes brings impurity and depravity. The brown earth that gives the blessings of the earth and carved immortality. The whimsical wind that carries the seeds of life and guides travelers, and sometimes obstructing them of their path. The pitch-black darkness that rules the night brings peace, anxiety, and conflicting things to all. A chaotic color that seemed to be a mixture of multiple spirits that couldn''t possibly be ordinary spirits. Sh¨©na clearly felt that power raging in Nozomu''s body. At that time, the figure of a giant dragon with 5 colors and 6 wings appeared in her mind. A tower-like giant that soared into the sky and wings that cover the sky that grew from its back. The enormous claws and fangs were sharpened to the point that the earth could split open and even diamonds could be torn apart. And eyes dyed with hatred that would destroy everything in this world. The spirits that existed in this world sometimes showed their rough side, but compared to that, this one was too terrifying. "~! No way!" And there was only one spirit that matched that figure in this Arcmill Continent. Nozomu''s figure in front of her overlapped with the dragon that had once devoured its own race. When she realized that fact, Sh¨©na''s face paled and turned white like a dead person. "Did you realize it ..." Nozomu saw Sh¨©na''s expression and understood that she realized the true nature of his power. "This is ... the power of a dragon. I still don''t know the reason why I got this power..." Saying so, Nozomu told the story of when he killed a dragon. ¡°At that time, I was on my way to this hut to train as usual. And before I knew it, I was in an unknown place. In that place, I was attacked by a dragon with five colors and six wings." "A dragon with 5 colors and 6 wings..." Irisdina and the others realized the identity of the dragon that Nozomu defeated, and they were all at a loss for words. While staring at their facial expressions, Nozomu continued to talk about his story. "During that battle, I was able to release my Ability Suppression and won in a series of miraculous coincidences. At that moment, I lost consciousness, and all I saw was the figure of the defeated dragon became a torrent of light and fell toward me. " When he thought about it now, it was a miracle that he was able to win. If the gear of fate was misplaced even just one, Nozomu would definitely have been dead. "...The power is too great to fit on my body. I managed to survive because of my Ability Suppression, but that dragon is still alive inside of me..." While talking about himself, Nozomu continued to resist Tiamat as it was trying to eat Nozomu up. He gritted his teeth in an attempt to contain his raging power, but as if it was mocking Nozomu''s efforts, the raging power continued to rage within his body. ¡°Haa, haa¡­ every time I release my Ability Suppression, it goes berserk in my body and may eventually eat my body¡­.. I saw that scene over and over again in my dreams.¡± Nozomu desperately persisted while gritting his teeth. There was greasy sweat on his forehead, and his expression was as stiff as it could be. "I don''t know what kind of treatment I will receive if this power is known to the people around me. I might become an experimental subject, a political tool, or a replaceable pawn..." While desperately enduring, Nozomu confessed that he is a dragonslayer. He explained his anxiety and clearly conveyed it to Irisdina and the others in his own words. "More importantly, if everyone knew about this power, I don''t know what everyone would think of me..." And Nozomu exposed all of his feelings. He had anxiety and regret as he kept running away. And also because of the tragedy that would happen if he made a mistake. "~! ...inside me is the power of Tiamat. If I were to be swallowed by this power, I might kill everyone with my own hands... Even if that doesn''t happen, if this power is known, everyone may disappear... When I realized it, my mind started to be weighed down about it¡­¡­ I feel anxious and restless¡­¡± If Shino was still alive, Nozomu wouldn''t have been cornered this far. However, she was no longer there. Nozomu must carry the secrets and worries about the dragon''s power alone. "I am¡­¡­" "Finally, you let me know ..." "Yeah. Thank you, Nozomu. For telling me ..." Nozomu''s loneliness leaked out as he muttered. However, Irisdina and Mars'' words gently enveloped his lonely heart. They had expressions of relief as if the weight in the depths of their chests had been removed. "Both of you ..." "Nozomu. We asked you to tell us about yourself, and you already told us about your story..." With her hands on her chest, Irisdina ascertained her own feelings. "So let me tell you my intentions why I want to hear about your story... I want to know more about you." Irisdina explained her intention and moved her legs to get closer to him. "~!!" However, Nozomu pulled and thrust his katana towards the front of Irisdina. The Qi on its blade has already been extremely compressed and turned into a magic sword. The katana stood between them, like a wall separating Nozomu and Irisdina. "...If you know more about me, you may not be able to return. If you go deeper, it may be life-threatening. You may even get Somia involved..." However, the pupils of the person who pointed the katana at Irisdina swayed. His desire to accept her and the joy of being accepted. Even so, her anxiety didn''t go away and he wanted to make sure those were her true feelings. Nozomu''s heart swayed alternately like a balance. The katana he thrust forward that symbolized his heart swayed slightly. "...Yes, that''s true. Great power attracts a lot of people. Some will try to use you in their own convenient way. Some will take risks and try to eliminate you. Some people may be after those around you, not yourself." Those who pursue their own interests. Those who are afraid of him. And when they decide that they can''t deal with him directly, they will target the people around him. "...But it''s the same for me." The Francilt Family with their great power. There were many people flocking to her little sister as well as her for being the next head. Of course, the situation was completely different between the Francilt Family and Nozomu, the dragon slayer. It wasn''t easy to compare Nozomu, who had tremendous strength as an individual but had no organizational backing, with Irisdina, who would be the next head of such a powerful family. However, Irisdina and Nozomu were the same in the most essential point, which was they attracted people''s attention. "That''s why it''s not a new story for me. Rather than that, I hate it if you''re going to leave me." (I don''t want you to leave me.) That word pierced Nozomu''s chest. Nozomu''s eyes swayed even more due to her desire that was directed at him. As Irisdina advanced her legs further, Nozomu''s body moved backward to maintain the distance. Mars, who was behind Iris Dina, also stepped in and lined up next to her. "If we think about it now, we never opened our hearts to each other. In fact, we might not even have started anything yet..." Irisdina and Mars advance further. Both of them were already within the range of Nozomu''s attack. The katana with *Phantom -Clad-* activated was in front of them. They could reach it as soon as they extended their hards. "That''s why. Once again, let''s start it. Right here right now ..." The two of them extended their hands towards Nozomu''s katana. Nozomu''s *Phantom* can easily cut rocks. If a human finger were to touch it, it would be cut off. However, neither Irisdina nor Mars wanted to withdraw their outstretched hand. The two hands were about to touch Nozomu''s katana. The moment when the outstretched hand touched the blade¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± "...Nozomu" Nozomu''s *Phantom -Clad-* had been canceled. The two hands gently held Nozomu''s katana down, which had been thrust out without force, and Nozomu lowered his katana as he was guided by their hands. "I-I, I am ..." Nozomu let out a silent sob. His eyes were swollen red and filled with tears. He desperately pursed his lips to avoid crying in front of the two of them. "Thank you for telling me your story. Thank you for answering our wish..." "I''m sorry Nozomu. And also, thank you. Being friends with someone like me..." "Uuu...." The eyelids that had been holding on desperately, finally burst open, and hot drops of tears ran down Nozomu''s cheeks. A tear or two that fell to the ground were gracefully twinkling in the moonlight. Because of the overwhelming feeling he felt inside his chest, he couldn''t hold it in anymore. Nozomu kept shedding tears while entrusting himself to the warmth that enveloped him. "~!" Nozomu who finished shedding tears raised his face. His eyes turned red and his tears made his face terrible, even so, his expression was so bright it was as if the evil spirit that had possessed him was now gone. "Me too... once again with everyone..." Nozomu tried to confess his feelings again. But the next moment, Nozomu''s eyes opened wide, and he suddenly attacked the two people in front of him with a stream of Qi. A violent shockwave hit Irisdina and Mars, and they were thrown into the air. (What exactly happened?) The two, who were blown away without knowing the reason, wondered what had happened. And in the next moment, their eyes saw a huge black mass pass by with a roaring sound in front of them, and Nozomu''s figure was blown away by the huge black mass.