Chapter 4 Part 21
Translator : PolterGlast
Proofreader : John4891
"So,
what are you going to do?"
Nozomu
stood up and called out to Tom while searching beyond the bush where the demon
beast was last seen. After Shīna and Mimuru had finished joking with each
other, they grouped back up with Nozomu while being on guard.
"Wait
a minute ... Shīna, I'd like to confirm. You tried to fight alone because you
had some way to defeat it, right? "
"Th-That
was ..."
Shīna
hesitated to answer with an unpleasant expression. It was because she cared
about them that she stepped forward alone.
"Look,
Shīna! Don't be like that!"
"Kyaa!"
Mimuru
urged Shīna not to, slapping her back. As a result, Shīna let out a cute voice.
"Umm
... I'm thinking of using spirit magic ..."
"I
knew it..."
"...
Eh? I'm sure I've never seen Shīna use spirit magic before ... "
Tom
seemed to know that Shīna's trump card was spirit magic, but at the next
moment, Mimuru interrupted with her voice.
"Yeah,
I've never seen it either ... Shīna? Can you try to use it?"
"Umm
..."
Shīna
was at a loss for words. Because she was worried about the failure of the
previous contract, she looked down and got depressed.
However,
at that time, a grain of light stroked her cheek to comfort her.
"A~……"
As
she raised her face, particles of light emitted by the spirits gathered around
her. Each one drifted unreliably and was so small that it seemed to disappear
when blown, but the light that gradually gathered was somewhat gentle and warm.
"...
Looks like you're alright"
"Everyone
……"
For
nearly 10 years, Shīna had only said selfish things, but Shīna got teary eyed
from the kindness of the spirits, who happily accepted her.
"OK!
Then ..."
"Tom,
It's coming! "
"Eh?"
"GIGUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
Tom,
who was relieved to see Shīna and the spirits, tried to continue talking, but
Nozomu's voice made him turn 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 didn’t leave Shīna’s side
this time.
"Oops
~. Has it recovered already? I kicked it with all my might, so it can't have
recovered so soon ..."
"What
are you talking about? That’s the only possible reason if it's a demon beast of
that level. Tom, should Mimuru and I buy you some time?"
Mimuru
cursed the demon beast for recovering so quickly, but Nozomu calmly retorted
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 Shīna, Nozomu
learned that their trump card was spirit magic and decided to earn some time.
Once
the contract was signed with spirit magic, it would provide extraordinary
abilities depending on the spiritual power of the spirit and the contractor.
The problem was compatibility, but as far as Shīna's previous appearance went,
even though she hadn't signed an official contract, they could see that many
spirits gathered voluntarily. In other words, compatibility wouldn’t be a
problem. Besides, Tom seemed to have other ideas.
This
method was much more reliable than Nozomu in releasing his Ability Suppression
and relying on Tiamat's still unstable and dangerous power.
"Shīna,
come over here"
"E-Eh?"
Tom
pulled Shīna's hand and stepped 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. Reason being, Mimuru's attack didn’t get
through the demon beast skin 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 had a magic circle that wasn’t on the blade yesterday.
While
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 was, she smeared the blade
of her knife with a fire-based catalyst that Tom used yesterday to create an
explosion, which blew both the black demon beast Nozomu away.
Nozomu
remembered that it was an extremely powerful catalyst. In fact, it could be
seen that the catalyst reacted to the magic power she sent in, and the blade
heated up a considerable amount.
"Well,
I can't do any damage by myself, 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 as if a cat was
aiming at its prey.
"I
see, it's beastification ..."
[Beastification]
It
was another common ability for beastmen like Wildcats.
It
awakened the dormant beast blood that slept within them, transforming their
bodies.
The
changes in abilities from to the 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 with brute force, it was necessary to
find countermeasures using 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. In response, 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 excellent instantaneous enhancement, engaged with the demon beasts
before Nozomu.
When
she dodged the two approaching tails with her beastification and qi
strengthened strength, she thrust the blade that glowed red and swung it at
once. The intensely heated blade burned the black sludge-like skin.
"GUGYAAU!!"
Because
the black demon beast thought that Mimuru's attack wouldn't work, the demon
beast was hit by an unexpected pain and bellowed, causing its movement to slow
down for a moment.
In
that short gap of time, Nozomu rushed in from the other side. The extremely
compressed Qi was sent to the sheathed katana, and the katana was pulled out
with a shrieking sound.
The
released Qi technique [Phantom] cut deeply through the demon beast’s skin. In
addition, Nozomu turned his katana in the direction of the previous [Phantom]
to perform the Qi technique [One Billion Severance] .
"GUGI~YAAAAAA!!!"
The
demon beast, whose skin was torn and its insides were torn apart, roared in
agony.
The
black beast intensified the flames of hatred with countless bloodshot eyes and
attacked the two who hurt it.
"Kuh!"
"Oops!!"
As
the demon beast used its jaw to attack, Nozomu crouched down to dodge it and
dodged the claws that were about to hit him by breaking free with [Instant
Move]. Mimuru was attacked by two tails, but she avoided the first by jumping
into the air. The other approaching tail turned around in the air, and she
dodged it with her cat-like agility.
The
demon beast got frustrated and angry due to the fact that it was injured and
its attack didn't hit. It was completely focused on Nozomu and Mimuru, and
Shīna and Tom were completely left behind.
Nozomu
and Mimuru smiled at the situation and stepped towards the demon beasts to gain
more time.
=======================================
"Shīna
stands here and calls on the spirits."
"H-Hey
..."
When
Nozomu and Mimuru started fighting with the demon beast in the center of the
square. Shīna 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. Shīna kept raising her voice,
while continuously explaining that she couldn’t establish a contract with the
spirits. It seemed that she was still worried about something.
"It's
okay! I won't let anyone lay a finger on you, Shīna!"
"No!
That's not it!"
Tom
thought that she was worried about the demon beast, so he tried reassuring
Shīna; however, 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 someone who can't even do anything in
such a crucial moment!??"
"Shīna
..."
Shīna
exposed her thoughts and worries. The cry of a girl tied to the past
reverberated.
"A!
Arghh!! You fool!?"
"……Eh?"
Mimuru's
voice cut through such their train of thought.
"You're
mumbling something trivial as usual ... I don't even know what you're talking
about!"
Mimuru
also revealed her thoughts, just like Shīna, who revealed her true intentions.
She
didn't stop voicing her opinion, 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
lovesd Shīna, so she didn’t need any reason, and it was ridiculous to think
about the reasons for worrying about a person she loved. She was always
straightforward in expressing her feelings.
Mimuru's
words caused Shīna to get more teary eyed.
"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 Shīna."
"About
me?"
Shīna
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 everything! Because that's
Shīna'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 Shīna's chest.
It
gently warmed her heart and melted the ice covering her heart. Just as the
spring sun melted the snow that had accumulated during winter.
The
melting ice gave her a new reason to fight. She wanted to answer her friends’
feelings now.
"...
Tom. Please."
"Yeah.
Leave it to me."
Her
face, which was raised again, looked straight ahead, leaving a trail of tears.
=======================================
Shīna'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 would talk to every particle of light floating
around me.
The
gathered spirits made me happy when I saw them, but I was still afraid of the
demon beast, and I was 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
didn't blame the spirits. I spoke 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 spent together.
However,
I couldn't say it out loud. If I thought it was fun, I felt that my
helplessness and regret in the past would fade away. My determination. I almost
forgot about reclaiming my hometown and defeating 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
didn't want to experience it again. I didn't want to feel the regret tearing me
apart again.
More
importantly, I wanted to face the people who loved me. I wanted to protect the
people who had protected me this time.
There
were important people around me. They fought for me.
Mimuru,
Tom, and the spirits of this forest.
There
was also one more person who helped me.
Nozomu
Bountis.
A
person I hated. What was my impression of him now?
At
the very least, he was certainly too kind compared to others. I didn't think
anyone could do the same things he did, even going so far as to let people who
cursed him escape. At least I didn't seem to be able to do it.
They
were very hard-working people. At least in front of people like them, I
couldn't show my disgraceful appearance.
For
that reason too ...
(So
please ... Everyone, lend me your strength. 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
In
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.
While
Shina interacted with the spirits and basked in the light, at Shīna's feet was
a magic formation drawn by Tom.
In
his hands was the map of the area Nozomu had given them yesterday.
Tom’s
plan was to draw a magic formation around Shīna to support Shīna's contract
magic.
For
spirit magic, it was necessary to first make a contract with the spirit with
contract magic, and its power depended on the spirits in that place.
Therefore,
he copied the formation around her based on the map given by Nozomu and used it
to support Shīna'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 called upon with Shīna's magical power alone,
and the torrent of lights no longer surrounded her but rose and swam around the
perimeter instead.
Tom
wasn’t good at fighting, so he did everything he could to help by the
sidelines.
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 Shīna's contract magic.
"This
is all I can do ... Everyone, please do the rest."
===================================
"Kuh!"
Mimuru
and Nozomu continued to dodge the demon beast that was attacking in quick
succession. The demon beast’s attacks continued to become fiercer, because the
demon beast’s mounting frustration, and the two of them became defensive.
Because
Mimuru was worried about Shīna's appearance, she wasn’t entirely focused on the
fight. As a result, the demon beast took that chance, jumping in the gap and
trying to eat Mimuru.
"D-Dangerous!"
In
the next moment, Mimuru felt a cold sweat due to the approaching demon beast 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 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 met your demise!!"
"Sorry,
Sorry. It's okay because I'm alright now! I'm very full of energy today!! Now I
feel like I can even beat Jihad-sensei!"
"I
think that's an overstatement ..."
Mimuru
replied with a clear expression to Nozomu, who worried for her. If he thought
about yesterday, Mimuru might’ve been trapped due to her mental strain.
However, right now she could clearly assess the situation. 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 ...)
When
Nozomu glanced at Shīna and Tom, Tom was writing something on the ground, while
Shīna released her magical power and made a contract with the spirits.
Beside
her, the spirits that were worried about her gathered and cheered her on while
floating in the air.
The
next moment, a tremendous torrent of light rose. Shīna 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. Shīna played with the spirit like an innocent child.
As
the light fluttered, Shīna, who gently embraced the light with her hands
combined with her beautiful appearance, was truly a dazzling 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.
For
him who was unable to step forward due to his own anxiety and fear, the
appearance of Shīna 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.
====================================
While
entrusting herself to the voices of the spirits, Shīna confronted the black
demon beast in front of her.
Because
of what happened 10 years ago, she naturally put a lot of strength into her
hands and clenched 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."
Shīna
thanked the spirits that encouraged her. Then she turned her gaze back to the
demon beast.
The
dark feelings that had been accumulating inside her heart for 10 years … The
feelings that festerned in my heart now turned incredibly clear and bright.
"GAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
The
demon beast noticed Shīna 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 very penetrable, 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!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR ..."
The
demon beast that was blown away immediately regained its posture and glared at
the barrier of light.
Shīna'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.
"GUOOOOOON!!"
In
response to the rushing spears of light, the demon beast opened its huge mouth
and roared, launching a black sphere.
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 Shīna disappeared, the demon beast rushed toward
her again.
However,
it was blocked by something that suddenly jumped out of the ground.
"GAGYAAAAU!!"
What
popped out were countless tree roots. The tree roots that were popping out
caught the demon beast's attack from the front and tightened its body with
tremendous force. The demon beast’s agonized voice escaped its 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
because the demon beast tried 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,
Shīna wasn’t impatient.
As
she moved her finger in the air again, tree roots emerged from the ground
again, wrapping around the struggling demon beast’s gigantic jaws.
"GABYIAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
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.
Shīna
held her bow up and nocked an arrow. She pulled the strings to the limit and
aimed for the demon beast's mouth, 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 Sea] this time was definitely different from the
previous one.
As
Shīna charged the arrow with her magical power, the spirits also gathered on
the arrow.
Not
just the arrow. The spirits also gathered in her bow and emitted auroral light
as if another sun had appeared.
"GI,
GA~A~A~AAAAAAA!!"
Because
it was afraid of the auroral light, the restrained demon beast became more
violent, but it was in vain.
The
black demon beast was scared for the first time. In an attempt to resist its
looming death, the demon beast temporarily unleashed its power beyond its
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.
Shīna'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 demon beast’s weakness, she needed enough strength to completely wipe out
the demon beast. Considering the tenacity of the demon beast, half-hearted
attacks were meaningless.
While
Shīna 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 Shīna.
Spirits
were still gathering on Shīna'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,
and Mimuru's knife also cut off the other tail.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
Both
of its tails were severed, and the screams of the demon beast resounded while
blood splattered from its wounds. The demon beast's consciousness turned white
for a moment from the pain, but at the next moment, the demon beast opened its
countless eyes to the sight that jumped into its eyes.
Shīna
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 in the next moment, her
expression returned to her usual dignified expression.
This
was 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 consumed by complete 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 thanked her friends for supporting her, and
even though she thought she didn’t deserve it, her heart was warm and happy.
The
arrow, which was literally like a second sun, flew straight 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 ~~~~"
Shīna
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
had a big smile on her face.
