Chapter 5 Part 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.
"...
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 Shīna Juliel 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 Shīna was here. Shīna
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. Shīna 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……"
Shīna
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 Shīna fell silent. Shīna 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. Shīna 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 Shīna
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 Shīna 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, Shīna 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"..."
“…………”
Shīna
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."
Shīna
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 Shīna 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 Shīna 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,
Shīna 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 Shīna 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,
Shīna'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, Shīna
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 Shīna, who already gave up
because she couldn't do anything anymore.
“Why
are you chasing after me!”, Shīna made such a loud voice.
Nozomu
faced the black demon beast while saying, "You fool!"
After
that, Shīna 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 Shīna 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 Shīna 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 Shīna. In response to his gaze, Shīna 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 Shīna, who suddenly changed
her behavior. At that moment, a voice that could be heard from afar echoed.
"I
found you~~~!"
""Eh?""
Shīna
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."
Shīna
pulled Anri away from Nozomu. Anri looked dissatisfied, but Shīna 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 Shīna 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?"
Shīna,
who couldn't grasp the conversation, was tilting her head, but Nozomu was
unaware of Shīna'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 Shishō!? 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 Shishō 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. Shishō 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 Shishō 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 Shishō 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 Shīna 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, Shishō 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 Shīna 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 Shishō ..."
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,
Shishō took care of me all night when I came back after being injured in
battle. When Shishō told me, "Welcome home", I cried unintentionally
... However, Shishō 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...
Shishō 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
Shishō 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.
"...
Shishō 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.
"Shishō
attacked me with the intent to kill. I desperately fought back, but Shishō
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.
Shīna
was surprised by his words that he was suddenly attacked, so she gasped unintentionally,
but Nozomu continued to speak.
"I
was dying. But Shishō didn't weaken her ferocious attacks. Then, I thought it
would be fine if I was killed by Shishō..."
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, Shishō suddenly stopped and started talking about why she came
to this continent."
"Is
it about the past of your master?"
"...Yes,
Shishō 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. Shīna
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~~?"
"...
Shishō'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 Shishō 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.
"...
Shishō 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."
“…………”
Shīna
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 Shishō thought I might reject her feelings, Shishō 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~? Shīna-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, Shīna 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."
Shīna's
clear eyes continued to capture Nozomu. Her translucent skin and hair that
received the moonlight were a fantastic sight. As Shīna 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."
"Shīna..."
(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 Shīna's words. And the heat radiated through
his body causing blood to spring up throughout his body.
Next
to Shīna, Anri-sensei had the same smile as usual.
Shīna
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.
"...
Shīna, Anri-sensei. May I ask for a little favor?"
Just
like Shīna 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 Shishō)
With
that in mind, Nozomu decided to step forward again.
