Chapter 5 Part 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 Shīna, 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, Shīna's
voice echoed in front of the main gate. Behind her, they could see Anri-sensei,
who shouldn't be with her.
"Shīna-kun! And
also, Anri-sensei!?"
Irisdina and the
others were surprised by Anri's appearance, but Shīna continued her words
regardless.
"We found
him"
"Really!?"
Irisdina shouted at
Shīna's words. She looked around Shīna 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 Shīna's words. Perhaps because she was so emotional, she
instinctively grabbed Shīna.
"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 Shīna, 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."
Shīna remembered
Nozomu's appearance when he asked her for a favor.
(I want to calm myself
down in Shishō's place for today. I'll be waiting at the hut where I guided
Shīna, 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, Shīna 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 Shīna 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..."
Shīna 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.
Shīna 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 Shīna'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, Shīna
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. Shīna
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 Shīna's
words, Mimuru and Tom look puzzled at first, but then they spoke with a
surprised expression as if they had noticed something.
"Hey, Shīna.
About that hut ..."
"Yup, Mimuru.
That was the hut we evacuated to before. He asked us to be a guide there."
"...
Evacuate?"
"Hey, Shīna.
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 Shīna'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"
Shīna 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 Shīna.
"... Stop it,
Irisdina"
However, surprisingly,
it was Mars who stopped such Irisdina from leaving. Shīna'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."
Shīna nodded and
answered Mars who was asking Shīna 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 Shīna'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 Shīna's question.
"Then, let's head
out after school tomorrow. The meeting place is on the outskirts as
usual."
As everyone parted
ways after Shīna's words, Mars called out to her as she was about to return.
“Shīna, umm… I'm sorry
about today…”
Mars bowed deeply and
apologized. Shīna 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 an Undead 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 Shīna, 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 Undead Dragon's
body with his hand, the Undead Dragon's body was wrapped in white light.
When the light that
stood out in the darkness covered the Undead Dragon's body completely, the
Dragon's body suddenly rose up.
A banging sound
echoed. *Ba-dump, ba-dump*. The Undead 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 Undead Dragon's closed eyes
opened, and the corpse, which should have stopped moving, woke up.
The hooded man and the
Undead Dragon faced each other.
The facial expression
of the hooded person could not be seen. However, the Undead 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 Undead 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 Undead 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.
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 Undead 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 Shīna and
her friends can get over it ..."
What came back to
Nozomu's mind was the appearance of Shīna 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 Shīna'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 Shīna 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 Shīna 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, Shishō.
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.
(... Shishō. 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 Undead 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,
Shishō? ..."
By betting her life,
Shino told him not to look away from the fact that he had been running away.
Then, the figures of Shīna 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
Shīna 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.