Chapter 5 Part 26
Translator : PolterGlast
A black giant appeared
from the sky and rushed towards Nozomu and the others on the ground. Nozomu,
who was sensitive to the hostility directed at them, fired Qi technique
[Cannon] at Iridina and Mars who were in front of him. He managed to get them
out of the path of the approaching black giant, but he was unable to dodge it,
and he received the black giant rushing in from the front.
Nozomu's body was
blown away like a pebble. He was thrown to the ground and bounced many times
before crashing into Shino's hut. He disappeared into the hut by making a big
hole in the wall.
The next moment, the
pillars supporting the roof collapsed, and the hut began to crumble. Nozomu was
buried under a collapsed hut.
Irisdina and the
others were dumbfounded because they didn't understand what was really going
on.
The black giant that
rushed at Nozomu slammed its log-like limbs into the ground and stopped its
rush while carving a deep trench in the ground. Then the black giant spread the
wings on its back to show its majesty.
Cracked scales and
bare wounds covered its entire body. While sprinkling a foul smell over the
surroundings, the beast raised its restored head.
"Why ... this guy
is here ..."
Mars muttered with a
severe facial expression.
In front of them,
stood the existence that should have been defeated by Jihad in front of them
yesterday.
One of its wings that
should have been missing had already been regenerated, but judging by its
appearance, it was definitely the same Undead Dragon.
"Grrrr..."
As the Undead Dragon
opened its mouth and took a deep breath, a red light emerged from the back of
its throat.
A scorching breath was
exhaled in an instant and attacked Shino's hut.
The simple hut made of
forest trees was instantly engulfed in flames. Nozomu, who was thrown into the
hut, was trapped by the flame prison.
"Nozomu!!"
Irisdina, who was
surprised by the appearance of the hut engulfed in flames, let out a worried
voice.
However, the Undead
Dragon didn't even look at Irisdina and the others who were next to it. And it
continued to glare at the hut that was swallowed by its scorching breath.
"Ku~u!!"
"It's bad! We
have to help him quickly!"
Irisdina, Shīna, and
Mars tried to help Nozomu by ignoring the nearby Undead Dragon and rushing to
the burning hut. However, as if to prevent them from coming, a red light
flashed again inside the Undead Dragon's mouth.
"Guu!"
The scorching breath
that was exhaled didn't miss its aim and caught Irisdina and Mars.
However, a wall of
light suddenly appeared in its path and shifted the direction of the breath.
"...I don't know
why you're still alive, but don't get in the way!"
It was Feo's talisman
technique that blocked the Undead Dragon's breath from hitting the two of them.
Perhaps he thought
that he couldn't block the dragon's breath with just one talisman, he used five
talismans to create the barrier.
However, it seemed
that the barrier's durability had exceeded the limit simply by blocking the
dragon's breath. The wall of light disappeared with a shattering sound, and the
talismans that maintained the barrier burned and disappeared. The time earned
is indeed small. But time was more valuable than anything else.
"Everyone, please
attract the dragon's eyes for the time being! Tima-san! Extinguish the fire in
the hut with your magic!
"Norn~! Go to
Nozomu-kun's place~. I'll be staying with Shīna-san and the others
here~!!"
"Alright! Don't
overdo it, Anri!"
Anri and Norn regained
their composure in the short time Feo had gained and sent instructions to
everyone present.
As the instructions
from the two flew in rapid succession, Nozomu's friends, who had regained their
composure, began to act all at once in response to their instructions.
Magic was released in
quick succession on the Undead Dragon, and Anri's whip launched and exploded.
Meanwhile, Feo and
Mimuru dashed to approach the Undead Dragon. They swung their weapons at full
force where the scales peeled off and caused the skin underneath to be exposed.
However, their attacks
had no meaningful effect on the Undead Dragon, which had lost its sense of
pain, and the Undead Dragon shook off Feo and Mimuru as if they were just small
annoying flies.
Feo's strengthened
staff and Mimuru's dagger pierced through its skin, and Tom's magic burned its
skin, but their attacks were unable to stop the Undead Dragon from moving. In
fact, Anri's whip was completely ineffective against the Undead Dragon due to
its special characteristics, which had lost its sense of pain.
"Nozomu! Can you
hear me!"
"Damn it! The
fire is too strong!"
On the other hand,
Irisdina and Mars who arrived at the burning hut immediately tried to
extinguish the fire, but the process was very time-consuming. Irisdina
continued to cast water attribute magic with Immediate Deployment, but it
wasn't enough to extinguish all the burning flames. And Mars couldn't help her
because his wind-based magic would only fuel the fire even more. Also, Shīna
tried to use spirit magic, but it took longer than she thought to make a
contract with the spirits.
"Everyone! Please
calm down!!"
Shīna's sorrowful
voice was addressed to the spirits. She managed to appease the spirits, but the
spirits only moved around Shīna in a state of fear, and they didn't listen to
her at all.
The spirits noticed
Tiamat's presence because Nozomu released his Ability Suppression. Perhaps they
were instinctively afraid of the mighty power that suddenly appeared, the
surrounding spirits were completely frightened. On the other hand, Mars stabbed
his greatsword into the collapsed roof and tried to lift the rubble in the same
way as a lever.
"Kuuuu !!"
However, contrary to
Mars' desperate desire to lift the roof to help Nozomu, the roof didn't move at
all. Perhaps Nozomu who was buried under the rubble was unconscious or could
not move, so only the sound of burning materials popping was heard, and there
was no sign of Nozomu coming out from under the collapsed rubble. They couldn't
spend more time than this. If nothing is done quickly, Nozomu will burn to
death while being buried beneath. Even if he could escape, he might inhale the
smoke and die. Nearly half of the causes of death in fires are suffocation due
to dyspnea. No matter how much Nozomu's physical abilities were improved, once
he had difficulty breathing, his body would not move, and after that, he would
just be burned or suffocated.
"Mars-kun! Keep
it up!"
At the same time that
Norn's voice echoed in Mars's ears, a compressed wind bullet ran through Mars's
side.
The flying wind bullet
cut the collapsed roof in half without fanning the flames.
"A-alright! With
this, I can do it!"
Although he was
startled by the wind bullet that flew suddenly,
the wind bullet managed to split the roof in half, so it seemed he could
move it somehow.
Furthermore, Tima
created a huge water ball in the air while chanting a spell. The size of the
water ball created by gathering the invisible moisture in the air was as big as
Shino's hut.
"Mars-kun! I'm
going to put out the fire, so get away at once!"
"I-I
understand!"
Due to Tima's voice,
Mars left the place immediately. Given the size of the water ball that appeared
in the air, it should be enough to extinguish the fire that was currently
burning the hut. The moment when the water ball in the air almost fell into the
burning hut…….
"Gaaaaaaa
!!"
The Undead Dragon
rushed towards the water ball.
The giant flapped its
wings and thrust in, ignoring all the desperate attacks from Anri and the
others who tried to stop it.
"Eeh!?"
The water ball, which
was about the size of a hut, erupted and scattered due to the charge of the
Undead Dragon, which had a body much larger than the water ball.
"Such a
thing..."
"Kuh~!!"
A shocked voice
escaped from Tima's mouth. Mars also bit his lip when he saw the incredible
scene in front of him. He returned to the hut and thrust his greatsword again.
He desperately tried to get rid of the collapsed roof.
Irisdina continued to
throw water balls with her immediate deployment and her abundant magic power,
but as expected, she couldn't put out the fire. And the spirits around Shīna
were still scared and they didn't want to listen to her.
Irisdina and Shīna
decided that there was no progress, so they applied the strengthening magic all
over their bodies and placed their hands on the burning rubble, and tried to
remove the roof that fell on Nozomu like Mars.
"O-oi!"
"Kuuuu!"
"~~ !!"
Searing heat and a
piercing pain shot through their hands.
Mars shouted at
Irisdina and Shīna's overly reckless behavior, but they were out of options.
Nozomu may die if nothing is done.
For Irisdina, who had
been worried that he might be gone, what happened right in front of her could
lead to the realization of her nightmare. For Shīna, the appearance of Nozomu
who was about to be burned by flames seemed to overlap with the incident when
she lost her family 10 years ago. A forest surrounded by flames and a burning
house. Her family died in front of her. She was afraid that Nozomu would go
through the same thing as her family…….
When Irisdina and Shīna
thought about what would happen to Nozomu, the pain in their hands didn't matter
to them.
"Nozomu, Nozomu
...!"
"Please ... make
it in time ..."
Irisdina and Shīna
desperately tried to get rid of the rubble while continuing to pray. However,
as if trampling on their wishes, the Undead Dragon attacked to disturb them.
"Shit! What the
hell!!"
Mars was throwing
curse words at the Undead Dragon aiming at Irisdina and Shīna for some reason
instead of Anri and the others who attacked it. He hastily took out the
greatsword that was stabbed into the gap of the rubble, grabbed Irisdina and Shīna's
collars, and left the place with all his might. In the next moment, the claws
of the Undead Dragon that plunged from the sky deeply swept across the ground
where Irisdina and Shīna were. Furthermore, the Undead Dragon's tail swung at
the retreated Irisdina and the others.
"~!!"
"Tch!"
At that moment, Mars
raised his greatsword and Irisdina created a magic barrier, then a rushed
massive object collided.
Irisdina and Mars
endured the pressure with all their might.
The two of them
managed to block the huge tail.
"Take this!"
Shīna sent her magical
power into the arrow she took out from its quiver and pierced the tail that was
blocked by Irisdina and Mars, but her attack still had no effect.
"Gu~ruaaaa!"
However, the Undead
Dragon put more power into its tail. Due to the increasing pressure on their
arms, Irisdina and Mars couldn't hold it any longer. Together with Shīna, the
three were thrown together.
The three of them
managed to get into a defensive posture and fell safely. They regained their
posture in preparation for the pursuit of the Undead Dragon. However, the
Undead Dragon did not chase after them, and it stood quietly in front of the
burning hut. It was as if it prevented them from helping Nozomu.
"Shit. So that
Dragon won't let us help Nozom!"
They didn't know what
the reason was, but the Undead Dragon was apparently blocking Irisdina and the
others from helping Nozomu.
In the previous
battle, they had not sensed any reasoning from the Undead Dragon. The Dragon's
eyes were still cloudy white, telling them that it was dead, but it seemed
unlikely that the current movement of the Undead Dragon was based solely on its
impulses or instincts.
"~!! We can't
waste any more time! Let's make the Undead Dragon stepped back!!"
Irisdina unleashed her
magic power with all her might to activate [Lunar Eclipse]. Shīna tauted the
bowstring she was holding with all her might and activated [Punishment of the
Sea of Stars] to the nocked arrow.
A sword glowed and an
arrow shone like a meteor in response to their passion.
Irisdina, Mars, Feo,
and Mimuru rushed towards the Undead Dragon. Shīna sent more magic to the
[Punishment of the Sea of Stars], while Tima, Anri, and Tom started chanting
their magic.
In order to confront
them, the Undead Dragon also stretched its limbs, spread its wings on its back,
and fully displayed its fighting spirit.
In the next moment,
Irisdina and the others rushed towards the Undead Dragon all at once, and the
dragon, on the other hand, exhaled a scorching breath toward them.
============================================
As the battle between
the Undead Dragon and Irisdina and the others was about to begin, Nozomu, who
was trapped under the collapsed hut, saw red flames shimmering in several
places in his pitch-black field of vision, and only the shadows of rubble could
be seen reflected in the light.
"Argh~!! …………
~kuh!"
Nozomu groaned due to
the rubble that was piling on his body.
His body was pressed
down by the collapsed roof, and he couldn't move. But more than that, the smoke
and the heat of the flames mercilessly attacked Nozomu.
Nozomu desperately
tries to breathe, but he doesn't feel comfortable no matter how much he
breathes. Every time he took a breath, the smoke was sucked in and it was
getting more and more painful.
The heat he felt
against his skin gradually increased, and the flames tried to burn Nozomu's
body without stopping.
"! .........
~u~a..."
In the gradually
darkening field of vision, Nozomu tried to reach for help, but his hands that
were caught between the rubble couldn't move.
In the hazy
consciousness, what crossed Nozomu's mind was the appearance of his friends who
had accepted the current him.
The bond he finally
got. People he never wanted to be separated from.
The Undead Dragon was
still outside. He didn't know what was going on outside, but at least he didn't
think the dragon world be standing still.
The faces of Irisdina
and the others and the memories of the days they spent together flowed like
waves.
Memories were like
magic lanterns. It made Nozomu feel that he would never be able to make
memories with them again, and his impatience accelerated further.
He finally got it. He
was afraid, but he was able to speak his mind with his courage...
(I don't want to die!
I can't die yet!!)
With that determination, Nozomu's body was strengthened.
That was the manifestation
of his strong survival instinct. Nozomu's will to live was seen briefly by
Shino and his will to live also appeared when he fought against Tiamat. Nozomu
put all the strength of his body into his left hand, which was sandwiched
between the rubble. He moved his muscles and made an unpleasant sound, causing
the debris to move slightly.
"Gu! Ga~!
Gohogoho!"
However, dyspnea and
impatience hinder Nozomu's concentration and make him feel uncomfortable.
Contrary to Nozomu's desperate thoughts, his body didn't move as he wanted. It
was as if a lead was tied around his body and he was submerged in water. At
that moment, a voice rang out from the depths of his ears.
(Do you want to live?
Or do you want to help those people?)
The voice of that
"guy" echoed in Nozomu's mind. Tiamat's voice sounded clearer than
usual, probably because Nozomu was releasing his Ability Suppression. Tiamat
was invisible to Nozomu's eyes, but its voice clearly despised Nozomu, who
couldn't move.
(But it's too late.
Even if the Dragon is undead, those humans won't be able to survive against a
Dragon. By this time, they will become minced meat and turn into pitiful
skeletons.)
Tiamat's merciless
words pierced Nozomu's chest.
(And in the end, you
can't do anything. Human, that's your limit...)
Tiamat told him that
it was over. However, those words made his survival instincts run wild in his
heart and added more reason for him to fight further.
(Don't mess with me!
Such a thing, I won't allow it!)
The lives of his
friends who could finally understand each other might be lost. That fact
further aroused Nozomu's impatience and fueled his passion. To the point that
Nozomu himself couldn't control it.
"Ooooooooooo
!!"
In an attempt to
refute Tiamat's cruel words with all his might, Nozomu screamed and exploded
his Qi throughout his body.
The exploding Qi
created a slight gap between the rubble holding down Nozomu's body. Before the
gap closed again, Nozomu pulled out his left hand. Ignoring the pain from the
torn skin and the gushing blood, Nozomu slammed his left arm into the ground
with all his might.
Qi Technique [Light of
Extinction]
The field of vision in
front of him was filled with light, and the rubble holding down his body was
blown away.
Meanwhile, for some
reason, that "guy" inside Nozomu was grinning widely.
Feeling a sense of
freedom due to the disappearance of the rubble that had been held his body
down, Nozomu stood up to examine his limbs.
His entire body was
still in pain and blood was spurting from his left hand which was hit by the
light.
(...… It works!)
The arm and the legs
that were sandwiched between the rubble were able to respond and move properly
according to Nozomu's will.
There was no problem.
Nozomu was about to look ahead and try to concentrate on the fight with the
opponent that would appear in front of him.
"……Eh?"
However, when the
torrent of light emitted by his technique was settled and his vision returned,
Nozomu was startled by the scene that spread out in front of him.
(Why am I here?)
Nozomu was alone in
the bloody red field of vision.
What he saw in front
of him were burning flames and the scattered rubble of many houses. Many of the
collapsed buildings were houses Nozomu had seen in the last two years in Arcazam.
Yes, he who should
have been in the forest until a moment ago, was now looking at Arcazam that had
collapsed for some reason.
“W-why… I was in the
forest until just a moment ago…”
(But it's too late.
Even if the Dragon is undead, those humans won't be able to survive against a
Dragon. By this time, they will become minced meat and turn into pitiful
skeletons.)
Tiamat's previous
words revived in Nozomu's mind.
The collapsed Arcazam
and the burning houses in front of him. The heat of the burning flames and the
voices of people asking for help could be heard here and there. What he saw was
the realization of the nightmare.
(Yeah, I don't have
much time. Anyway, I have to find everyone as soon as possible!)
"~! Everyone!
Where are you!!"
However, all he could
hear from the surroundings were the groans of other people, the sound of flames
popping, and the sound of the burnt-out building collapsing, and he couldn't
find them.
"Iris! Mars! Shīna!!"
The hot air burned his
throat every time he breathed, and his body became hot. Then, the depths of his
chest grew colder in inverse proportion to the heat of his body, and his heart
was filled with a feeling of loss and seemed to become a gaping hole.
(No way...)
In order to shook off
such a worst-case scenario, Nozomu tried his best to find his friends.
However, a black
shadow appeared in front of him.
Moreover, the shadow
that appeared was not only one. Multiple shadows stood in front of Nozomu close
to each other.
There was also a
particularly huge shadow. It was several times taller than Nozomu. Its powerful limbs stepped on the burning
earth. And its wing-shaped shadow that grows on its back spread out
majestically.
Its figure, which was
awe-inspiring to all who see it, told Nozomu the magnitude of the shadow's
power.
Behind the giant
shadow, he could see 10 human-shaped shadows that were close to each other. The
size of the human-shaped shadows varied, but each shadow had something in its
hand that seemed like a weapon.
"...So you want
to get in my way..."
Concerned for the
safety of his friends, Nozomu unleashed all his bloodlust towards the shadows
in front of him.
His bloodlust seemed
to show his strength and intimidated the shadows. The humanoid shadows wavered
slightly, maybe they were pressured by Nozomu's bloodlust.
However, the giant
shadow still had no intention of retreating and instead threatened Nozomu by
spreading its wings on its back.
"... I don't have
much time. If you get in my way, I'll make you withdraw by force!!"
He sent Qi into his
katana while releasing bloodlust towards the giant shadow in front of him. He
strengthened his body with all his might.
The released Qi became
so bloated that it overflowed from his body due to the release of ability
suppression and it increased Nozomu's body's physical abilities beyond limits.
The humanoid shadows
behind the giant shadow had weapons that Nozomu was familiar with. The mouth of
the humanoid shadow moved as if calling out someone's name. However, Nozomu
didn't notice because of his frustration.
And he also didn't
notice, just before he arrived at this bloody red place, the mouth of the
"guy" inside him distorted into a wide grin.
=========================================
Irisdina and the
others who were trying to help Nozomu, and the Undead Drago who was trying to
prevent them for some reason. As the battle between them was about to begin, a
deafening roar suddenly reverberated to the surroundings.
A torrent of light
erupted. Dust and smoke soared high, and the burning rubble was blown into the
sky. The rubble that fell to the ground burned the vegetation and the place
became a burning field. Amidst the rubble that was blown away, a shadow stood
in the shimmering flames.
"...
No-zomu?"
Irisdina's voice
echoed as if to confirm.
It was definitely
Nozomu who stood up slowly. However, his appearance had changed significantly.
The clothes he wore were scorched black in several places, and perhaps he was
injured when the hut collapsed, drops of blood were dripping from his head onto
the ground.
A katana was held in
his right hand, swaying in the light of the surrounding flames. But most of
all, Irisdina doubted her eyes because the atmosphere surrounding Nozomu's body
had changed drastically.
Bloodlust was released
indiscriminately into the surroundings. He wore a swordsman-like atmosphere
that could instantly kill anyone who tried to get close to him. And his eyes
were dyed with a crimson color that was able to pierce the heart of people who
saw it.
"Ugh~..."
Nozomu's crimson eyes
were directed at Irisdina and the others.
Until a moment ago,
his atmosphere when he told them how strong he was, was still normal. Because
they were pressured by his burning eyes, Irisdina and the others were
reflexively stepped back.
"Guuuu ..."
The Undead Dagon
turned towards Nozomu. It was no longer interested in Irisdina and the others.
It exposed its unprotected back towards them. His white and cloudy eyes were
only aimed at the boy who was standing in the flames. Nozomu and the Undead
Dragon face each other. As sparks fluttered and the flames swayed, the eyes of
Irisdina and the others locked onto the scene before them. What they saw was
the appearance of Nozomu standing in the sea of fire. The storm-like power
and bloodlust that flowed out of his body, and the crimson gaze that shone
brilliantly, and the presence of all the creatures in that place shrank because
of it.
"Wha? What's
wrong with that guy ..."
Mars' voice melted
into the burning air that covered the area.
(What on earth is
happening?)
It was something that
everyone in that place felt.
"~, uu..."
Shīna's body next to
Irisdina suddenly collapsed.
Irisdina, who was next
to her, supported her body in a hurry, but Shīna's appearance was clearly
strange. Her complexion passed pale and turned white like a dead person. Her
pupils were hollow and out of focus.
"Shīna-kun!
What's wro- ..."
Irisdina, who caught Shīna's
collapsed body, was about to call her out, but she then raised her face with a
surprised expression. Beyond her line of sight, needless to say, was Nozomu's
appearance with a large amount of Qi released into the surroundings.
"Nozomu..."
Shīna was the only
person who was most surprised by the extraordinary power Nozomu unleashed and
was now more shocked than ever. In front of Irisdina, Nozomu started to exude a
strange atmosphere. And Irisdina remembered Nozomu's words of confession,
"another will other than myself".
"No way ..."
Just as the lines
connected on Irisdina's head, the Undead Dragon's jaw opened, and a red light
flashed inside the Undead Dragon's mouth.
"Gaaaaaa!"
The Undead Dragon
roared. The light shining in its mouth became stronger and a scorching breath like a storm was released
towards Nozomu.
"Aaaaaa!!"
Nozomu's scream
reverberated in the forest. In the face of the oncoming scorching breath in
front of him, Nozomu released Qi from his feet.
At the next moment, he
stepped his foot forwards and smashed the ground. While glaring at the Dragon
in front of him with his crimson eyes, Nozomu sprinted through the scattered
rubble and flames.
Nozomu, who got
accelerated with his [Instant Move], immediately activated [Instant Move -Curve
Dance-]. In an instant, he changed his running direction. While grazing the
ground and running through the side of the approaching breath, he rushed
towards the Undead Dragon.
"Oooooo!"
Nozomu instantly
traversed the distance to the Undead Dragon while extremely compressing his Qi
on the blade of his katana.
Nozomu, who had closed
the distance, circled towards the side of the Undead Dragon and swung his
katana.
The blade sharpened to
the limit by Qi deeply cut the Undead Dragon's right foreleg, and at the same
time, the Qi technique [One Billion Severance] was activated. A myriad of tiny
blades exploded and scraped the muscles of the Undead Dragon's right forelegs
and smashed the cracked dragon scales into pieces.
"Gaaaaaaa!"
The Undead Dragon's
body loses its posture greatly because nearly half of its front leg muscles
were crushed.
Nozomu slipped under
the belly of the Undead Dragon who was trying to support its body which was
about to fall. He dashed to the other side and launched another slash at its
soft abdomen.
The reactivated [One
Billion Severance] scraped the Undead Dragon's abdomen and its internal organs
scattered on the ground.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
!!"
The scream of the
Undead Dragon that pierced the atmosphere echoed. Its internal organs spilled
from the cut wound, and rotten smoke with a foul odor came out.
However, despite the
fact that its internal organs were protruding from its abdomen, the Undead
Dragon lifted its tail upward and swung it down towards Nozomu who was running
to the other side. Its tail tearing through the wind like a whip.
Nozomu turned his body
and launched a counterattack while looking sideways at the large tail
approaching from his side.
Nozomu once again sent
his highly compressed Qi into his katana, then swung his katana towards the
Undead Dragon's tail.
A dragon that stands
out among the demon beasts.
Its existence as a
powerful demon beast that is said to be able to even destroy a fortress, could
easily destroy a house with just a single blow from its tail. The huge tail
covered in strong muscles and scales that boasted as hard as iron walls gained
momentum to attack him.
If he were a normal
human being, it would be impossible to receive such a blow from the front.
However, the moment Nozomu's slash and the Undead Dragon's tail clashed, the
Dragon's tail was slashed instead.
The huge torn tail
danced high in the air.
Nozomu's katana, which
had been enveloped in [Phantom -Clad-], slashed at the Undead Dragon's scales
like paper. His slash also cut through the Undead Dragon's bones which were
tougher than diamonds and its flexible muscles that were as flexible as whips,
with just a single blow.
Nozomu raised his
katana and immediately took his next action without wasting any movement. He
activated [Instant Move] again. He moved as if dancing towards the giant in
front of him.
While deeply slashing
at the Undead Dragon's left hind leg, he dashed under the Dragon's belly again
and launched another slash. The Dragon's right foreleg, which he had slashed
before, was completely amputated.
The Undead Dragon lost
its balance due to losing its right foreleg. However, it tried to stabilize its
body which had somehow collapsed with its remaining legs.
However, Nozomu
immediately turned around with [Instant Move]. As he dashed past the Undead
Dragon's eyes, he blew half of its weight-bearing left forelegs with Qi technique
[One Billion Severance].
Because one of its
forelegs was severed, and the other foreleg was also weakened. The Undead
Dragon lost its posture.
However, Nozomu's
pursuit wasn't over yet.
He further leaped
towards the Undead Dragon's left foreleg which had lost its posture, dashed
over to the Dragon's body, jumped up, and swung his katana as it was. The
exploding [One Billion Severance] scraped off the Undead Dragon's huge body.
Blood and flesh scattered around like rain.
"...
No-Nozomu"
Irisdina and the
others could only look at such Nozomu with their eyes wide open. In front of
them, the figure of Nozomu clashing with a dragon, which was one of the
highest-ranked demon beasts, was a sight too difficult to describe for them.
Nozomu was bathed in flesh and blood while releasing bloodlust.
"... Such ...
such a thing ..."
At this point, they
finally understood the anxiety Nozomu had.
A powerful demon beast
like the Undead Dragon was chopped into pieces by Nozomu. Based on Nozomu's
story so far, it could be them who will be slashed there by him.
(Inside me is the
power of Tiamat. If I were to be swallowed by this power, I might kill everyone
with my own hands...)
"~!!"
Nozomu's words
returned to Irisdina's mind, she reflexively bit her lip. Her hands that were
supporting the collapsed Shīna became stronger, and her snow-like fingers lost
their color and turned pale.
(...I feel anxious and
restless...)
Nozomu confessed his
feelings while distorting his expression while being tormented by his
disordered heart. At that time, Irisdina thought she could start over with
Nozomu and was happy to face him.
However, the current
Nozomu continued to swing his katana and dyed the area in a sea of blood.
Nozomu's appearance made Irisdina and the others' chests hurt. Nozomu didn't
stop his hand from swinging his katana while Irisdina and the others felt hurt.
Nozomu, who had
slashed at the Undead Dragon's body, ran up to its neck, and when he reached
its head, he slammed the scabbard on the Undead Dragon's head while sheathing
his katana into its scabbard.
A destructive
shockwave and Qi were released by his deadly Qi technique [Breaking Strike]. It
crushed the Undead Dragon's brain and blew out half of its head. As the giant's
body swayed, Nozomu quickly jumped to the ground. However, at that moment, the
Undead Dragon's eyes glared at Nozomu.
"Giga~a,
gegu~aauu !!"
The dragon's mouth
glowed red even though it was no longer possible for it to scream. A crimson
scorching breath was released. The remaining life of its entire body was poured
into the attack. The hellfire, that could even melt steel into ashes in an
instant, attacked Nozomu.
"Uooooo!!"
However, Nozomu didn't
try to dodge even in the face of the approaching scorching flames. While
sending his Qi into the katana in its scabbard with all his might, he thrust at
full speed into the scorching breath that was approaching from the front. He
took out his katana and launched a drawn sword technique.
The super-high-speed
flying slash [Phantom] cut the Undead Dragon's hot breath and opened a straight
path, and Nozomu rushed towards the Undead Dragon's eyes.
The scorching breath
that kept coming out tried to close the open path, but before giving it such
time, Nozomu quickly closed the distance to the Dragon's eyes.
"Aaaaaa!"
The edge of the katana
flipped over and another slash was launched. A slash that glowed due to the
extremely compressed Qi was sucked into the Dragon's mouth.
Qi Technique [Phantom
-Recurrence-]
The flashing blade
slashed the Dragon's jaw in an instant. The Undead Dragon's body collapsed. Its
body convulsed, but soon its movement stopped and was completely silent.
“…………”
Nozomu glanced at the
lying Undead Dragon then glared at Irisdina and the others. Nozomu's gaze
pierced and tore their hearts apart.
His gaze wasn't the
usual gaze directed at his friends, but a sharp and piercing gaze that was
usually directed at his enemies.
"~!
Nozomu!!"
Irisdina's painful
voice like a prayer resounded in the forest.
Her heartbreaking cry.
She wished that the worst-case scenario she had in mind didn't come true.
However, as if her wish was thrown away, Nozomu stepped in, releasing a
murderous intent that would freeze the spine of everyone who saw him.
===============================================
A faint light shone in
the forest dyed in darkness, like an isolated island in the ocean. Someone was
wearing a hood to hide his face, while the surrounding overgrown trees were
concealing his presence.
"So it
started..."
In such an empty
forest, that person muttered in a small voice that even insects could not hear.
A spherical object floated in front of the hooded person. Inside the spherical
object, a human and a huge demon beast were projected fighting each other. A
boy wielding a katana, slashed at the demon beast in front of him with his
glowing red eyes, while the demon beast confronted the boy with a crimson
scorching breath released from its mouth. The boy faced a dragon, which was a
prominent presence among demon beasts. Even though it had become an undead, it
still had a strong body and scorching breath among the demon beasts. And its
missing wings have also been restored.
If others thought
about it normally, the boy should have no chance of winning. However, it was
the Undead Dragon, not the boy, who was clearly inferior. In the image
projected on the sphere floating in the air, the boy ran continuously, and
every time his katana flashed, the huge body that should have been as strong as
a castle was slashed and injured. Its tail was severed, its legs were
amputated, and its head was smashed.
The Undead Dragon's
body was covered in wounds. However, the dragon's cloudy white eyes glared at
the boy again.
Was it because of its
pride as one that stood at the pinnacle of the demon beasts?
Was it because of the
fear towards the boy-shaped monster in front of it?
or is it because of
the debt of gratitude to the person who brought it back to life?
The reason is unknown.
However, the dragon couldn't accept the result for what it was. It released
another scorching breath with the last ounce of its strength. However, the last
attack from the Undead Dragon was only torn apart by the boy's one slash.
Without being able to dodge, the Undead Dragon's head was severed with an
overturned slash.
The person in the hood
looked at the scene without showing any signs of being surprised. Nozomu's line
of sight that was reflected in the sphere was directed at Irisdina and the
others. His eyes were still dyed red, and through the projected image, one
could feel goosebumps down their spines.
"It starts from
here……"
After the hooded
person spoke so, he swung his arm. Then, countless shining magic formations
appeared at his feet. The magic formations gradually spread to the ground and
overlapped each other. Multiple magic formations that looked like six-pointed
stars interfered with each other to develop a larger magic formation, and the
deployed magic formations formed an even larger formation. The hooded person
stood alone in the middle of the magic formations, which were extremely
complicated and mysterious.
With his eyes wide
open, his gaze locked onto the sphere in front of him.
"I'll have to
ascertain it myself ..."
Such a muttering voice
melted into the darkness that spread across the forest.