Chapter 5 Part 28
Translator : PolterGlast
"Kishaaaaa!"
The Metal Dragon
roared and flew into the sky.
It soared high and
flew towards the moon shining in the sky, which human hands could never reach.
It turned around and changed its direction. This time, while receiving the
moonlight on its back, it suddenly descended towards Nozomu in a straight line.
"Ko~aaa..."
A white light appeared
within the mouth of the descending Metal Dragon. At the moment the light inside
its mouth shone even further, a huge light bullet shot from the Metal Dragon's
mouth towards Nozomu and the others on the ground.
The huge bullet of
light, which approached in the blink of an eye, was like a shooting star
falling towards them.
"Dangerous!!"
"Tch!"
"E~~i!"
Tima, Feo, and
Anri-sensei came forward and deployed a triple magic barrier. After one beat, a
huge light bullet landed on the barrier.
"Gu~uu ..."
"Aaah!"
"Kyaa!"
A huge light bullet
exploded with a roaring sound and a flash of light.
The three who had put
up the barrier, along with Mars and Mimuru who were in the vanguard were blown
away by the blast. The magic barrier that was deployed shattered with the sound
of glass breaking.
In the sky, the Metal
Dragon that was still descending had prepared another attack to launch. The
same light as before appeared and shot from its mouth.
"Another one is
coming!"
Along with Mars' shout,
another huge light bullet was fired. The light of destruction was directed at
Nozomu and the others again.
"This is bad...
Gah!"
Nozomu tried to get up
quickly, but he groaned as the intense pain ran throughout his body, and by the
time he realized it, he had already missed the chance to dodge it.
The huge light bullet
was approaching at high speed. Nozomu couldn't dodge in time. For Nozomu, who
originally couldn't use magic and couldn't use katana techniques due to
depletion of Qi, it was impossible to defend against such a Metal Dragon's
attack.
Tima also couldn't
deploy the magic barrier in time. Irisdina and Shīna, who were in front of
Nozomu, put strength into their arms and tried to push Nozomu away from the
path of the light bullet so he could escape, but their arms also didn't have
any spare strength left to do that.
"Kuh...!!"
Nozomu tried to
forcefully move his body that didn't want to get out of the path of the light
bullet.
The Undead Dragon
revived without warning. Its body was metalized, and the breath it exhaled was
significantly altered, such as becoming a mass of light instead of the
scorching breath of fire.
(I don't know what
happened, but nonetheless, everyone is...)
Driven by such
thoughts, Nozomu desperately tried to move his body.
However, faster than
Nozomu, Irisdina and Shīna jumped in front of him as if they were protecting
Nozomu.
"Shīna-kun!"
"I know!"
Shīna moved faster
than Irisdina called her name. She quickly pulled an arrow out of its quiver,
nocked it to her bow, and at the same time sent her magical power into the
arrow.
Irisdina also
intensified her magic power and instantly cast a technique with immediate
deployment. She created a spear that was wrapped in darkness and held it in her
hand.
[Spear of Abyss]
Magic that converted
the caster's magical power into darkness, condensed it into a spear shape to
its limit, and threw it away.
Its condensation and
release points were similar to [Sharp Rock Dance] and based on the shape of the
spear, it has a shape suitable for piercing through a single point.
Magical light also
shone on Shīna's arrow next to Irisdina, and she glared and focused her aim on
the approaching light bullet.
"Haa!"
"Fuh~!"
Irisdina threw the
[Hell Spear] in her hand and Shīna shot the arrow she picked up. Irisdina's
spear and Shīna's arrow collided in the air against the Metal Dragon's light
bullet.
[Spear of Abyss] and
[Punishment of the Sea of Stars] sank into the Metal Dragon's light bullet,
and at the next moment, it exploded while scattering magical power to the
surrounding.
Darkness and light
were scattered. The front half of the Metal Dragon's light bullet was blown
away, and the light bullet that could no longer maintain its shape disappeared
as a grain of light. But...
"Giryaaaa!!"
"Wha~!"
"Oh no...!"
The Metal Dragon rushed
in a straight line towards Nozomu, moving through the particles of light
scattered in the air. It tries to eat Nozomu with its metalized jaw.
The two who were using
such a big technique couldn't respond in time. Nozomu couldn't move, and Norn,
who devoted herself to taking care of Nozomu, couldn't move either.
"Let's just do it
whatever happens!"
"Teeiyaah!"
However, at that
moment, Mars and Mimuru rushed over from the side while shouting. They regained
their posture while the Metal Dragon was still in the sky, and they waited for
their chance while sending Qi throughout their bodies.
Mars slammed the
wind-enveloped greatsword into the flank of the Metal Dragon, and Mimuru
launched a dropkick in sync with Mars.
At the same time, Mars
released the Qi technique [Dust Blade].
Mimuru also cast wind magic at both of her feet.
The raging wind blew
the giant dragon, which was as big as a house, to the side. The jaws of the Metal
Dragon that rushed did not catch Nozomu, and the giant body deviated to the
side and slammed into the ground, scraped the ground, and plunged into the
forest.
The Metal Dragon was
buried in the trees being pushed down by its own body. Mars shouted as the Metal
Dragon struggled and blew out a could of dust.
"Tima! Feo!"
In response to Mars'
scream, Feo and Tima chased after the fallen Metal Dragon. Feo took out five
talismans from his pocket. Tima put magical power into the wand she raised.
Lightning flashed in the air, and fire gathered while dancing. Feo created five
thunder balls, and Tima created a huge mass of flame.
"Gyarurururu..."
While making a
groaning sound that hurt others' ears, the Metal Dragon rose up, blowing off
the trees resting on top of its body. The Metal Dragon's blue eyes caught the
thunder balls and the mass of flame.
The Metal Dragon
immediately spread its wings and tried to jump into the sky. The sky is his
territory. He can fly to heights that can't be reached by humans who can't fly.
If it were to fly and use the space in the air, it can easily dodge Feo's thunder
balls and Tima's mass of flames.
The Metal Dragon
spread the wings on its back, sharp wings as if swords were lined up, and make
them flap greatly.
"I won't let
you!"
"Be a little
obedient~"
The giant hovered in
the air for a moment, and just as it was about to fly, chains that shone in the
color of the earth suddenly emerged from two magic formations that appeared
from the ground and bound the Metal Dragon. It was Anri and Tom who activated
the restraint magic. They wouldn't be able to keep the restraint for long with
such a mighty being, a dragon, as their opponent, but they were able to gain
some time for Feo and Tima to cast magic.
"Go~!"
First of all, Feo shot
five thunder balls at the Metal Dragon.
Thunder balls that
emitted a buzzing sound and blue light flew and landed on the giant body that
was being restrained by the magic chains. Lightning bolts shot through the Metal
Dragon's entire body with a bursting sound.
"Kishaaaaa!"
The dragon, who had
suddenly lost its freedom, screamed from being attacked and raged even more
violently. However, Feo's bolt of lightning was repelled by the Metal Dragon's
metallic skin and was ineffective.
What's more, the
restraint magic reached its limit, and the chains holding the Metal Dragon's
body were destroyed with a cracking sound. While the technique that had lost
its power scattered in the air, the freed Dragon spread its wings again and
tried to fly into the sky.
"It's not over
yet!"
Tima, who had pushed
her own magic power to the limit, released [Calamity of the Sinner]. She didn't
intend to let the Metal Dragon do what it wanted. The scorching mass of flames,
which were much larger than the caster's body, flew in a straight line towards
the Metal Dragon whose wings were spread wide. But just before the magic hit
the Dragon's body, the Dragon managed to land in a hurry. A roaring blast
exploded and the surrounding area was filled with a cloud of dust.
It was the power of a
mage with S-rank magical qualities. The hot air generated during the explosion made
even Somia, who should be the furthest away, feel the searing heat. Certainly,
the amount of heat at the center of the explosion was unimaginable.
If hit directly, even
the dragon would not be left unscathed...
Smoke was still
billowing at the point of impact and it was impossible to see the state of the Metal
Dragon that was there.
Maybe it was
defeated……. As such an idea flashed through their heads, a huge shadow slashed
through the soaring smoke and flew into the sky.
The dragon fled into
the air faster than when it landed, dodging a direct hit. However, the
explosion from such a close distance and the heat that even iron could easily
melt made the Metal Dragon's body not be left intact. There were some
stain-like marks on its body and traces of its skin melted and damaged from the
heat.
"Kuh~!"
"Take this!"
Irisdina and Shīna
shot magic bullets and arrows at the Metal Dragon flying in the air, but the
Dragon was able to perform agile maneuvers and dance gracefully like a bird,
thus successfully dodging all the magic and arrows that were coming its way.
The dragon that had picked up altitude again descended once more, and this
time, it fired light bullets from the air towards Nozomu in succession.
"Its bad!"
"Nozomu-kun!"
Irisdina and Shīna who
were shooting arrows and magic at the flying dragon immediately stopped their
attacks and deployed a magic barrier to block the Metal Dragon's light bullets.
The blast of light
bullets that landed and exploded blew up Irisdina and Shīna's magic barrier
like scraps of paper, and the explosion that couldn't be prevented hit their
bodies directly.
"Guh~!!"
"Iris! Shīna!"
Irisdina and Shīna
were blown away and slammed to the ground while groaning. Their voices of agony
pierced through Nozomu's chest, however, regardless of what happened, the Metal
Dragon shot another light bullet at Nozomu.
“Respond to my wish, guardians of the four directions.
Use my heart as a source of nutrients, and repel everything that comes to my
friends with the intention bring them harm! "
Tima's chanting
resounded in the sky. A four-colored magic formation formed around her. A
barrier appeared and enveloped all of her friends who were there. The light
bullets that were fired at Nozomu were blocked by the barrier and became grains
of light and scattered.
Barrier Magic
[Miniature Garden of Four Directions]
Barrier magic with the
highest defensive power among the magic that Tima possessed. Similar to the
[Four Circumference of Sealing Formation] that Tima used against Rugato's
familiar, it was possible to circulate the power of four attributes without
repelling each other and forming a stronger barrier. Magic that only Tima could
use on this continent.
As previously
mentioned, even such a dragon's breath can be blocked from the front.
However…….
"Kuu~...!"
Tima desperately
gritted her teeth and endured the pressure of the light bullets. The magic
formation that lay beneath her feet was unstable, shining, and dimming
repeatedly. It became unclear and seemed to have almost disappeared
Barrier magic with a
large area of effects was difficult to control. Besides, the barrier magic she
was using now was one of those that couldn't be said to be commonly used by
her. She originally had difficulty controlling it, just like the [Four Circumference of Sealing
Formation]. If she used it only for herself, she could somehow manage it, but
if she used it to protect everyone in this place like now, the difficulty of
maintaining this technique would jump drastically.
Furthermore, as if to
weigh her further, another light bullet was released from the Metal Dragon's
mouth and flew towards her, and a shock spread throughout the barrier.
"Ah~!"
A pained voice escaped
from Tima's mouth.
Although the power of
the light bullet was lower than before, the light bullet struck almost without
a gap. In addition, the dragon maintained a certain height and fired light
bullets while moving around Nozomu.
A rain of light
bullets poured down. Tima, whose hands were full of controlling the technique,
was quickly cornered.
And Tima reached the
limit due to the onslaught of light bullets in quick succession.
"Ugh~...!"
The barrier magic
shattered along with a loud explosive sound. At the same time, Tima's body
collapsed to the ground.
The Metal Dragon
didn't even look at Tima, who had put up a barrier, and was relentlessly
shooting light bullets at Nozomu. It was as if not interested in anything else.
"Kuh~...everyone!
Form a circle around Nozomu! At the same time, each one of us should deploy a
magical barrier with all our might! We must block it at all costs."
As soon as Tima
collapsed, Irisdina and the others started to move.
Mars held Tima who had
collapsed and carried her to Norn who was treating Nozomu. The others took
their respective positions in the circle and deployed the magic barrier with
all their might. Never let the rain of light bullets pass through.
"Guh!"
"Uuu~!"
"Nnn~!"
Flashes of lights
exploded in quick succession, and a heavy pressure struck the magic barrier
they had deployed. Groans escaped from their mouths, and their arms trembled
every time an explosive sound resounded. It showed how much the power of the
light bullet fired by the Metal Dragon had.
Irisdina and the
others desperately gritted their teeth and held back the light bullets that
were continuously being fired. They persisted and never said, "let's run
away". A large amount of sweat spilled from their foreheads as they were
still trying to maintain the magic barrier.
"Everyone, I'll
be fine, so take Tima and run away from here! If you go to the forest, you
should be able to escape!"
Nozomu told everyone
to run away from there. Apparently, the Metal Dragon kept aiming at Nozomu, and
he decided that if he was alone, Irisdina and the others could escape. Above
all, he couldn't bear to hurt them any more than this.
Certainly, even if the
current Nozomu were to fight against the Metal Dragon, there was no chance of
winning. Wounds were inflicted all over his body and a large amount of blood
was already lost. His body couldn't even manage to stand up anymore
Moreover, the Metal
Dragon was always flying in the sky. Nozomu, who was exhausted, would not be
able to reach the Metal Dragon in the sky, and if he fought, he would be killed
in an instant without being able to escape.
"Ku! Can we
somehow land a hit!?"
"Tima might be
able to do it, but that's impossible right now. If the magic barrier breaks,
Nozomu will be done for! We have no choice but to defend for now."
"If so, we have
to endure it! That lizard is too persistent!"
However, Irisdina and
the others ignored Nozomu's desperate pleas and continued to try to protect
him. While blocking the falling light bullets, various thoughts arose in their
hearts.
(He saved my beloved
sister.)
(He saved my best
friend's sister.)
(He helped me without
abandoning me, even though I had said many terrible things to him.)
(He gave me an
opportunity to get along with my best friend.)
(I was just curious
about him, but after I fought him, I became even more curious.)
(I don't want to part
with my first friend.)
(I want him to be with
me.)
(I want to help him
even a little bit.)
The thoughts that
emerged from the bottom of their hearts were complicated, intertwined like tangled
threads, and could not be expressed all at once. However, there was one common
thought that came to their mind. They wanted to protect him and walk together
with him again.
With such thoughts,
they glared at the Metal Dragon in the sky.
"What's wrong? If
you don't like it, you can run away!"
"Don't be stupid!
How can I leave Nozomu... hm, here it comes!"
Mars instantly
retorted Shīna's words.
The facial expressions
of Irisdina and the others, who continued to persevere in desperation, were
stiff. But they desperately kept their morale while raising their voices to
each other.
"Kuh~..."
Nozomu's expressions
distorted painfully due to the appearance of his companions not trying to
escape. When Nozomu suddenly looked to the side, he saw Somia running up beside
him.
"Somia-chan. At
least you alone, please..."
"Norn-sensei! Is
there anything I can do!?"
At least she alone...
While thinking so, Nozomu tried to tell Somia to run away. However, his words
were blocked by Somia's loud voice.
"Keep Nozomu from
moving. If he moves, I won't be able to concentrate on his treatment."
"Yes!"
In response to Norn's
calm instructions, Somia held Nozomu's body with her small hands. Norn treated
Nozomu in a hurry while Somia's young hands were stained with Nozomu's blood.
She used healing magic to stop the bleeding from the injured area and bandaged
it.
"Nozomu-san.
Please stay still for now!"
"Somia-chan. Why
..."
"Even if I learn
magic, I can't fight like my sister. It's frustrating and sad, but I don't want
to be a burden. I want to stand next to everyone. Then I have to do what I
can... "
After saying so, her
hands started to glow faintly. At the same time, the pain that Nozomu's body felt
was gradually lessening. It was the light of healing magic. Deafening roars
continued to reverberate around her, but she didn't hesitate and continued to
cast healing magic on Nozomu's body, albeit poorly. Even in such a situation,
Somia desperately tried to do what she could.
Perhaps because they
were sisters, Somia's appearance overlapped with Irisdina who was struggling in
front of him. Nozomu felt like he was shocked by their sincere feelings. They
continued to look forward even though it was difficult.
At that moment, a loud
explosion rang out.
"Kya!"
"What~!"
Mimuru's petite body
was blown away by the explosion that couldn't be prevented. Immediately Mars
ran and filled the hole.
"Are you
okay!?"
"Y-yes, I'm fine!
Mars-kun!?"
"I can endure it for
a while! If I can't take it anymore, please take turns with me!"
Mars and Mimuru, who
originally weren't good at magic, managed to prevent the Dragon's light bullets
by continuing to take turns with each other. Irisdina immediately deployed
several barriers, and Feo continued to use his talismans to maintain the
barrier. Tom kept defending with the catalyst-enhanced magic barrier he always
carried around, and Anri tried to lessen everyone's burden by creating a
barrier that covered everyone, though not as good as Tima.
"Kuu~uu!"
"Uuuu!"
"O-ooo!"
Reverberating roars
and repeated flashes of light. Every time the Metal Dragon light bullet landed,
a cloud of dust rose by the shockwave and covered Irisdina and the others.
Some of them were
blown away by the explosion without being able to block the light bullets that
were approaching, but they still desperately continued to put up the magic
barrier in turns.
Nozomu felt as if his
chest was crushed by the sight.
He didn't know why the
Metal Dragon, formerly the Undead Dragon, was aiming at him. But for Nozomu,
who had just attacked Irisdina and the others, seeing them fighting and getting
hurt against the Metal Dragon that was aiming only at him, was like burning his
entire body with fire.
"Why. Why doesn't
everyone escape!"
Nozomu's sorrowful cry
echoed.
"Nozomu-san..."
"You should
run... Just leave me... and escape..."
Somia, who put her
hand on Nozomu's shoulder and cast healing magic, looked at him with a
suffocating feeling. Hot drops flowed from Nozomu's eyes. Even if Tiamat
trapped him in an illusion, Nozomu was still the one who hurt them, even he
tried to kill them.
Certainly, they knew
it wasn't Nozomu's fault, but Nozomu, who was most afraid of Tiamat's power
going wild, felt responsible for this dire situation.
"Ku~u..."
"Nozomu-kun..."
The tears that
continued to flow endlessly fell to the ground, creating several trails that
looked like twinkling stars in the night sky.
The appearance of
Irisdina and the others who continued to be injured in front of him kept
squeezing Nozomu's heart. However, at the same time, a different feeling,
neither regret nor repentance, emerged from the bottom of his heart.
"Kuh~!"
"Irisdina! Are
you alright!?"
"Yes! I can still
do it if it's only this much!"
He could see the
rearview of Irisdina and the others who were blown away by the explosion of
light bullets that have passed through multiple barriers but they endured by
gritting their teeth. The sounds of their struggle reached his ears. Their
voice and appearance made his feelings surge and gradually seep into Nozomu's
heart, which had been rooted in fear, regret, and anxiety.
"Guah~!!"
"Okay, switch!
Mars-kun should rest a little!"
"Sorry, Mimuru.
I'll leave it to you for a moment!"
Mars, who had reached
the limit of maintaining the barrier, swapped places with Mimuru again.
"Feo-kun~. Are
you okay~?"
"If it's my body,
I'm still fine! But if this continues, it will be dangerous for my wallet...
Anri-sensei please, help my wallet!"
"Sorry~. Sensei
can't help you with that~. Sensei's salary isn't much~, please do something
about it by yourself~"
Feo wept over the
consumption of expensive talismans. The paper used to create the talismans was
expensive because it was specially processed. Of course, he made efforts such
as engraving the technique by himself to reduce the costs, but if he consumed
this many talismans in one go, no matter how much he earn at the request of the
guild, it would still cost him a lot of money.
"What are you
saying! Sensei's salary is higher than that of a knight! Shīna, Mars! Please
help me! If I splurge any more than this, I won't be able to live even if I
only eat water and flour this month!”
"Shīna! Is your
side okay!?"
"Right now, I'm
still alright. Anyway, there's one person who has so much leeway!"
"Wha! Ignore!?
Are you ignoring me!? I'm going to starve to death you know!? In the first
place, I used magical power to activate the talisman technique, so I'm almost
at my limit too!"
Shīna and Mars lightly
listened to Feo's appeal. Feo screamed at their mistreatment, however, they
ignored Feo's complaints, and focused on protecting Nozomu behind their back.
The feelings that had
begun to permeate gradually began to exude heat.
"I, I am..."
The warmth he felt in
the depths of his chest. While feeling that warmth, Nozomu realized that the
emotion that had sprung up from his heart was joy. Whatever the reason,
Irisdina and the others tried to protect Nozomu with all their might.
Their appearance made
Nozomu realize that the words they said, "Once again, we want you to be
our friend", were still alive in them.
If they no longer saw
Nozomu as a friend, they wouldn't try to face such a legendary-class opponent.
Their faces were so
dirty with dirt and sweat, and their clothes were worn out from being blown
away by the explosions of light bullets. Their bodies were injured here and
there, but their appearance, which continued to stand, clearly conveyed to
Nozomu their intention to protect him at all costs. Not from a sense of duty or
obligation. Based on their desperate and unrelenting expressions, what they did
really came from the bottom of their hearts.
Even though his heart
was bound and constricted, the hard work of Irisdina and the others continued
to generate a burning heat in the depths of Nozomu's chest. The heat that
continued to build up ignited Nozomu's heart and began to burn the wedge that
bound his heart. The appearance of his friends who had been protecting him so
much all this time continued to speak eloquently to Nozomu rather than a
thousand words.
(No matter what you
say, you're already our friend...).
Nozomu was always
alone at school. That was why their thoughts were enough for him.
"~! Norn-sensei.
If I were to use my full power, can I move my body even just a little
bit!?"
Norn's expression turned
shocked and froze at the words Nozomu suddenly said. It was reasonable.
Nozomu's body is currently so badly injured that it's best for him to
immediately lie down on the bed and rest.
In particular, the
katana that pierced through his left arm was still stuck, and if pulled
carelessly, it could damage his arteries and cause heavy bleeding. If a large
amount of blood was lost at once, it would cause symptoms of shock and endanger
Nozomu's life. It was impossible for him to fight under such conditions, and
Norn, who was responsible for taking care of his life would never allow him to
fight.
"You…… do you
even know your own current condition!? Your muscles ruptured and wounds were
inflicted on your entire body. Also, the amount of blood loss due to the katana
piercing your left arm cannot be ignored! More importantly, if you release that
power now, Tiamat will try to swallow you again!"
That was true. More
importantly, if Nozomu were to release his ability suppression, Tiamat would
act once again to devour Nozomu. This situation is perfect if Tiamat's purpose
is to revive itself. That was why it tried to destroy Nozomu for that purpose.
"Are you willing
to waste Irisdina and the others' efforts!?"
As Norn scolded him,
Nozomu slowly shook his head to deny her words.
He had no intention of
doing that. He won't let that happen again. He just wanted to respond to the
feelings of those who believed in him.
"...No, it's not
like that. I just don't want to waste their feelings, that's why I have to do
it. Right here, right now!"
Irisdina and the
others protected him even though they could be killed in the process. He wanted
to answer the feelings conveyed by them. He wanted to tell them that he wanted
to be friends with them one more time.
Nozomu put his hand on
the katana that pierced his left arm and pulled it out.
"Kuh~...
Uuu~!"
The katana was pulled
out with a slashing sound, and the freshly spilled blood spread red on the
ground. Fortunately, it didn't seem like the artery was damaged, but Norn and
Somia hastily suppressed the wound and applied healing magic.
"I'm just a human
who had been running away all this time. Even now. Everyone walked up to me,
but I was scared and couldn't believe them, and I ended up turning my eyes
away... "
While watching the
wound gradually close with healing magic,
Nozomu looked back at
what he had done. He always ran away. His fearful and shrinking heart made him
afraid of being left behind. But even though he was such a pathetic person,
everyone still called out to him.
When he was being
entrapped in Tiamat's illusion, he didn't know how everyone broke the illusion
and what they were saying to him, but he could still hear their faint voices
calling his name. Because everyone called out to him, he was able to return.
Until now, even though
he realized that he averted his eyes from his surroundings and was running
away, he couldn't find the courage to move forward...
"But I'm done
with that. I want to stand next to everyone again ..."
"Nozomu-san..."
Somia was mesmerized
by Nozomu's eyes. Norn just silently received Nozomu's gaze.
"Uuu......!"
At that time, Tima who
had fainted woke up.
Her consciousness was
unclear and she had a blank expression. But as she gradually became more
conscious and understood the situation around her, she jumped up.
"~! I have to
hurry and help everyone!"
Tima tried to rush
back to the front, but Nozomu's bloody hand held her shoulders down.
"Nozomu-kun...?"
"I have a
request... I want you to help me."
Staring straight at
Tima, Norn, and Somia, Nozomu was trying to act again with the intention of
"I want to be with everyone," just as Irisdina and the others had
shown him before.
======================================
Irisdina and the
others managed to block the Metal Dragon's attack, but they were gradually
cornered because they couldn't counterattack.
Their opponent flew
freely in the air and fired light bullets in quick succession, so they focused
on defense and couldn't counterattack at all. As long as the Metal Dragon was
in the sky, the only way to attack was with Shīna's magic or arrows. With such
a metalized Undead Dragon soaring high in the sky, they couldn't expect their
attacks to land a blow effectively.
It might have been
possible if Tima hadn't fainted. Her magic, which had the highest magical
quality in the entire continent, could be expected to be effective against the Metal
Dragon. In fact, the skin of the Metal Dragon that was hit by the [Calamity of
the Sinner] that she released had melted slightly. However, as long as they
couldn't land any attacks effectively, they had no choice but to focus on
defending, but Irisdina and the others were still struggling.
"Guu~!"
"Are you alright,
fox-bastard!"
"Of course! How
much do you think I've spent on this battle!? Whether it's dragons, spirits,
demons, or whatever, just come at me!"
The light bullet hit
the barrier that was deployed by Feo directly and the barrier scattered with a
high-pitched sound. He took out five more talismans from his pocket and sent
his magical power to re-deploy the magic barrier. Contrary to his desperate
tone, his back looked a bit depressed, perhaps because a large amount of money
had been spent.
"If we can get
home alive, I'll give you the best meal once as an apology for what I did
yesterday!"
"Are you serious!
Then I want roasted pork using spices from the south, whales meat from the
west, and the east..."
"Oi, restraint
yourself. Please be a little reserved! At least I'll make the best meal out of
our shop!"
Mars and Feo were
still in a tight situation, but they were able to have such a frivolous talk
with each other. Perhaps because he had once experienced a battle with a
Dragon, judging by Mars' appearance, the impatience he had when he made his
technique run wild during the previous special training was hardly noticeable.
Even if he were to be forced into a difficult situation, he would be able to
fight while maintaining his composure on such a battlefield.
By the way, the items
ordered by Feo were fairly expensive in this Arcazam, and if Mars were to grant
all of Feo's orders, Mars' wallet would definitely fall to the minus side
instead of being empty.
It may be due to his
splurging, but Feo's order was still too much for Mars.
"Kuh~... Mimuru,
don't overdo it! If it becomes difficult to maintain the barrier, even the
slightest, Mars and I will take your place!"
"I know! You
don't have to worry, Tom."
"Haa, haa... what
are we going to do? It'll be bad if we stay like this"
"After
Norn-sensei finishes all the treatments for Nozomu, we will retreat to the
forest! Shīna-kun, Anri-sensei, and I will be the rearguard when we retreat.
Anri-sensei is that alright?"
"Of course. It's
fine, leave it to your sensei~."
While Tom and Mimuru
were talking to each other, Irisdina and the others calmly assessed their
situation, thought about their next move, and tried to execute it. Their
situation was quite tight, but neither of them gave up, and they acted calmly.
Repeated battles with strong foes might have boosted their mental growth.
However, it will also
eventually reach its limit.
Perhaps getting tired
of it, a stronger light bullet was fired from the Metal Dragon's mouth. At the
same time, a six-pointed star-shaped magic formation that they had never seen
before, appeared in front of the Metal Dragon. A shining ball of light appeared
in the center of the formation.
The light particles
that were continuously emitted gathered at the ball of light that shone in
front of the Metal Dragon and merged into an even larger bullet of light. It
was several times larger than the Dragon's head.
"This is bad!
Everyone, get ready!"
Along with Irisdina's
shout, everyone who had put up the magic barrier poured their magic power into
the barrier with all their might. Their barrier emitted a strong light.
The next moment, a
gigantic light bullet was fired at Irisdina and the others. A gigantic mass of
light fell from the sky as a meteorite landed on the barrier. It exploded,
spreading thunderous sounds and flashes of light all around, and instantly
destroy the magic barrier that Irisdina and the others had set up with all
their might.
"Kyaa!"
"Gaah~!"
Irisdina and the
others were blown away by the explosion. Their respective weapons fell to the
ground and made falling sounds. It was almost as if it was the end for them.
"Kuh~!!"
Still, they managed to
stand up.
The Metal Dragon saw
them from the sky. Its appearance shining under the moonlight looked like a
messenger of God, not an ugly demon beast.
The Metal Dragon's
mouth began to emit light once again. Irisdina and the others tried to put up
barriers again, but due to their battle against the Undead Dragon and Nozomu
who was being manipulated, they had already reached their limit.
Irisdina managed to
get up and tried to deploy her technique, but the hand she was trying to reach
out hung down slowly, and her head was hazy like a mist covering her head, and
she couldn't even feel her legs.
"Kishaa..."
The Metal Dragon
puffed out its chest and pulled its neck as if to take a deep breath. Irisdina
and the others desperately supported their bodies that were about to collapse,
but that was the best they could do now.
The moment the light
bullet was fired, something ran through their side at high speed.
"Gyaau~ua!"
"Eh?"
"W-what!?"
A mass of wind ran
straight towards the Metal Dragon which was flying in the sky while swirling
the wind around it. The [Driving Mass of Wind] magic that was compressed to the
limit hit the Metal Dragon that was about to spit out a light bullet, and the
next moment, a mass of wind exploded and hit the dragon.
The Metal Dragon,
which was greatly out of balance due to the explosion, fell to the ground while
groaning.
Irisdina and Shīna
were shocked by the sudden occurrence. They lost strength, couldn't support
their own bodies, and almost fell to the ground. However, someone gently
supported their body, which was about to collapse, from behind.
"Thank you, both
of you ..."
"Eh……"
His gentle voice,
which contrasted with such a battlefield, resounded in their ears. After they
reflexively leaked out surprised voices, Nozomu's figure jumped into Irisdina
and Shīna's eyes.
"Giyaaaa!"
The Metal Dragon
dropped in altitude due to the direct hit of Tima's [Driving Mass of Wind], but
it regained its posture before hitting the ground and rushing in while flying
low.
The Dragon's eyes
reflected Nozomu's figure who was running towards it, away from his companions.
After confirming its top priority target, the Metal Dragon immediately decided
to attack with all its might. A magic formation appeared in front of it. The Metal
Dragon consolidated every power of its own body to its limits and created the
largest ball of light it could create.
"Haa, haa,
haa..."
Nozomu kept running
with all his might, whipping his aching body.
The magic formation
created by the Metal Dragon formed a ball of light that was bigger than before.
The Metal Dragon
attack was a breath bullet bombardment. And no matter what moves the Metal
Dragon made, Nozomu had no way out if the opponent stayed in the air because he
had no way to fly.
However, that didn't
mean he couldn't do anything about it.
For that reason, he asked
Tima to drive it from the sky to a lower altitude. The only condition left was
that he had to do the rest in his own strength. He had no other choice but to
do it.
He touched the
invisible chains that bound him and Tiamat. If he were to remove this chain,
that scene would come back again. Burnt down, collapsed Arcazam and the scent
of death. Tiamat would definitely interfere with Nozomu for its own
resurrection. However…….
Nozomu once again
looked at Irisdina and the others who were behind him over his shoulder. Even
though he had pointed his katana at them and was about to kill them, but they
never abandoned him, and instead, they helped him.
That is enough.
Same as the last time
he fought his master. Once again, he stepped forward to start a new relationship
with them.
After seeing them once
again, Nozomu released his Ability Suppression.
"Guh~!"
The pain was so
excruciating that his entire body was about to fall apart, and blood started
flowing again from the wound that had just been treated. The forest that had
spread out in front of him disappeared, and a crumbling and burning world
spread out in front of him.
“Haa, haa… As expected, give me a break!”
The nightmare spread
out once again. But since Nozomu wasn't fooled anymore, he muttered as if to
cast it aside. He didn't look at the tragedy spreading out in front of him. He
was just staring at the dark sky while talking. He didn't know if it will reach
Tiamat. Nevertheless…….
(What an annoying
bastard ...)
Tiamat's voice echoed
from the void. Nozomu was convinced that it was watching him. While gripping
his sweaty palms, he spoke to Tiamat, who may be looking at him.
"I won't be
fooled by your illusions anymore. Can you at least behave for a while!?"
Tiamat's pressure
could be felt from the surroundings as if responding to Nozomu's statement. At
the same time, the whole world let out a creaking sound, and Nozomu's survival
instinct gave him the greatest warning.
His spine froze as if
he had been stabbed by an ice spear, and cold sweat spewed out all at once. The
next moment, intense pain ran through Nozomu's head. Tiamat's interference has
begun. While crouching with his head in his hands, Nozomu gritted his teeth and
tried to withstand the interference.
"Guh~!"
(This time, I will
break your heart...)
"Guu~, aaaaah
!!"
Nozomu's scream echoed
through the ruined city.
Various forms of death
swirled through his mind, and it was a scene where everything was done by
Nozomu's own hands.
Nozomu's figure who
beheaded Irisdina.
Nozomu's figure
stabbed Shīna with her own hand.
Nozomu's figure
crushed Mars' skull.
Nozomu's appearance
turned Anri's body into dirt of blood.
And Nozomu's figure
strangled Lisa's head.
Those images pierced
Nozomu's brain over and over again, stirring in his head.
"~! Argh~!
Guuuuu!!"
Nozomu let out pained
voices because he can no longer make a proper voice. Even so, he desperately
resisted not to give up his own heart, but Nozomu's heart was gradually scraped
off, becoming smaller and diffused into the void.
(E-everyone...)
For a moment, Nozomu's
thoughts reflected their burning appearance before his eyes. At that moment, he
remembered a place that could be said to be the place where he could come back
to. A place where he was allowed to call it home.
At that moment,
Nozomu's ears heard the sound of water droplets dripping onto the surface of
the water in the darkness. The sound spread out as if echoing repeatedly, and
at the same time, Nozomu's consciousness, which was about to be diffused,
rapidly returned.
"~! Will you stop
already! Bastard!"
(Wha~!)
Nozomu screamed and
slammed his head on the ground as if to knock off the images that projected in
his head.
A flash of light
flashed in front of him, a dull pain ran throughout his head, and at the same
time, the image that was eroding Nozomu's head was interrupted. It seemed, he
was able to escape from Tiamat's interference.
(R-Ridiculous! How did
you dispel my interference at this level!)
Tiamat's shaken voice
could be heard for the first time.
While bleeding from
his forehead, Nozomu glared at the ruins that were scattered in front of him.
It's just a fake Arcazam. It was a world of deception that Tiamat created to
trap Nozomu.
If so, he just needed
to destroy the fake world and resist its interference in the truest sense. He
should have already had what he needed to do that. Nozomu raised his right hand
and exhaled, as he decided what he was going to do next, he took a deep breath
and pierced his chest at once.
"Gaffu~u!"
Nozomu closed his eyes
and continued to dive within himself while spitting out blood from his mouth.
In his field of view that was shrouded in darkness, he felt like he had fallen
to the bottom of a valley where he couldn't see the bottom.
Deeper and deeper,
Nozomu fell into an endless abyss.
When he fell so deep
that he didn't even know how deep he was, a small ball of light appeared in
front of him.
A sphere that glowed
while being mixed with five colors of light, as if representing chaos. That's
no doubt. It was Tiamat's power that Nozomu had taken.
Nozomu slowly pulled
out his hand from his chest. The ball of light that was shining so brightly was
clasped in his hand.
(That... you
bastard!!)
After squeezing the
ball of light with his right hand.
The five colors of
light that overflowed from his fist, intertwined and enveloped his arm.
"Uooo!"
He slammed his right
hand onto the ground.
The next moment, a
five-colored chaotic light shot out from the ground where he struck his fist.
Everything that was touched by the burst of light that erupted was returned to
dust. Burning flames, collapsed buildings, and fallen people. Cracks appeared
in the sky where sparks flew. The scene collapsed as if eggshells were peeled
off, and the fake Arcazam disappeared.
As the fake world
created by Tiamat disappeared under the influence of the five colors of light,
Nozomu only looked straight ahead and rushed out with all his might, leaped
beyond the rift of the cracked world.
In front of Nozomu who
rushed out, he could see the forest, which was the real world. He could see the
Metal Dragon rushing over at low altitudes. In front of the Metal Dragon, a
gigantic light bullet it created emitted a dazzling light and was waiting for
the moment to be released.
"Gishaa!"
Then, along with the
roar of the Metal Dragon, a gigantic light bullet was fired at Nozomu. A
cannonball of light larger than Nozomu's height tore through the atmosphere and
approached like a meteorite.
"~!!"
Ability Suppression
had been released. There was no sign that Tiamat would interfere any further,
perhaps due to the destruction of the fake world. Nozomu sent his Qi into his
katana and prepared a forward strike stance. After he pulled the katana's body
halfway, he immediately launched a slash in a circular motion.
Qi technique [Fan
Shaped Sail]
In the next moment, a
huge circular film made of Qi appeared, tracing the trajectory of the slashed
katana.
While Irisdina and the
others were watching, the gigantic light bullet collided with the film of Qi.
At that moment, the
film of Qi, fluttering like a sail, was receiving the gigantic light bullet and
bent as if to wrap around it.
"Ooo!"
Nozomu raised his
right hand and slammed his clenched fist into the light bullet through the film
of Qi. Then, the light bullet that was received by the bend film of Qi was
launched like a bow and arrow.
The gigantic light
bullet launched back towards the Metal Dragon.
Perhaps not expecting
to be bounced, the Metal Dragon couldn't dodge it and was hit by its own light
bullet.
"Gagyaaa!"
A roaring sound
resounded along with an ear-piercing scream.
The Metal Dragon
appeared by cutting through the rising smoke. Its figure was clearly seriously
injured when viewed from the side.
The silver-white armor
covering its skin had been peeled off, and within it, a blue light that pulsed
like a heart shone through the tubes that spread out like veins.
One of its eyes was
crushed, and its wings that looked like a bundle of swords were darkened and
dirtied with cracks here and there.
"Giryuri~uaa!"
Even so, the Metal
Dragon didn't give up. Using its own giant body as a weapon, it rushed towards
Nozomu. It was willing to crush Nozomu with its own huge body. Nozomu's line of
sight and the Metal Dragon intersected. Its eyes, which shone blue instead of
hazy white, clearly told Nozomu that the Dragon still retained its own will.
"Fuh~..."
Nozomu put his katana
into its scabbard and exhaled. Then, Nozomu's fighting spirit, which had been
fierce until now, suddenly dissipated.
Irisdina and the
others showed impatience when they saw Nozomu who released his fighting stance.
Although a huge amount of energy was still leaking from his body, mysteriously,
it didn't feel intimidating at all.
He kept meditating as
a huge mass of metal approached Nozomu with its tenacity.
"Nozomu!"
"~!!"
If nothing was done,
he would be crushed by the approaching huge mass of metal. The moment Irisdina
screamed, Nozomu's eyes opened.
In the next moment,
the released fighting spirit attacked the Metal Dragon.
Nozomu emitted dense
waves just like the approaching mass of metal. While exuding a fighting spirit
that others could feel the physical pressure from it, Nozomu completely
released the power of Tiamat that he had taken in. His immense overflowing
power was dyed in 5 colors and hit the Metal Dragon like a flash flood.
Nozomu extremely
compressed the released power and stepped forward while sending that power to
his right leg. His extremely strengthened right foot crushed the ground and the
ground's surface gouged out.
While connecting his
knee and hip muscles without any waste, he even extremely strengthened them
according to the movement of his muscles.
Human body moves by
interlocking its muscles. Humans can exert explosive power if the muscles that
cover their entire body are connected without waste.
Furthermore, if an
ultimate power were to be applied by using the extreme compression of the Qi
along with the interlocking muscles without waste, the generated power would be
immeasurable.
However, there are so
many muscles that cover the human body, and their movements are extremely
complicated. Even if those muscles could be connected without any waste,
normally, it would be impossible to do something such as connecting muscles
along with extreme strengthening with Qi.
However, Nozomu's
concentration that accelerated his mind and made time look slower made it
possible for him to do that. Under such
extreme concentration, within a world reflected in slow motion, Nozomu was able
to connect his muscles without any waste. The rupturing sound of his muscles
echoed in Nozomu's ears. Nozomu's body is too fragile to fully accept Tiamat's
power. His body reached its limit very easily, blood flowed out at once, and
Nozomu's field of vision darkened.
"Ggah!!"
In such a hazy
consciousness, Nozomu was still trying to release his Qi technique while biting
his lip.
The best technique
inherited from his master.
With extremely
strengthened and optimum movement, he launched the best blow that he could
release.
Based on that
determination, Nozomu extremely
compressed the released force on the sheathed katana. Five colors of light
swirled and gathered on Nozomu's katana. Nozomu's katana shone with a chaotic
light. He pulled out his katana at once while looking at the approaching Metal
Dragon.
"Aaaaa!"
Qi technique [Phantom
-Flash-]
The technique of
launching one's own best blow was released.
Nozomu's katana
exploded at the moment it was pulled out because it could not withstand
Tiamat's power. However, the extremely compressed blade traced the trajectory
of his arm and aimed at the fangs of the Metal Dragon.
The blade struck the Metal
Dragon's body without any sound, and the blade tinged with chaos swung like
lightning without feeling any resistance.
Furthermore, the power
overflowed as the katana exploded, erasing the Metal Dragon's body, leaving
only parts of its neck, legs, and wings. The Metal Dragon's body disappeared
without leaving any dust behind in front of such a power of chaos. Nozomu stood
in silence while only the sound of the remains of the Metal Dragon rolling on
the ground. The bladeless katana, only the hilt remaining, was put back into
its scabbard, and Nozomu turned and bowed. To pay his respect to the Undead
Dragon, who was the pinnacle of demon beasts, who continued to fight until the
end. The Metal Dragon's eyes dimmed as if praising the person who defeated it.
====================================
The hooded person just
stared at the image reflected in the ball of light in front of him in a shocked
manner.
"No way, he was
able to use Tiamat's power directly..."
The words that came
out of his mouth were astonishing words for Nozomu who directly brought out the
power of Tiamat.
The time when Nozomu
used Tiamat's power was only for a moment. What's more, that power was only a
fraction of the total amount of power it possessed. Even so, it was a fact
worthy of admiration that a mere human was able to control the power of chaos,
albeit for a moment.
"And the fact
that he was able to resist Tiamat's interference. As expected, the
transformation has already begun..."
Beyond the hooded
person vision, Nozomu suddenly collapsed. As expected, using Tiamat's power
directly would be too burdensome. The bleeding from all over his body was
severe. Especially his right arm, which was used to draw his katana earlier,
had become burnt.
"However, the
situation has become unpredictable. Is that necessary after all?"
The unknown person
pondered while touching his chin.
For the time being, he
had achieved one of his goals, but he had not achieved all of them.
At that moment, a
small ball of light appeared in front of him.
A ball of light
swaying like a candle flame. It was the ball of light that appeared when the
Undead Dragon was transformed into a Metal Dragon.
"Thank you for
your hard work. I apologize for overdoing it..."
After the hooded
person held the ball of light with both hands, he spoke to it.
(Gururu…)
The ball of
light...... No, the Undead Dragon's soul growled as if to say "don't
worry".
A dragon that tried to
survive by eating all of its friends, even though it just wanted to live.
However, it was impossible to know what this dragon was thinking right now.
However, the Dragon's appearance as it looked at the person who defeated it,
seemed somewhat satisfied.
While looking at the
Undead Dragon's appearance, the hooded person's mouth revealed a
self-deprecating smile on his mouth, then he raised its soul towards the sky.
"Now, go home. To
the place where your friends await..."
In the next moment,
the soul of the Undead Dragon that was raised, scattered and became a grain of
light in the air.
For a while, the light
particles orbiting around the hooded person flew away, guided by the sudden
breeze, and eventually disappeared.
The breeze peeled off
the hood, exposing his white beard and white hair to the moonlight. Wrinkles
were etched on his cheeks to tell the story of his accumulated years, and his
wisdom-bearing eyes were turned to the projected Nozomu again.
"I can't let my
guard down. There are many concerns. It's still too early to feel
relieved..."
An old man who kept
his stern eyes on Nozomu.
However, he suddenly
breathed a sigh of relief and his expression broke into a smile.
“But, even if it was
only for a moment, he was able to control that power and defeat that guardian…
the Metal Dragon. For the time being, I have to say that it was well done. You
did well, boy..."
In front of him was
the image of Nozomu's companions rushing to the fallen Nozomu. The old man, no,
Zonne erased the projected image, turned his heels back, and left the place. He
probably thought that peeping further than this would be inappropriate.
His face reflected in
the moonlight seemed to be somewhat satisfied.