Chapter 5 Part 29
Translator : PolterGlast
(Ugh~...)
A
groan echoed softly in the room. Nozomu who was lying on the bed slowly opened
his eyes.
(……w-where
is this?)
What
jumped into Nozomu's eyes, who had been laid down, was a world dyed in gray and
the ceiling made of wood. However, it wasn't the ceiling of his dorm room, and
it wasn't as luxurious as the room at Francilt's.
"W-where
the hell is this...~!"
(I
should have been in the forest in the first place...)
While
thinking so, he tried to get up from bed.
However,
he couldn't get up due to the pain running throughout his body, and he fell
back onto the bed.
If
he looked closely, he could see traces of treatment here and there all over his
body. Especially his arms, still tightly bandaged so they couldn't be moved
carelessly.
The
sun shone through the open window, and it was clear that a lot of time had
passed since his battle in the forest. Nozomu moved slowly so as not to burden
his body and tried to get up again. As before, his body was in dull pain, but
he lifted his body little by little and looked at the scenery outside the
window.
The
room where Nozomu was now was on the 2nd floor of the building, and beyond the
window, the view of the birds perched on the roof of the opposite house came
into view. Looking downward, he could see people passing by. At that time,
Nozomu finally realized something was wrong with his body.
(Eh?
It's strange. I can't hear any sound. Also my eyes...)
The
scenery beyond the window... no, it was his vision that remained dyed in black
and white. Also, he couldn't hear the chirping of the birds perched on the roof
of the opposite house or the hustle and bustle of passers-by. He tried to say
"ahhh", but as expected, he couldn't hear anything.
(Is it possible, could that be the cause?)
What
he could think of as the cause was the release of his Ability Suppression and
direct use of the dragon's power. Given that his ears and eyes were normal
before using Tiamat's power, no doubt about it.
Nozomu
looked up at the sky while exhaling. Anyway, he was glad he was safe. To be
honest, it was a situation where he could die.
Tiamat
had been trying to take over him along with the Undead Dragon who suddenly
revived and attacked him. The Undead Dragon, which should have been defeated,
had resurrected and attacked in its transformed form.
(I
wonder if everyone is safe...)
Nozomu
was worried about their safety.
Given
the situation, they should be safe. Because they had brought Nozomu to this
place. However, the anxiety stuck in his chest didn't go away because he
couldn't see them.
However,
the current Nozomu was unable to move.
With
his visual and hearing abnormalities, as well as the wounds all over his body
have not healed yet. He wasn't quite ready to go out yet.
Even
so, he put his hand on the edge of the bed to get up and try to find his
friends. At that moment, the door that was visible at the edge of Nozomu's
field of view opened, and someone entered the room.
(Ah~……)
Within
the gray field of view, the line of sight of Nozomu and the people who entered
the room intersected. Two girls with long, flowing hair. One of them has long
ears peculiar to an elf. They were Irisdina and Shīna. They were holding
bandages and gauze in both hands, probably because they had come to take care
of Nozomu. When they saw Nozomu awake, they shouted something in a hurry,
rushed to Nozomu's side, and forced him to lie down on the bed. They were very
flustered.
Perhaps
his wounds still hurt, Nozomu groaned.
When
they saw Nozomu's pained expression, they hurriedly released their hands
holding Nozomu, and Shīna turned her heels back and went out of the room. She
probably went to call everyone else.
Irisdina
was still shouting something with her face close to him.
Nozomu
himself couldn't hear anything, but she seemed to be scolding him about something.
She also occasionally touched Nozomu's body to check the condition of the
wounds.
And
when she finished examining his wound with a worried expression, she looked at
him again and entered preaching mode.
Since
Nozomu couldn't hear her voice, her preaching lacked a sense of seriousness or
presence, so his cheeks naturally loosened, but Irisdina's eyes grew sharper
instead.
Irisdina
rushed closer to Nozomu. Perhaps he didn't want to offend her anymore, Nozomu
managed to calm Irisdina down. But Nozomu didn't know what she was saying, so
he couldn't answer. Irisdina, who was heating up, and Nozomu, who couldn't do
anything about it.
At
that time, multiple presences came into the room.
Nozomu
and Irisdina's eyes were directed at those who come in.
They
were friends who were in the forest at that time. No one seemed to be missing,
and no one was seriously injured.
Nozomu
relievedly stroked his chest. At least, if his friends were able to get out of
that predicament, it wasn't in vain that he was the only one injured.
After
Norn said something to Irisdina, Irisdia blushed and immediately backed away
from Nozomu. Irisdina glanced at Nozomu. She noticed that she had brought her
face close enough to feel each other's breath, and Nozomu's face turned red.
At
that moment, Norn approached Nozomu, raised her hand while making a surprised
gesture.
He
didn't know what she was saying, but Irisdina puffed out her cheeks.
Norn,
who came by Nozomu's side, said something while examining his wounds. But
Nozomu, who was deaf, could only tilt his neck.
At
that time, Norn's expression, after she noticed that something was strange,
changed to a harsh one for a moment.
Nozomu
shook his head as if to clear his drowsy head. He didn't know if it worked, but
gradually colors returned to Nozomu's field of vision, and he could hear voices
echoing around him.
"I-it's
alright. Looks like he's still half-conscious..."
"Well
... I'll check his wounds for the time being, so everyone should get out."
Norn
was going to do a medical check-up, so she urged Irisdina and the others to get
out. But Irisdina and Shīna, who were worried about Nozomu, looked reluctant.
"Eh?
But..."
"Norn-sensei,
even if you're here for a medical check-up..."
"I
have to take off his clothes it's a medical examination. Irisdina-kun, Shīna-kun,
do you want to see Nozomu-kun naked that badly?"
Nozomu
naked…….
The
faces of the two, who heard those words, turned red.
"Uu~..."
"E-excuse
us."
Irisdina
and Shīna went out of the room in a hurry.
As
prompted by them, everyone else went out of the room and the door was closed.
Anri remained in the room, presumably to help Norn, and they faced Nozomu
again.
While
observing Nozomu's flustered state due to not understanding the situation well,
Norn quickly took off Nozomu's coat and started the medical examination.
She
palpated Nozomu's body to check his injuries and internal conditions. Magic
light shone in her hand, and others could see that she was also using magic for
examination.
Norn
asked Nozomu while doing palpation.
"Nozomu-kun.
Perhaps you couldn't hear us since a while ago?"
"Yes...
But, I can hear it now."
Nozomu
noded to answer Norn's question.
Upon
hearing his words, she continued to examine Nozom while thinking of some of the
causes in her head.
“It
has been about five days since you passed out. This is Anri's room, and you
were brought into this room not long after. Does your body feel any other
abnormality?”
Nozomu
nodded at Norn's question and informed her that not only his hearing but also
his vision remained gray.
His
hearing hadn't returned to normal yet. What he heard was echoing sounds like a
distant voice, but for the time being, he was able to understand what was going
on.
"It's
probably because of the release of that power. It causes temporary paralysis of
the blood vessels and nervous system in the body."
Blood
vessels are an existence that flows within the body of a living being.
Organisms use the resources that exist in this world and take them by all means
such as breathing and eating.
Roughly
speaking, it is the source of the body's strength.
It
is divided into magical power, which is the power of one's spirit, and Qi which
is used by partially pumping blood vessels.
As
long as blood vessels were flowing within the bodies of living beings, if
something went wrong, in the worst case, it may directly lead to death like
Shino.
"To
be honest, it was a serious injury. Your bleeding didn't stop and you didn't
regain consciousness. You were saved because we continued to use abundant
medicine along with applying healing magic, if left alone, you would definitely
have died of blood loss."
Norn
carefully examined Nozomu's blood vessel while palpating Nozomu's body with
magical power. As she said, Nozomu's body was weakened due to the continuous
use of excessive force, and the effect of healing magic was diminished. Healing
magic is magic that accelerates the healing ability of an injured person, so if
the injured person's vitality declines, the effect will inevitably drop.
"The
wound itself got better than when we diagnosed you while you were sleeping, and
the blood vessel itself isn't damaged. The loss of senses seems to be temporary
and your body is getting better. I think it will heal over time, but now you
should rest. "
Norn
briefly told Nozomu the results of her examination, but this time she
reprimanded him in a slightly scolding tone.
"You're
too reckless. You were lucky this time, you would be dead if you did it poorly,
and it wouldn't be strange to have a disability that would last a lifetime, do
you understand?"
Nozomu
nodded at Norn's words and turned his gaze to the door where Irisdina and the
others had left. If he had been asleep for five days, they would have been very
worried about him.
"Everyone
is worried. I was taking turns with Anri on looking after you, but Irisdina and
the others also stayed here until late at night to help me."
Norn's
words affirmed his thoughts.
He
felt troubled. He didn't intend to make them worry...
When
Nozomu showed a troubled expression, Norn put Nozomu's coat back on his
shoulders, probably because the examination was over.
“But
you know, leave that to me and Anri. You should have a good rest now. If you
recover, their worries will also disappear.”
"Yes……"
Anri,
who was behind Norn, nodded and smiled as usual.
Of
course, Nozomu was curious about Irisdina and the others, but as Norn said,
Nozomu should focus on healing his own body first. Norn got up from the chair
and tried to leave the room.
However,
she stopped her feet and turned to Nozomu again.
"Nozomu-kun,
about that dragon inside of you..."
Her
voice echoed in Nozomu's ears. Nozomu took her words and looked straight into
Norn's gaze, who was looking at him with her worried eyes.
"Nozomu-kun.
As a doctor, I know you are fully aware of the dangers of that power. But let
me tell you as a teacher, using that power is..."
"...I
know. It's about whether I keep using it, isn't it? The more I use its power,
the more Tiamat will dive into my head."
It
would be over if he just died. Because after this time, as it has actually been
shown before, that power will be directed to the people around him.
Fortunately,
no one died this time, but as long as Nozomu had the power of Tiamat within
him, there would always be the possibility of his power going wild. Nozomu himself
fully understood it. He knew it better than anyone. That's why he kept his
worries inside himself before, but because of that, it resulted in a terrible
atmosphere with Irisdina and the others.
"But
I can't run away anymore. Even if I run away, my surroundings will end up
getting hurt. And the first one to get hurt will be Iris and the others... I'm
sorry."
However,
currently, there is no way to remove this powerful power from Nozomu. Then, he
only had two choices. Will he give up and throw everything away, or will he
face this power head-on and completely control Tiamat's power?
And
Nozomu can no longer choose the former option.
Irisdina
and the others tried to stop him who had been running away even though they
might be killed in the process. That's why he couldn't turn his back on those
who had accepted him.
"Certainly,
the difference in power between Tiamat and I is clear, but I'm not hesitant
anymore. Even if I die, I'm not willing to give up."
Nozomu
declared so while holding his fist tightly. Above all else, his words were
directed at himself.
"Do
you think you can do it? Your opponent is a legendary dragon, you know?"
Norn
stared at Nozomu and squinted her eyes.
While
receiving that gaze, Nozomu said in a clear tone after he took a deep breath.
"I
can't do it alone, but it's okay. Now, I have everyone as a place to come home
to..."
Yes,
he is not alone anymore.
Nozomu
said that while his mind was drifting somewhere, reminiscent of a tree rooted
in the wilderness, not a cloud that seemed to disappear. It was the bond he
got.
It
was still small and unreliable, but it was one of the guideposts that could be
used as an indicator when he got lost, hesitated, or lose track of his way. It
was the moment when the small buds that sprouted in Nozomu's heart began to
grow bigger.
"Is
that so... then don't you forget about that feeling and take good care of your
friends."
Perhaps
satisfied with the answer, Norn loosened her tense gaze and turned around with
a smile on her mouth. Hearing Norn's words, Nozomu nodded, slowly lay down on
the bed, and closed his eyes while recalling the faces of Irisdina and the
others in his mind.
Perhaps
his body wanted a rest, Nozom immediately began to sleep.
Anri
and Norn left the room without making a noise so as not to disturb him.
The
other side of the door is a living room with furniture such as a fireplace,
table, and chairs. The orange curtains and brightly colored interior matched
Anri's bedroom, and there was a warm, feminine scent wafting through the room.
In
the living room, Irisdina and the others anxiously glanced at Norn and Anri. As
expected, it seemed they were curious about Nozomu's condition.
"Well,
regarding Nozomu-kun's condition, it seems that his senses are temporarily lost
as a side effect of the power he exerts. It seems he has trouble hearing
sounds."
"~!!"
Those
words made the faces of Irisdina and the others tense up.
"It's
alright, as I said earlier, it's only temporary, and for the time being, he
already passed the difficult part. It'll be alright if he takes a rest and
heals his body."
"I
see……"
“…………”
Norn
tried to explain Nozomu's condition in a bright tone.
However,
despite her words, the facial expressions on the faces of Irisdina and the
others remained dark.
Perhaps,
it was inevitable for them to worry about Nozomu, their gazes fixed on the door
of the room where Nozomu was sleeping.
"...Are
you feeling anxious?"
"Yes……"
Irisdina
answered Norn's question in a weak tone.
Norn
and Anri smiled slightly, probably because they understood the feelings of
Irisdina and the others.
"We're
going out for a bit because the medicine is about to run out. He fell asleep as
soon as the examination ended, but he's in a stable condition. He'll wake up
after a while, so is everyone willing to watch over him?"
"Yes,
we understand"
Norn
left the room after listening to Irisdina's reply. Feo and Mars accompanied her
as luggage holders, and they disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the
city.
"Well,
I'll make some tea for the time being~. I think there's still some time until
Nozomu-kun wakes up, so let's take a break~ "
Anri
started preparing teacups and leaves to make tea, and Irisdina and the others
tried to help. They kept watch over him while taking turns until Nozomu's
consciousness returned, but for sure they couldn't sleep well because they were
worried about his condition even when they were resting. It turned out that
Nozomu's condition had already gone through the difficult part, so they could
relax a bit for the time being.
However,
they remained tense, because they still couldn't really feel relieved yet. In
anticipation of that, Norn told Irisdina and the others not to worry about him
and rest. For a while, while preparing tea, their awareness continued to be
directed to the next room separated by a wallboard.
===================================
Irisdina
took a break while worrying about Nozomu. As the sun rising in the sky began to
set, she was looking at Nozomu's sleeping face by his side.
(What
should I say when he wakes up? What should I ask...)
There
were many things she couldn't ask because she refrained from doing so. But for
sure, she had a lot to talk about.
"...Nozomu"
While
muttering the name of the person sleeping in front of her, she gently touched
his cheek. Perhaps because Nozomu had not fully healed, the skin she touched
was still hot, and that conveyed his throbbing heartbeat to Irisdina's palm.
"It
was hard, but... I'm glad you're alright."
His
expression sleeping beside her was wrapped in relief, and the light breeze
blowing from the window gently caressed his face.
"...Irisdina-san"
Shīna
came into the room along with the sound of knocking on the door.
As
she came next to Irisdina, she also looked into Nozomu's sleeping face and
loosened her cheeks. Beyond her line of sight was Nozomu who slept with a
relieved expression on his face. She could feel he was here and alive right
now. The thread that had been tense in their hearts was finally unraveled.
"Nn~
..."
At
that time, Nozomu's eyelids slowly opened. His eyes reflected the two's faces
watching him with slightly surprised eyes.
"Is
he awake...?"
"Y-yes"
Nozomu
responded to Irisdina's muttering in a slightly low voice.
"~!
Can you hear our voices!?"
"Y-yes.
My eyesight doesn't seem to have a problem and my ears can hear properly
too."
"I'm
relieved……"
Irisdina
and Shīna breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that Nozomu was able to
hear properly now. At that moment, Mars and the others who were in the next
room rushed in after opening the door.
"Nozomu,
are you okay?"
"Yahho!
Nozomu-kun. Are you still alive?"
"Mimuru,
you're being imprudent. I'm relieved, it seems your senses are back."
They
must have heard about his condition earlier. Mars and the others called out to
Nozomu as they were relieved that Nozomu's senses had returned.
"Everyone
... I'm sorry to make you worry."
"Good
grief. It was thanks to me and my big spending. Hey Nozomu. I have a
suggestion, regarding that katana, why don't you give it to... Bugh~!"
"What
are you saying? How can you say such a shallow thing at a time like this."
Shīna's
fist flew towards Feo's nose after he let out a remark that didn't read the
atmosphere of the place. Feo painfully pressed his nose and stared at Shīna
with teary eyes.
"Why
did you hit me! It was a joke! I was just trying to lighten the mood! ...Well,
I'd be grateful if you could give it to me."
"I'm
relieved you are alright. What you did was really bad for our hearts..."
After
complaining to Shīna, Feo continued his negotiations with Nozomu. Of course,
the katana stuff was just a joke, and it was just an act to make the atmosphere
less awkward, but his concern was completely cut off by Shīna's words.
"Fufu...
aren't you and I not that different? Or perhaps you're even more foolish than I
was."
Shīna
smiled broadly at Nozomu. Her best friend, Mimuru, who was there, also showed a
surprised expression at Shīna's smile which was like an affectionate mother.
Mimuru couldn't feel the piercing atmosphere Shīna had when she first met
Nozomu.
"Umm~.
Aren't my jokes becoming awkward? It's sad that I'm the only one being ignored. At
least one of you should respond to my joke..."
"But
I'm glad you made it back safely. From this point forward I hope we can get
along well."
Shīna
reached her hand out and asked Nozomu for a handshake.
Originally
it was a moving scene ...
“…………”
The
fox-tailed boy had completely lost his nerve. Feo, whose existence was ignored,
was just trying to make them laugh. He was so pitiful.
"Y-yes,
let's get along, everyone. Speaking of which, about that katana..."
"Here
it is"
While
Irisdina answered Nozomu's question, Shīna, who was perplexed, immediately
retracted her outstretched hand.
Irisdina
showed him a katana. There was no decoration, it just had a plain handle and
guard, but something in the katana itself attracts others' eyes.
"That
is ... Shishō's katana"
"This
katana seems to have escaped the flames and was found near the burnt hut. I
thought it was important for you and I wonder if you will need it in the
future."
While
saying so, Irisdina handed the katana over to Nozomu. This katana was placed by
leaning against the door of the hut, perhaps due to the impact when the hut was
collapsed, it was able to escape from the range of the Undead Dragon's
scorching breath
A
katana that was given to him by his master together with her feelings and
thoughts. Until now, he didn't have the courage to wield it, so he had left it
in that hut.
However,
even though he had never swung the katana before, Nozomu's hand was
mysteriously familiar with it. It was as if the katana had recognized him as
its new master.
"Truly,
thank you..."
While
embracing all the feelings he felt in his heart, Nozomu thanked Irisdina and
the others. They accepted Nozomu's gratitude with big smiles on their faces.
Then Irsidina sat on the chair beside the bed and looked straight at Nozomu's
face.
"Nozomu.
Can you tell me more about yourself..."
(I
want to know more about him.)
She
could feel the heat in the depths of her chest rising.
Finally,
Irisdina was able to talk to Nozomu. It was like a lie that she used to be so
lost before.
"Well,
alright. What should I talk about... My hometown is surrounded by
mountains......"
Nozomu
slowly started talking about his hometown while looking at her beautiful face and
shiny white skin, Nozomu could feel his heart beating faster. Time went by, and
the curtain of night fell.
But
on that day, the light in the small room never went out, and everyone's
laughter resounded.
===================================
He
was dreaming. A hellish scene where scorching fire and the voices of people
seeking help resounded. Among the collapsed Arcazam, Nozomu was once again the
only one standing.
"That
bastard..."
The
heat that burned his skin and the stench that emanated from the former humans
scattered around him. The scene, which seemed almost like reality, spread out
before Nozomu's eyes.
However,
Nozomu looked at the scene with a different feeling than before. His five
senses were telling him that the hellish scene in front of him was real, but he
could sense something was wrong as if there was a curtain hanging over him.
“…………”
The
current Nozomu could recognize that the scene in front of him was an illusion.
Nozomu silently released his Ability Suppression. He released all of Tiamat's
power that he had taken, focused it on his right arm, and slammed his fist onto
the ground with all his might.
The
released power of the five colors once again laid waste to the scorching hell,
shattering the fake world and turning it into dust.
The
moment the fake Arcazam shattered, Nozomu was standing on the shore of the dark
lake. A mountain-like giant loomed in front of him.
(Gururururu
……)
Tiamat
glared at Nozomu with disdain. Its gaze was filled with rage. It was furious as
if it was ready to burn the little human in front of it.
Tiamat
spread its five-colored wings and created countless light bullets in the air.
The five-colored light bullets spread and filled the dark sky. As the light
bullets twinkled like stars in the night sky, Nozomu just stared straight at
the giant dragon in front of him.
Tiamat
was unable to make Nozomu fall into despair with its illusions. This time, it
tried to destroy Nozomu's spirit by force.
Nozomu
lowered his posture and let his energy flow throughout his body. His right arm
was still in severe pain due to the full force of the blast he just released,
but it didn't matter.
The
myriad of light bullets that covered the sky were aimed at Nozomu.
A
chill ran down his spine and the pressure seemed to crush him. The next thing
Nozomu noticed was that his right hand was quivering slightly.
"~!
As usual... This power is no joke"
While
feeling cold sweat running down his back, he could hear his beating heartbeat
getting faster. Nozomu desperately tried to revive his withered fighting
spirit. There was no point in thinking about the difference in strength between
them. But he won't give up. Even if he were to be reduced to ashes by the
scorching breath, he would never give up. Thinking of the place he should
return to. His hands were…… no longer trembling.
The
faces of his friends reappeared in his head. Then Nozomu put his hand on the
katana around his waist.
"Gaaaaaaaa!"
Along
with its roar, the light bullets that filled the sky fell all at once toward
Nozomu. It was as if the sky seemed to have collapsed.
As
the mass of murderous intent was approaching, Nozomu concentrated and released
an equal power as the giant dragon from within him.
"Ugh~!"
His
field of vision became pure white due to the severe pain running all over his
body. Nozomu desperately tried to maintain his consciousness while gritting his
teeth. The light of chaos enveloped Nozomu's body, and his entire body
screamed.
Even
so, staring at the meteor shower of light that was closing in on him, Nozomu
rushed towards the oncoming shower of light while leaving a trail of light
shining in five different colors.
His
field of vision turned pure white as intense pain ran throughout his body.
Nozomu desperately tried to maintain his consciousness while gritting his
teeth. The light of chaos enveloped Nozomu's body, and his entire body
screamed.
Even
so, staring at the meteor shower of light that was closing in on him, Nozomu
rushed towards the oncoming shower of light while leaving trails of light
shining in five different colors.