Chapter 6 Part 24
Translator : PolterGlast
"What
are you going to do by targeting Ecross?!"
Camilla
shouted at the unbelievable words Ken had just uttered.
"You
already understand, don't you? What I did before wasn't enough to get rid of
Nozomu. If assaulting the residents of this city isn't enough, then we have to
go after something irreplaceable to this city."
"Is
that why you have to go after the children!?"
Causing
a ruckus in the city was not enough to achieve his goal, so he set his aims on
something more important. This in itself was natural.
However,
if he aimed for important people, then he should have targeted the VIP residing
in the north section.
"Security
in the north section is tighter than in the other sections. Even with your
help, it might be difficult for us to do it alone. There's a lot of
uncertainty."
There
were many VIPs from various countries staying in the administrative district of
the northern section. Ken thought that there may be tighter security measures
in place that he wasn't aware of, and that some of them may be more skilled
than him.
"But
in Ecross there are only children. They're weak, but they're talented and they
have potential. Do you think Jihad-sensei would forgive someone who hurt
them?"
However,
most of the people enrolled in Ecross were young children. They may have
talent, but none of them have the strength to protect themselves.
If
word got out that he had harmed such a fragile being, Nozomu's reputation,
which had recently begun to recover, would surely fall to the ground. He would
be captured by the military police, labeled as a criminal, and sent to a coal
mine or a prison camp somewhere. At the very least, it would be impossible for
him to stay in this school.
Ken's
face distorted in amusement as he dreamed of such a scene.
"You're a lunatic..."
While
gritting her teeth, Camilla shuddered at Ken's murky delusions.
However,
Camilla didn't think that attacking Ecross would be as easy as Ken made it out
to be.
Jihad
and the others involved in the school knew all too well that the children at
Ecross were talented but not yet hatched.
The
dormitory where they live is located near the school, and there is a teacher
who is always there to take care of their daily necessities and mental health.
That
was why she couldn't believe that things would go as easily as Ken said.
"Recently,
I saw some Ecross students going out late at night around the library. I think
it was around here..."
Ken
began scurrying around in Nozomu form.
"Camilla,
wait from a distance. If you make a scene, people will gather. Of course, the
military police will also come. Well, I can definitely get through most of it,
but I'll have to recreate Nozomu's movements as I run, so you'll have to cover
me if necessary."
"Hey,
Ken! Wait!"
Camilla
raised her voice to stop him. However, Ken didn't seem to hear her and
continued on his way.
Camilla,
who felt an inexplicable fear as Ken disappeared into the darkness of the
night, hurriedly took out the magic stone from her pocket.
"Kuh~!
Jihad-sensei, can you hear me!? Jihad-sensei!"
If
this continues, innocent children will be involved.
She
raised my voice to convey Ken's aim, but the magic stone in the palm of her
hand only emitted a faint red light, and there was no response from Jihad.
"Why
won't anyone answer me?"
Camilla
spoke pleadingly.
If
no one could stop Ken now, he will... The worst-case scenario flashed through
Camilla's mind.
In
the midst of a sea of blood, where innocent children fell and the smell of iron
filled the air, Ken, disguised as Nozomu, smiled in amusement.
Considering
the abnormalities she had seen in Ken, Camilla didn't think the outcome would
be too far-fetched from what she imagined.
"Could
it be that it's broken ...? Please, whoever you are, answer me! Ken is targeting the Ecross children
in the library!"
Camilla,
who had been desperately shouting at the magic stone, suddenly remembered
Jihad's words and began to look for the tracker that was supposed to be around.
However,
there was no way she could easily find someone who was so skilled that she
couldn't even sense their presence. Driven by such impatience, Camilla raised
her voice loudly.
"Hey,
you're there, right?! Hurry up and tell Jihad-sensei about this!"
Even
if she couldn't see them, the trackers were probably nearby. Thinking this, she
raised her voice, but the surroundings were silent, and she couldn't even hear
a cat meowing.
Her
frustration was quickly aggravated by the fact that there was no reply at all.
"~!"
The
next thing she knew, Camilla had thrown away the magic stone and was running after
Ken.
She
had no time to spare. She rushed towards the library, her feet moved by
impatience, her lungs working so hard that they were almost worn out.
Eventually,
the library building comes into view in the distance. A structure made of red
clay bricks, much larger than the surrounding houses.
In
front of it, there are three figures. A male student wearing the uniform of
Solminati Academy and two girls in the uniform of Ecross.
Camilla
could only see the back of the male student, but there was no way she could
mistake his appearance. The back belonged to Ken, who had just been transformed
into Nozomu.
"Ah
... ta ... mu-san ......... ri ........."
One
of the two girls, a girl with short black hair, was talking to Ken. There was
still a distance between them, so Camilla could not hear what the girl was
saying.
However,
the next moment, Ken's atmosphere changed suddenly.
He
dropped his shoulders and scratched his head, and a sticky, sludge-like vapor
began to leak from Ken's body.
An
alarm bell rang in Camilla's brain. That presence was what Ken had been
directing at Nozomu behind the school building today. It was a matured hatred
and murderous intent.
The
sign of Ken's abnormality. Then, as if as a warning, a pillar of ice as big as
an arm pierced the girls' feet.
The
Ecross girls, who had been hit by Ken's murderous intent, lost their willpower
as if frightened, huddled together, and backing away.
Ken
stepped forward to chase after the retreating girls and reached for the hilt of
the sword at his waist.
"~
!!"
It
would be too late if Camilla were to run as she was. Camilla, having made her
decision, picked up the staff she carried on her back and chanted a spell. She
quickly built a lump of earth in front of her and launched it at the back of
the boy standing in front of her.
======================================
Groans
echoed through the smoke and dust within the headquarters room. On closer look,
several people could be seen lying on the floor.
"Is
everyone alright !?"
"Y-yeah.
I'm alright."
"O-ouch
ouch ... What the hell happened ..."
Jihad
and Mauzu were the first to get up. They were strong and fully armored, so they
were not affected much by the explosion.
Inda
and Tom were the next ones to get up. Tima and Shīna groaned in pain but still
managed to stand up on their own feet.
Jihad
checked the condition of everyone, and although they all had some scratches,
they didn't seem to have any serious injuries.
Jihad
was relieved that everyone was safe, but he immediately glared at the center of
the explosion with a stern expression in his eyes.
There
were shattered Curbstone exposed its tragic appearance, and the floor was
littered with scattering fragments.
"...
Did we make a mistake in controlling the magic power?"
"No,
it's true that the amount of magic that Tima-san was releasing was quite large.
But the flow of magic power itself was only slightly blurred.
Besides,
Tima's magic power was only used to gather the spirits, not to pour into the
Curbstone itself. It's hard to imagine a magic explosion that shatters the curb
would happen like this."
Tima's
vast magic power was too much to pour into the newly created Curbstone. That
was why they took the far-fetched measure of using Tima's magic power to
attract spirits and reinforce the communication between the Curbstone and the
magic stone under Shīna's control.
"And
I think the scale of the explosion is too small. If the explosion was caused by
Tima-san's magic, this room would definitely have been blown up."
Jihad
gave a small nod as if he was convinced by Inda's explanation.
If
the Curbstone itself wasn't infused with magic power, the only other reason he
could think of was Shīna, who was in charge of controlling the spirits.
"Hmm,
that's true. Shīna-kun. What about the spirits?"
"Until
just before the explosion, the spirits listened to me obediently, but when the
explosion was about to happen, they seemed to be in a panic. Perhaps they
sensed this explosion in advance."
So
the spirits and magic power were both properly controlled.
Then,
the cause could be the Curbstone itself.
Of
course, a certain amount of durability tests had been conducted, but it was
still a newly created technology, and even though it was created by one of the
top research institutes on the continent, it could still have some problems.
"But
even if we think about it now, I don't think we will be able to come up with an
answer. The only way to find out the cause is to have Torgrain-dono investigate
it in detail ..."
Nevertheless,
Jihad switched his thoughts to the fact that there was nothing he could do
about the Curbstone at the moment.
All
sorts of speculations flashed through his mind, but he could still control his
thoughts.
"...
What about the communication network?"
"...
Too bad. The communication network between the Curbstone and the magic stones
has been completely cut off."
Inda
held the shattered Curbstone and tried to check the communication network that
had been built, but she couldn't hear any communication from the various teams.
There
was no response to the magic power she had sent, and the Curbstone, the key to
the communication network, was completely silent.
"Do
you think we can repair it?"
"We
might be able to, but with the Curbstone in this state ..."
Inda
and Jihad looked down at the shattered Curbstones littering the floor. Even
from an amateur's point of view, it was obvious that there was no way they
could rebuild a communications network with shattered Curbstone.
"...
It's inevitable. Since the communication network cannot be restored, we have no
choice but to use messengers to command the teams."
At
the headquarters, they had prepared soldiers to send out messages in case of an
emergency.
Since
the communication network had been destroyed, they had no choice but to send
messages to each of the four sections around the school, informing them of the
collapse of the communication network, the current situation at headquarters,
and future measures.
"What
are we going to do?"
“If
it is not possible to coordinate teams in every area, there is no choice but to
thoroughly investigate each area. Perhaps Ken Notis is somewhere in the
residential district. With that in mind, we'll have to notify the teams in
administrative and commercial districts to be extra careful near the border of
the residential district."
===================================
In
front of the headquarters, the assembled messengers were waiting for Jihad's
instructions.
Jihad
stood in front of the assembled messengers and informed them of the current
situation at headquarters and the instructions he would be giving to the teams
in each area.
"You'll
be running around the city as our messengers. I'm sorry to say that you'll have
to clean up our mess..."
"You
don't need to worry about that. That's what we're here for."
The
messengers bowed to Jihad, quickly straightened their backs, and dispersed into
the city.
After
watching their backs, Jihad returned to the headquarters, where Inda, Tima, and
the others were talking about something in front of the shattered Curbstone.
"But
isn't that dangerous?...."
"Yes,
it is. It's much more difficult to control and more dangerous. But if we limit
the time, I think it's possible."
Jihad
frowned his brow at the unusual atmosphere that filled the headquarters.
"What's
going on?"
When
Jihad's voice echoed throughout the room, Shīna and the others turned their
eyes to look at the source of the voice.
Jihad
looked into their hands and saw magic stones which he had kept on the desk as
spares.
"What's
wrong?"
"We
was wondering if it would be possible to rebuild our communication network,
even temporarily..."
Jihad's
eyes sharpened due to Inda's words.
"Inda-dono,
please explain."
"These
[Communication Magic Stone]s were originally made from the Curbstone. And all [Communication Magic Stone]s currently used in
the operation were also made from these shattered Curbstones."
Inda
picked up one of the magic stones on the desk with her right hand and held it
up in front of her so that everyone could see it clearly.
She
also picked up the pieces of Curbstones scattered on the floor with her left
hand and laid them out so that everyone could compare them.
"Even
though they have been modified a bit, they are still Curbstones. Originally,
there was no way to communicate between these Curbstones, and the magical
connection between them has become very weak during the processing process.
However, the connection between them has not been completely severed, though
faint. So I wondered if we could use this to our advantage. ......"
Originally,
Curbstone was a general term for stones that had magical connections that
formed a complex network of mutual magic power.
However,
these connections were not strong enough to be of practical use to humans.
Therefore,
by limiting the network, certain connections can be strengthened and finally
used as magic tools, such as the [Twin Stone of Tragic Fate].
"So,
you're saying that we can use the [Communication Magic Stone] made from a
Curbstone, regain its function as a Curbstone, and use it as the main
unit?"
Inda
nodded her head in agreement with Jihad's confirmation.
If
they could do that, they might be able to rebuild the communication network.
But
this mechanism that used Curbstone and the [Communication Magic Stone] was
created by the Gloaurum Institute, the continent's leading technological
institution. So it was impossible for ordinary people to make magic stones that
could replace Curbstone so easily.
"Is
it possible?"
"The connection
between the two stones is so thin that it's almost nonexistent, but it's not completely
gone. As we did before, with the help of Shīna-san and Tima-san, I think it is
possible to build a communication network for a short time. However, the
[Communication Magic Stone] itself was not originally built for the purpose of
maintaining such a large communication network. ......"
Based on what Inda
just said, the [Communication Magic Stone]s were created to operate as a
communication terminal, not as the main unit for a communication network like a
Curbstone.
However, with the help
of people with unique abilities such as Shīna and Tima, it might be possible.
"... but the risk
is higher."
"Yes. But I
believe the chances of success are not small."
Inda glanced at Shīna
and Tima who were standing behind her. There was a hint of expectation in her
eyes.
Normally, Jihad would
not allow such a reckless plan. But if Inda herself said so, it mean that the
chances of success were not low at all.
Jihad pondered.
There was definitely a
risk. To be honest, there was also the possibility of an explosion like the one
that had just occurred.
However, it was
certainly necessary to rebuild the communication network as soon as possible.
Even though they have messengers, the difference in responsiveness was obvious.
After collecting his
thoughts, Jihad turned his attention back to Shīna and Tima.
"... Let's do it.
Inda-dono and Tom-kun, you will construct the magic formula for communication
with the [Communication Magic Stone], and Tima-kun and Shīna-kun, you will
expand and maintain the magic path that is about to disappear."
"Y-yes!"
"I
understand."
As if jolted by
Jihad's voice, Tima and the others began to move.
One step away from the
magic formation so as not to interfere with their work, Jihad was stroking the
handle of the Jaw Drop in his back and calling out to Mauzu.
"Mauzu, in case
of emergency, I will destroy the magic stone."
"Understood. I'll
prepare a magic barrier to protect them."
While nodding to each
other, watch over the Inda and the others.
While nodded to each
other, they watched over Inda and the others.
Then, a few minutes
later, powerful light flooded in from the investigation headquarters.
====================================
Nozomu was in his
dormitory room with Barozza and Jibin, they wondered why the [Communication
Magic Stone] had gone silent.
"Jibin, is there
still no communication from headquarters?"
"Yes, we've
completely lost all communication."
Barozza put his hand
on his forehead and looked up to the sky.
Nozomu, who had been
watching Barozza and Jibin by the side, was trying to figure out the cause of
this sudden situation, but honestly, he had too little information.
"... What
happened?"
Nozomu asked Barozza
and Jibin if they know what might have caused it, but considering how they
behaved just now, it was pretty sure they were just as clueless as Nozomu are.
"Who knows ...
This magic stone was like a prototype that was just made, so I wouldn't be
surprised if anything like this happened."
Barozza shrugged his
shoulders as if to say, "It can't be helped".
However, it would not
be good if things went on like this. In this operation, Nozomu was not supposed
to take any aggressive action to ensure his alibi.
A hint of impatience
began to appear on Nozomu's face.
It wasn't so bad when
he was still able to exchange up-to-date information through the communication
network, but when he thought about the fact that Ken was up to something, he
felt like he couldn't just sit still.
However, he couldn't
just make reckless moves here and now. If he didn't act with a clear
understanding of the situation, he might end up dragging down his allies.
Nozomu took a deep
breath and exhaled to push away his impatience.
Then he called out to
Barozza, who was talking about this and that while facing Jibin with a useless
magic stone in his hand.
"Barrozza-san,
why don't you go to headquarters for confirmation, just in case? If I come
along with you, we can prove my alibi..."
After hearing Nozomu's
suggestion, Barozza put his hand on his chin and began to ponder. He was
probably pondering whether or not Nozomu's suggestion was okay.
Indeed, their mission
was to secure Nozomu's alibi. As long as they didn't lose sight of his
position, their actual mission wouldn't be hindered.
"Hmm. But you
know, there are messengers at the headquarters, right? The other teams that are patrolling the city are not
moving, so we should wait until the messenger arrives. That way, we won't get
mixed up and we'll spend less time figuring out what's going on."
Barozza pondered for a
moment, but considering the fact that there were messengers at the
headquarters, he rejected Nozomu's suggestion.
As Barozza said, there
were messengers at the headquarters just in case of an emergency. They were
deployed in case something went wrong in the course of the investigation and
communication could not be established.
If they moved
inappropriately instead, it might result in a delay in the understanding of the
situation. Barozza seemed to have made his decision.
As for Nozomu, he
nodded his head in agreement with Barozza, thinking that there would be no
problem if the messenger arrived.
The impatience was
still swirling inside of Nozomu's mind, but it seemed to have eased slightly
once he had decided on a course of action.
"Hmm?"
At that moment,
Jibin's eyes squinted as he tried to communicate with the other team.
He put the
communication stone in his hand to his ear and listened carefully, trying to
pick up the slightest sound.
"Senior,
someone's voice is coming from the stone..."
"Oh~! Is it
fixed?"
Barozza's face broke
into a smile at Jibin's report. Nozomu and Barozza rushed to the magic stone
that Jibin held in his hand.
As the three of them
listened carefully, they soon heard a muffled voice mixed with a sandstorm-like
sound.
"... de,
da...!"
"We can't hear it
very well..."
"I'm afraid the
communication network still seems to be having problems."
The voice coming from
the magic stone was drowned out by the noise scratching at the inside of their
ears, making it impossible to grasp even a single word.
The voice itself was
so small that if they were not focused, they could miss it. The three of them
brought their faces closer and tried to understand the content of the
communication.
"...Looks like
something happened, doesn't it?"
The voice coming from
the magic stone was very small and almost inaudible, but Nozomu felt a sense of
urgency in the voice.
He wasn't sure if it
was the same for Barozza and Jibin, but they nodded slightly at Nozomu's words.
"I think so too.
There seems to be a sense of panic in the voice... Jibin, try to put more magic
power into the communication magic stone."
"I
understand."
As Jibin poured more
magic power into the communication stone, the red light intensified and the noise
like a sandstorm became louder. This was evidence that the magic power he had
poured into the stone had increased the sensitivity of the communication.
It became a problem
that the noise was getting louder, but it couldn't be helped if they wanted to
amplify it to the point where they could hear the voice.
Frowning at the noise
that resounded in their ears, Nozomu and the others closed their eyes and
listened closely, trying not to miss the faint voice that was lost in the
sandstorm-like noise.
"...! Ken...
Ecross ..."
The voice was lost in
the noise to the point of being almost inaudible, but this time they could
clearly grasp the words. However, Nozomu and the others were shocked by the
words.
"O-oi, it said
Ecross ..."
"A school
affiliated with the Solminati Academy..."
The suspect's name and
the word "Ecross" that they heard. The same speculation flashed
through the minds of the three of them, and at the same time they broke out in
sweats.
Ken's goal was... to
undermine Nozomu.
The students who attend
Ecross were like little treasures of the future with infinite potential.
And considering what
Ken had done so far, Ken would no longer question the means to achieve his
goal.
"~ !?"
At the same time, a
worst-case scenario that sliced through the heart came to Nozomu's mind.
If Ken was targeting
the students of Ecross, who would be the most appropriate target for him?
Without a moment's
pause, a girl with her lustrous black hair trimmed beautifully and a big smile
on her face like the sun shining in the sky came to Nozomu's mind.
The next moment,
Nozomu stood up as if he had been hit by a bullet and rushed to the door of his
room.
"Ken's target is
probably Somia-chan! I'm heading to Ecross now! Jibin-san, please inform the
messenger who will come here about what's going on!"
After getting to know
Irisdina and the others, Somia also had many opportunities to go to school with
them. No wonder Ken knew about Somia, the dark-haired princess's younger
sister!
Perhaps couldn't
afford to spare even a little time to turn the knob, Nozomu broke through the
door of his room without hesitation and ran out into the hallway.
Barozza was
momentarily stunned by Nozomu's sudden action, but he quickly regained his
composure.
Barozza grabbed his
beloved sword, which he kept nearby, and followed Nozomu out of the room.
Perhaps startled by the sound of Nozomu kicking down the door earlier, the
students came out into the hallway to see what was going on.
Everyone opened their
eyes wide when they saw a middle-aged man coming out of Nozomu's room.
"I'm chasing
after that little boy! Jibin, pass the message to the messenger!"
"Y-yes !?"
Exposed to curiosity
and strange gazes from the surroundings, Barozza rushed after Nozomu,
entrusting the message to Jibin.
"I'm counting on
you! Boy! Wait a minute!"
Barozza desperately
moved his legs while chasing Nozomu's figure as it shrunk into the end of the
hallway.
Nozomu leaned out of
the stairs and continued to jump down to the floor below. When he reached the
first floor, he ran as fast as he could again. He sprinted in a straight line
through the hall.
The door to the main
entrance made such a loud noise that it seemed to have broken, and Nozomu
dashed out of the open door and into the darkness of the night.
Behind Nozomu, Barozza
was still shouting, but Nozomu didn't seem to hear him at all.
While completely
ignoring the voice calling for him to stop, Nozomu continued to run
frantically, driven by impatience.
===================================
"Senpai!
Nozomu-kun! Oh gosh!"
It was Jibin who was
left alone in the dormitory room. While cursing at the two who ran off without
a second thought, Jibin quickly packed his belongings and ran out of the
dormitory.
He ran as fast as he
could through the already dark streets, his destination was Solminati Academy,
where the investigation headquarters was located.
"Haa, haa, haa!
Guh~!"
Breathing hard, Jibin
tried to hurry up and tell the others about the situation as soon as possible.
The next moment, however, he suddenly felt an intense pain in his chest.
"What's the ...
Guah!"
The pain was so great
that Jibin couldn't help but stop in his tracks. At the same time, an
unpleasant voice echoed in Jibin's head.
(I found it...)
Even though there was
supposed to be no one around, Jibin could hear the voice clearly in his mind.
And as the voice echoed in his head, the pain in his chest grew even worse.
(I found it, I found
it... Someone suitable, qualified, and compatible...)
"F-found it?
W-what the heck are you talking about... uaa. Gi~! Gaa~ !"
A nauseating sensation
as if something was crawling around inside his body, and intense pain as if his
internal organs were being churned. Jibin's face suddenly turned pale, and he
began to sweat profusely.
He kneeled down on the
ground and hugged himself, but the pain showed no sign of subsiding.
His vision blurred as
the intense pain tore through his body, and his whole body continued to
stiffen.
Eventually, the sound
of something tearing echoed through the air. Then a heat like a burning iron pressed
against his body.
"……Eh?"
When Jibin
inadvertently looked at his own hand, which were tightening involuntarily, he
saw that they were covered with a sticky red liquid.
Along with the
reddish-black mass covered in blood, a snake-like creature was peeking out from
his belly.
An eyeless snake
covered in black scales. While Jibin was dumbfounded by the creature that came
out of his body, the blind snake was looking up at the sky with its sickle-like
head.
Eventually, the flesh
of the head-like part of the snake tore apart and spread into four petals, and
countless fangs sprouted from within. And as the scales on its entire body
flipped around, countless red eyes peeked out with their cold gazes.
"……Aa."
The eyes, as red as
fresh blood, stared at Jibin. Unable to comprehend what he had just
encountered, Jibin's consciousness plunged into total darkness.
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