Chapter 6 Part 29
Translator : PolterGlast
"Nn~.
Where is this ...~!?"
Lisa
Hounds woke up feeling lethargic all over her body.
At
first, her eyes were unfocused and she looked dazed, but then she remembered
what had happened to her and sat up as if she had been jolted.
When
she woke up, she saw an abyss of darkness spreading across the entire sky.
"Nozomu
..."
She
crouched like a child inside the pitch-black darkness where even her sense of
direction could go astray.
A
feeling of loneliness consumed her heart as if she was the only one left in the
world.
"I'm
sorry, I'm sorry ..."
Words
of apology leaked out of Lisa's mouth.
She
wondered how much she had hurt him and why she kept throwing such terrible
words at him.
She
knew more than anyone else how single-minded Nozomu was. She should have known
that better than anyone else.
Lisa
was struck with regret and guilt, but she could only ask for forgiveness from
the person she had hurt.
At
that moment, something wriggled beyond the darkness of the abyss.
"~!
Who !?"
Perhaps
in response to her voice, the jet-black space undulated as if in a whirlpool.
What appeared from the other side of the vortex, which had begun to turn
reddish-black, was a shadow that was even darker than the pitch-black darkness
that covered its surroundings.
Step
by step, the shadow approached as if it was crawling towards her. Lisa felt a
chill like a snake crawling up her spine and backed away involuntarily.
Eventually,
the black shadow took on a humanoid form, and a man appeared, crawling out of
it.
"Ke,
Ken ...?"
A
childhood friend who appeared in a place that didn't seem real at all. However,
Lisa shuddered as she remembered what he looked like before he came to this
place.
Ken's
crimson eyes shone and he attacked her while shouting strange voices. Lisa
clearly remembered being engulfed in a black liquid that didn't look like human
blood that spurted out when Ken's body was sliced open.
On
the other hand, Ken crawled out from the shadows, looking at Lisa with a big
smile on his face.
It
was the usual smile that made her feel joy from the bottom of her heart.
However, to the current Lisa, it looked like the smile of an inorganic wax
figure.
"Lisa
... Now we can be together forever..."
"W-what
are you talking about? ... And that arm ......."
More
than anything, Ken's current figure in her eyes gave her a real sense of the
abnormality.
Lisa's
eyes were glued to Ken's right arm, which had been deeply slashed by Nozomu.
There was a reddish-black lump of flesh covering the entire arm.
However,
Ken did not seem surprised at all when he saw the ugly lump of flesh that would
make anyone who saw it want to throw up. On the contrary, he looked at the lump
of flesh with loving eyes.
"Oh,
this is my power. Now I can continue to protect you."
"S-stop!"
Lisa
involuntarily gave a word of refusal to Ken, who approached her while rubbing
his cheek against his right arm. However, Ken never stopped walking.
"You
don't have to worry about it. Now, I have the power to protect you. They gave
it to me. A power that won't lose to anyone else ..."
"No,
it's not like that. I'm, I'm just ..."
Lisa
shook her head at Ken, who could only find a reason to be with Lisa with such
power.
"Why,
why……"
"What
are you talking about now? You're the source of all this, aren't you?
Lisa
raised her face at the stagnant tone of voice she suddenly heard and saw red
eyes appearing in the mass of flesh on Ken's right arm, looking right at her.
"M-me?
..."
"Yes,
that's right. You denied him. You rejected him. Do you think you can go back
with him now?"
There
was no way she could go back to Nozomu now. What she had been thinking in her
head was struck clearly by someone else's voice, and a fatal crack appeared in
Lisa's spirit.
"It's
all your fault, it's all your fault, it's all your fault ..."
"A,
aa, aaa ..."
Repeated
voices of impeachment. Each time, the crimson eyes on the abyssal wall
surrounding her opened and blamed Lisa.
Through
the cracks in her spirit, the cold voice that entered her gradually took away
the heat from her soul, robbed her of the will to live, and killed her spirit.
Lisa's
vision slowly darkened in front of the approaching Ken and his red eyes. She
could only mutter her repentance to Nozomu, whom she had hurt.
====================================
The
darkness that spread out before him made his spine feel like it was bubbling
up, but Nozomu stood firmly on his feet.
"So
this is the inside of the predatory barrier..."
Glaring
into the still unseen depths of darkness, Nozomu spoke to himself as he saw the
abyssal darkness that spread before him.
"Where
is Lisa ......? Damn, I can barely see ahead."
He
was at a loss with the darkness that spread out in front of him. He didn't know
which way he was facing, and he couldn't find anything to point him in the
right direction.
According
to Zonne, the inside of the predatory barrier had become a different world, so
he had no idea how far this dark world went. There was no way to find Lisa in
this situation.
(Nozomu-kun,
can you hear me?)
"Shīna?"
(Thank
God, you're connected properly.)
A
relieved voice echoed in Nozomu's head. Apparently, Shīna had checked to make
sure that the path was connected properly. Nozomu was also relieved to hear his
companion's voice.
This
is the domain of that demon beast. To be honest, anything could happen. Even at
this very moment, as Nozomu spoke, he was in danger of being attacked.
In
such a situation, Nozomu must have felt a little nervous, but now that he was a
little relieved, he had a smile on his face.
"...
Do you think you could tell me where Lisa is? It's too dark, I can't see
anything."
(Wait
a minute. Um ...)
As
of now, Nozomu was connected to his friends outside through Shīna using
contract magic.
Shīna
tried to search inside the predatory barrier through Nozomu, but before she
could locate Lisa, Zonne's voice interrupted her.
(Kid,
just go straight for now. There is a strange place where I felt a strong
presence of that Abyss Grief or some other beast. The red-haired lady is
probably there.)
Nozomu
was surprised to hear Zonne's voice suddenly interrupting him in the middle of
the conversation, but the old man didn't care about his agitation and continued
talking.
(For
that beast, the young lady is also important to stabilize the host. She's not
just food to fill its stomach. At the very least, it's not something it can
just eat and be done with. Elf lady, you can sense the presence of the beast,
can't you?)
(...
Certainly. I can definitely feel the presence of that beast in the area ahead
of us ...)
"You
can tell?"
(Somehow
... When I fought it before, I was more focused on the spirits who were scared
of it, but now I think I can tell.)
While
listening to Shīna's words, various speculations flashed in and out of Nozomu's
mind.
She
had sensed Abyss Grief's presence when they had encountered it in the forest
before. From that fact, there seemed to be no reason to doubt her words.
However,
if Shīna, who could sense spirits, could also sense it, then could that demon
beast be close to a spirit?
"...
Old man. Is that beast a spirit?"
(It's
close to that. The body itself has taken over another living being, but its
essence is similar.)
The
essence, or the structure of its body, is built from the same source material
as that of a spirit, Zonne continued.
This
clear statement made Nozomu's suspicions about Zonne rise up again in his mind.
No,
there was no one who wouldn't be bothered by this old man. The way he was
acting was so unnatural.
He
never told them who he really was, but he advised Nozomu and the others.
Moreover, the content of his advice was something that even Jihad did not know.
Furthermore,
his abilities were completely unknown, but they were not to be underestimated.
The evidence was that he had brought the strongest in the school, Jihad, to his
knees.
And
even now, Zonne could sense Abyss Grief's presence before Shīna did. There were
so many things that would be impossible under normal circumstances.
But
Nozomu shook his head, suppressed his own doubts, and exhaled to change his
mind.
"...
I guess I should stop thinking about that here."
He
was concerned about Zonne. But for now, he needed to concentrate on saving
Lisa.
With
that in mind, Nozomu stepped forward, and suddenly he felt an intense pain in
his head, like a spear piercing him.
(Gaaa!
Let me out! Let me out of here! Let me kill that guy!)
"Ugh~!
Again, what the hell are you talking about? ......"
Tiamat
began to rampage again. Nozomu gritted his teeth and endured the gut-wrenching
headache.
"That's
enough", he swore in the back of his mind, and after enduring the pain for
a while, Tiamat's angry voice slowly faded away.
"Haa,
haa ... please, just be quiet for now."
Eventually,
the pain subsided like a receding tide, but his head was heavy.
But
he couldn't just stand there, so he stepped forward in the darkness of the
abyss.
"Lisa,
where are you!"
He
raised his voice and shouted Lisa's name. Perhaps in response to his voice,
something wriggled beyond the darkness.
While
squinting his eyes, Nozomu approached cautiously, one step at a time. His hand
was already on the hilt of the katana at his waist, ready to pull it out at any
moment.
Eventually,
he saw a young man who was about the same height as Nozomu.
Nozomu's
brow frowned at the sight of this familiar figure. The young man standing with
the left half of his body facing Nozomu definitely belonged to Ken Notis.
"So,
it's Nozomu ..."
"Ken
... where's Lisa?"
In
a low voice that seemed to echo in the pit of his stomach, Nozomu questioned
Ken about Lisa's whereabouts. His gaze was sharper than ever, and tingles of
anger and fighting spirit leaked from his body.
But
Ken glanced at Nozomu, and a slight smile appeared on his face.
As
he turned to look at Nozomu head-on, the right half of Ken's body, which had
been hidden, was revealed.
The
right side of his body, covered in a mass of reddish-black flesh, was pulsating
with reddish-black veins.
What
caught Nozomu's attention more than anything else was the huge red eye in his
right hand.
Nozomu
could feel intense hunger and hatred that wanted to kill and devour everything
in sight from those eyes. An intense negative obsession, like a rotten,
bottomless swamp.
It
was definitely the Abyss Grief, the black demon beast he had met in the forest.
"Geez,
this is not your turn yet ..."
Nozomu's
brow frowned at the tone of Ken's voice.
"Ken,
you've been completely swallowed up, haven't you? ..."
Ken
didn't seem to be the least bit concerned about the changes that had occurred
to himself, and he was just like a monster with a smile on his face.
A
cold sweat ran down Nozomu's spine. The expression on the face of the person in
front of him was Ken's, but his body showed an incredible amount of negative
emotion.
This
emotion could not be compared to the Abyss Grief that he had encountered in the
forest before. Compared to the grudge that emanated from Ken's body now, the
demon beast of that time was like a puppy.
"Lisa
is ... already mine ... "
And
then his eyes, stained with rage, turned to Nozomu. At the same time, Ken's
swollen resentment burst forth.
"~!"
Before Nozomu had a
chance to think, his body was moving on its own.
The moment he quickly
turned his head away, a huge blade passed by, slicing through the wind. A blade
covered in jet black. It was extending from Ken's red-black right arm.
The whip-like tip of his
right arm had transformed into a thick blade like a machete, similar in
appearance to the tail of the Abyss Grief Nozomu had seen in the forest.
"Tch~!"
A moment of heightened
Qi raged through Nozomu's entire body, making him feel hot as if his whole body
was on fire.
Ken raised his
outstretched right arm and tried to strike Nozomu in the head this time.
Nozomu quickly leaped
to the side and escaped the path of the falling blade. The next moment, a huge
blade struck the ground along with a thud sound.
Nozomu flew backward
to distance himself.
Both glared at each
other. At that moment, the darkness that had covered the area gradually cleared
up.
Gradually, the
surroundings came into view. And when the whole place of that space became
clear, Nozomu covered his mouth at the sheer ugliness of it.
"~ !?"
(This is……)
(Hih~!)
It was, in a word, a
space covered with a wall of flesh.
From four-legged
beasts such as wild dogs to subhumans such as goblins and orcs. It was like a
child's clay sculpture, with all kinds of demon beasts mingling together and
shouting vindictively.
It looked as if the
demon beasts were devouring each other, or lamenting.
(... I see, a
predatory barrier is a good way of putting it.)
Jihad's voice,
muttered gravely, echoed in Nozomu's ear. The other members of the group seemed
to be at a loss for words, and the only thing that could be perceived was the
hint of them holding their breathing.
In such a hellish
world, Ken was the only one who retained half his human form. It looked strange,
but it also seemed to symbolize the chaos of this world.
"This time, Lisa
is mine ..."
As Ken spread out his
hands to look up at the sky, a spherical object floated up from the
flesh-covered ground.
Just like the Abyss
Grief, it was a dusky black sphere that looked like a sludge the size of Ken's
body. As soon as Nozomu saw it, his whole body felt a shock as if lightning had
struck him.
There was someone
inside the black sphere.
She was floating in the
black sphere, holding her knees, and exposing her beautiful limbs.
Her distinctive long
red hair was that of the girl Nozomu was looking for. She was Lisa Hounds that
Nozomu had been looking for.
Ken lovingly stroked
the sphere in which Lisa was trapped with his left arm. But Lisa's expression
remained blank and didn't move.
Lisa's face was
completely devoid of emotion. There was not a trace of the cheerful girl that
Nozomu had once been attracted to.
"~ !!"
Nozomu's head boiled
in an instant. As if in response to his rage, his entire body overflowed with
Qi.
The hand that grasped
the sheath made a creaking sound, and Nozomu's whole body trembled with anger.
The next moment, with
a resounding explosion, Nozomu rushed towards Ken at once.
The katana in his hand
already had an extremely compressed blade of Qi enveloped to it.
"You too, be my
nutrition ..."
Ken's consciousness
and Abyss Grief's consciousness were mixed up, and his tone was already not
that of a human being.
The ground beneath
Ken's feet rose. An egg-shaped mass of flesh the size of a person's lower half
appeared. There were several of them.
And then a crack
appeared on the surface of the lump of flesh. Something appeared from within.
What appeared were
jet-black demon beasts. Some of them took the form of dog-shaped beasts, while
others took the form of goblin-like figures.
There was also a
creature like a praying mantis, and even a bird-like demon beast with a body
the size of a human arm.
However, all of them
had a black body surface like the Abyss Grief and a single eye that was dyed
red like blood.
"Gyugaaaa!"
"Kishaaa!"
With deafening cries,
the demon beasts followed their creator and attacked Nozomu at once.
They bared their
fangs, showed off their claws, and approached to devour the person in front of
them to the soul.
"Get out of my
way!"
Nozomu drew his
katana.
He cut down the three
four-legged demon beasts that had leapt towards him with a single slash.
The body of the beast
in front of him was much more vulnerable than the Abyss Grief he had fought in
the forest before. It was probably one of its pawns.
Stepping over the
carcasses of their comrades that had been cut down, the goblins now leaped
towards Nozomu.
In a fluid motion,
Nozomu's second slash was unleashed.
They were about to
jump on Nozomu when Qi technique [Phantom -Recurrence-] cut them down at once.
However, there were
too many of them. After cutting off all the goblins, Nozomu was now attacked by
the black birds.
Nozomu decided that he
couldn't be bothered to fight them all, so he lowered his posture and tried to
break through the flock of black birds that were coming towards him at once.
"Ouch!
Guh~!"
The claws and beaks of
the black birds ripped into Nozomu's clothes and skin as they flew at him.
But that was not
enough to stop Nozomu. With both feet on the ground and all his strength on his
hips, he made his way through the flock of black birds like a ship traversing
through the rough seas.
As the flock of black
birds passed him by, the next thing he saw was a black insect with a huge
sickle in its front arms.
"Shaa!"
The jet-black mantis
propped itself up on its hind legs and spread its sickle as if to show off its
own majesty.
Then, as if to pinch
Nozomu's body in between, it reaped the sickles of its arms from both sides at
once.
The huge scythes
closed in on Nozomu. However, the cleaved scythes couldn't catch Nozomu's body,
and they vainly cut through the empty air.
The next moment, a
flash of light shines, and the severed mantis scythes flew through the air.
They were severed by a slash of katana enveloped by [Phantom -Clad-]. Moreover,
the blade descended from the top of its head and sliced the black insect in
half vertically.
After breaking through
the crowd of demon beasts, Nozomu ran in a straight line towards Ken without
stopping.
"Haa~, haa~!
Haa~!"
His little remaining
Qi was consumed at once, and Nozomu's breathing became ragged.
Ken raised his right
arm, which had turned into a deformed form, and swung it down.
His attack speed
couldn't be compared to when he was fighting outside the predatory barrier.
"~!"
Nozomu managed to
dodge the blade that was approaching faster than he could see with his
[Instantaneous Movement -Curve Dance-].
The blade slammed into
the meat floor right next to him, splattering countless pieces of flesh and
black bodily fluids. Nozomu frowned at the strange smell.
Furthermore, the right
arm that was struck down was cracked, and countless needle-like blades were
standing upright towards him.
"Tch~!"
Seeing a familiar
scene, Nozomu swung his katana before he could think.
At the same time that
Nozomu's katana, enveloped in Qi, drew a circle, Ken's whip-like right arm
exploded. Countless black needles were scattered all around.
It was definitely
Ken's [Crawling Snake Fang] ability.
"Gah~! Ku~u! It
could use Ken's ability too!"
Countless needles
easily pierced through the Qi film created by Nozomu's [Fan Shaped Sail] and
pierced his body. Obviously, Ken's current attacks were more powerful than the
previous ones.
In addition, Ken's
right arm, which had been stuck in the ground made of flesh, swelled and swung
upward while sprinkling the carrion on the floor.
Before he could evade
it, Nozomu's body was flung off by Ken's right arm.
"Zu~a!"
A shock ran through
his entire body and air leaked out of his lungs.
Nozomu gritted his
teeth at the opponent in front of him that produced more power than ever, even
with such an unstable mind.
But even so, Nozomu
couldn't choose to give up. He managed to roll on the ground to lessen the
impact of being slammed into the ground and stood up.
But Ken was already in
the position to launch another attack.
Countless jet-black
icicles flew through the air. This was no doubt that this was also Ken's magic,
[Icicle Dance].
The icicles floating
in the air attacked Nozomu in rapid succession.
Nozomu once again
tried to evade with his [Instantaneous Movement -Curve Dance-]. The icicles
were closing in on him, and Nozomu was unable to close the gap.
No, even if he stepped
forward while avoiding the rain of icicles, the fact that Ken's jet-black
[Crawling Snake Fang]s could no longer be blocked by Nozomu's [Fan Shaped Sail]
meant that Nozomu had no way to close the gap between them.
Furthermore, something
arose that further pushed Nozomu over the edge.
The ground made of
flesh was rising again, and a demon beast was coming out of it. However, the
demon beast that appeared was far more threatening than the one that had
appeared before.
The creature that
appeared in front of Nozomu's eyes was three times the size of Nozomu, with
limbs as thick as logs. The three-eyed giant Nozomu had once faced roared.
"Gaaa~a!"
"Tch~! There's
even a Triclops!"
The red-eyed giant
rushed toward Nozomu, who was desperately trying to avoid the icicles that were
pouring down on him.
Ken's [Icicle Dance]
seemed to have a complete grasp of the Triclops' movements, and there was no
sign of the icicles piercing its huge body.
There was nothing
Nozomu could do if the Triclops intervened in this situation. He would either
be pierced by countless icicles and become a bizarre object or crushed into a
lump of flesh by the giant's mighty arms.
In the blink of an
eye, Nozomu was trapped in a critical situation. The only thing left to do was
to release his Ability Suppression.
Nozomu grabbed the
invisible chain that bound his body and tried to tear it off with all his
strength.
However, even before
this, Tiamat, who was sealed in Nozomu's body already rampaged three times.
(Aaaa !! Kill ! Kill !
Kill !!)
"Gah~!"
while letting out a
breath of anguish, Nozomu desperately endured the pressure because Tiamat
trying to break free through his body.
But the actions of the
giant dragon that continued to rampage inside Nozomu's body caused his hands to
temporarily stiffen as he tried to release the Ability Suppression.
And by the time Nozomu
realized it, it was already too late and the Triclops had raised its arm in
front of Nozomu's eyes.
"This is
bad……"
It was already too
late to evade. The only thing Nozomu could do was to desperately force his
stiffened legs into taking a half step backward.
"Gah ...!"
A powerful impact ran
through Nozomu's body as if he had been hit by a dragon.
[Mumei] fell from Nozomu's
hand. He was blown almost parallel to the ground, and his body slammed into the
flesh wall at the edge of the barrier.
At the same time, the
wall of flesh swelled and tried to swallow Nozomu.
"With this, this
is the end ... Be relieved. I'll always be by Lisa's side and protect her
...... always."
Even in his dazed
state, Nozomu tried to crawl out of the wall of flesh that was trying to
swallow him up.
But even with all the
strength in his arms and legs, Nozomu's body was still numb from the shock of
being blown away by the Triclops' stiff-arm earlier, and he was unable to move
against his will. In addition, Nozomu's Qi was also at its limit.
A sense of weariness
from the exhaustion enveloped Nozomu's body. In addition, the still rampaging
Tiamat was wearing down Nozomu's spirit even further. His vision was hazy, and
his throat, which was painful due to hyperventilation, leaked a hoarse voice.
(Oi, Nozomu-kun! Can
you hear me !?)
In the dim
consciousness, Nozomu heard Jihad's
voice outside the predatory barrier in his mind.
"Jihad ...
-sensei?"
A voice full of power,
which was not like his normal self, rang in Nozomu's ears.
(Hear me out. Do
something to separate that Lisa-kun from the Abyss Grief! That way, it won't
matter if we break the predatory barrier from the outside!)
He might still be able
to save Lisa. Remembering this possibility, Nozomu looked down at the invisible
chain that bound him along with the wall of flesh.
If he destroys this,
he may be able to overcome this situation.
Of course, if he were
to release his Ability Suppression, the sealed Tiamat would happily try to
devour Nozomu's body and let the hatred that overflowed from its body do its
work.
The giant dragon was
raging with a hatred that had never been seen before. It was doubtful that the
current exhausted Nozomu would be able to hold back the dragon.
However, Nozomu's hand
was slow but steady as he tried to grasp the invisible chain.
Yes, Nozomu had come
to this school determined to protect Lisa. Until now, it had been an excuse to
escape, but now he might finally be able to fulfill that promise.
It didn't matter what
form it took. He was going to give it his all here and now so that he could
walk forward together once again.
Just as he was about
to put all his strength into his right hand that had grabbed the chain, Zonne
interrupted his resolve.
(Wait kid. Don't
release your Ability Suppression!)
While wondering why
Zonne knew about the Ability Suppression, Nozomu asked the voice that echoed in
his dim consciousness.
"What ... are you
talking about? When should I use it … if
it's not right here right now?"
(The 'lizard' inside
you is on the rampage right now, isn't it? In addition, your soul is also
exposed to attacks from the outside. If you were to release your ability
suppression in this state, there is a high possibility that your spirit would
be crushed from the inside and out! If that happens, it will be irreversible!)
What Zonne was saying
was not wrong. Tiamat's rampage this time was very different from before.
Previously, Tiamat had
tried to deceive Nozomu to revive itself, but now it was taking a more forceful
approach.
And the pressure was
so intense that it was hard to describe.
It was as if his head
was being clamped in a vise, and the pain was so intense that it felt as if his
internal organs were being torn apart.
On top of that, the
Abyss Grief was trying to eat Nozomu's body and soul from the outside.
(That's why you have
to save the young lady without releasing your Ability Suppression!)
The outrageous
statement made Nozomu question Zonne's sanity.
What in the world is
this old man talking about?
If Nozomu were to
release the Ability Suppression and use his power, he might be able to save
Lisa from being devoured by the Abyss Grief ...
(There's a good reason for it! The connection between our souls is far deeper than that of ordinary contract magic! The effect on each of us is nothing compared to the usual contract magic! You, boy, have no control over "that" power, and that young lady's soul is already at its limit!
If her weakened mind
is eroded, and she was also directly exposed to the power and hatred of “that
guy” leaking from your soul, that young lady's soul will be shattered!)
These words made
Nozomu hesitate as he tried to release the Ability Suppression.
If he were to release
it, Lisa might die.
He was supposed to be
here to save Lisa, but Nozomu's action would end up killing her in her weakened
state. It was ironic, to say the least.
"Then ...... what
should I do !"
Nozomu gritted his
teeth in frustration. A feeling of hopelessness filled Nozomu's heart.
(Get a grip, kid!
Remember what I told you!)
In a daze, Nozomu
recalled Zonne's words. Come to think of it, didn't the old man say that
Nozomu's power lay elsewhere?
His consciousness was
foggy and he could not think properly.
Perhaps frustrated by
Nozomu's behavior, Zonne raised his voice in an impatient tone.
(This is not the time
to be buried in those creepy walls! Or what, did you have a hobby of taking
pleasure in such places? Uwa, dirty! What kind of fetish do you have?)
The words were oddly
encouraging.
"... You're the
only person I don't want to be treated like a pervert from, old geezer."
(Nozomu-san, are you
okay !?)
(Nozomu! Never do
anything rash! If you die, you won't have any children!)
The Francilt sisters
were so worried that they raised their voices. Judging from the urgent tone of
their voices, they could not agree with Zonne's reckless suggestion.
Nozomu's smile
naturally returned to his lips at the thought of his friends who were thinking
about his safety.
"That old man
sure is making some crazy suggestions. He's as reckless as Shishō ..."
He made up his mind.
Nozomu exhaled loudly to get himself together and relaxed his entire body.
"... Alright,
I'll do it. I'll go with your idea, old man."
(Nozomu !? Stop it !!)
(Wait! What are you
saying out of the blue?! Think about what you're going to do a little more!)
Irisdina and Shīna's
loud voices echoed in Nozomu's head. Their voices were already close to
screams.
Nevertheless, he
didn't think there was any other way. Even though they were connected by
contract magic, it was basically difficult for them to intervene directly
within this barrier.
While apologizing to
Irisdina and the others in his mind, he let go of the invisible chain he was
holding.
As if he had been
waiting for it, Tiamat and Abyss Grief began to squeeze Nozomu's spirit even
more.
"Ga, gaaa! Guuu~u
..."
A burst of shock
continued to assault Nozomu's entire body.
It was painful and
agonizing.
The intense pain that
was running through his entire body was getting worse and worse, robbing
Nozomu's body of all sensation.
The ringing in his
ears was numbing his hearing, and his vision was already painted white.
His heart continued to
beat as if it was about to burst, and his whole body was burning as if it were
on fire.
(Shīna-kun! Increase
your synchronization rate with Nozomu-kun! We'll share our senses and put up a
barrier around Nozomu-kun's spirit to lighten the burden on him as much as
possible!)
(Eh?! If I do that
then ......)
(You must do as
Inda-dono says. I don't know what's going on, but it's the only way to reduce
the strain on his mind right now!)
Inda and Jihad spoke
up as Nozomu focused his attention on himself.
What Inda and Jihad
had suggested was to deploy a barrier to Nozomu's spirit through the path, to
reduce the burden on him as much as possible.
It was certainly
possible to do so if they were deeply in tune with Nozomu's spirit.
However, if they
increase the synchronization rate of the contract magic, the person who was
going to put up the barrier will also suffer the same pain that Nozomu was
experiencing.
The sensation of
having their soul chipped away by a legendary dragon and an unidentified demon
beast. If they made a mistake, they would definitely go insane.
There are so many
other factors to worry about. To be honest, no one had ever heard of anything
like this happening.
Besides, there were so
many other factors to worry about. Honestly, no one had ever experienced
anything like this before.
(Don't worry, not only
Inda-dono, but I'll also be in sync with her to reduce the burden as much as
possible. Don't worry. I'm old, but I'm sturdy.)
(Then I'll also do it.
Shīna, I'll leave the maintaining of the contract magic to you.)
And when Jihad agreed
to sync with Nozomu, Irisdina followed him.
Mars and the rest of
the group came up one after another, asking to be in sync with Nozomu.
As expected, there was
no way for all of them to be in sync, and Irisdina was the only one other than
Jihad and Inda to be chosen.
(Mars-kun, when it
comes down to it ......)
(I know, we'll just
use my skills and Tima's magic to smash through that barrier, right?)
Mars and Tima were
left behind because the two of them had the most destructive abilities among
the remaining members other than Jihad.
Mars' combination
technique and Tima's attack magic. Both of them were difficult to control, but
in such case of an emergency, they had no time to choose a way to destroy the
barrier in front of them.
"Geez! Everyone
is so selfish!"
Shīna's voice rose in
anger, but she carefully explored the paths of four people and strengthened
their connection.
The spirit of the four
began to synchronize deeply. Deep wrinkles appeared at the corners of Jihad and
the others' eyes, probably due to the partial flow of the pain Nozomu felt, and
greasy sweat began to break out all at once.
(Nozomu-kun! As I said
before, if we all decide that we're at our limits, we'll destroy this barrier
from the outside, no questions asked. Do you understand?! Because I don't take
a no!)
Despite the shouts of
anger from Shīna, Nozomu's cheeks relaxed after hearing the words of his
friends.
With the support of
his friends' encouragement, Nozomu closed his eyes and focused on his inner
self while enduring the pain in his body.
The ringing in his
ears became more and more distant. It was as if he was sinking to the bottom of
the ocean.
On the other side of
the pounding heartbeat, he could see a faint light.
A ball of light
colored in five different colors. It was a small ball of light that could fit
in the palm of his hand, but it gave him an unfathomable sense of power.
It was Tiamat's power
that had tormented and saved Nozomu so many times before.
But what Nozomu needed
now was not this power.
Deeper. Nozomu was
sinking to the far bottom of this lake.
He wondered how deep
he sank. The muffled ringing in his ears had already faded, and the presence of
his friends had disappeared. Only silence and darkness prevailed.
But in the silence,
something gradually came into view.
What Nozomu saw was
the figure of himself cowering in his room in the dormitory. He was slightly
younger than the current Nozomu and was holding his knees with an expression as
if his soul had been drained.
(Why, how did this
happen ......?)
"This is……"
As Nozomu reached out,
the scene in front of him popped with a crack and disappeared like a bubble.
Then again, within
seconds, the next scene unfolded before Nozomu's eyes.
(What are you doing?
...)
The next scene that
spread to Nozomu's eyes was in a forest that he was familiar with.
In front of Nozomu,
who slumped to the ground, stood his master, who had cut down countless Wild
Dogs.
(Who are you, old
lady? ......)
(Be more respectful to
the elders.)
The scene of Nozomu's
encounter with Shino. This was the event that triggered Nozomu to start
training in the intense Mikagura style. It was also one of the major turning
points for Nozomu.
"The past ......
memories of me."
While Nozomu was
muttering, scenes from the past came and went one after another.
The days of hellish
training started with the shocking encounter. It was just an excuse to escape,
but those days were definitely in the flesh and blood of the current Nozomu.
The last fight with
Shino, where he risked his life. It was the event that triggered Nozomu to
start moving in a real sense. This scene still occupied a large place in
Nozomu's life.
The encounter with his
friends. And their differences. Friends he hadn't made in a very long time.
However, he couldn't tell them his secret, and that's why they clashed.
But even so, Nozomu
and his friends didn't fall apart.
Because unlike when he
was with Lisa and Ken, they had the courage to face him in the true sense of
the word.
However, that was not
the only scene in front of his eyes.
Nozomu and his
childhood friends. Among them, there was Ken, who was watching Lisa who was
concerned about Nozomu.
Ken had loved Lisa
since they were children. But it was his childhood friend, Nozomu, that she had
feelings for, not him.
Every time Ken saw her
walking next to his best friend, an inexplicable dark feeling welled up in
Ken's heart. It was frustrating and sad. Still, he kept his feelings to
himself, because it was Nozomu who she had chosen.
Then the scene shifted
to when they arrived at Solminati Academy.
(Hey Ken, that sure is
tough. You've been forced to deal with such a waste ...)
(Nazwell ……)
Ken was talking with
Nazwell, who died in a demon beast attack in his first year. By this time,
Ken's jealousy of Nozomu had grown to the point where he couldn't suppress it.
Still, Ken could not
take out his negative feelings on Nozomu and the others. He didn't know how to
deal with his feelings except to be patient.
But no matter how big
the pot was, if he kept pouring water into it, it would overflow.
And when Nazwell was
killed by a demon beast and the fear that Lisa might die combined with
jealousy, he finally started to lose his way.
(Nozomu ……)
The image of Lisa
running around the city with an anxious look on her face.
While breathing hard,
she didn't stop to look for Nozomu.
(It's alright. It'll
be alright ... He promised me ...)
It was a scene of Lisa
looking for Nozomu. She was anxious about the rumor that Nozomu was having an
affair.
Lisa shook her head
and tried to deny the unpleasant thoughts that came to her mind.
The next thing she
knew, Ken, disguised as Nozomu, was kissing a woman she didn't know.
The next image was of
a room with the curtains closed. The next image was of Lisa sitting while
holding her knees on the bed in a dimly lit room, even though it was daytime.
With her eyes just staring at the floor, she did not move a muscle.
Ken and Camilla rushed
in through the door of the room.
It was the moment when
Nozomu and Lisa's time together ended and Ken's fake relationship began.
"Is this……"
What flowed into
Nozomu was what could be called a residue of memory.
Three souls, Nozomu,
Lisa, and Ken, were connected, and it was a glimpse of a part of their
memories.
One after another, the
past of the three of them floated in and out like a running lantern.
As Nozomu watched the
scene, he felt as if his heart was being choked.
Nostalgia and
melancholy, hatred and love.
Everything was
nostalgic, resentful, sad, and various emotions poured out of his chest.
Eventually, everything
in front of him disappeared, and the jet-black space returned.
However, unlike the
darkness of the past, something was reflected in Nozomu's eyes. Something was
spreading like a spider's web in the space filled with darkness.
"Is this ... a
chain?"
If he looked closely,
he could see that the chain was covered with a faint light. However, the amount
of light was unusual.
He wondered how many
chains there were in this place. The shining chains stretched out in all
directions, covering far beyond the jet-black space.
"How far does
this thing go? Hm? But this chain is ......."
When he looked
closely, he saw that the chains were somewhat familiar to him. The chains of
Ability Suppression that had bound Nozomu's body for several years. It was
exactly the same thing.
"Is this... my
power ......?"
Is there something
more to this?
Before he knew it, the
voices of the Zonne and the others had disappeared, and Nozomu's murmur
dissolved and faded into the jet-black darkness.
There was no point in
thinking about it. He couldn't help Lisa if he stay here.
Nozomu tried to wade
through the glowing chains and go deeper.
But the moment Nozomu
put his hand on the chain, it shuddered as if it were pulsating with an
exceptional amount of light.
The next moment, all
the chains in the air flew towards Nozomu at once and began to wrap around his
body.
"W-what happened
!? Gah~ !?"
The chains tightened
around his body with a creaking sound. Breath leaking out of Nozomu's mouth.
Nozomu quickly reached
for the chains that were wrapped around his body. He struggled to remove the
chains that were suddenly tightening up on him, but then a voice echoed in his
brain and Nozomu involuntarily stopped his hand.
(I'm sorry……)
A weak voice, clearly
different from Tiamat's. The owner of the voice came to mind, and Nozomu
couldn't help but look up into the void.
"This voice is
... Lisa?"
Nozomu was startled by
Lisa's voice resounding in his head. At the same time, he saw Lisa's facing his
head down in front of him, holding her knees and crying.
(I'm sorry, I'm sorry)
"Lisa! Oi!"
Lisa continued to
apologize for her actions. When Nozomu raised his voice, Lisa's body, which had
been lying face down, twitched.
She looked up
fearfully and looked around. But she couldn't see Nozomu, and she didn't seem
to notice him.
She scurried around
and let out a disappointed voice.
(Haha, I just heard
Nozomu's voice... I wonder if I've gone crazy...)
A hoarse voice. A
smile full of exhaustion appeared on Lisa's face. Her face, pale with
exhaustion, looked as if it had a hint of death on it.
(But it doesn't
matter. I don't care if it's just my hallucination. At least, I could hear
Nozomu's voice at the end ...)
With a sad, yet
somehow satisfied smile on her face, Lisa's figure faded into a blur.
Lisa's figure
disappeared into the darkness like sugar dissolving into water. On the other
side of the darkness, something was lifting its mouth.
Countless red eyes
appeared in the darkness. The eyes were gazing with satisfaction at Lisa, who
was about to disappear.
Without a doubt, it
was Abyss Grief trying to devour Lisa.
Amid the countless
stares, Lisa curled herself up like a baby and hugged her hands tightly to her
chest. It was as if she was trying to hold on to something precious, something
she would never let go of.
Not clear if it was
Nozomu's words from earlier, or if it was the memories of the happy times she
had spent with him.
Nozomu couldn't see
what was going through her mind. What he did know was that Lisa's spirit, which
had maintained itself by keeping her mind closed, had completely given up
resisting.
"Lisa! Hold
yourself together! If you don't ...!"
(But at least ... I
wanted to apologize properly.)
The last of her
remaining regrets leaked out of Lisa's mouth. Her figure had almost melted into
the darkness.
(I'm sorry ... I
didn't believe you ...)
The moment those words
rang in his ears, Nozomu's nearly paralyzed spirit came to life at once.
He raised his fist and
punched himself in the cheek.
A white light flashed
in front of his eyes, and Nozomu glared at the chains in front of him, feeling
the numbing pain.
"Guu!
Aaaaaa!"
Shouting from the
bottom of his stomach, he reached out and grabbed the chains stretched out in
front of him with all the strength he had.
At the next moment,
the chain pulsated and the pale light turned into a powerful flash that filled
the jet-black space.
"W-what !?"
In the blink of an
eye, the intricately entwined chains were unraveled. And then, with a fierce sound, the chains sprinted
through the air.
(Gi~! Gi~uuuaa!)
Chains flying in the
air, tearing through the darkness with a strong flash of light. The darkness
and red eyes that surrounded Nozomu trembled in fear and were torn apart by the
chains that flew around him one after another, screaming as they shredded and
disappeared.
It was like a school
of sharks rushing for their prey.
The shining chains
converge on a single point in the air.
Soon, the sound of
cracking glass echoed, and a crack appeared in the space.
The chain, which was
rushing fast, jumped into the crack and pulled Nozomu's body, leading him to
the crack in the air.
"Uwa! What?
What's going on!?"
Suddenly lifted into
the air, Nozomu let out a cry of surprise.
What he saw behind the
tearing crack was a world covered with walls of flesh and the figure of Ken
Notis, or rather Abyss Grief, with his eyes wide open within it. Beside him was
the figure of Lisa, who was lying face down inside the black ball.
"You bastard! How
dare you escape from my fangs!"
A look directed at
Nozomu as he landed on the meat floor. The look in his eyes was one of
astonishment and slight fear.
Perhaps because Abyss
Grief had caught a glimpse of Ken's memories, even though he had turned into a
different form, Ken's desire for Lisa was still there.
An inexplicable
feeling welled up inside of Nozomu's chest.
But, even so .......
He was reminded by his
master of what he had been running away from, and his friends taught him the courage
to move forward.
(I will save Lisa.
This time I will fulfill my promise!)
With this
determination in his heart, Nozomu sprinted towards the person he was supposed
to save.
As Nozomu picked up
the [Mumei] from the floor and ran, a single tear fell from Lisa's eyes, which
had a blank expression on her face.