Chapter 7 Part 4
Translator : PolterGlast
He
was speechless about the scenery that
unfolded before his eyes.
Nozomu's
face was still dumbfounded, his eyes were fixed on the strange scenery that had
spread out before him.
"Where
am I?"
Grasslands
were painted by an endless shade of darkness.
There
were trees with no leaves and only branches here and there, and he could barely
feel any breath of life at all.
Trees
that look like towering, rotting trees. The grass underfoot also looked
somewhat different.
When
he stepped on the grass, it shattered like a piece of glasswork with a
crackling sound.
"What
is this? It's not even a plant, is it? It's like an artificial product that
resembles a plant......"
Nozomu
looked up and gazed at the sky.
Despite
the cloudless sky, there were no stars in sight.
However,
in the sky, which was tinted the same shade of black as the ground, five
gigantic moons were shining brightly.
The
moon was dyed in five colors: red, blue, green, brown, and black. Only the
rainbow-like moonlight illuminated the dark meadows.
"No
matter what I think, this isn't Arcazam. I wonder what is this place..."
Nozomu
spoke to himself as he gazed at the eerie scene.
As
he recalled, he fought Ken and have no memory of what happened afterward.
He
probably fainted, but he was at a loss in the face of a scene that clearly did
not seem real.
When
he raised his face and looked into the distance, he saw a glowing red light
over the horizon.
"Is
that a fire? ... But isn't it too wide?"
A
blazing red flame shining in the distance.
Considering
that it was beyond the horizon, the scale of the blaze might be enormous.
"Come
to think of it, what about everyone..."
Remembering
his friends, Nozomu looked around.
However,
there was still no sign of life in the jet-black wilderness that stretched all the
way to the horizon.
Despite
the vastness of the space, not even a breeze was blowing, and only an eerie
silence dominated the area.
"There
is no one ... Not even a sign of animals around..."
A
world that had come to a standstill, where no one moved.
Nozomu's
whole body trembled as he realized that he had been thrown into an eerie world.
"...
Nothing will change if I just stand here."
With
nowhere to go and no idea how to break out of his current situation, Nozomu
decided to go towards the red light that shone beyond the horizon.
That
was the only goal he had in mind.
Hearing
the crunching sound of grass under his feet, Nozomu continued moving forward.
"Hmm?
What's that?"
After
walking for a while, a strange building jumped in front of Nozomu's eyes.
And
not just one. After he took a closer look at the surroundings, he could see
towering objects here and there in the wilderness.
Nozomu
approached one of them.
"Is
this a gate? But it's obviously suspicious."
An
object constructed of black stones in the shape of an arch. Although the
overall image was not clear due to overgrown stems and grass here and there,
the shape clearly looked like some kind of gate.
Upon
closer inspection, there was a faintly shining curtain of light at the mouth of
the gate.
However,
there was nothing behind it. Just the same wilderness
he had been walking through.
Originally,
a gate was an entrance to enter a building surrounded by walls, but there were
no other buildings, no walls, nothing around it.
There
were also no other buildings at the other gates, and it was as if only gates
had been built there.
"...
What the hell is this?"
While
feeling an indescribable sense of eeriness at the numerous gates that stood
like tombstones, Nozomu approached the jet-black gate.
"For
the time being, let's just see what happens."
Grabbing
a stone at his feet, Nozomu threw it into the mouth of the gate.
However,
the stone passed through the mouth of the gate and fell with a thud into the
grass at the back of the gate.
The
curtain of light was unchanged, emitting a faint glow.
"No
response. I guess I'll just have to touch it and see what happens..."
Nozomu
walked towards the mouth of the gate and reached out his hand.
(Is
it okay to touch this gate? This is a suspicious object no matter how I look at
it.)
A
slight hesitation crossed Nozomu's mind.
However,
it was a fact that there was no point in thinking about it.
Nozomu
had no idea what kind of situation he was currently in, not even about this
place.
"Ei~!
There's no point in thinking about it!"
Nozomu
touched the curtain of light while uttering those words.
The
next moment, a strong flash of light broke out.
"Uwa!
What happened!?"
At
the same time, Nozomu's hand was being pulled with a strong force.
"Wait,
is it a trap after all !? Damn it, I can't break away!"
Trying
to resist the powerful force, Nozomu hurriedly strengthened his legs.
But
alas. More than half of Nozomu's arm had already been swallowed by the gate.
"Uwaa
!!"
Nozomu's
body was swallowed by the curtain of light, and his screams echoed across the
deserted wilderness.
=====================================
During the lunch
break, the chattering of students can be heard from all over the school.
Jihad was cleaning up
a large amount of paperwork on his desk while listening to the students' voices
heard from a distance.
"Excuse me."
With a knocking sound
on the door, Inda entered the office with papers in her arms.
"Jihad-sensei.
I'd like to discuss the agenda for the parliament that you will be attending
tomorrow..."
"Ms. Inda, hold
on a sec..."
Put away the scattered
papers on his desk for the time being and face her.
"Alright, so what
about it?"
"Yes. They have
an additional agenda in addition to the scheduled agenda. It is about how the
school handled the situation after the recent incident... I think the countries
will take a strict stance."
"As expected
..."
The recent incident
that Ken had caused was still causing a stir.
"Yes. After all,
there was a spy from among our people. And that we didn't fully grasp the
abilities of our students..."
"Well, I knew it
would happen. Although many of the abilities couldn't be discerned unless they
are used, if I were to say so, it would only be an excuse."
It was normal for
various problems to arise in the academy, but this time, as expected, things
had become too big.
Originally, many of
the abilities were not recognizable unless they were used.
Ken's [Reflective
Water Surface of the Heart Mask], Lisa's [Nibei Witch], Irisdina's [Instant
Deployment], and Nozomu's [Ability Suppression], all of which cannot be
discerned from their appearance at a glance.
Of course, some
abilities manifested by giving changes in appearance, but research regarding
these abilities had only just begun and many were still shrouded in mystery.
The pattern of when
abilities are manifested and what the user feels at the time of manifestation
varies greatly.
In some cases, another
of themselves appears in their heads and speaks to them, while in other cases,
the use of spells may come to them suddenly.
There were instances
like a person being able to use magic in just one day or suddenly having their
strength increased.
In Nozomu's case, he
noticed a sudden decrease in the effectiveness of his Qi techniques.
There were various
documents regarding abilities reported from continent to continent, and they
were so diverse that some said it was a blessing from the gods, some said it
was a curse from the clan, some said it was the merit or demerit of one's
previous life, some said it was based on the month and date of birth, some said
it was because of the secrets of the local foods, and so on.
In some areas, the
culture of cannibalism still existed, as it was believed that if a child ate
the flesh of a relative, the child would inherit its power.
In any case, the
current situation in Arcazam was that research on abilities could not solve the
real problem.
"But we cannot
just back down and say we can't identify it. They probably want to hear about
the progress of countermeasures from us."
However, that didn't
mean they couldn't take countermeasures.
If they showed
weakness, this school would be devoured in no time by those in power who were
like hungry beasts.
There were still
problems at school, but they couldn't just back off.
That was why they must
take all possible measures and put all possible countermeasures in place.
If the hole in the
bottom of the ship was left alone, the ship would surely sink. They had to
reduce the flooding as much as possible and buy time until the hole was sealed.
"The
countermeasures regarding the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] have
been completed. We have placed multiple magic barriers covering the school, and
we have also placed similar barriers around the gates that serve as the
entrances to the city. It has little effect on the human body, but if anyone
tries to enter the city while using [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart
Mask], their true identity will be instantly revealed."
"But it's not
perfect. If they disguise themselves in the city, they can end up hiding their
true identity at the time of the crime."
"Yes, unlike in
the school, it would be impossible to set up barriers around the city. For the
time being, we are making sure that the military police are well informed about
the information and countermeasures regarding the [Reflective Water Surface of
the Heart Mask] ..."
Fortunately, since
[Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] was an ability that required
delicate control, it was possible to take some countermeasures if one knew that
it might be used.
That was because if
they applied magic power to a suspicious person, the ability would naturally be
nullified and the person's identity would naturally be revealed.
"It is difficult
to detect the use of [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] in the city.
And I suppose the higher-ups would want better countermeasures than that."
Nevertheless, it was
impossible to detect the use of the ability in a city where many people came
and went.
Even with such
countermeasures in place, there were still flaws that need to be corrected.
"Yes... Besides,
there are spies of outside forces that have already infiltrated this city. We
need to deal with that too......."
Furthermore, there
were still shadows lurking behind the previous incident. They were the ones who
manipulated the members of the school's intelligence organization,
"Starlight", behind the scenes.
After the incident,
Jihad, Inda, and their team had to conduct a thorough internal investigation of
the people involved, including the Starlight.
Thanks to their
efforts, they were able to almost wipe out all of the spies in the school
organization, but this problem was still one of the biggest headaches for Inda
and the others.
Although they knew to
some extent who was pulling the strings behind the scenes, they were dealing
with a well-known person who worked for one of the country's most important
figures. A careless response would, on the contrary, turn to suffocate them.
Now is a particularly
delicate time.
As of now, only about
half of the members of the Council continue to denounce Jihad.
Some of them had
stopped because Jihad had given all the information about Abyss Grief to their
respective countries after this incident, and they were currently watching the
situation.
Jihad meditated and
was lost in thought.
"Well, I knew I
would have to solve the problems related to that at some point. I guess we're
just in time..."
"Jihad-sensei...?"
Jihad's strange
comment made Inda tilt her head.
Before Inda could ask,
Jihad opened his eyes and turned his strong gaze on her.
"By the way,
about Nozomu-kun... hmm?"
At the mention of
Nozomu's name, Jihad noticed a slight shake behind Inda's eyes.
"Are you
concerned about Nozomu-kun?"
"What does that
mean?"
Inda seemed to be
replying without hesitation, but the look of agitation was clearly visible in
her eyes.
Jihad stared at the
silent Inda.
Jihad's silent
pressure was directed at Inda. Inda bit her lip as if she was enduring
something.
"I'd be lying if
I said I wasn't concerned about him. Because, to be honest, I had always
underestimated and insulted him…”
"Is that why you
have been concerned about him until now?"
"That's...
right."
Influenced by Ken's
rumors, Inda had a low evaluation of Nozomu's character.
However, her
prejudices were shattered by the combat training Nozomu did with Jihad and the
way Nozomu risked his life to save Lisa's life.
Since she was a
serious person by nature, it was difficult for her to break free from her
prejudices once they were ingrained in her mind.
At the same time, she
was the type of person who couldn't tolerate her own mistakes.
"Honestly, I
don't know how I'm going to face him when he wakes up… Besides, what I've done
is unbecoming of a teacher…”
Inda's eyes were
looking down with a hint of emptiness.
She may have been
trying her best to hide it in front of the students and other teachers, but she
was actually quite depressed.
"I don't
understand your feelings. In a sense, you and I are both human beings whose
preconceptions have been shattered."
In the past, she was
trying to shut down Nozomu, whom she thought was the worst human being, because
she had a strong sense of responsibility and simply wanted to protect her
students.
She was confronted
with the fact that her thought was completely mistaken, but because of her
earnest and fastidious nature, she was unable to forgive herself for her own
mistakes.
Once this kind of
person fell into depression, they continued to blame themselves and fall into
an endless spiral of negativity.
In fact, she seemed to
have been in such a state, keeping her eyes down all this time.
"It's difficult
for everyone to be equally correct in making the right decisions because of
prejudice and common sense. And as a teacher, your methods are not necessarily
wrong."
As a teacher, Inda was
the type to give her students tough assignments, and students who couldn't keep
up would lose their credit mercilessly.
What she did wasn't
necessarily the wrong method. Her reason for making it strict was that
education couldn't be established unless it was made strict.
And no matter what she
did, the classes and assignments at Solminati Academy were originally rigorous.
In the process, there will inevitably be people who couldn't keep up.
When there were such
students, Inda would show them another way.
She would suggest that
students who were having trouble keeping up with the classes should try working
for their hometown vigilante group or help out at their family's business using
the knowledge they gained from the academy.
However, there were
some students who had a terrible temperament and did not think about others.
Inda was adamant about
dealing with such individuals.
And she was under the
impression that Nozomu was also a malicious and bad person.
That was why she was
now burdened because in the past she tried to get rid of such a good person by
assuming that he was a bad person.
"To be honest, we
often get rid of students who can't keep up with the school. Otherwise, the
expulsion system would not exist in the first place. What I said might be just
words of consolation, but no one is immune to mistakes."
"Yes……"
There was no power in
her response to Jihad's words.
Even if she understood
that, she couldn't stop blaming herself.
"But what's
important is what to do once we realize our mistake. Are you going to sit
still, or are you going to face the mistake yourself? You're not the kind of
person to sit still, are you?"
“…………”
In fact, she had been
working almost without sleeping since the previous incident happened.
Guilt over Nozomu and
anger toward herself were the only things that drove her.
She kept track of the
movements of various countries for Jihad who had been busy. She gathered and
analyzed a huge amount of data, and conveyed accurate information.
In addition, she
handled the paperwork at the academy while also performing her homeroom duties
without neglect.
She could hardly
remember sleeping in her own bed for the past two weeks.
She clearly overworked
herself. In fact, dark circles in her eyes were quite severe, and Inda had to
cover them up with very thick makeup.
"Ms. Inda, the
afternoon class is about to begin. After this report, go home and take a rest
for today."
"B-but ...!"
She was not someone
who can change her mind that easily.
Even so, she knew what
she had to do now.
She could not show any
openings right now. That was why she continued to perform her duties to the
point of overworking herself.
"Sure, now we
just have to keep doing what we can. This has become a liability due to our
negligence and inexperience. We cannot impose any more problems on our
students. However, if the teachers are not able to manage themselves, there is
no point. You're obviously too fatigued right now."
However, it would be a
different story if it caused trouble for others.
As the person in
charge here, Jihad could not allow her to continue her duties in her current
state. Not just for herself, but also for those around her.
"Besides, it
wouldn't be good for you not to be at your best tonight."
Jihad opened the desk
drawer and took out a stack of papers and handed them to Inda.
As Inda ran her eyes
over the papers, wondering what on earth was going on, her eyes turned into a
startling color as she looked at them.
"J-Jihad-sensei.
W-where did you get this information from? ..."
Listed in the document
was one of the pieces of information that Inda was currently searching for.
When Inda opened her
eyes and asked Jihad in a trembling voice, Jihad answered by putting his index
finger to his mouth.
That meant don't ask.
A strong gaze pierced
through Inda's body. Overwhelmed by the silent pressure, Inda could not say
anything more, gulped, and fell silent.
"Let's continue.
What is Nozomu-kun's condition?"
"... He's still
in hibernation. His body is in good health, but there's still no sign of waking
up. Is there something you want the doctor to do?"
"I'll keep the
information about him hidden. If they knew his secret, they will definitely
want him to be handed over to another country. Especially at this time of
year."
The two learned that
Nozomu Bountis was a Dragon Slayer, but frankly, that fact was beyond what they
could swallow.
As Jihad said, his
existence could certainly be a powerful hand, but at the same time, it could be
a double-edged sword for them.
Nozomu's existence was
indeed powerful.
Although they still
hadn't confirmed the full extent of his abilities, the extraordinary power that
erupted from his body when he settled with Ken Notis was so intimidating that
it sent chills down the spine, even from Jihad's point of view.
But above all, what
Jihad appreciated about Nozomu was his self-control in not wielding that power
in an evil way.
He had heard about how
he became a Dragon Slayer and what had happened to him since he came to this
academy from Irisdina and others and from Anri.
Jihad could not guess
what he had been thinking and feeling during the two years he had been here.
He must be suffering
from an inner conflict.
Jihad wondered how
much anger and resentment swirled deep inside his heart. It would be impossible
to describe it in a simple word.
Jihad had witnessed
many times people who had changed so drastically that they seemed to become
different people the moment they gain power.
But even though he was
treated so badly, Nozomu did not try to wield the power of the dragon he had
acquired for revenge.
That was enough. That
fact spoke louder about Nozomu's character than anything else.
"Anyway, I will
keep any information regarding Nozomu Bountis a secret."
"He stood out
quite a bit in the previous combat training at the martial arts garden. What
would you do if they pursued you about this matter?"
"We will not
reveal to the outside world that he is a Dragon Slayer, and we will use a
mixture of limited information and deception in our explanations. If they are
persistent, we can make use of my name. When push comes to shove, I will take
full responsibility."
Then, all he could do
was to keep unnecessary things away from Nozomu. At least until the time, he
could stand on his own.
Zonne cared about him
more than anything else.
The old man had
threatened Jihad that he would burn the city to ashes if they took the wrong
course of action regarding Nozomu.
After hearing those
words, and more importantly, after knowing his "true identity", Jihad
knew that it was neither a lie nor a bluff.
If things were to take
a turn for the worse, this city would surely disappear.
"..."
"... What do you
think about the students at the school?"
Jihad keeps silent
with a grave expression. To change the subject, Inda called out to him in a
reserved manner.
"For the time
being, we've already announced the severe punishment regarding the
falsification of abilities. It's only temporary, but it's still better than
nothing. Suspension, or in the worst-case scenario, expulsion. In some cases,
other violations will have to be severely punished as well."
In addition, not only
the students but also all the teachers would be punished in the form of
"salary reductions" and "warnings.
As one would expect
from a matter of this magnitude, the decision was made because disciplinary
action against some of the staff members was not sufficient before.
"Now then, Ms.
Inda. Based on the information I just showed you, we will conduct a rat hunt
tonight. I will prepare the Starlight. Until then, get some rest."
"Y-yes ...
Understood."
Overwhelmed by Jihad's
strong tone of voice, Inda gave a small nod.
Jihad stood up
abruptly and looked out the window.
It was almost time for
afternoon classes to begin. Jihad took a glance at the martial arts garden seen
through the window and left his office.
=================================
Voices full of spirit
were heard in the training ground after school after the class of the day was
finished.
"Zeei!"
Mars' greatsword,
raised in the air, was swung down toward the opponent in front of him.
"Kuh! Jin, don't
confront it head-on! If you confront it poorly, you will be crushed!"
"I know! Hamria,
cover Deck!"
"Y-yes!"
Tommy managed to
deflect the trajectory of the greatsword coming toward his body, while Hamria,
who was standing behind him, chanted a spell.
Deck, who had come
around from the side of Mars, thrust the spear into Mars' flank.
"Teyaaah!"
"Fuh~!"
Mars held the
greatsword in his right hand as he swung it and flicked Deck's spear away with
the back of his left hand.
Furthermore, Mars sent
his Qi into the greatsword he had swung, and as the winds around him swirled
around it, he swept it away at once.
"Uwaa!"
"Doaa!"
Although he didn't
have enough time to formulate enough Qi and was unable to form a wind blade,
the powerful swirl of wind threw off Tommy and Deck's bodies for several
meters.
"I got you!"
"I-I won't let
you!"
Mars tried to pursue
them further.
However, as if not
letting that happen, Hamria's [Driving Mass of Wind] was shot at Mars.
"Tch!"
Even though the power
was not as strong as Irisdina's spell, Hamria's aim was precise enough to reach
Mars.
Mars had no choice but
to give up on the pursuit of the two, poured his Qi into his greatsword, and
slammed it into the wind mass that was approaching toward him.
Hamria's magic and
Mars' slash collide, and the burst of air created a cloud of dust around them.
"... I see, so
this is your aim."
The cloud of dust that
danced in the air made it almost impossible to see what was going on around
him. Mars, whose vision was blocked, clicked his tongue.
"Is this Jin's
plan ...... or maybe Hamria's."
Mars readjusted the
greatsword that he had swung.
There were five
opponents. He could be attacked from anywhere.
From the front, the
back, or all directions …….
With only his eyes
moving and his whole body moderately tense, Mars listened to his surroundings
to find out how his opponents were doing.
"~ !?"
Suddenly, the cloud of
dust at the edge of Mars' vision was moving.
Immediately, he swung
his greatsword.
However, Mars' slash
caught nothing and cut through the empty air.
"Tch~! Was it
just the wind!?"
"Teyaaa!"
A shadow covered Mars'
figure after he was swinging his greatsword.
He looked up and saw
the shadow of a female student leaping towards him with the sun on her back.
"Above !?"
Leaping towards Mars
from above was Cami, who held a dagger in each of her hands.
It was a surprise
attack from above, not from the front or back, nor from the left or right.
The wind that Mars had
just slashed was just a wind that Jin had cast with magic to divert Mars'
attention.
Once his attention was
diverted to the side, Mars' movement was completely delayed in the face of an
unexpected surprise attack.
"I got you!"
"You wish!"
However, Mars was also
not someone who would allow himself to be defeated so easily. He slammed his Qi
into his left hand and forcibly received Cami's dagger with the back of his
hand.
"Guu!"
"No way!"
A blow with the added
weight of a single person. An ordinary human being would undoubtedly be crushed
to the ground even if he or she could defend against it.
However, Mars received
Cami's dagger with only his left hand.
Sending Qi into his
left hand, wind began to cover Mars' left hand.
"T-this is ba-
..."
"Zeyaaa!"
The mass of wind that
covered Mars' left hand exploded at once.
Cami's body was blown
away, and Mars stepped back staggeringly as a result of the recoil.
In that gap, Jin and
the others rushed in with their weapons raised in the air.
"Deck, flank
him!"
"Yes, yes!"
"Uoo!"
"Tch!"
Mars sent his Qi into
the greatsword and wind blade enveloped the greatsword at once.
Mars forced his
unstable upper body under control, and without thinking of the consequences, he
released his Qi and cleaved the greatsword with one hand.
"Don't
underestimate me!"
A flash.
At the same time,
blades of wind swept Mars' front, and violent impacts struck Jin and the
others.
"Kuu!"
"Uwaa!"
Mars' blow that failed
to gain sufficient momentum was insufficient to push back the assault of Jin
and the others.
But even so, Jin and
the others couldn't ignore the swarms of wind blades rushing toward them.
They gave up the
assault and leaped backward.
"Damn, we
couldn't attack fast enough..."
"Yeah, We were so
close..."
Deck and Cami were
biting their lips in frustration, perhaps because they had some confidence in
their previous attack.
"Good grief, is
it my imagination? Aren't you guys becoming somewhat like Nozomu in the way you
fight?"
"Maybe. The
surprise attack using the cloud of dust is a strategy that Nozomu used in the
special training, and we must use any available means. Especially against a
superior opponent like Mars-kun."
"You're getting
pretty good at that too..."
Mars, who had survived
the attack, and Jin, who had come up with the strategy, were smiling and spoke
frivolously.
While smiling, they
kept their eyes on each other and focused all their attention on each other so
as not to miss each other's every move.
Mars readjusted his
greatsword.
"Now then, let's
continue. Of course, you can still go, right?"
Mars turned a
provocative smile on Jin and the others.
As if in response to
this provocation, Jin silently raised his right hand, and his companions all
lowered their bodies at once.
Then, with a powerful
burst of sound, Mars leaped toward Jin and the others, clad in a tearing wind.
He took advantage of
his abundance of Qi and his blessed physique to crush them head-on.
Not to be outdone by
the sense of intimidation felt from the onrushing Mars, Jin raised his right
hand and swung it down powerfully.
At the same time, Deck
and Tommy were the first to leap at Mars.
Jin and Cami followed
behind them, and Hamria began chanting at their back.
The next moment, Mars
and the five of them clashed again in the training ground dyed in crimson.
===================================
Tima and Feo were
watching the combat training between classmates of the 10th class in a corner
of the training ground.
To be more precise,
Feo had wandered over to the place where Tima and Mars were training with Jin
and the others.
So far, all five of
them, including Jin, Deck, Hamria, Cami, and Tommy, had been fighting well
against Mars alone without a single of them being defeated.
In fact, since they
became a party in the previous special training, Mars and Jin and the others
had been training together from time to time.
Now that Nozomu was
bedridden and Irisdina and the others were busy nursing him, they had been
training with Jin and the others more frequently these days.
"That guy... Mars
is so energetic~~!'
While sitting on the
bench beside the training ground, Feo watched their combat training with
interest.
Mars originally came
to the Solminati Academy in search of power, but his recent dedication to
training was quite impressive.
"Nozomu-kun is
still bedridden, so it's better for Mars to move his body right now, also Mars
can't neglect his training..."
Indeed, now that
Nozomu was still bedridden, there were limited things Mars could do.
Since he was a
short-tempered person, he must have been restless.
The thoughts that had
nowhere to go were applied to training.
"Hmm. Well, maybe
Mars has his own thoughts about Nozomu too."
"But he doesn't
train as recklessly as he used to, right? Even today, he doesn't use that
combination technique, he just uses his Qi..."
As Tima said, Mars'
figure as he exchanged blows with Jin and the others showed no sign of his
previous impatience to catch up with Nozomu.
He was not forcing
himself to use magic, but rather was maintaining his original style of
overwhelming his opponents with his abundance of Qi and superior physique.
He was also enjoying
the frivolous talk with Jin and the others.
"Maybe he's not
that worried about Nozomu~"
"Yeah, that's
what I thought too. Mars-kun said "I'm sure he'll wake up and be
fine" ..."
"Hmm. Was that
really what he thought? Or is he just being worried in his own way?..."
"Who knows. But
I'm sure there's no doubt that he is worried about Nozomu-kun..."
There was no doubt
that Mars was worried about Nozomu. But Tima sensed that Mars's attitude was a
little different from Irisdina and the others.
"Where are
Shīna-san and the others now?"
"She is in
Nozomu's hospital room. And the black-haired princess too?"
Tima gave a small nod
in response to the returned question.
"So, how is
Irisdina-san doing?"
"She doesn't seem
to have changed much, but I still think she's pushing herself too hard."
Tima recalled her best
friend who was silent all the time in the classroom.
Her mouth was tightly
shut in a straight line, and she was always gazing outside the classroom as if
she was concerned about what was going on outside.
Her gaze was fixed on
the Gloaurum Institute's medical facility. It was where he was sleeping.
"... Shīna was
also somewhat distracted in class. It was unusual for the teacher to get angry
with her."
According to Feo,
Irisdina was not the only one who was absent-minded.
According to his
story, Shīna was also called by the teacher several times during class, but
never responded, and she finally realized it when she was hit on the head with
the attendance book.
"And she just
kept mumbling and muttering something as she left the classroom after the
lesson was over. Mimuru called out to her, but she didn't seem to notice~. Come
to think of it, I think her face was strangely red when she left the
classroom..."
Feo tilted his head,
remembering Shīna's suspicious behavior.
He let out a carefree
voice and continued his talk to Tima.
This young man of the
Fox Tribe, like Mars, didn't seem to have any unnecessary worries.
A complete trust. Such
an atmosphere could be felt from their behavior.
Is that what
friendship between men is like?
Once again, Tima
turned her attention to Mars, who continued the combat training.
"So, what does
the black-haired princess's best friend think about her unusual behavior?"
"... As expected,
she can't seem to get Nozomu out of her head. And also about Lisa-san
too."
It was unusual for
Irisdina not to be focused in class, but from time to time she seemed to be
concerned about Lisa Hounds.
The students around
her didn't seem to notice, but Tima saw Irisidina's eyes squint slightly when
her gaze turned in Lisa's direction.
At the same time, it
was strange that Irisdina didn't say a word about the malice directed at
others. If she were her usual straightforward self, she would have said
something, even if it was just a little...
"Hmm~. It seems
the black-haired princess is going to be in trouble."
"Y-yeah……"
Perhaps Irisdina was
jealous of Lisa. That was what Tima felt after seeing her behavior recently.
Nozomu and his friends
had certainly taken a step closer as friends when they were attacked by the
Undead Dragon in the forest that time, but Nozomu himself had not clearly
stated what kind of relationship he wanted with Lisa from now on.
He simply didn't want
them to stay as it was. If he continued to turn away from the reality in front
of him, it would surely be irreversible. Perhaps Nozomu was being rushed by
such feelings.
However, how did
Irisdina and Shīna, who were watching him closely, feel?
The years and
resentment he endured from the anger directed at him unreasonably. How did they
feel when they watched him desperately piling words after words while keeping a
lid on his own feeling.
What if she had been
in the position of her best friend?
Tima tried to imagine
Mars talking to another woman in front of her.
He took the hand of
another woman who was on the verge of crying and tried desperately to think of
words to say to her.
And she could only
watch it from afar...
"~!"
She couldn't feel
calm. She felt as if there was a gaping hole in her chest, even though she had
only imagined it.
However, Irisdina and
Shīna were being shown this scene in reality.
Their feeling of loss
must be indescribable.
"I-'ll try to
talk to her tomorrow. Ai, just like Nozomu-kun, sometimes keeps painful things
to herself..."
"It's hard for
her to talk to Somicchi because she's her sister, and maybe it's better that
way..."
The more she thought
about it, the more anxious she became.
She shook her head to
keep herself calm.
"Even so, what
about the red-haired princess?"
"T-that's
..."
What would they really
do?
Nozomu, Irisdina,
Lisa, and Shīna. The four people's thoughts and feelings were complicated.
It was like a spider's
thread that was intricately intertwined.
"Truly, it didn't
go the way we wantedl~~."
Feo's words left Tima
speechless.
A moment of silence
passed between the two of them.
"A-anyway! I'll
try to talk to Ai about it. I think Ai will feel a little better if she can
spit out what she's holding back..."
"Well, it may not
be a fundamental solution, but it might be better that way. I'll be counting on
you."
Tima clenched her
hands and makes a small gut-punch, and Feo smiled wryly.
Then Feo, as if
remembering something, rushed to her with a serious expression on his face.
"By the way, did
you have a proper talk with Mars this morning? Because I left the two of you in
your own world. I tried to be reasonably attentive."
"Fue!?"
Feo, with a serious
expression, suddenly took the conversation in an outrageous direction. Tima
unintentionally let out a small voice.
This morning, an angry
Tima and Mars created a barrier-like atmosphere near the main gate of the
school. The sweet sight of the barrier gave everyone who passed by them a
terrible heartburn and a desire to kill them early in the morning.
Tima's face turned red
as she recalled this morning's events.
The reaction was too
obvious. The perceptive Feo would not have missed it.
"Oh! By the looks
of it, you must have made some progress! Perhaps a confession of love?"
The fun-loving addict
fox spoke so many things at once.
Worst of all, there
were no Shīna and the others here to stop Feo, who was going out of control
just like in the morning.
"Or is it a kiss
!? No way. Did you say, "I want you~~!". With that, school becomes a
completely different place..."
As expected, Feo, who
had gone out of control with too much vigor, would not stop. Tima's face was
already red beyond vermilion.
"Hoho ~. I see,
I've seen something good! The sight of the [Four-Scale Concerto]'s face turn
red is worth 100 gold coins..."
Nevertheless, the
situation was different now than it had been in the morning.
At that time, there
was certainly no one who could stop Feo, but it was not a good thing to tease
Tima so directly here.
"E, eeee!
Fueeee!"
"Eh? ...
Fugya!"
The next moment, a
powerful impact struck Feo in the face.
A powerful flash of
light flashed across his vision, and he was instantly knocked to the ground.
After that, Tima, who
was so embarrassed, fled from that place as fast as she could. Mars and the
others, who watched her running away, tilting their heads.
"What are you
doing? You bastard..."
"Fufu, I'm so full today..."
Mars and the others,
who had not heard the exchange between Feo and Tima, tilted their head.
The way Feo was
grinning and lying on the ground was, to say the least, creepy.
To be honest, he
looked like the kind of person anyone didn't want to talk to. If anyone were to
see him on the street, they would immediately avert their gaze and walk away.
"...Whatever you
just did, but your face now looks like that pervy geezer."
"……E?"
"It's on the same
level as that. Well, I knew it."
"Bufuou~!?"
Mars' merciless words
put an end to Feo this time.
Feo's white eyes were
so shocked that even his soul was protruding from his mouth.
"Mars-kun ...
what are you going to do about it?"
"... Leave him
alone."
Mars left Feo, who was
devastated, behind and walked away from that place.
Jin and the others
were also wondering what to do, but they probably thought it would be a bad
idea to get involved. They left the place reluctantly.
In the end, Feo, who
had fainted, was pathetically left there until night fell and a patrolman found
him.