Chapter 7 Part 21
Translator : PolterGlast
A very long, long time
ago.
In the mountains dyed
by the sunset, two dragons faced each other.
Mikael and Tiamat.
The dragon, clad in
jet-black scales reminiscent of the night, looked down with pain in his eyes,
glanced at Mikael, and suddenly opened its mouth.
"Mikael, I'm
going to stay here after all."
"Why? You were
told to come back to the village, weren't you?"
“…………”
Hearing those words,
Mikael let out a sigh as if to say, "I knew it."
"Are you still
worried about those humans?"
"Yes. Those
people are suffering right now because
of the drought that has been going on lately."
"Didn't Tet
already solve that problem? You made a mistake and created a sea of
trees."
"I haven't been
able to use my power to take root in the land. I'm a failure ...... Mikael, you
knew that, too, didn't you?"
Humans whom Tiamat had
helped before. In order to help those who were suffering from famine in the
barren land, Tiamat used her power to produce crops.
Although she
accidentally created a sea of trees by mistake, the villagers, who were on the
verge of death, escaped the immediate danger for the time being.
However, even though
Tiamat's power temporarily revitalized the land, she was still a black dragon.
It was difficult to completely restore the land with just the power that
governs darkness.
"I wouldn't
advise interfering with the humans in the buffer zone. Besides, if we want to
save the humans who live in this barren place where the power of spirits is
scarce, it will take a lot of time. You know what that means, don't you?"
Tiamat looked down due
to the grave words coming from Mikael's mouth.
Basically, the dragon
races rarely go outside of their own jurisdiction.
The buffer zone was
originally established near the boundary line of each dragon clan's territory,
and no dragon would stay in this area for long.
Above all, Tiamat and
the others have been ordered to return to their respective villages. To defy
this order was the same as abandoning the village.
"I don't see the
point in me returning to my village. But the people here seem to need
me..."
Tiamat looked up at
the sky with a sad expression. Mikael bit his lip at the sorrowful expression
on her face.
Tiamat had been an
outcast in the village since birth.
She had no parents.
She was a heretic dragon who suddenly appeared in the village of the black
dragons.
Dragons, a race that
possessed the highest power among spirit species but also possessed physical
bodies, could not help but mate with dragons of the same species and could only
increase in number by having offspring. At the same time, the offspring can
become stronger and wiser by inheriting their parents' knowledge and power.
However, Tiamat had no
parents and had neither the power nor the knowledge to inherit. She was not
good at using the power of the spirit and could not control it well.
It did not take long
for Tiamat, such a heretic, to be ostracized by the village, and her birth
further spurred her exclusion.
Of course, there were
dragons who were concerned about her lack of relatives. Tiamat's foster
parents, the black dragons, took her in as a young girl and worked hard to
raise her as their own.
But even so, that
didn't change the way the people around her looked at her from afar.
"So, you don't
intend to go back?"
"Yes. I've made
up my mind. I know I'm not very good at what I do and I'm an idiot, but I can't
leave those people alone."
Her face, which was
determined to leave her village, showed a hint of loneliness, but there was a
strong light of will in her eyes.
"... I'm sorry,
Mikael."
In front of Mikael,
who was concerned about her, Tiamat apologetically lowered her eyes.
A slight tinge of
sadness mingled in the depths of Tiamat's eyes, which had been shining with the
force of her strong will.
"… I
understand."
Mikael said those
words the moment he saw that color.
"Mikael?"
"I'll go with
you. If you are on your own, you might make a mistake and end up in
trouble."
Mikael's cheeks
loosened after seeing Tiamat's puzzled and anxious expression.
At the same time,
something hot rushed up from deep within his chest.
"… Are you
sure?"
"My father wants
me to come home, but I can't leave Tet alone. Besides, I don't have a place to
stay either..."
Despite inheriting the
blood of the chief of the clan, Mikael was always compared to his superior
older brother.
And before long, no
one saw Mikael as Mikael anymore.
His superior older
brother was always beyond their gazes.
Mikael himself didn't
hate his brother. He respected him and had always taken good care of him.
However, the pitying
glances he had always received from those around him have always pierced his
heart.
He always felt that he
was nothing more than a substitute for his brother.
(If I am only a
substitute, then what is the point of my being here?)
These doubts gradually
grew, and before he knew it, he was paranoid about himself, his surroundings,
and everything else.
His jealousy and
resignation rose and were about to burst. His heart, which could burst at any
moment, was healed by his childhood friend in front of him.
(Everyone, please ……)
(What are you doing
...?)
The meeting with the
various dragon races was held in the buffer zone. Tiamat was brought there as
the daughter of a leading figure on the Black Dragon side.
While the adults were
meeting, she was brought in to show her face.
(Eh? Ah! It's
dispersed...)
When he first met her,
she was trying to adjust her power to become attuned to it.
That was the most
basic of basics in performing spirit magic, but such things were not originally
necessary for the dragon races.
They were born with
the same nature as spirits, and they could communicate their intentions to the
spirits around them and use them as their limbs. This was something that the
dragons called instinct.
However, the black
dragon in front of Mikael could not even do what such instincts could do.
(Uu, I was so
close...)
(... Ha, ha. It
couldn't be helped.)
Driven by the
indescribable feeling he felt in front of the teary-eyed, downcast little girl,
Mikael went along with Tiamat's practice until the end of the meeting.
At first, he just
couldn't leave her alone because it was dangerous. But after spending time
together for a while, his heart naturally became calmer.
It was some time after
that encounter that he heard that Tiamat had become able to use spirit magic.
That was the beginning
of these two.
"I want to see it
too. How this country that you and I are trying to build is going to turn
out..."
"... Thank you,
Mikael"
A smile appeared on
her face as if she was bashful. There will surely be hard times. But together,
they were sure that they could overcome them.
Filled with such a
feeling, the two of them smiled at each other.
This was a long time
ago. A faint memory of when they believed in their future
===================================
Irisdina and the others
were running through the forest at night. An old man with a white beard was
running alongside them.
"So you are
saying that you and the other dragons have been looking for Tiamat, who escaped
from the seal?"
"That's right. I
arrived in this city looking for someone who escaped from the sealed world a
few months ago. Well, I was surprised when I saw the boy who was safe and sound
even after taking Tiamat into his body."
Zonne answered
Irisdina's question without hesitation.
An old man suddenly
appeared in the infirmary. He bowed his head to Irisdina and the others and
begged for their help.
They were not quite
sure what was going on. The old man further claimed that he was of the dragon
race that had disappeared from the continent and that he had been observing
Tiamat, who had escaped from the seal, for a long time.
Naturally, it was not
easy to believe the words of an unidentified old man.
Mimuru looked at Zonne
with suspicion, and Mars said something along the lines of blatant disbelief.
However, Iris Dina and
the others were told that Nozomu was in danger, and judging from Zonne's
unusual behavior, they decided that it was not a trivial matter. They decided
to give priority to joining up with Nozomu for the time being.
Norn, who had been
with them in the infirmary, was now gone. She was supposed to join them
immediately after reporting the situation to Jihad as the one who could talk to
him.
"Frankly, I have
a lot of questions I'd like to ask you..."
"I suppose so.
Now that this has happened, I can't remain silent. But for now, please be
patient. We must stop Azel as soon as possible."
With eyes downcast and
looking apologetic, Zonne rushed through the dark forest.
"I never thought
that even Jihad-sensei was involved..."
"To operate
secretly in the human world, we desperately need collaborators like
Jihad-dono."
Norn, who had been in
the infirmary with Irisdina and the others, now went to talk to Jihad.
Because the situation
was so serious, she thought they would need Jihad's help to settle the matter.
Norn was the most
suitable person to talk to Jihad because she is a teacher.
"Azel's goal is
to reseal Tiamat, and to do so, she will use the dragon-sealing barriers that I
have placed around this city."
"Dragon-sealing
barriers? Is there such a thing?
"Yes. It's
special barrier magic dedicated to Tiamat. Originally, I had placed it as
insurance, but due to that trump card, Azel becomes motivated to get things
done right away."
A dragon-sealing
barrier. It is a magic that seals only the power of dragons of the same race.
It was a forbidden
technique developed by the dragon clans to ensure the purge of their own
people.
Irisdina and the
others, who had no idea that such a thing existed in their city, couldn't hide
their surprise.
"Here... This is
where the dragon sealing barrier I have placed. There are also signs that Azel
used some kind of magic."
Irisdina and the
others were speechless but continued on their way. Eventually, they came to a
place with a clear view.
"This is……"
The old man led them
to the ruins of a goblin settlement that Irisdina had also visited before.
The settlement, which
had been taken over by orcs and completely ruined by Nozomu's rampage, looked
strangely distorted in the darkness of the forest.
Irisdina and the
others looked at the scenery as if they were looking at it through a cloudy
glass.
"Azel and the boy
are now in a different space. I will pave the way there."
Zonne said so then
suddenly extended his hands into the air. A faint light leaked out from his
hands and spread out as if dissolving in the air.
As they watched this
scene, Irisdina and the others looked at the old man in front of them with a
hint of suspicion.
They now knew that
Zonne is a dragon. However, there were still many questions they wanted to ask
him.
They didn't have time
to think about it while they were running, but when they stopped like this,
they couldn't help but be curious.
In the midst of the
delicate atmosphere, it was Mars who opened the conversation.
"So if this Azel
is after Tiamat, why is she aiming for Tiamat so much?"
Zonne's shoulders
shook.
Zonne continued to
interfere with the barrier in silence for a while, but then he dropped his
shoulders as if he had given up and opened his mouth.
"Azel thinks that
Tiamat is the enemy of her father, my son, who was called ...... Mikael."
"Avenge her
father?"
Zonne nodded his head
in confirmation of Mars' question.
It was as if his back
become smaller.
"Mikael and
Tiamat are what you might call childhood friends. It's a long story..."
His tone was flat. But
there was a hint of regret in his voice.
They would like to
know the details, but unfortunately, they didn't have time right now.
Above all, the space
in front of them shook before they could ask Zonne about it.
"... Either way,
there's a good chance we're going to fight against this Azel."
Mars shrugged his
shoulders as he clanked the gauntlet in his hand. Everyone nodded in agreement
with his comment.
As Mars said, Azel was
the one who tried to reseal Tiamat even by separating Zonne, the guardian.
It would be inevitable
that they would collide with her if they continued on their way.
Naturally, Mars'
expression hardened. ]At that moment, a voice suddenly came from next to Mars.
"What's the
matter, you look so meek. Are you afraid?"
It was Feo, carrying
his favorite staff on his shoulder, who provoked Mars with a smirk on his face.
"Well, you got
beaten up by Nozomu who went out of control before, so it's only natural that
you lose confidence, right? I heard you've been doing something with Tom
lately, but I haven't heard any good news about the magic combination technique
either, so I guess it's not going well.~ "
Despite the situation,
the vicious fox peered into Mars' face with both of his slit pupils and went
out of his way to agitate him.
Faced with Feo's
sudden provoking behavior, a vein bulge on Mars' temples.
To Mars, the memory of
him being nearly overrun by Nozomu who went out of control in this forest
before was still fresh.
At the time, he was
relieved that the situation was resolved, but at the same time, it was an event
that made him realize his inability and lack of strength.
"U-, umm..."
Tima who was standing
beside them started to panic at the appearance of the two who suddenly started
drifting into a disturbing atmosphere.
"... Shut it,
what about you then?"
"Well, I had a
lot of things on my mind too. A lot of things ..."
Mars glared back at
Feo with an angry facial expression, and Feo cowered his shoulders.
Both of them felt the
same sense of helplessness. They didn't speak any further and looked at the
swaying air in front of them.
The tension was still
there. However, the two, still standing shoulder to shoulder, seemed to have a
strange sense of ease somehow.
"Eh? Eh?
Eh?"
On the other hand,
Tima, who was completely left behind, just flustered behind them.
While Mars and Feo
were creating a strange atmosphere, Zonne's technique was spreading through the
air.
Eventually, a hole the
size of an insect spread in the air, and soon it expanded large enough that
several people could enter through it. A colorless glasswork-like landscape
peeked out from behind the hole.
"Alright, now we
can get inside ...... Hmm!'
The expression on
Zonne's face as he opened the hole became distorted as if he were biting down
on a bitter bug. The next moment, a strong wind blew out from behind the hole.
It was not a natural
wind. It was a gust of wind generated by a powerful burst of force.
"This is... looks
like something bad happened..."
"~! Let's
hurry!"
"Yes,
Ane-sama!"
"I know."
Something unusual had
already happened. Irisdina, Shīna, and Somia's eyes widened at this fact, and
they reflexively jumped into the hole.
"Fox, let's
hurry!"
"Yes, yes. I know,
muscle brain!"
"H-, hey, wait
for me, you two~!"
Following the three
girls, Mars and Feo jumped into the hole, and Tima hurried after them, trying
not to be left behind.
"Mimuru! Hurry
up!"
"Roger that~!
Hold on tight, Tom!"
"Wait~!"
In addition, Mimuru
rushed in with Tom. Before Zonne knew it, everyone present had jumped into
Azel's sealing world before he could stop them.
Anyway, Mimuru rushed
in with Tom in a princess's arms.
"Ah-, hey!
Ladies, wait up!"
Finally, Zonne
followed while looking panicked.
Eventually, Irisdina
and the others emerged in an open space.
However, it was not a
natural open space.
Large trees were
scattered around them, snapped in half, and the ground was gouged out here and
there.
Perhaps it was the
result of a powerful release of energy. Some of the fallen trees were charred
and carbonized.
It was as if a tornado
of extreme flames had raged through the area.
It was clearly not the
kind of devastation that could have been caused by humans.
"This is…"
Irisdina and the
others were speechless for a moment. At that moment, something of crimson color
appeared at the edge of their vision.
Irisdina peeked out to
see what it was and saw Lisa crouched in a gap between the fallen trees, her
face distorted in pain.
"~ !? Lisa-kun,
are you okay?"
"Ugh, gohoh,
gohoh"
As Lisa coughed, red
liquid splattered from her mouth.
Her complexion was
pale and completely devoid of blood. Her condition was obviously very serious.
"Oh no! We should
heal her immediately!"
"Y-, yes!"
"Okay."
Mars and Feo carried
Lisa's body out of the gap between the trees, and Irisdina, Tima, and Shīna
worked together to cast a recovery spell.
A gentle light
enveloped Lisa's body. However, Lisa did not even twitch.
"No, it has
almost no effect!"
"Kuh~... could it
be that her internal organs were injured? She's getting weaker!"
Irisdina and the
others let out a voice of frustration after looking at Lisa's complexion, which
remained pale.
Her internal organs
had been badly injured, and she had lost more vitality than expected.
Recovery magic heals
wounds by activating the injured person's life force, but cannot be fully
effective if the person is weakened.
At this rate, Lisa
would die before her wounds could be healed.
Such tension began to
fill the three of them. At that moment, Lisa's mouth moved slightly.
"Hm?"
"……ry"
Irisdina listened to
her groaning while being careful not to let her recovery magic run out.
"I'm-, sorry ...
Nozo-, mu"
What came out of her
mouth was her apology toward Nozomu.
She was unconscious
and her life was in danger, but she just kept saying such words toward her
former lover.
"I'm-, sorry
...... for not-, believing in you..."
Her pleas were even
smaller than the whisper of the wind. Irisdina's heart was helplessly stirred
by these words.
The pain was like his
heart was being squeezed.
Her mouth naturally
clenched, and she was tempted to use her hands to beat and shout abusive words
at the pale-colored face.
At the same time, she
felt disgusted at herself for thinking such a dirty thing.
She was only thinking
about Nozomu just a few minutes ago, but ugly jealousy invaded her mind so
quickly.
Irisdina turned her
gaze on Shīna who continued to use the same recovery magic in front of her.
The elf girl frowned
at Lisa's deteriorating condition but continued to use magic in a desperate
attempt to heal her body.
There was no jealousy,
pity, or any other negative emotion in her eyes. She was simply struggling
desperately to save the life in front of her.
Irisdina admired how
pure Shīna was, and at the same time, she was reminded of her own pettiness.
(I really am pathetic
... but)
However, she was no
longer trapped in that mind.
She closed her eyes,
took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.
"Fuh~ ..."
Indeed, there were
times when she despised herself as an ugly person. She was not able to think of
her as purely as Shīna did, and she was not yet able to completely suppress the
resentment toward Lisa that welled up in her heart.
Whenever she was aware
of such a thing, she was tormented by an
indescribable sense of inferiority. It was as if she was like those
aristocrats whom she detested.
Still, if she closed
her eyes, she could picture Nozomu with a troubled smile on his face.
For her, he was the
first boy of the opposite sex whom she want to be intimate with. With that
alone, the turmoil within her chest calmed down.
Before she knew it,
the mud that had been stagnant deep in her chest had been completely washed
away.
"Cough,
cough!"
"~ !? This is
bad, her pulse is getting weaker!"
Red liquid splattered
again from Lisa's mouth as she coughed, and Irisdina's consciousness suddenly
fluttered back to reality.
Strengthening her
nearly slackened consciousness, she poured all of her magic power into the technique.
She certainly had
mixed feelings about her. But for now, she wanted her to live. For Nozomu's
sake.
However, as if to
betray her feelings, Lisa's body heat was gradually disappear from the palm of
her hand.
"Kuh~! Pull
yourself together! How will Nozomu feel if you die here! You're going to plunge
him to the depths of despair again!"
Irisdina raised her
voice as if to plead with her, but Lisa's life was bound to disappear.
They couldn't save her
with their own strength. Just as they were about to be swallowed up by this
reality, someone suddenly called out to them. It was Zonne.
"Let me take
over."
Zonne intervened
between Irisdina and the others and held up his hand.
A white magic circle
was deployed. The elements overflowing from the old man's body poured into
Lisa's body through the magic circle.
Then, vitality
gradually returned to Lisa's face, which had been pale until a few moments ago.
"I'm healing the
wounds on her internal organs while directly reducing my own life force and
passing it to her. She should wake up in a few minutes."
"You're amazing.
Old man ..."
"I can't let her
die. By the way, where is that boy?"
Mars let out an
exclamation of admiration. But Zonne didn't seem particularly concerned and
immediately began to look around.
A lifeless, gray
world. This is where Nozomu and Azel should be. ......
"Ooooo!"
The next moment, a
scream echoed through the gray forest.
At the same time, a
gust of wind blew, and the ground shook along with a roaring sound.
"Kuh~!"
"Is it an earthquake!?"
From the deepest part
of the overgrown trees, a light shone to the point it could burned the eyes.
Zonne saw the light
and his face distorted as if he were biting a bitter bug.
"... It seems the
dragon-sealing barrier has been activated."
"Is this Azel's
doing?"
"No, this is
..."
The activation of the
dragon-sealing barrier. If they were to believe in Zonne's words, this would
mean Nozomu had been detained by Azel.
If Azel's goal was to
seal Tiamat, Nozomu would not be left alone.
The situation was so
dire that Irisdina and the others were looking at each other with a deep sense
of urgency.
"Irisdina-san,
you and the others should go to where Nozomu-kun's is. This old man and I will
take care of Lisa-san."
"Tom-kun..."
"My apologies. I
can't move until this young lady is healed. Just give me a few more
minutes."
"B-, but
..."
Tom and Zonne urged
them to go ahead.
Irisdina looked at
Lisa, who was lying on the ground, as if she was lost on her thought for a
moment.
But then she immediately
looked up and turned her eyes straight into the forest.
"... Alright.
Please, take care of her. Somia, you should stay here with Zonne-dono."
"B-, but
..."
"We don't have
Anri-sensei with us this time. So, it's safer to stay here."
With some hesitation
and frustration in her heart, Irisdina stood up, looking toward the depths of
the forest where she saw the light, as she said so to Somia.
"Mimuru, don't do
anything rash."
"I know. I'll be
fine!"
"Mars, you too
..."
"Yeah, I won't do
anything reckless without an opportunity."
"Young Lady, take
this with you."
"Eh? Kya!"
Just as Irisdina was
about to run, Zonne threw something towards her back.
She quickly caught the
object and found it to be a hexagon crystal, as transparent as quartz.
The surface of the
crystal was covered with geometric patterns, which somehow resembled the
multiple magic formation technique used by the old man.
"What is
this?"
"It's a kind of
protective talisman... If Azel interferes with the boy, you can throw it at
her. It will give you some time. Azel is a young girl, but her strength can't
be underestimated. It's like an amulet, but it's better than nothing."
"Is it really
that effective?"
"I used a part of
my soul. Although this is a hastily prepared product, but I can assure you that
it will work."
"A part of your
soul ... are you really going to be okay?"
It is not okay. If
they belonged to the spirit category, they might be fine compared to humans.
However, there were also some of them whose roots were in their own souls.
If they continued to
split their souls, not only their abilities but also their memories would be
impaired. In the worst case, they lose their ego and become wanderers.
But Zonne shook his
head as if to say that he was fine with that.
"I don't think I
can be trusted now, but I still have to show my sincerity. For that purpose, I
will not hesitate to go this far."
"I understand.
Please take good care of Lisa-kun."
With a meek facial
expression, Irisdina clutched the protective talisman that was given to her.
Although there were
many things on her mind, at least the old man was sincere in his desire to face
Irisdina and the others.
If that was the case,
he vowed once again to do what he could to the best of his ability.
"The dragon
sealing barrier is a barrier that, due to its nature, limits the power of inner
interference to the utmost limit. On the other hand, it is surprisingly fragile
against outer interference. If you were to use the talisman well, you should be
able to destroy the dragon-sealing barrier that has been cast on the boy."
Nodding at Zonne's
advice, Irisdina and the others ran without hesitation deep into the forest.
What lies ahead was a
legendary being who, just like the old man, possessed power beyond human
understanding. While stifling their breathing, which was becoming more ragged
than usual, Irisdina and the others hurried to Nozomu's side.
Ignoring the twigs
that were knocking against them, they continued on their way and eventually
came to an open area.
"That's……!"
"Nozomu !?"
What they saw was
Nozomu, who was restrained by white light with his eyes dyed red, and a white
dragon with one of its wings was torn and lacerations on its body. A shining
crystal floated between them as if it were interrupting Nozomu and Azel, who
were glaring at each other.
The moment they saw
Nozomu's red-tinted eyes, a bad premonition ran down the spines of Irisdina and
the others.
"Nozomu !? No ...
this murderous intent is ..."
The image of Nozomu,
whose consciousness had been nearly swallowed by Tiamat, flashed through her
mind. Irisdina and the others involuntarily stopped as they recalled the scene
of Nozomu raising his deadly blade to bury anything and everything in sight.
The killing intent
that radiated indiscriminately from Nozomu's body and the chill that felt like
an icy arrow had been thrust into their spines further aggravated their unease.
"Oooooooooooooo!"
Along with a scream
that shook the atmosphere, an enormous amount of Qi was released from Nozomu's
body.
It was a blazing Qi
reminiscent of a volcano. However, the power that erupted immediately
dissipated and had no effect on the magic formation that was restraining him.
Furthermore, from
Azel's body, which was glaring at the restrained Nozomu, a white, shining
element erupted and flowed into the floating crystal in the air.
At the same time, the
light emitted from the magic formation that was restraining Nozomu began to
radiate even more light.
A disturbing
premonition came. At the same time, a magic circle covering the entire sky
centered on the floating crystal in the middle unfolded, and the ground began
to rumble as if something were crawling underground.
Rushed by a chill that
felt like an insect crawling up her spine, Irisdina found herself shouting out
loud while casting her magic.
"Wait !"
Along with a
resounding shout, more than a dozen magic bullets rushed toward Azel's back.
