Chapter 7 Part 25
Translator : PolterGlast
The
fight between Nozomu and Zonne was slowly but surely starting to shift towards
Nozomu.
Zonne
was concerned about the upper limit of his current strength because of his old
man's body. On the other hand, Tiamat was trying to increase her power without worrying
about Nozomu's body.
Now
that they were competing in close combat techniques against each other, the
difference was purely based on the total amount of power the user had exerted.
"Mmm!"
The
slash shot by Nozomu finally shattered Zonne's staff of light.
With
his technique destroyed, Zonne leaped backward, leaving the scattered elements
behind.
In
addition, he raised his right hand and deployed multiple techniques. He created
a huge ball of light as huge as his body and immediately exploded it.
The
shockwaves generated at the same time were concentrated in one direction. The
shockwave was released toward Nozomu and attempted to blow him away.
The
released shockwave was released in the spur of the moment, but it was powerful
enough to match Tima's offensive magic.
Moreover,
the distance between him and Nozomu was only a few meters. It was not a
distance from which Nozomu could react at all. Naturally, it was also
impossible to evade.
Furthermore,
Zonne created an arrow of light in his left hand at the same time as the
explosion and shot it soundlessly while hiding in the shadow of the exploding
ball of light.
The
two-stage attack consisted of a surface attack and a stealth attack.
To
begin with, it took more than just reflexes to win a high-speed battle. It also
required a deep intelligence to anticipate the opponent's movements and a high
level of thinking ability to make instantaneous judgments.
Those
who were consumed by anger often suffer defeat due to a lack of this thinking
ability and intelligence. In that sense, the current Nozomu, who was consumed
by his own anger, had almost no thinking ability.
""
Oooooooo! ""
However,
such common sense didn't apply to this young man.
As
soon as Zonne raised his hand, he swung the blade of chaos in his hand, as if
he had predicted his action.
A
very thin blade of Qi ran along the trajectory of the blade.
The
[Phantom] released from the blade sliced the supposedly invisible shockwave in
half, and furthermore, cutting in half the arrow of light that was approaching
from behind it.
"There
are still more!"
However,
Zonne had also predicted it to that extent.
Suddenly,
the ground under Nozomu's feet emitted a radiance, and countless thorns of
light protruded from it.
Multiple
attacks that combined surface and stealth attacks. The ball of light and arrow
of light released earlier were all bluffs.
In
addition, these thorns of light were just a way to buy time.
After
realizing that the thorns of light would not be enough to finish Nozomu off,
Zonne again constructed a multiple magic circle in an attempt to launch a
powerful counterattack. He began pouring in as many elements as he could.
No
matter how long it took Nozomu to slash the thorns of light to protect himself,
it would take time, even if it was less than half a second. That little time
was enough for Zonne. However…….
"What
the hell?"
Nozomu
went beyond Zonne's expectations. He stepped forward despite one of the thorns
of light that was about to thrust up toward him.
With
a tearing sound, the thorn pierced through Nozomu's foot.
No,
it was only Nozomu's shoe that was pierced.
Nozomu
supported his own body by pinching the thorn with his thumb and forefinger,
then leaped toward Zonne.
Nozomu,
too, was familiar with the old man's abnormality. If he gave him even a
moment's time, he would have suffered a painful counterattack, which was why he
took such an action.
Unable
to buy even the slightest amount of time, Zonne's eyes widened.
His
thoughts must have been racing, but his actions were so calm.
Nozomu
leaped and caught Zonne in his blade range, then raised his katana and swung it
down toward the old man's head.
"Kuh~!
Will I make it in time !?"
His
weapon was shattered, and he was unable to deploy his technique in time.
Zonne
quickly concentrated as many elements as he could gather into the palm of his
hand, and attempted to block the blade.
Zonne,
who was now in human form, didn't have strong scales.
If
he were unable to block it, the blade would easily reap the old man's life.
However,
suddenly, a powerful storm hit the two of them from the side.
A
storm of wind fangs blew away the white elements that were scattered in the
aftermath of the battle and ran along while gouging the ground.
Zonne,
whose eyes widened at the sudden storm, hurriedly deployed a barrier again, and
Nozomu also quickly drew a circle with his blade of chaos to create a film of
Qi in front of him.
Then,
the storm that had attacked them swallowed the two of them.
"Hi
~yaaaaaaa! Ebu~ !?"
"~
!?"
The
old man was blown away while letting out a strange scream, and Nozomu also got
hit in mid-air, struggling to regain his position.
Nozomu
managed to use the weight of his katana to get into a good position to land on
the ground, but Zonne ended up kissing the ground head first.
"Oh,
old man. That was a close one!"
"That's
true. Iyaa~ I'm so glad I got there in
time~."
Two
men came out in front of Zonne with a shameless tone of voice. Mars, who
carried a greatsword on his shoulder, and Feo, who played with a talisman with
his fingertips.
The
remnants of the [Dust Break of the Hungry Beast] that had just attacked Nozomu
and Zonne were still clinging to Mars's greatsword, showing clearly who had
unleashed the storm earlier.
"Bullshit!
You were going to blow me away from the beginning!"
Zonne
pulled his face out of the ground with a popping sound and began to complain
while turning his face red.
"Ehhh~.
You're just being paranoid~."
"I
know, right~? I was just returning the favor since you saved me before~."
On
the other hand, Mars and Feo looked at each other with disappointed
expressions, but they couldn't hide their smirks.
Or
rather, they didn't seem to have any intention of hiding it from the beginning.
They were probably trying to get back at Zonne for blowing them away earlier.
Actually,
magic arrows and single-shot magic were not effective enough to break into the
battle between Nozomu and Zonne, who were slashing at each other at high speed,
so a little more aggressive measures were necessary.
"What
a terrible thing to do to your own benefactor."
Zonne
kneeled on the ground with tears in his eyes. It was indeed an emergency, and
they blew away the person who was helping them before, even so, they didn't
really feel sorry for him.
"Good
work, old man. Please step back. We will take care of the rest."
Irisdina,
who had just arrived, gently spoke to Zonne, who looked devastated.
The
beautiful girl's words of encouragement made Zonne, who was covered in dirt,
smile.
"Y-,
young lady. Will you comfort this poor old man in your soft bosom?"
Zonne
slithered up to Irisdina's feet with his hands raised like an infant begging
for a cuddle.
Combined
with his dirt-covered, grinning, wrinkled face, it's the most disgusting thing
one can imagine.
"Ha~a
... Mars-kun, you may continue."
"Get
the hell out of here, you pervy dragon."
Irisdina
sighed in disgust, grabbed Zonne by the collar roughly with both hands, and
threw him toward Mars. Mars caught him and swung him with a big swing, gaining
momentum as he did so. He threw him further backward with all his might.
Catch
and throw.
With
Mars' physical ability drastically increased by the magic and Qi combination
technique, Zonne's body was once again thrown into the air with great momentum.
"Fuooo!
Adaw~!"
The
promised face landing.
Zonne
had his face buried in the ground again, and Somia called out to him fearfully.
"Umm.
Old man, are you all right?
"Somia,
you needn't worry about him. He is a dragon. He is not the kind of being who
would die from something like this."
"I
can't say anything too terrible because my life is being saved, but your
behavior makes me a little less sympathetic..."
"U-,
umm..."
Somia's
cheeks pouted at her sister's poor treatment of the old man who had helped heal
her inferiority complex, and at Lisa's unsympathetic words.
Zonne
lifted his face, which was more covered in dirt than before, and raised his
voice in protest.
"I-,
I'm just like a normal human in this form tho."
"How
can someone who can go toe to toe with Nozomu in that state be categorized as a
"normal human being"?"
"In
the first place, you're a dragon, not a human being."
Mars
and Mimuru cut Zonne's modest protests to pieces. There was no need to prove
it.
It
was a fact that the strength and maximum output of the body were the same as
that of a human being, but the total amount of power contained within was
clearly inhuman, so they were not wrong.
"In
fact, even Nozomu-kun is ..."
""
Oooooooo! ""
Along
with a scream, the surrounding smoke was blown away and Nozomu's figure
appeared.
He
was still covered in wounds and bleeding from all over his body, but it was
only from self-inflicted wounds. Other than that, he didn't appear to have
suffered any other serious injuries.
"See.
Even Mars-kun's magic and Qi combination technique didn't do much damage, so
it's pointless to be so careful."
Finally,
Tom said so while getting into his position.
The
fact that Tima was right next to him and wasn't actively denying him spoke
eloquently about her thoughts.
"I'm
starting to feel a little sorry for the little boy..."
The
old man hung his head with a melancholy atmosphere on his back and tears
streaming down his cheeks.
And,
by the way, Lisa, a former lover who was now recognized as an outsider by
Nozomu's friends, pulled her face.
"Now,
enough joking, it's time to get down to business."
Joking
time was over, and Mars held up his greatsword, bracing himself for the battle.
Next
to him, Irisdina with her rapier and Lisa with her magic power overflowing.
"Alright.
As we discussed, Mars-kun and I will support the front line. Lisa-kun,
you'll..."
"I'll
cover for you guys fighting on the front line. I'll coordinate with you, so you
can move as you please."
"Is
it going to be okay? I mean, can you really keep up with us? We don't want to
get shot in the back by accident."
"I
may look like this, but I'm one of the best in my class when it comes to
practical skills. I'm more dexterous than you are."
Mars
was skeptical of Lisa's words, but in the current situation, where even the cat
was needed, he couldn't be picky.
Meanwhile,
Shīna, who had once stepped back, presented Mikael in her hand to Zonne.
"Zonne-dono,
please."
"Hm?
Are you sure?"
"Yes,
our words are not going to reach his heart. So, we will show him by our
actions."
Shīna
simply said so, held a dagger she borrowed from Mimuru, grabbed a dozen or so
strands of her own hair, and cut them off in one fell swoop.
Her
long, lustrous azure hair was pulled by gravity and spread out over her hands.
"Do
you need my help?"
"No,
after we subdue Nozomu-kun, I would like you to revive him. I know there is
little chance of failure since I saw you saved Lisa-san."
"I'd
rather nothing bad happen. Hurry up, just back the hell off!"
Mars
waved his hand, urging Zonne to step back.
"Hmm,
if you say so, I'll leave it to you ... Good luck."
Zonne
nodded and stepped away from Irisdina and the others with Mikael in his hand.
"Lisa-kun,
are you ready?"
"Yeah,
I know what I have to do."
"Here
he comes!"
""
Ooooooo! ""
The
next moment, with explosive acceleration, Nozomu moved toward Irisdina and the
others.
"Now,
let's continue where we left off!"
It
was Mars who was the first to move toward Nozomu.
He
used his physical strength, which had been drastically increased by the magic
and Qi combination technique, to his advantage and swung his greatsword down at
Nozomu, who was rushing toward him.
""
~! ""
Naturally,
there was no way that such a large slash would work on Nozomu. With a gliding
movement, Nozomu deflected himself from the trajectory of the greatsword and
tried to launch a counterattack as the blade passed by his side.
"Oraaa!"
Mars
also knew that such a monotonous attack would not work on Nozomu.
He
then forcibly changed the trajectory of the greatsword he swung down with his
drastically increased physical ability and connected it with a cleaving attack.
Nozomu
tried to attack Mars' flank as he run past him, and Mars tried to blow Nozomu
away. The two crossed blades collided with a high-pitched sound.
At
the same time, a powerful impact struck both of them.
"Guu
...!"
Mars
put strength into both of his legs, desperately trying to regain his collapsing
posture. Nozomu in front of him was already ready for his next attack.
Nozomu
adjusted the direction of his body, which was about to flow forward due to the
momentum, with an exquisite sense of balance. While rotating his body, he
dexterously released a slash and conversely gained momentum.
As
always, his technique was astounding.
"Bastard!"
Mars,
trying not to be outdone, launched a counterattack with his greatsword and intercepted
Nozomu's slash.
"Deeee~i!"
""
Oooooooo! ""
With
a yell, Mars and Nozomu wielded their weapons.
Each
time they made one or two slashes, high-pitched clashing sounds resounded in
the gray forest, and bursts of Qi and magic scattered around them in shock.
In
such a situation, it was still Nozomu who pushed forward. Unlike when they
fought earlier, Nozomu's blade, which released the power of chaos, instantly
chipped away the magic and Qi of Mars that enveloped the greatsword.
"See~i!"
Before
Nozomu's katana could cut through Mars' magic and Qi, Irisdina thrust her
rapier from the side to thwart him.
Nozomu
took a half-step backward and ducked as the rapier thrust into him.
Nozomu,
while looking at the rapier passing in front of his vision, withdrew his blade
and slashed at Irisdina in a vertical slash.
Irisdina
quickly pulled her rapier and swung it to follow Nozomu's slash.
Nozomu's
katana clashed with Irisdina's rapier.
She
endured by clenching her teeth against the blade of Qi that unilaterally eroded
her own magic sword and against the intense pressure on both of her arms. Then
she slipped while ducking under Nozomu's slash.
"Tee~i!"
Irisdina,
who had ducked, released a thrust like a gust of wind.
Nozomu
turned his body and repelled Irisdina's lightning-like thrust.
But
Irisdina did not stop.
She
kept thrusting and pulling her rapier. She repeated these simple movements at a
tremendous speed, dozens of times per second.
Between
the eyebrows, the solar plexus, the heart, and the lower abdomen. A storm of
thrusts, like a shower, was released at every vital point in sight.
The
thrusts were so quick that they couldn't be seen by the eyes of an ordinary
person. All that could be seen was the afterimage of her arm and the remnants
of the flash of light drawn by the tip of the rapier.
""
~ ! ""
However,
Nozomu casually dispelled the rain of thrusts.
The
katana wielded softly at the same time powerfully, rattled and clanged with
metallic sounds. Along with the resounding metallic sounds, the katana bounced
off every drop of the piercing rain.
"Guh~!"
""
Gaaaaa! ""
In
return, Nozomu's counterattack was unleashed on Irisdina.
The
blade of chaos approached, slicing through the magical light that fluttered in
vain. But before the blade could reach her body, three fireballs rushed toward
Nozomu.
"Haa~!"
It
was Lisa, who was one step behind Irisdina and the others, who fired the
fireballs.
She
was behind Irisdina and Mars, observing their battle and watching for the right
moment to support them.
Nozomu
quickly turned himself around to see the fireballs approaching him.
"Fix
your stance while you still can!"
"Sorry!"
As
if to answer Lisa's call, Irisdina quickly leaped backward about five meters
away from Nozomu.
Meanwhile,
the blade that was supposed to cut through Irisdina had slashed three oncoming
fireballs with a single strike.
Lisa's
role was to provide support for Irisdina and Mars. Since it was already
difficult for these two alone to hold Nozomu back, her role was to provide
support.
"'I'm
not done yet!"
Lisa
further focused her attention on her right hand.
With
her chant, the converged magic power was converted into flames, forming a sharp
spear in the air.
She
grabbed the handle of the spear and threw it toward Nozomu with all her might.
"Tee~i!"
Combined
with the body strengthening magic that had been applied beforehand, the flame
spear achieved a tremendous speed. The spear pierced through the air.
""
Oooooo! ""
Nozomu,
seemingly unperturbed by the onrushing flame spear, activated his
[Instantaneous Movement]. He swung his katana down toward the tip of the
approaching flame spear.
The
flame spear, which was rushing toward Nozomu, was sliced cleanly in half.
"Not
yet!"
Lisa
swiftly held the flame spear that had been cut in half, the spear that had been
split in two instantly expanded.
""
~ !? ""
Lisa's
ability, [Niveei's Influence], was activated.
The
target of this ability, which temporarily multiplied the effects of magic, was
the flame spear that was just sliced in two.
The
power of the spear was multiplied at once, but the spear shattered in the blink
of an eye, as it had been cut by Nozomu and was about to disintegrate.
At
the same time, it exploded with a roaring sound. It scattered its swelling
power right in front of Nozomu's eyes.
The
flames that soared further enveloped Nozomu's entire body and attempted to burn
his body.
""
Guh~! Ooooooo! ""
However,
it couldn't completely stop Nozomu's momentum.
Nozomu
ignored the shockwave that struck his entire body. The light of chaos blasting
out from Nozomu's entire body extinguished the flames surrounding his body.
While
piercing through the residue of the dancing flames, he stepped forward to
eliminate anyone who stood in his way. In his crimson eyes, he couldn't even
see Lisa.
"I
won't let you!"
Mars
interjected between Lisa and Nozomu.
At
the same time as he cleaved, he released the magic and Qi that had enveloped
his greatsword. The released magic, Qi, and countless wind blades gouged the
ground like a drill, blowing Nozomu away with great force.
Nozomu
was thrown into the air, but he flipped around in mid-air and landed cleanly.
Meanwhile,
Irisdina joined Mars and Lisa, bracing herself to avoid showing any openings
and adjusting her ragged breathing.
"Oi,
Irisdina. Are Shīna and the others not ready yet?"
"I
don't think they're ready yet. Tima and Feo have their hands full with
controlling the technique. We can't expect any more support from them..."
Zonne,
who retreated to the rear, was keeping an eye on Nozomu's movements behind Tom
and the others.
This
was probably in case Irisdina and the others who were on the front line were
breached.
Mars
once again returned his gaze to Nozomu.
His
entire body was covered with countless lacerations, and the blood spurting from
his wounds had stained his pure white uniform bright red.
The
five-colored element that spewed out from his body still emitted a disastrous
atmosphere indiscriminately, to the point that one's heart would freeze, and
his crimson-tinted eyes showed no sign of rationality but instead harbored a
seething rage.
"...
Is it true that single-shot techniques or magic won't work?'
"Because
the characteristics of the technique have not changed. Still, we'd better not
be pushed around in close combat as we did earlier."
"Even
so, we're walking on a tightrope that we never know when we're going to
fall..."
Until
now, Mars and the others had not dealt a single effective blow to Nozomu. That
was because Nozomu's body remembered all the techniques he had seen.
Even
if they were to break through Nozomu's defense simply by power, Nozomu was
superior in terms of ability alone. Since the technique they were going to use
was already understood by Nozomu, and since Nozomu had the advantage in
technical skills, it would be difficult to break the balance by simply
unleashing techniques and magic.
"Nevertheless
..."
"?
What?"
Mars
glanced at Lisa, who was behind him.
Lisa
tilted her head at the implied glance.
"You
were pretty strong."
"What?
What are you implying?"
Mars
and Lisa hardly knew each other. In the previous special training in the
forest, their group had an encounter, but Mars had his hands full fighting
Kevin, and he had a rather weak impression of Lisa.
He
had the impression that she was in a lot of trouble with Nozomu after that, so
he didn't have the impression that Lisa was as strong as Irisdina.
However,
there was no way that Lissa, who belonged to the third year, first-class, and
A-rank, could be weak.
In
fact, she was able to provide precise support between Irisdina and Nozomu, who
were slashing at high speed, and succeeded in stopping Nozomu's movement,
albeit for less than half a second.
"I
don't know. It's just, you don't have the image of a strong person..."
"I'm
just supporting from behind, so I can manage to handle it. If you guys were to
move like that right in front of me, I won't be able to follow your
moves."
Without
averting her gaze from Nozomu in front of her, Lisa plainly stated the facts.
She
possessed an ability that could multiply the effects of magic, but she couldn't
compete with Nozomu at all.
That
was why she decided to step back a little and concentrate on supporting
Irisdina and Mars.
However,
even if she devoted herself to supporting, the speed at which the three front
liners strike each other was extraordinary.
The
three shadows blended together like leaves in a tornado, and the echoing
metallic sound was reminiscent of thunder in the sky.
"But
still, you're quite something to be able to cover us who were moving at such
speed so precisely..."
Mars
honestly expressed his admiration for Lisa, who provided precise support to
those who were fighting at such speed.
Originally,
Lisa, like Irisdina, was a genius.
She
was from a remote village and had risen to the top class of the Solminati
Academy, so there was no reason to doubt her talent.
However,
Mars sensed something else in her besides such talent.
She
had the air of someone he knew well. And when he saw the look in her eyes as
she stared ahead, he understood.
They
were the eyes of someone struggling to move forward.
The
will of a person who had been beaten down and tormented by regret, trying
desperately to crawl forward while bearing the heavy pressure that weighing on
her.
Her
eyes were somehow similar to Nozomu's and to the dark-haired girl standing on
the other side.
"Good
grief, why are all these people around me so much stronger than me?"
"Did
you say something?"
"No,
it's nothing..."
Mars
returned his gaze to the front while answering Lisa, who seemed as if she
didn't understand what was he talking about.
He
focused his gaze on the front as if he didn't care about what was behind him
anymore.
===================================
While
Irisdina and the others were crossing blades with Nozomu, stalling for a time
like walking on a tightrope, Shīna and Tom were absorbed in their own work.
Next
to Shīna and Tom, Tima and Feo were working hard to maintain their deployed
techniques.
The
magic power was constantly pouring into the circle that had been deployed from
the tip of Tima's staff, and the talisman in Feo's hand was shining
continuously.
"Nuuuu
..."
"Ku~u
..."
Beads
of sweat continued to pour from their foreheads, and groans was leaking from
their clenched mouths.
Tima
kept sending magic power to Irisdina with all her might, and Feo continued to
use his talismans to somehow stabilize Tima's enormous amount of magic power.
After
all, the amount of magic power being poured in was extraordinary.
The
amount of magic power being sent was several times the amount of magic power
used by a top-class mage. To control that amount of magic power, there was no
other way but to use a large number of talismans.
Even
so, the amount of magic power that could be controlled with a single talisman
was not that large. Moreover, the previous battle had consumed a large number
of talismans.
Their
situation was like trying desperately to stop a flood by piling up sandbags.
At
this rate, they would eventually reach their limit.
Tom,
on the other hand, was single-handedly engraving a magic technique into Shīna's
bow.
The
technique was the same as that of the bow he had given to Shīna before. It was
a technique that allowed the use of more powerful magic by gathering the magic
power of others.
Shīna
cut about ten strands of her own long hair and tied them together.
She
intended to use her own hair as a replacement for the broken strings.
Her
hair was surprisingly strong and could withstand a load of about 1.5 kilograms
per strand. Tying them together would further increase their strength.
On
top of that, her hair was also a good conductor for magic power, so if enough
magic power was applied to strengthen it, it could be used as a bowstring
without any problems.
"Tom,
Shīna, are you done yet?"
"Wait
a little longer, I haven't finished engraving the formula yet ..."
Mimuru,
who was watching Tima and the others from the side, let out an impatient voice.
For
the time being, Mimuru was waiting in the rear in case Irisdina and the others
were breached, but to be honest, Tima and the others were not in a good condition
as they were nearing their limits.
Mimuru
was convinced that even if she were to face the current Nozomu, it would be
impossible for her to buy enough time.
Originally,
Mimuru was not the type of person who would cross blades on the front line. Rather,
her natural style was to use her agile movements to create gaps.
Even
if she had to fight on the front lines, she didn't stand in front of her
opponent as much as she could. When she was in the party with Shīna, Tom, and
the others, she was in the vanguard due to the distribution of roles, but she
always took the role of injuring her opponent's legs and other parts of the
body while going around to the opponent's blind spot to block her opponent's
movement.
That
was why a chill ran down her spine every time she imagined the time Nozomu
broke through the front lines.
Whether
or not they knew of Mimuru's anxiety, both Tom and Shīna calmly carried out
their roles.
"Tom,
I'm done here. All we have to do now is your part."
"Yeah.
I'll take care of the rest."
Eventually,
Shīna's work was finished, and she handed the finished strings to Tom.
Tom
put the strings he received aside for the time being and continued to work his
part.
"By
the way, are you sure that it will work?"
Mimuru,
who was driven by anxiety, asked Tom without a second thought.
Tom
replied in a matter-of-fact tone as he continued his work.
"Perhaps.
According to the old man, if we can make the connection between Nozomu-kun and
Tiamat severed, there's a good chance that things could be restored."
"What
proof do you have?"
"You
remember when Nozomu-kun was misled by Tiamat and pointed his blade at us
before, right? Ever since then, something has been stuck in my head..."
Mimuru
involuntarily cut off Tom's words as if to confirm.
"I
was wondering, what kind of power Nozomu-kun got from defeating Tiamat..."
"Power,
you say? Isn't that obvious?"
Mimuru
pointed to the rampaging Nozomu, but Tom quietly shook his head.
"That
was the power that Tiamat had. What I am referring to is the power that Nozomu
himself, who became a Dragon Slayer, obtained."
In
the lore of the past, there were many descriptions of Dragon Slayers in the
past who had acquired special abilities that didn't seem to belong to humans.
Some
scholars believed that some of these abilities were so special that they
couldn't be classified as either humans or dragons, and were therefore
considered "Extraordinary Abilities" unique to the Dragon Slayer
race.
It
would not be surprising if Nozomu, who took in such a powerful dragon, also
possessed some kind of unique ability.
Rather,
they had to assume that he had it.
By
the way, Mimuru also possesses the [Beastification] ability. Although it is a
special type of ability that does not reduce one's rationality, it is difficult
for her to acquire the same physical ability as Mars who use the magic and Qi
combination technique.
Naturally,
it would be impossible for her to fight against Nozomu.
Besides,
she had other reasons why she couldn't face Nozomu...
"I
became convinced at the time of Lisa's and Ken's incident. That's when I saw
Nozomu plunge into the Abyss Grief's predatory barrier and come back almost
unharmed."
[Predatory
Barrier]
A
barrier that was deployed by Ken, who had assimilated with Abyss Grief, to
devour Lisa, whom he had yearned for. It was a foreign barrier that violated
the spirit of the person it took in, devouring the soul and making it
assimilate with its host.
The
predatory barrier at that time was something that even Jihad deemed as
dangerous.
Even
though Shīna's contract magic had somewhat helped to disperse some of the
pressure on Nozomu, the hastily made contract wouldn't have had much of an
effect.
Under
normal circumstances, the possibility of a human being coming back alive with
his sanity intact was almost nil.
However,
Nozomu, who had destroyed the barrier and returned alive, only looked tired,
but there wasn't the slightest sign that his spirits had been eroded.
"Perhaps,
Nozomu had already awakened to some kind of ability... Or perhaps his ability is
just starting to awaken? Anyway, I'm pretty sure there's some kind of ability
that he himself hasn't grasped, let alone us."
Mimuru
nodded her head as if she didn't quite understand what Tom was talking about,
but Shīna could understand Tom's story quite well. Because she herself had an
idea of what was going on.
At
that time, when Nozomu was still bedridden, she had desperately tried to
contact his spirit, but she had been blocked by countless chains as she passed
through the path of contract magic and was unable to contact Nozomu's spirit.
If
the chains at that time had any connection to his abilities, then...
"Alright,
it's done! Shīna, I leave it to you."
Tom
handed the bow to Shīna after he finished engraving the formula. The surface of
the bow was thoroughly engraved with the technique.
Shīna
pulled the bowstring she received to check its condition and nodded.
"Then
Shīna, please. Also, Mimuru, please do as usual..."
"Yes,
I understand. Don't forget the timing!"
Mimuru
quickly turned around and disappeared into the gray forest.
Shīna
checked on Mimuru as she disappeared deeper into the forest, then slowly
readied her bow and pulled the string.
"Fuh~..."
She
exhaled a little, let the magic flow from her entire body, and poured it into
the bow she was holding at the ready.
The
blueish magic element, which had been shining faintly, gradually began to
increase its light, and at the same time, the magic formula engraved on the bow
began to shine.
As
the light filled the drawn string, the four shining colors of red, green,
yellow, and blue magic elements gathered on the bow and began to form a single
shining arrow.
"Uu~u……"
As
the arrow took shape, Tima's expression became even more pained.
This
arrow, like the one that detonated Azel's breath, was a magic arrow created by
Tima's mighty magic power.
Moreover,
unlike the previous one, everything, including the body of the arrow, was
formed by Tima's magic power.
The
power of this arrow would be incomparable to the previous one.
However,
Tima had been sending her magic power to strengthen Irisdina with all her
might. No matter how much magic power she had, she was mentally close to her
limit.
Even
so, there was no way she could stop here.
Shīna
controlled the flow of Tima's magic power while cheering for Tima in her heart.
The
body of the arrow was created by Tima's magic power, but it was Shīna's role to
give that magic power the form of an arrow.
Moreover,
she had to shoot the arrow precisely into Nozomu's heart, who was slashing at
high speed.
It
was a feat akin to harpooning a fish in
the sea while enduring the rough waves on a cutter boat.
Even
for Shīna, who was proficient with her bow as an elf, it was an almost
impossible feat.
"Haa~
... nnn ..."
However,
there was no hint of hesitation or wavering in her eyes as she held up her bow.
She
straightened her back and exhaled slowly.
"Nozomu-kun
..."
She
stared at him who was in the corner of her eye.
"I've
made up my mind. I will support you..."
Shīna
once again confirmed her feelings.
When
Lisa had pointed out her feelings before, she had been so embarrassed that she
had almost fainted in agony and made a shameful behavior in public, but after
that, she felt no particular sense of shame.
Instead,
she felt a slight warmth in her chest. And she found herself naturally making
up her mind to support him.
Shīna
wondered if it was because she was an elf.
Elves
are a pure race, for better or worse.
Once
they have made up their minds, they never give in, and they are sometimes
called a stubborn race.
They
are very protective of their people, that's why their feelings for their own
kind can put them at odds with other races.
Because
of this, the elves were rather closed-minded and rarely interacted with others
of their own race until they were forced to leave their homeland due to the
Great Invasion.
Ever
since they lost their homeland in the Great Invasion, they had been forced to
interact with many different races, and nowadays, the chances of seeing elves
in other cities had increased.
Nevertheless,
humans and elves perceived the passage of time differently, and even now it was
extremely rare for elves to be attracted to other races.
However,
once someone was judged as their relative, they would try to protect him or her
at all costs. And the relationship between husband and wife or lovers within
their race was very strong, so when their loved one passed away, they would
mourn for several decades due to their sadness. In some cases, they would even
choose to die in pursuit of their partner.
Perhaps
it was because she was an elf herself that she naturally walked behind Nozomu
as if to support him.
That
was why Shīna, who tried to do so much for someone like a human, was an odd one
from the elves' point of view. That's why it could be said that she fell in love
with Nozomu to that extent.
Perhaps,
not really, Shīna didn't have the desire for Nozomu to be by her side as much
as Irisdina did.
Perhaps
it was because she had formed a bond with him that no human could do.
Shīna
turned her consciousness deep into her own heart.
She
could feel Nozomu and Tiamat's rage through the path she had connected with.
A
whirlwind of rage that seemed as if it might burn her own heart. But it was
proof that he was indeed still alive.
"It's
okay. I believe we can reach you..."
She
closed her eyes and spoke to Nozomu as if she were praying. As she thought, she
couldn't hear his reply.
Neither
Nozomu nor them had any more time. Perhaps they only had one chance. If they
missed it, everyone in this place would be invited to their deaths.
Even
so, she was not worried.
Just
as the contract still hadn't been broken, even if her voice could not be heard,
she understood that she was still connected with him.
Finally,
the magic arrow was complete. Shīna opened her eyes and aimed with the intention
of hitting the target in her heart.
She
looked beyond her gaze to the cause of deception to the person she had sworn to
support.