Chapter 7 Part 26
Translator : PolterGlast
Irisdina
and the others had managed to stall the out-of-control Nozomu, but they were
being cornered.
First
of all, Mars' magic and Qi combination technique was gradually losing its
brilliance.
As
the technique engraved on the back of his hand wore out, he began to lose
control of his magic, including his body strengthening magic.
Next,
Irisdina's movements began to slow down. This is due to the adverse effect of
excessive use of physical enhancements.
The
continuous use of magic with excessive effects puts a tremendous burden on the
body. Moreover, she kept using the magic sword [Lunar Eclipse] which was her
trump card. The mental and physical exhaustion on her body was tremendous.
""
Ooooooo! ""
"Guu!"
Irisdina
managed to parry Nozomu's attack. At that moment, too, with a snapping sound,
the muscles in several places on her body were torn.
There
were traces of reddish-black internal bleeding in several places on her skin,
which was pure white reminiscent of fresh snow.
Her
movements were not very precise, and she had her hands full trying to avoid
being cut.
"You,
for God's sake, get back to normal!"
Lisa
managed to pull Nozomu away from Irisdina by shooting a fireball at him, and
then Mars attacked him from the side.
Mars,
in spite of the situation where he was about to lose control of his magic and
Qi combination technique, put all his magic and Qi into the greatsword and
released it. With the intention of destroying everything in front of him, Mars
used the [Dust Break of the Hungry Beast] and forcibly drove Nozomu away from
him.
"Guu
!?"
Forcing
the use of magic and Qi combination techniques, whose control had weakened,
caused a laceration on Mars' arm.
"Are
you okay?"
"Guh~.
S-, somehow ..."
The
sight of Mars enduring the pain with his face contorted made Irisdina and
Lisa's hearts filled with impatience.
If
they couldn't overcome this situation quickly, they won't even have enough time
to execute their last remaining plan.
Nozomu,
who had been blown away, still landed almost unharmed. Without lessening his
anger in the slightest, he was about to attack Irisdina and the others again.
However,
at that moment, Tom's voice echoed from behind them.
"Everyone,
we're ready! Move into action!"
The
long-awaited signal that their last plan was about to be executed. The moment
she heard that voice, Irisdina moved.
With
all her remaining magic power, she activated a technique and launched a spell
called [Dense Fog of Crescent Moon].
With
Irisdina at the center, a pitch-black fog was released, blocking Nozomu's
vision.
""!?
Uoooooo!""
Nozomu
was blinded for a moment, but he didn't care and activated his [Instantaneous
Movement] legs. He sprinted to get through the fog that surrounded him.
The
fog released by Irisdina couldn't completely block Nozomu's vision, perhaps due
to her exhaustion. And if Nozomu could see even the slightest shadow of his
opponent, his extraordinary concentration would never let his prey escape.
From
the slightest movement of the fog surrounding him, Nozomu could detect the
movement of his opponent.
Of
the three shadows, two scattered left and right, while one remained in the
center. From the size and movement of the shadows, those scattering left and
right had long-handled weapons.
Nozomu
ignored the shadows scattered to the left and right and rushed toward the
shadow in the center.
His
target was Lisa, who was supporting Irisdina and Mars.
She
had no weapon. If he could get close, there would be no way for her to prevent
Nozomu's slash. Nozomu intuitively sensed so.
As
he penetrated the fog, Nozomu saw Lisa's eyes widen in surprise. There was
still nothing held in her hands.
Nozomu
raises his katana and tried to swing it down to get rid of the obstacles.
"Fuh~!"
""
~!? ""
But
the next moment, Lisa took a surprising action. To Nozomu's surprise, Lisa
stepped forward toward him.
At
the same time, while using physical strengthening magic on herself, Lisa
strengthened her own muscles with all her might. Staring at the swinging blade
in front of her, she reached her hand behind her waist and pulled something
out.
"Eee~i!"
What
was pulled out was the dagger that Mimuru was supposed to have. This was given
to her by Mimuru during the previous encounter.
Yes,
she didn't have a weapon. However, what was really meant was "her
specialized weapon". The reason why Mimuru couldn't fight Nozomu was
because she didn't carry her weapon.
However,
a mere dagger won't be enough to block Nozomu's blade. Lisa understood this
from watching Irisdina and the others fighting until now.
That
was why Lisa took a further step forward.
With
a clashing sound, the two weapons collided.
The
next moment, Nozomu's angry eyes widen in astonishment.
Nozomu's
blade, which should have been swung down, somehow failed to cut through
Mimuru's dagger and stopped halfway.
"Guu!"
Lisa
was at Nozomu's feet, kneeling down to look up at him while raising her dagger.
She
managed to keep sending magic power to the dagger, which had been cut about
halfway through. She was in a cold sweat that she was safe.
Naturally,
there were several factors that contributed to Lisa's ability to block Nozomu's
blade.
One
of the factors was that she had received Nozomu's blade at the base of the
katana.
Due
to the characteristics of the katana, the base of the katana is the least sharp
and does not carry momentum when swung. For this reason, she braced herself by
stepping forward toward Nozomu herself.
Another
factor was her [Niveei's Influence] ability.
With
this ability, she temporarily transformed the strengthening magic she had cast
on Mimuru's dagger into a magic sword comparable to Irisdina's [Lunar Eclipse].
However,
since half of the blade had already been sliced, the dagger couldn't hold on
any longer
All
Nozomu had to do was pulled then launched another attack with his katana and it
would cut through Lisa's entire body at once.
However,
for Lisa, such a situation was good. It was enough if she could stop Nozomu for
just one second.
"Oooo!"
"Haaa!"
Irisdina
and Mars rushed to sandwich Nozomu from each side.
Nozomu
immediately tried to slash Lisa along with her dagger, but when his attention
was momentarily distracted, Lisa quickly let the dagger go and rolled to the
side.
Nozomu's
katana only slashed Lisa's ponytail, and the blade didn't reach her body and
cut through the empty air.
""
~! Oooooo! ""
As
Lisa's hair danced in the air after being cut, Nozomu gave up on chasing Lisa
and quickly pulled the sheath at his waist with his left hand. Meanwhile, Lisa
leaped backward and broke free.
Nozomu
caught the rapier and greatsword coming towards him from both sides with the
katana and scabbard in his right and left hands respectively.
He
could feel the shock on his arms, but Irisdina and Mars had already reached
their limit. Their attacks were lighter than before.
He
could bounce off their weapons and quickly finish them off.
With
such thoughts in his mind, Nozomu tried to put strength into his arms. However,
as soon as he put strength into his arms, a flash of light suddenly exploded,
enveloping the entire area.
What
followed was a swarm of purple lightning that resembled countless snakes. The
lightning snakes that suddenly appeared attacked Nozomu from all directions.
""
Gah !? Aaaaaaaa! ""
"Alright!
As planned!"
Intermediate
Ranged Magic [Purple Lightning: Swarm of Snakes]
Nozomu
was hit with intense pain as if his entire body had been pierced by a spear.
In
his vision, which was now completely white, Nozomu caught a glimpse of Feo, who
was posing with a gutsy grin on his face.
However,
his appearance was clearly different from usual.
His
body hair had increased to cover his entire body, and his nose protruded like a
fox's. His tail, which had grown to a distinctive size, was clad in a burst of
purple electricity.
""
B-, beastification?... ""
It
was, without a doubt, Feo's beast form.
Although
the details differed from race to race, beastification abilities tended to
reduce one's rationality and increase one's physical abilities.
However,
in the case of the fox race, it was a bit different. On the contrary, they reduced their own
physical abilities and temporarily increased their ability to use magic.
They
got their hands full just by applying magic techniques to Irisdina, but Feo,
who had been transformed into a beast, could temporarily generate some extra
power.
With
his increased ability to use magic, he shot a ranged magic [Purple Lightning:
Swarm of Snakes] centered on Nozomu.
"No
matter how monstrous his abilities become, Nozomu can't use barrier magic that
covers all directions! It should have worked!"
Although
hidden by the drastic increase in his physical abilities, Nozomu's weakness
hasn't changed at all.
It
is "the inability to use defensive magic to protect oneself from
long-range Area of Effect attacks."
A
straightforward, head-on attack would never work in the face of Nozomu's
physical ability and skill.
However,
if they were able to block his agile legs and arms, his weakness would be
easily exposed.
""
Guu! ""
"Mimuru,
do it now."
"Yes!
Leave it to me!"
While
taking advantage of the gap in Nozomu's movement, Mimuru leaped out of the
bushes and jumped towards Nozomu's right arm, twisted his arm, and snatched the
katana from him.
Nozomu
quickly tried to strike her down with the sheath in his left hand, but before
he could do so, Mars, who had swung down his greatsword, forcibly tore off the
sheath.
""
Wha~!? ""
How
can he move? Nozomu's head, dulled with anger and pain, became even more
confused.
Mars
and Nozomu's weapons lock into each other as Feo's attack struck them down.
Naturally, Mars should have been involved in Feo's [Purple Lightning: Swarm of
Snakes].
"You
would never have missed it if you were your normal self..."
While
saying so, Mars pointed to his chest. The last talisman that Feo had given him
was shining brightly there. It was the talisman that could deploy barrier
magic.
"Haa!"
And
if Mars was safe, then, of course, Irisdina was too.
She
gathered all her remaining magic power and deployed a restraining spell.
Dark-colored chains appeared in the air and bound Nozomu's body.
"Shīna-kun,
now!"
Along
with Irisdina's shout, Shīna, who had taken aim, released a magic arrow.
An
ear-piercing and shattering sound. The arrow shattered Shīna's bow and left a
single wound on her cheek.
The
magic arrow flew toward Nozomu's heart at a tremendous speed.
Nozomu
had no katana or scabbard, and his entire body was already restrained. There
was already no time to break the restraints that were wrapped around his entire
body.
The
magic arrow flew through the air in a straight line like a comet... However...
"Are
you kidding me..."
""
Guh, Uuu ... ""
It
was caught by Nozomu, who forcefully took one of his hands out of the
restraints.
While
blowing out five-colored elements, he tried to squeeze the magic arrow he had
grabbed.
"Damn!"
Mars
stepped forward once more and tried to reap Nozomu's consciousness, but the
moment he tookook a step forward, his legs lose their strength and he crumpled
to the ground.
He
already had no magic power, no Qi, and was at his limit.
At
first, the magic arrow was pushing the power of chaos, but gradually its
brilliance was fading. At this rate, it would disappear without hitting Nozomu.
"Eee~i!"
However,
before that happened, Irisdina made her move.
She
forced her already weak body to move. She grabbed the magic arrow that was
about to be squeezed by Nozomu and began to push it forward.
"Gu,
uu~!"
"Ane-sama!?"
"Oi,
Irisdina, don't be reckless!"
She
could hear the voices of her companions, but she didn't heed them.
Tiamat's
torrent of power that Nozomu released spread in all directions. The dragon's
power hit Irisdina's entire body and mercilessly burned her skin.
""
Mikaeeell !! ""
"Nozomu!
Please wake up!"
Even
by being so close, even by calling out his name so many times, Irisdina's words
couldn't reach Nozomu.
She
bit her lip in frustration. She felt her heart was going to be crushed by the
feeling of helplessness.
No
matter how close she was, she felt so helpless before the presence of Tiamat.
"Even
so. I ... still ..."
Still,
she wished to be by his side.
Irisdina
did not have a special connection which was a contract like Shīna, or a promise
made since childhood like Lisa.
The
only thing that could connect her to him was the confession she made to him in
the forest.
So
she decided to do everything in her power to make that happen.
To
be able to stand next to him, even if just a little, she gathered up all the
strength she lacked...
"I'm...
not... done yet..."
She
didn't even think about her own safety.
She
wanted to be closer to him... With that thought alone, she forcibly gathered up
the already depleted magic power from her entire body and sent it into the
magic arrow.
The
cost of this recklessness was immediately apparent.
First,
her vision lost its color. It didn't matter. Even in the gray-colored world,
she could still see him.
Second,
she no longer felt pain all over her body. That was convenient. There was no
longer a hindrance to her concentration.
Next,
her hair lost its pigmentation and turned ashen white. She felt troubled. She
wanted him to caress her...
Finally,
her fading vision darkened as if she were going to fall asleep.
"I
still can't reach him?"
She
felt frustrated and sad. She didn't want to give up. However, contrary to her
will, the magic arrow slipped through her powerless fingers.
At
that moment, something supported her hand as it was about to collapse.
What
came into view at the edge of her fading vision was the angry face of a girl
with distinctive crimson eyes.
"Hey!
Why are you giving up? You've been lecturing me to not give up, but you're seriously
going to give up just because of this !?"
The
girl was angry at Irisdina because she looked like she was about to give up.
The
moment Irisdina saw the girl's face, something hot welled up from her heart,
which had been on the verge of breaking a moment ago.
"Are
you kidding me?... There's no way I'd give up!"
Strength
returned to her fingers that were about to collapse.
(Yes.
I can't lose. Above all, I'll never lose in front of this girl!)
It
was like the last glow of the candle. A jet-black magic power erupted from
Irisdina's body like a muddy stream and flowed into the magic arrow.
The
magic arrow, which was about to disappear, regained its brilliance and began to
compete with Tiamat's power once again.
"Don't
be a pussy, Lisa!"
"Who
are you talking to!?"
Irisdina
shouted Lisa's name for the first time.
Inspired
by Irisdina's voice, Lisa activated her [Niveei's Influence] ability. The magic
arrow bloated at once to twice its size and began to push through at once.
""
~ !? ""
""
Gooo~ !! ""
And
the next moment, the magic arrow that was pushed in hit Nozomu's left chest and
exploded with an ear-piercing sound.
The
pain and shock were so intense that Nozomu's chest was overcome with pain. Air
was forced out from his lungs and his heart beat loudly.
""
Ga-, ha ... ""
The
enormous amount of magic power and the rapid pulsation made the synchronization
of consciousness between Nozomu and Tiamat cut off.
Nozomu's
bright red eyes quickly faded as he felt the strength of his entire body
rapidly drain from him.
At
the same time, strength left Nozomu's body, and he slowly collapsed, being
pulled down by gravity.
It
was succeeded. Everyone thought so, and at the moment when they were about to
let out a sigh of relief...
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
Nozomu's
body suddenly got up.
Only
one of his faded eyes had returned to crimson, and the voice that came out of
his mouth was that of a woman that sounded like silk being torn apart.
In
front of Irisdina and the others, who were dumbfounded by the sudden
occurrence, he raised one of his hands, which was about to collapse, and began
to gather the power of chaos.
No,
it wasn't Nozomu. He had lost consciousness, and Tiamat had temporarily taken
over his body.
"Mikaeeeell
!!"
A
huge amount of elements converging. Tiamat's target was Michael, but Irisdina
and the others were naturally in her line of fire. Zonne, sensing the
situation, quickly raised his hand and deployed a barrier to protect them.
And
just as the converging power of chaos was about to be unleashed with great force...
"Gah~
!?"
Tiamat
suddenly let out a cry of anguish.
The
next moment, countless chains of light appeared in the air, binding Nozomu's
body.
Tiamat
struggled to tear the chains apart, but no matter how much effort she put in,
the chains wouldn't budge.
"Again,
it's you again! I'm almost there, he's right in front of me! Let go of me, let
go of meee~!
Tiamat's
vindictive cry echoed through the air.
However,
contrary to her hatred that cursed everything in sight, the elements that
Tiamat had gathered quickly dissipated in the blink of an eye.
"Damn
it! Damn it, damn ... it ........."
Along
with the gradually diminishing vindictive voice, Tiamat's resistance gradually
subsided, and eventually, her movements came to a complete stop.
Then,
as soon as the chain of light disappeared, Nozomu's body collapsed like a
puppet with broken strings.
Irisdina
and Lisa tried to catch Nozomu in a hurry.
However,
they too were at their limits, and unable to put strength into their legs. They
stood up on their knees to support themselves.
"Nozomu!
Are you okay?"
While
suffering from extreme fatigue, the two checked Nozomu's body.
Nozomu's
entire body was covered in lacerations, and the blood that flowed out endlessly
dyed the two of them red.
His
lungs were also injured, and he spat out a gob of blood from his mouth.
But
he didn't seem to be breathing any more.
His
complexion was pale and bloodless, and his body temperature was frighteningly
low. He looked like a dead man.
There
was no doubt that his respiratory system had been severely damaged.
"This
is bad, he's not breathing!"
"Old
man, please help Nozomu-kun!"
Lisa
called Zonne in a panic.
Zonne,
on the other hand, looked at Nozomu and seemed to get the gist of what was
going on.
"I
see ... So that's how it is..."
"Old
man, please hurry up!"
"O-,
oh! I understand!"
Lisa
raised her impatient voice. Zonne rushed to Nozomu's side and began to cast
healing magic.
While
watching Nozomu's wounds heal and his complexion return to normal, Irisdina and
the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
