TEASER CHAPTER 8 PART 35
In
the forest shrouded in the darkness of the night, Nozomu was relentlessly
exerting himself, just as he had done in the past when he was training with his
master.
He
ran soundlessly like a fox or a cat over rough paths where an ordinary person
would either stumble on a tree root or trip over a stone and fall down in a few
steps.
After
running for nearly two hours without releasing his chains and without being
noticed by the demon beasts of the forest, Nozomu arrived at the goal point,
Shino's hut, where he pulled out the katana at his waist and began to repeat
his forms.
In
front of the hut, which had been destroyed in the battle with the Undead
Dragon, Nozomu continued to draw flashes of strikes in the darkness of the
night with his blade and body clad in Qi. Single-mindedly, without rest.
How
long had he been wielding the blade? Nozomu, having reached the limit of his
physical strength, tossed his drawn katana and collapsed to the ground on his
back.
"Haa,
haa, haa..."
Rough
breathing gushed out of his mouth, and sweat flowed unceasingly.
White
steam rose from his heated body and melted away in the cold winter air.
A
feeling of exhaustion gently enveloped his entire body, just like when he used
to devote himself to sword training for the purpose of escaping. It was a
nostalgic feeling.
"What
can I say, it's been a long time since I've pushed myself this hard..."
Nozomu
soliloquized amidst the exhaustion that felt as if his body had turned to lead.
Since
entering the third year of school, Nozomu had been training alone less and
less. The newfound connection and the warmth he had regained had helped him
forget the loneliness he once felt.
But
now he needed time to think alone.
"Since
I'm a Dragon Slayer ...... no, that's not it."
Thus,
alone, he dispelled his thoughts by pushing his body to the limit, and feeling
the cold of the winter soil on his back, he lost himself in thought.
Aware
of his former escape, he must clear his past, and now he must think about the
future.
"What
I want to do..."
The
reason why he could not accept Lisa's confession. What he himself was supposed
to do, and what he had decided to accomplish.
However,
no matter how much he thought about it, he could not come up with an answer.
As
if seeking light in the darkness, he thought back to the dreams of those
closest to him.
"Iris
wants to protect Somia-chan, and Somia-chan wants to become like Iris."
"Lisa
wants to be an adventurer, Shina wants to reclaim her homeland, Anri-sensei
wants to support her students... Everyone has some kind of dream."
Only
Nozomu doesn't have a dream. Nor does he have a goal.
For
him, training his strength as a Dragon Slayer is not a dream. It is just a
duty, a responsibility.
He
must learn to use it. Otherwise, he might hurt the people he cares about.
And
indeed, he did, and it was almost irreversible.
