This chapter was brought to you by the collaboration between PolterGlast and Saekano Translations.
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Volume 1 Chapter 4.4
The Realization of the Escapism, and
the First Step Part 4
Translator : PolterGlast
A week has passed
since the battle with Tiamat. Nozomu had been undergoing treatment under her
master's care and was somehow able to resume his daily life.
The potion that Shino
used to treat Nozomu was her original, and although it lacked the rapid
recovery power of commercially available potions, it did enhance the body's
ability to heal itself with ease.
It had been used in
his previous training sessions with Shino, and Nozomu was quite grateful to her
for it.
On the other hand, it
was Shino's behavior that puzzled Nozomu. Usually, whenever he expressed his
dissatisfaction, he would receive a barrage of abusive words and the finest
martial arts in the name of punishment, but lately, there was a strange
wavering tone at the end of her words.
She also began to show
a strange, anxious demeanor, and even began to act in ways she had never shown
before, such as accompanying Nozomu to town when he returned to Arcazam after
he had regained his mobility.
"Shisho, we have
arrived at Arcazam."
Nozomu and Shino
stopped as they arrived just before the city gates.
"U-, umu, I see
......"
"Thank you for
escorting me."
"W-, well. I am
your mentor after all. It is only natural for me to be concerned about my
injured disciple."
Shino nodded in a good
mood at her disciple's auspicious courtesy.
"But then again,
when you see it again, it's indeed a big city ......"
Looking up at the gate
of Arcazam, Shino muttered to herself.
The gate where Nozomu
and Shino currently stand was one of several gates on the outer perimeter of
Arcazam, and in terms of size, it was half as small as the main gate on the
south side.
Nevertheless, the
gate, which is nearly ten meters high, is majestic enough to interest even
someone like Shino, who once held a respectable status.
"Shisho, have you
ever entered Arcazam? ......"
"No, I never. I
didn't want to go near this city when it was being built, or even after it was
done ...... Maybe it was a bit of a waste on my part."
"Shisho, would
you like me to show you around the city for a little bit?"
"...... No,
thanks. You have a school, no? You've been absent without prior notice for more
than a week. Isn't that causing you a lot of trouble?"
"Well, that may
well be the case ......"
"Right? Let's
hurry up and get out of here."
"...... I
understand."
Following Shino, who
entered the city first, Nozomu also went through the gate.
They walked together
along the street leading from the gate to Central Park and then to the
Soluminati Academy.
The sun was already
rising and many stores were noisily starting their day's business on the street
leading to the central park.
In front of the
stores, people were bargaining with the shopkeepers over the prices of the
goods they were about to buy.
"Hoo, what is
that bright red powder? This one is ...... a seed that looks like a cat's claw.
I wonder what kind of seed this is."
Shino's curious eyes
wandered from one place to another as she looked at the goods on display in the
stall.
Nozomu was surprised
by this unexpected reaction, but at the same time, he felt nostalgic. When he
first came to this town, he, too, had been surprised by the variety of goods
lined up in the stores, many of which he had never seen before.
Walking along the
street, the two of them eventually arrived at Central Park.
Beyond the
green-covered park, the huge white building of Soluminati Academy peeked out
from the trees and looking around the vast park, students in white uniforms
could be seen on their way to school.
"Hmm, this is as
far as I go. Nozomu, I am going back to the forest."
"I understand.
Thank you, Shisho."
As Nozomu bowed his
head to his master who had escorted him here, Shino shrugged her shoulders as
if she didn't mind.
At that moment, the
bell on the school's steeple, the tallest in the school building and clearly
visible from where Nozomu and Shino were standing began to chime throughout the
city with a *gong, gong, gong!* sound. It was time for the morning assembly to
begin.
"Oh no, I'm going
to be late!"
Hearing the bell chime
to announce the start of the morning assembly, a look of frustration came over
Nozomu's face. The reason for this was that his grades were at the very bottom
of the class and he didn't want to get any negative marks because of his
conduct in school.
"Since you have
already been absent without notice for almost a week, I don't think you need to
worry about it now ......."
However, as Shino
said, Nozomu had already been absent without notice for a week, so there was no
doubt that he had a very bad reputation in terms of his classroom conduct.
In this case, the
decision was either to accept the fact that he was going to get a bad
impression anyway or to keep on persisting.
In Nozomu's case, it
was the latter. He was about to run toward the school building to avoid any
more negative points, while his master was spouting off nonsensical remarks.
"Anyway! I'm
gonna go now. Shisho, see you- ......."
"Oh, right. After
class today, come back to my hut. We still have a lot to talk about
......"
The end-of-year
examination at Soluminati Academy is an important test that will determine the
ranks to which students will be assigned in the following year.
Since the results of
the practical and written examinations determine the next year's treatment, all
students take the examinations very seriously and put in their best effort.
Even students in the
higher ranks are dropped to a lower rank if their grades are unsatisfactory,
and if their grades are below the standard, they will be failed without
question, or in the worst case, be expelled from the school. This is a big
problem for Nozomu, whose grades have been stagnant.
However, he was not
sure if he should ignore the offer of his master, who had been a great help to
him.
Moreover, he felt that
he could not ignore his master's words, and more than anything else, there was
a certain sense of camaraderie between the two of them now, so he really felt
that he could not ignore it.
"What is it that
you want to talk about? Do you still have something to tell me?"
"I'll tell you
about it later. Look, the bell has chimed. Aren't you running out of
time?"
"Wasn't it Shisho
who stopped me!? Oh, Gosh!"
This time, Nozomu
shook off his master and ran off toward the school building.
After watching her
disciple disappear behind the school's main gate, Shino began to turn back in
the direction from which she had just come.
"A new and
foreign city. I'm quite disappointed that I don't have my disciple to guide me
around, but let's take a short walk."
For a start, she
peeked into a nearby stall, and for a while, she enjoyed walking around the
city for the first time in decades.
◆
Nozomu's absence
without notice was left unexplained because his homeroom teacher, Caskell, did
not specifically ask him the reason for his absence.
The teacher, who
originally had no interest in tenth-class students, left Nozomu completely on
his own. He finished filling out the attendance sheet and started the morning
class without asking the reason for his absence.
The other students
also did not ask for the reasons for his absence. Because they were also the
ones whom Caskell despised as being at the bottom of the barrel, they didn't
want to be noticed by the sarcastic teacher as a result of asking a question.
So they seemed to have taken the liberty of assuming that it was not something
serious anyway.
The morning class
ended in this manner.
In the classroom,
everyone was able to leave the matter in the background, but Nozomu was
persistently being questioned outside of the classroom.
"Nozomu-kun, I
know you are hiding something~. It is certainly unusual for you to be absent
without notice for an entire week~!"
The only one who
couldn't be fooled was Anri Var, the assistant to the homeroom teacher.
When she learned that
Nozomu was coming to school for the first time in a week, she called him to the
staff room during lunch break and began questioning him.
"I-, It is
nothing to be concerned about. I was simply attacked by a demonic beast when I
entered the forest and was injured ......"
"It's obviously a
big deal! What kind of demonic beast attacked you~? Certainly, powerful
monsters are unlikely to appear in the vicinity of the main road, but even so,
it's by no means a certainty~. We need to know where and what kind of demonic
beast attacked you~."
"Umm, I don't
remember exactly where it was, but I'm pretty sure it was a Mad Bear ....... I
don't remember exactly where it was, but I think it was on the east side of the
Spasim Forest ......"
"Is that ......
one of the three brothers?"
"Eh? Yeah, that's
right ......"
Nozomu tried his best
to smooth things over, but the suspicion in Anri's eyes gradually deepened.
"What about your
injuries?"
"I had a fever
and had to stay in bed, but I'm fine now."
"Then, let me ask
you one more question. Why did you go AWOL (Absent Without Leave)~? Nozomu-kun,
you live in a dormitory, so you can contact the school, right?"
"The fever was
worse than I thought and I couldn't move. Besides, there are no classmates at this
school who would care about me ......"
Nozomu himself was
quite sad to be saying this line himself, but it was completely true, because
in reality Nozomu was literally at the bottom of the barrel among the second
graders and was not even partying up with any of them.
As for Nozomu, he felt
some guilt for lying to Anri, but he couldn't tell the truth either. He tried
to keep a lid on the tingling guilt inside and somehow managed to talk his way
out of it.
"......
*hic*."
"Eh?"
But at that moment,
Anri suddenly began to cry. The abruptness of the situation caused Nozomu to
voice his bewilderment.
"W-, what is
going on all of a sudden?"
"E~~~n!
Nozomu-kun doesn't trust me ~~! Such a half-assed reliance~!"
"E-, eh? N-, no,
it's not like that. Why are you making such a big deal about it!"
"Because you
won't tell me the truth~! The three Mad Bears were defeated by Irisdina-san
about ten days ago, and although I can't see them clearly, it looks like you
were wounded, and the scent of the medicine used to treat them is not one that
is available in this town ~~!"
Nozomu involuntarily
paled upon hearing Anri's point. Although his wounds were already healed, the
lingering aftereffects of his injuries still left a subtle discomfort in
Nozomu's body.
Anri had noticed that
Nozomu had been subconsciously making a protective gesture in response to the
wounds.
She also noticed by
the smell alone that the medicine used to treat Nozomu was not the kind of
medicine that was commonly available on the market.
However, since
Nozomu's lie was also quite full of holes, it was impossible he could get away
with it in the first place.
However, he still
could not tell the truth. The battle between Nozomu, who tried to deceive
somehow, and Anri, who cried and tried to question Nozomu, continued for a
while.
"Nozomu-kun, tell
me ......"
Anri stared at Nozomu
with tears welling up in her gentle eyes.
Nozomu, too, was at a
loss for words as he was being pressed by the slightly older, stunningly
beautiful woman, while at the same time saying, "Uuu ......."
The sight of a
beautiful woman, desperately and sincerely concerned about her student's
well-being, could bewitch all men and women, young and old.
Especially when young
men saw her face, they would listen to whatever she said.
(She is the type of
person who naturally makes men fall in love with her. And it's worse because
she doesn't even realize it!)
Nozomu was no
exception, and Anri's seductive gaze stirred the guilt smoldering deep in his
chest.
"Nozomu-kun
...... won't you tell me about it?"
"U-, umm
......"
Speaking of the
outcome, Anri's teary-eyed attack in the name of questioning ended with the
bell for the start of class. Nozomu quickly left the staff room as if to
escape.
◆
While Nozomu was being
pursued by Anri, Irisdina was having lunch in Central Park with her best
friend, Tima, and her sister, Somia. The three of them were on a bench in the
lawn area, where they could see all the stalls in the park.
"So, Ane-sama,
have you and Nozomu-san cleared up the misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstanding?"
"We met
Nozomu-kun here a little while ago and we had a talk, briefly."
Irisdina gave a brief
explanation to Tima, who tilted her head in response to Somia's statement.
While looking for
Somia in Central Park to have lunch together, she ran into Nozomu, who was
talking with her sister. After talking to him, she heard that he had helped her
sister catch a cat that Somia was looking for a short while ago.
As a token of their
friendship, they decided to have lunch together.
At the same time,
Irisdina mentioned that she had made an inappropriate remark to Nozomu at that
time. While she was explaining, Irisdina's eyes kept glancing at the stalls
lined up in Central Park. Apparently, she was wondering if Nozomu would come
out to buy lunch.
"Is that why Ai
has been missing during lunch and after school lately?"
"Yeah, I thought
it would be bad to suddenly barge into class, so I waited for him at the main
gate, but I couldn't see him. I wonder
if he's at the school today ......"
While she was chatting
with her best friend, Irisdina was checking the faces of the people lined up in
front of the stalls.
Tima was inwardly
surprised at her behavior. As far as she knew, Irisdina had never shown this
much interest in a single male student.
In the end, however,
Nozomu did not appear at the main gate, and lunch break ended. While Irisdina
was putting away her lunch bag with her shoulders slumped, Somia suddenly made
a suggestion.
"Ane-sama, would
you mind inviting Nozomu-san to my upcoming birthday party?"
"...... Eh?"
Irisdina was taken
aback by her sister's sudden suggestion. The birthday party originally planned
for Somia was a private occasion, and the guests invited were only Somia's
friends from Ecross, who were particularly close to her.
"Nozomu-san is a
friend of mine. He helped me retrieve this bracelet that Ane-sama gave me.
That's why I've been wanting to thank him."
"Somia
......"
"Nozomu-san, even
when he smiled, he looked somewhat lonely. I don't know what happened to him, but
I-, I want my friends to have a smile on their faces, even if it's just a
little ......"
Somia also knew about
the rumors regarding Nozomu that were spreading in the school. But regardless
of that, she wanted Nozomu to smile from the bottom of his heart.
"Indeed. I also
want my friends to be smiling. That's the way it is ......"
The innocence of her
younger sister pushed Irisdina to take a step forward.
Irisdina did not know
about Nozomu's past. She could only imagine how much he had been cornered.
Originally, he was
only someone she was curious about. However, having sensed glimpses of the
efforts he has accumulated, Irisdina has also come to sympathize with him
without realizing it.
That was why she grew
impatient at the fact that the misunderstanding had not yet been cleared up.
"Somia, I will
talk to him properly and clear up the misunderstanding. At that time, I will
invite him to your birthday party."
"Yes! Please,
Ane-sama!"
The curiosity and
sympathy that had been building up in the depths of her mind. And upon the
urging of her beloved sister, Irisdina promised to invite him to the birthday
party that would celebrate her beloved sister.
◆
Nozomu managed to
escape from Anri's pursuit during the lunch break and went straight to his
afternoon practical class.
While working on his
body in the training ground, he let Caskell's condescending words pass over his
head.
However, he felt a
chill run down his spine at the stares he was receiving from the other side of
the training ground.
*Stare~~*
There was Anri, who
participated in the practical training class as an assistant to Caskell.
As an assistant
homeroom teacher, she often participated in classes and directly assisted the homeroom
teacher in this way.
However, in the tenth
class, there could be only one assistant instructor in the class at most.
Nothing like the first class to get several instructors to come along.
On the other hand,
Anri kept staring at Nozomu so intently that it was as if he could hear the SFX
sound, and Nozomu let out a deep sigh hoping that he would not be noticed.
Aside from these two, the class itself went on without a hitch.
After a demonstration
of the ritual magic that was practiced in the previous day's class, combat
training was held at the end of the class.
Nozomu's opponent for
the combat training was, of all people, Mars, another tenth-class problem
child.
"You're out of
luck. I'm your opponent for the second time in a row. Well, you can't win no
matter who you fight, so why should you worry about it? Hahahahahahahaha!"
Ignoring Mars, who
kept provoking him as usual, Nozomu picked up a dummy katana on the edge of the
training ground and checked his own condition as he regulated his breathing.
His injuries were
fine. Even though he still felt a little discomfort, his body was able to move
as he wished.
He took a swing with
the dummy katana in his hand. The feel of the katana in his arm wasn't that
different from that of his own personal katana.
And his biggest
concern was.
He looked down at his
own body and scrutinized his eyes. The invisible chains wrapped around his body
appeared in his vision, and when he reached out and grasped them, they jingled
and gave him a solid touch.
It could be disarmed
.......
The feeling of having
ripped off the invisible chains that entangled his body in the sealed world
still lingered clearly in Nozomu's arms. He was convinced that if he wanted to,
he could unleash everything that was being suppressed.
(But I shouldn't
release it ...... for now.)
But even if it were
possible, Nozomu was determined not to break this chain right now.
The Tiamat he had seen
in his dream and a sense of anxiety he had felt at that time. And the feeling
that something in him might be broken if he were to break the chains now. These
factors made him hesitate to release it.
(What's left is ......
)
While muttering to
himself, Nozomu glanced at his personal katana, which he had placed at the edge
of the training ground in exchange for a dummy katana.
What came to mind was
his master's words, "If you want to get out of the bottom of the barrel,
you should use the techniques you have learned properly".
Shino was right,
Nozomu had never used the Qi-jutsu he had learned in the academy.
(Should I use it?)
Hesitation arose in
his mind, and countless reasons for affirming or denying it passed through his
mind.
But his homeroom
teacher, Caskell, did not wait for Nozomu's doubts to be cleared.
"Well then, let's
begin!"
Simultaneously with
Caskell's shout, the combat training began.
Without even waiting
for a moment, Mars stepped forward, and at the same time, the ground beneath
his feet cracked with a thunderous explosion.
Mars, who used his
[Flash Step], approached Nozomu with an acceleration that was hard to believe
that he was carrying a heavy greatsword.
This time, it seemed
that he had intended to crush Nozomu from the very beginning. Not only did he
use his [Flash Step], but he had already used Qi-jutsu to strengthen his body,
and even from the side, his entire body was clad in a remarkable amount of Qi.
Nozomu let out a small
exhale, "huff ......", in front of Mars, who was rushing forward.
His jumbled thoughts
cleared in an instant, and his consciousness snapped back into focus.
Before he knew it,
Nozomu was already preparing to intercept, his entire body moving at an
astonishing speed.
"Be
crushed!"
The greatsword that
Mars swung from above immediately shifted to a side cleave.
His first strike was a
feint, a strike that was made to look as if it was coming from above, but
instead, it was a cleave from the side.
Nozomu, using his
strengthened physical abilities to the fullest, rotated his body to gain
momentum, and then struck the cleaved greatsword from below. The swung katana
struck the belly of Mars' greatsword, and then the counter-force transmitted
from both of his stomping feet deflected Mars' greatsword upward.
"Huh?"
Mars frowned for a
moment in response to Nozomu's swift and skillful response.
But he, too, responded
immediately to Nozomu's interception.
He adjusted the
trajectory of the greatsword that had been leaped up, and this time he swung it
down toward Nozomu's face.
Nozomu turned his
wrist and held his katana diagonally to the line of Mars' attack, and at the
same time, he relaxed his right leg and let the impact of the downward strike
flow diagonally toward the ground.
Mars' eyes widened in
disbelief upon seeing his most powerful strike being parried by Nozomu.
Until now, the effects
of [Ability Suppression] were too significant for him to deal with this blow,
even if he had strengthened his body with Qi.
However, the physical
ability that had increased, albeit slightly, as a result of becoming a
Dragonslayer made it possible for Nozomu to parry Mars' powerful blow without
losing his stance.
Moreover, Nozomu was
now beginning to use the techniques he had learned under Shino's tutelage,
albeit gradually.
Having finally found a
place he could call home, his consciousness as he faced the combat training was
no longer that of the school life he had spent like a puppet until now.
It was a clear sign of
change.
Little by little but
surely, Nozomu's mind was beginning to change, just like a seed that had been
sleeping under the ground for several years cracked open the frozen ground and
sprouted.
"Tch!"
Mars' mouth twisted
into a smile as Nozomu stepped to the inside of the greatsword's range of
attack.
Nozomu jumped into the
gap and swung his katana in a single strike at Mars' torso.
Realizing that there
was no time to draw his greatsword back, Mars repelled Nozomu's attack with his
gauntlet, just as he had done in the previous combat training.
But Nozomu had already
anticipated that, too. The moment his slash was repelled by the gauntlet, he
took another step forward, shifted his body, and struck Mars in the abdomen
with a powerful elbow strike to one of the vital points of the human body, the
solar plexus.
"Gah!"
Mars' face contorted
in anguish, and his body bent over.
The impact on his
diaphragm, which controls breathing, hindered normal breathing and slowed down
his very movements.
Nozomu held the back
of Mars' head as he leaned forward, and then he slammed his knee into his face.
Mars could feel the bone of his nose get hit by the knee, and he staggered
back, his nose spurting blood.
Nozomu tried to pursue
Mars further as he stumbled backward, but .......
"Tch, you're
getting on my nerves!"
Along with Mars'
shout, a large amount of Qi erupted. As a result of the excessive amount of Qi
that was released, Nozomu was temporarily pushed out of the way.
"Damn, how much
Qi does he possess? ......"
While Nozomu
complained about his opponent's gifted disposition, Mars glared at Nozomu with
an indignant expression on his face.
He was completely
pissed off, having received an unexpected counterattack from a weak man who
should have just crawled over to him.
"I'll crush you!
You son of a bitch, I'll shred you into dust and pulverize you!"
Mars, in a rage, began
to pump Qii into the greatsword. The Qi that was gushing out, swirled around
the blade and cloaked it in wind.
"......
wind?"
After the Qi that
contained wind was poured into the greatsword, it coated the thick blade and
turned into a blade of raging wind.
[Qi-jutsu・Wind Blade]
A Qi-jutsu in which a
blade of wind wraps around the body of the sword and shreds any approaching
object. The densely compressed wind is accompanied by a powerful pressure that
unilaterally blows away any poor defenses or attacks.
Furthermore, the wind
also accelerates the speed of the slash, further increasing its power.
To withstand the blow
of the wind blade and the slash of the greatsword, the defender must have
sufficient physical strength and a strong defense, however, since Nozomu lacks
both of these, he has no other means of defending himself than to evade.
Mars' great sword,
swung diagonally from the shoulder, closed in on Nozomu.
Nozomu saw the
trajectory of the blade and avoided it by stepping back, but Mars stepped
forward to close the distance between them and unleashed a barrage of attacks.
The wind blades struck
with barely a moment to catch a breath. Nozomu kept moving backward, dodging
the oncoming barrage of attacks.
Thanks to the
[Qi-jutsu・Wind Blade], Mars'
slashing speed as well as his returning speed were accelerated, and Nozomu
could not find an opportunity to counterattack.
However, now that he
was being controlled by his anger, Mars' swordsmanship was more monotonous than
during the previous combat training, and there was no difficulty for Nozomu to
read two or three moves ahead.
His physical ability,
which had improved, albeit slightly, also greatly broadened the range of
Nozomu's fighting style.
Nozomu was preparing
for his next move, feeling a definite growth from the fact that he could see
five moves ahead of his opponent's swordsmanship and the fact that he was now
able to fight the way he wanted to.
◆
Mars was voicing his
confusion and exasperation in the face of the fact that his attacks were not
landing at all.
"What exactly is
going on here? ......"
Mars' slashes were all
cutting through empty air, as Nozomu's technique was clearly different and more
precise than ever before.
"Why can't my
attacks hit him!"
Nozomu, until now, had
never been able to move in such a way. He would stagger when he parried the
blows, and he would roll on the ground helplessly if he tried to evade. Even if
by chance he could handle a few blows, the result would be the same, and he
would eventually fall down.
However, Mars could
not see such a result in Nozomu's current movement.
The movement itself
was slow, but the way he evaded was extremely precise. Not only the sword's
line, but also the way he saw through each blade of the wind surrounding it.
Mars had not only an
abundance of Qi, but also possessed a particularly high aptitude for wind
elemental Qi-jutsu and magic.
His ability, called [Blessing
of the Wind Spirit], is limited to the wind attribute and greatly increases the
power and accuracy of magic and Qi-jutsu.
Therefore, the power
and the swiftness of the slash by using [Wind Blade] could not be
underestimated, not even by an opponent of the same rank.
At that moment, Mars'
vision happened to catch the face of the opponent in front of him. There was no
trace of impatience in his expression. Mars was convinced. He was sure that
this man had completely seen through all of his attacks, which were supposed to
be strengthened by the [Wind Blade].
"It ain't
possible ...... No way, that's impossible!"
Nozomu is at the
bottom of the second year. His opponent is Mars, who is at the top of his class
in terms of practical skills, with a rank of B. He was confident that even
fighting against the highest rank, the first class, he was confident that his
attacks would work.
At that moment, Mars
suddenly remembered again the ability of the opponent in front of him.
[Ability suppression]
An ability that limits
a person's ability to a certain level. The man in front of him must have had
his strength, Qi, and magic restricted by this ability.
How much power would
this person originally possess, having been able to see through his attacks
while being restrained by such shackles? And how much training did this man
have to go through in order to break through that limitation?
(............ I won't
acknowledge him. There's no way I'm acknowledging him!)
The ability of a man
who had not been visible until now. Emotion painted over all his reason, which
warned him to judge it calmly. The pride that Mars had in his own strength
clouded his own judgment.
Nozomu finally became
slightly unstable in the face of Mars' continuous slashes.
Mars, who had become
impatient in the face of Nozomu's struggle, took this opportunity to swing his
greatsword down with all his might.
But it was Nozomu's
trap.
Nozomu instantly
regained his stance and leapt backward. Mars' greatsword slammed into the
ground, and the blade of wind that had been enveloping the blade sent up a
cloud of dust around him, blocking his vision.
"Damn you!"
Getting impatient,
Mars unleashed the blade of wind that had been enveloping his greatsword,
pointing it in the direction where he thought Nozomu might currently be.
Qi-jutsu・Rift Wind Hammer.
A Qi-jutsu derived
from the [Wind Blade].
The blades of wind
released from the blade become a cluster and rushes forward in a straight line
like a battering ram.
The clusters of wind
that rushed straight ahead gouged the ground deeply, and blew away the clouds
of dust that had been billowing up.
But beyond the clear
vision, there was no sign of Nozomu.
"Damn, where is
he- ......!"
An intense chill ran
through Mars' frustrated body as he wondered where Nozomu had gone.
Mars shifted his gaze
to the right side and saw Nozomu, his katana already sheathed and at the ready
at his hip.
The moment the cloud
of dust covered his vision, Nozomu instantly put his Qi into his legs and
kicked the ground.
He then bent the trajectory
of his [Flash Step], which could only move in a straight line, and in an
instant, he circled around to Mars's flank.
[Flash Step・Curved Movement]
A technique that
combines linear [Flash Step] with complex curved movements.
At close range, their
gazes intersected. Nozomu was already in a ready stance to draw his katana,
while Mars was left wide open.
Mars judged that
evasion was impossible. He quickly tried to defend himself with his gauntlets,
but before his body could move, the mouth of Nozomu's sheathed katana was
unlocked.
In a place where a
wild storm was raging, a tranquil tone of sound echoed, *Shiing*.......
In Mars' mind, he
could clearly see the silver flash that passed from his right flank to his left
shoulder.
But Nozomu's katana
was not drawn out.
Immediately after, the
bell for the end of the class chimed in the training ground.
"The combat
training is over. The final exams are coming up, so this is the end of today's
classes."
With Caskell's
command, the students, freed from the tension of the lesson, exhale loudly, put
away their respective weapons, and return to their classrooms.
Nozomu, too, sheathed
his half-drawn katana and turned on his heel.
"Nozomu-kun, may
I have a word with you?......"
"A-, Anri-sensei,
I'm sorry, I have some business to attend to today. Excuse me!"
"Wa-, wait
~~!"
Despite being stopped
by Anri, Nozomu retrieved his personal katana from the edge of the training
ground and then quickly sprinted off to leave the training ground.
Mars just watched his
back without saying a word.
(He is definitely
getting stronger. No, maybe he is strong to begin with and we just didn't
notice it?)
Suddenly, he felt a
burning sensation in his nose and wiped it with his finger, and found the blood
that had flowed out when he was kneed earlier.
The blood that flowed
out of his hand reminded Mars that what had happened in front of him was real.
(What's up with this
fuzzy feeling? ......)
He felt unsettled.
Anger welled up from deep within his chest.
(Why? Why did he have
to hide his ability?)
No, it wasn't anger.
At least Mars did not feel anything like anger toward Nozomu right now. If so,
then to whom is all this irritation being directed at?
"I see, it's
directed toward myself ......"
Mars' mouth, being
lost in thought, naturally uttered such words.
If he had no anger
toward Nozomu, then there was only one other possible target.
Mars had never been so
angry with himself.
He was proud of his
strength. At the very least, those who were weak and incapable of doing
anything but secretly sneak around in the shadows were the ones he strongly
despised.
But even more than
that, those who would accept being tormented without resisting were the ones he
despised the most.
This was exactly what
Nozomu's behavior had been up to now. Even when he was treated as the lowest
student in his grade, he accepted it without changing a single expression on
his face. This was precisely the type of person that Mars detested the most.
But what was the reality?
Mars and the others
just didn't realize it, in fact, Nozomu was more determined to resist it than
anyone could ever have been. He was always struggling to become stronger.
And he was now being
made aware that his efforts were at a level that Mars could not even imagine.
He had never heard of
a person with [Ability Suppression] going beyond the limits of his abilities.
To a man who was
making such extraordinary efforts, all he had done was to curse and ridicule
him out of spite.
"Hey, Mars. How's
it going with the outcast today?"
"From the looks
of it, he's safe for today. Hey, Mars, just because it was too much of a hassle
to deal with, you're cutting corners a little too much!"
Two of his cronies
approached from behind and burst into deafening laughter.
However, Mars did not
even pay attention to the two cronies who were making noise behind him.
While his cronies
shrugged their shoulders and looked at each other upon seeing Mars' unusual
behavior, Mars kept staring at the exit of the training ground where Nozomu had
disappeared to, while feeling a strong sense of indignation toward himself.
◆
As the bell chimed,
Irisdina was running quickly throughout the school.
Her goal was to find a
boy who had not been coming to school for the past week or so.
"No one is here.
Is the tenth class have practical classes?"
After checking the
empty tenth-class classrooms from the hallway, Irisdina headed for the main
gate.
Since he was not in
the classroom, the main gate was the most likely place she could find him.
She was looking for
Nozomu in order to clear up the misunderstandings.
She also wanted to
apologize for the rudeness of having meddled in a part of his life that he did
not want to be mentioned.
Irisdina's eyes caught
sight of the school's large main gate.
Solminati Academy is
divided into various buildings, including the main building where the students
take their classes, the faculty building, and other various facilities.
As she exited the main
building and walked out onto the street leading to the main gate, she saw a
male student running out from the training grounds towards the main gate.
The student carried a
very unique, eastern katana at his waist. It was no doubt the person she was
looking for.
"Ah, Nozomu-kun,
can you give me ...... a minute, please?"
Irisdina raised her
hand and called out to him, but Nozomu, oblivious to her call, went through the
main gate and out of the school premises.
Why was he in such a
hurry? Before that question could even cross her mind, a crumpled and dejected
expression appeared on Irisdina's face.
"I couldn't speak
with him again ......"
As she lowered her
hand, which she had raised, in an absentminded manner, she let out a
disappointed voice at having missed the opportunity to apologize.
◆