Volume 2
Chapter 8.1
Connecting
Lights at the Lees of Shadows Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
"Right
here......"
Shina had returned to
the place where she had encountered that demonic beast yesterday.
To settle the score
with the jet-black demonic beast that had injured her friends. Above all, it
was for her own personal reasons.
Although that monster
was different from the one she had seen in her homeland, she couldn't leave
that dangerous monster alone in this world.
"Fuu, fuu, fuu
......'"
Her breathing
naturally became shallow and rough. Her heart was beating so fast that it made
her ears ring, and cold sweat was pouring down her back.
(I'll win this
time......)
As she told herself
so, she released her magic power and spread it to her surroundings.
After making sure that
the spirits that reacted to the dispersed magic power gathered together as
particles of light, she spoke to them.
(Everyone, please
answer me. That black, filthy beast. Please lend me your power to defeat it.)
[Spirit Contracts]
Contract magic to make
a contract with spirits. It is also a magic that allows the user to connect
with the spirits present in an area by using magic power, and to be able to use
spirit magic that is only available to the spirit species.
However, in order to
make a contract, an extremely high affinity with the spirits is required, and
the time the contract can be held and the scale of the spirit magic that can be
used depend on the spirits with whom the contract has been made.
Although it is
originally classified as a form of magic, it can only be used by elves, who by
nature have a far superior affinity with spirits than other races, and careful
preparation is required for other races to succeed with this magic.
For this reason, it is
a magic that is practically treated like a different ability possessed by
elves.
(Why ....... Why don't
you guys answer me?)
However, Shina still
could not sense the will of the spirits.
Even though she called
out desperately, the spirits did not respond.
Impatience grew, and
even though she desperately tried to tell her own mind to calm down, impatience
led to frustration, and the flow of released magic power became chaotic.
The distance between
her and the spirits who were watching her from afar became more distant, which
further aggravated her frustration.
(In the past, if I
talked to them, they were all happy to respond......)
Tears welled up in her
eyes as she recalled a time when she knew nothing and was happy.
(Raz ......)
Remembering a former
spirit friend who has disappeared.
Long ago, they used to
play together, eat snacks together in the trees, and sleep together with the
same elven friends.
Despite its beautiful
appearance, it was a foul-mouthed spirit, but when she thought back on it, it
was a thoughtful and irreplaceable friend.
Now it was no more
than a memory.
Her heart ached as if
it were creaking.
(Please! I don't want
Mimuru and the others to be in any more danger! Please, everyone, lend me a
hand!)
She kept calling out
to the spirits, using even the pain as a driving force to motivate herself.
Mimuru and Tom.
Especially with Mimuru, she had been in conflict with her on every occasion,
but only at those times was the pain of her 20-year-old wound lessened. She
could say what she wanted to say with all her might.
She was able to loosen
the taut threads, even if only a little.
She kept drawing out
her magic power desperately, thinking of her precious friends in the back of
her mind. At that moment, the image of another person, a man, appeared in her
mind.
(Why does his face pop
into my head ......?)
Nozomu Bountis. The
one whom she had called a scumbag and kept rejecting.
In fact, Shina has
witnessed his infidelity firsthand.
She didn't even feel
sorry for him and thought he was untrustworthy to begin with.
But he risked his life
to save her, with whom he would have had an antagonistic relationship.
His appearance when he
came forward as a decoy was so gallant that she couldn't believe he was the
same person that she had formerly seen.
(Why did you save me?)
She wanted to ask him.
And once the question
came to mind, it became a multitude of curiosities, and even at a time like this,
it made her heart swell.
But she exhaled
heavily with regret, convinced that it was not possible to ask him now.
*Swoosh.......*
The surrounding
atmosphere changed abruptly. The spirits that had gathered around her
disappeared.
A feeling that could
never be forgotten. From behind the overgrown bushes, countless crimson eyes
were staring at her.
*Grrrrrr......*
"You've grown
quite ugly ......"
A deformed beast made
its appearance. Its appearance had undergone a major transformation since she
encountered it yesterday.
Almost all that
remains of its appearance as [Garm] is gone, and its physique has become bloated.
The lower half of its
body is covered with bare muscles, and countless eyeballs are open and
wriggling all over its body.
The tail has split
into three and grown huge. It had jagged blades like a saw, and it seemed to
have decided that Shina in front of it was its prey, as it swayed and pointed
its tip at her.
Even from its outward
appearance, it was hard to believe that it had once been a [Garm]. But what
frightened Shina more than anything else was the light of a foreign source
element emanating from the deformed beast.
(As I thought, this
demonic beast has the power of a spirit......)
The horror that seemed
out of this world made Shina's heart shrink.
To begin with, only
the spirit species that supported this world could handle the power of the
source element. Even elves could only borrow such power in exchange for their
magic power.
However, that power
was being radiated from this beast's entire body in an uncontrolled manner.
"Fuu-fuu-fuu......"
Shina braced her
trembling legs, bit her lip tightly, pulled multiple arrows from her quiver,
and poised her bow.
There was no time to
make a contract with the spirits.
She only has one
chance. She must use all the power she has cultivated so far to defeat the
black beast before it closes the distance.
Pulling the string
with all her strength, the bow bent with a grinding sound.
The bow was pulled to
its limit, and she infused the arrow with all the magic she could muster.
Full power from the
very beginning.
The engraving on the
arrow began to glow with the magic power sent into it, and at the same time, a
spell was chanted and deployed.
The strengthening
magic by the formation method enhanced the strength of the arrows, and they
began to emit dazzling light.
Then, the magic by
chanting method generated a powerful whirlwind that enveloped the arrow
enchanted with the strengthening magic.
This was a
simultaneous deployment of magic using two different techniques, the formation
method and the chanting method.
Both the formation and
chanting methods of magic used in Arcazam are the newest methods of magic
deployment on this continent. At the same time, they are both heretical
techniques for the elves, who have been dependent on the assistance of spirits.
However, these
heretical techniques were the power that Shina Juliel, who had lost her spirit
magic, had honed in this town.
Its precision was in
no way inferior to that of the elite soldiers of the various countries who had
fought in the Great Invasion.
*Gaaaaaaaaa!*
*Sshh!*
Shina fired the arrow
she had been preparing at the roaring, rushing demonic beast.
The arrow, imbued with
radiant light, was accelerated by the whirlwind, and it shot in a straight line
toward the beast.
The beast, however,
twisted its head and caught Shina's arrow with its fangs.
After a moment's
struggle, the wind-enveloped arrow was crushed with a creaking sound.
"Not yet!"
But Shina, too, had
already anticipated that a single arrow would not work.
She took out three
engraved arrows at once, filled them with magic power and released them.
"Ugh,
oooohh......!"
The engraved arrows
were shot in rapid succession. One arrow, two arrows, three arrows.
In the blink of an
eye, the pressure in its mouth quadrupled, and the [Deformed Demonic Beast]
groaned.
"Take this!"
Furthermore, Shina
shot one more arrow without fail.
The engraved arrow,
which was infused with the largest amount of magic power ever, gained
acceleration and flew into the mouth of the demonic beast, causing the
atmosphere to tremble, and unleashing its contained magic power all at once.
Combined with the
magic power of the four arrows that had already been shot before, *Boom!*, a
powerful blast of energy blew forth.
"Kyaaaa!"
Shina's body was blown
away by a blast that seemed to shred her entire body.
She was slammed to the
ground, and air leaked from her lungs.
"Did I get it
......?"
Forcing her creaking,
aching body, she managed to raise her upper body to check on the demonic beast.
*Grrrr.......*
Amidst the
blue-colored magic residue dancing in the air, the figure of the deformed beast
was revealed.
There was not a single
scratch on the beast, even after receiving a burst of magic power in its mouth.
Upon closer
inspection, the light of the source element gathered in the mouth of the
[Deformed Demonic Beast].
At the moment when
Shina's engraved arrows exploded, it must have used the power of the source
element to protect it from the explosion.
*Fushuuuu……*
A breath of murderous
intent escaped through the gaps between its fangs. Countless crimson eyes
glared at Shina again.
The [Deformed Demonic
Beast]'s limbs tensed up and its body lowered down. Clearly, it was in a stance
with the intent to launch an attack.
Shina, on the other
hand, could not move her body properly due to the pain from being slammed to
the ground.
Her fingertips trembled,
and even her hand holding the bow was only trembling and twitching.
(...... It's not
working, huh?......)
In the face of death
from which there was no escape, Shina exhaled heavily one last time.
A sense of weakness
assailed her in the face of a reality from which she could not escape. The
feelings that had been frozen and taut since the Great Invasion were breaking
down, draining her of all energy.
It was the moment when
her heart, which had been continuously fighting, broke for the first time.
(It's over, I'm done
......)
Numerous regrets
flashed through her mind at this moment.
The fact that she had
wasted the wishes of her parents and sister, who had risked their lives to
allow her to escape. The fact that she could not reclaim her homeland back. The
fact that she could not reconcile with Mimuru and the others who accompanied
her. And the fact that she wasted the efforts of the man who shouldered her
responsibility and helped her escape yesterday.
The [Deformed Demonic
Beast] kicked the ground. Whether it was because of the imminent death or not,
the beast's movement seemed to be very slow to her.
(I'm sorry......)
An apology that came
out of her mouth unintentionally. Shina gently tried to close her eyes, as if
accepting her impending death, while uttering words that she did not know to
whom she was directing them.
At that moment, in her
hazy vision, a single small lapis lazuli-colored light danced in the air.
The floating light,
flickering and flashing seemingly in a frenzy, flew around as if it was
standing between Shina and the demonic beast.
(A spirit? You all
should have run away......)
Frightened by the
foreign source element emitted by the [Deformed Demonic Beast], the spirits in
the surrounding area should have already disappeared.
All but a single
micro-spirit that suddenly appeared. Its light was so weak compared to the
other spirits that it looked as if it would vanish at any moment.
However, the
micro-spirit stood between the demonic beast and Shina, as if to say,
"Stay away from her".
Its fragile yet strong
will reminded her of her former friend.
"Raz......?"
The name of her
friend, who should have disappeared, came out of her mouth unintentionally, and
the lapis lazuli-colored micro-spirit trembled.
*Guoooooooo!*
However, before she
could even confirm it, the black demonic beast was already right in front of
her.
Its huge jaws were
opened, and it was about to tear her body apart.
And just as its mouth
was about to close,
"Uoooooooo!"
With a loud cry,
"he" intervened between Shina and the demonic beast.
His body was clad in
the most powerful Qi one had ever seen, with a faint scent of spirit.
◆
"This is
bad!"
When Nozomu finally
found Shina, the fangs of the demonic beast were about to reach her.
"Uooooooo!"
There was no time to
think. Nozomu tore off the chains that bound him, and activated his [Flash
Step] with all his might.
Due to the damage left
over from yesterday and the enormous amount of Qi he unleashed at once, the
muscles in his legs were torn and the skin was ripped, but he didn't give a
damn about it, and he intervened between Shina and the demonic beast and drew
his katana.
[Qi-jutsu・One Billion Severance]
If [Phantom] is a
slash that slices, then this is a slash that gouges. The released Qi blades
expand and explode into countless needles, and the opponent's body is scraped
apart.
*Gabyaau!*
Nozomu's [One Billion
Severance] scraped through the source element that the [Deformed Demonic Beast]
was clad in and gouged out its mouth in a large chunk.
The beast's
head shook and a large amount of blood spilled from its gouged mouth.
In the meantime,
Nozomu grabbed Shina by the collar and retreated.
"Y-, you! What
are you doing here?!"
Shina couldn't believe
that she was saved and, more importantly, that Nozomu was here, and her eyes
widened and froze. The corner of her eyes lifted as she began to
comprehend the situation.
"That should be
my line, you idiot! What are you doing here, rushing in all by yourself without
any chance of winning!? You're the one who's being reckless!"
"What did you
just call me!? An idiot!? I had a plan to win!"
"Then why were
you in such a desperate situation!?"
"S-, shut up! I
just screwed up a little bit!"
"Just screwed up
a little bit!? That's even worse!"
Curses flying back and
forth. The two, whose emotions had gone off, temporarily forgot about their
regrets, remorse, and various other pent-up feelings, and started screaming and
yelling.
*Gagyaaaa!*
The beast's roar
echoed through the forest. Nozomu regained his composure upon hearing the roar
and turned to glare at the [Deformed Demonic Beast] while readying his weapon.
"............."
*Creak-creak*,
*Snap^......
The sounds of
something being torn to shreds deep within his body, made Nozomu clench his
teeth.
(I can't release it
for too long......)
The release of
[Ability Suppression] that he had been performing since yesterday. The
accumulated damage had already reached a level that could not be ignored, and
he was in a state that could collapse at any moment.
*Uoooo!*
"Kuh~……"
Perhaps sensing the
damage that Nozomu had sustained, the next moment, the [Deformed Demonic Beast]
attacked him, raising its three saw-like massive tails. The wounds inflicted by
Nozomu earlier had already regenerated.
"Tch!"
Facing the approaching
greatsword-like tails, Nozomu dared to step forward and swung his katana.
If he were to avoid
it, Shina, who was behind him, would be killed.
The air trembled and
roared as the tail struck, but Nozomu did not retreat, instead, he deflected
and repelled the oncoming barrage of blows.
Nozomu heard the sound
of Shina gasping for breath behind him, but he kept on fighting, not backing
down.
Fortunately, the beast
regarded Nozomu as a threat and paid no attention to Shina.
(There is no time.
Then I have to defeat it before my body gives up!)
"Hmph!"
He deflected the three
thrusting tails with minimal movement, then stepped forward and struck a
barrage of [Qi-jutsu・One Billion
Severance].
One, two, three, four
blows.
The four blows, released
in an instant, once again tore through the source element that the demonic
beast was clad in, exploding and gouging out a wide area of the beast's flesh.
*Guooooo!*
In desperation, the
demonic beast launched its two tails.
Nozomu sliced both
tails with a high-speed upward slash and a downward slash.
The huge tails flew in
the air.
*Gu~o……*
"Haaaa!"
In front of the
stunned demonic beasts, Nozomu went on the offensive at once.
The opponent's
regenerative ability is not half-baked. Without a doubt, it surpassed even
Rugato, whom Nozomu had defeated at the Francilt mansion.
If so, he must attack
until it could not regenerate.
While hammering more
slashes into the gouged-out wounds, he went around to the right side of the
demonic beast and severed its right fore and hind legs with a single slash.
"Ooooooo!"
Furthermore, with both
hands poised at his waist, he struck the demonic beast's flanks with a
[Qi-jutsu・Shock Cannon], which
broke the beast's balance. The huge body of the demonic beast was blown away by
the intense pressure of the erupted Qi.
*Gyan!*
The beast collapsed to
the ground, knocking over several trees with its huge body.
Nozomu, determined to
finish it off this time, pointed the tip of his katana at the beast and poured
more Qi than ever into [Mumei].
The katana's blade
began to glow with a dazzling light as the Qi poured into it.
(With this ...... it's
over!)
And just as Nozomu was
about to activate his [Flash Step] and finish it off in one stroke.
"Gahah!"
The intense nausea and
pain that came over him stopped him in his tracks.
He involuntarily put
his hand over his mouth and found that it was drenched in bright red blood.
(Oh no, I can't
breathe......)
His breathing stopped
and his rising Qi fizzled out.
Breathing is very
important when dealing with Qi. At the same time, since Qi itself is a power
that depends on the body, any changes in the body will directly affect the
accuracy of the Qj-jutsu.
The beast, taking
advantage of the momentary pause in Nozomu's relentless onslaught, regenerated
the leg that had been severed and lowered its body to the ground in an attempt
to pounce on Nozomu.
*Groaar!*
"I won't let
you!"
However, Shina
compensated for this gap.
She fired an arrow
with her bow, which she drew with all her might, aiming at the regenerating
foreleg of the demonic beast.
The arrow pierced the
regenerating beast's left foreleg and exploded. The foreleg was destroyed once
again, preventing the beast from rushing forward.
"Run, now!"
Shina urged Nozomu to
retreat, but Nozomu could not respond to her call. His accumulated burden in
his body was heavier than he had expected.
"*Cough*,
gahah......"
His breathing was
obviously not normal.
No matter how much he
breathed in, the suffocation did not disappear, and a bad premonition came to
Nozomu's mind.
(Not good, is there a
hole in my lung?)
If a hole were to be
punctured in the lung, air would leak from it when breathing, compressing the
lungs and causing breathing problems.
In the worst case, not
only the lungs but also the heart and various internal organs would be damaged,
leading to death.
Furthermore, against
his will, his knees gave up and Nozomu collapsed on the spot.
"Ugh,
gah......"
Tiamat's
uncontrollable power raged through his entire body, devouring his entire being.
The same excruciating
pain that had pierced his lungs now began to consume his entire body.
He could not go on any
longer. But the beast was still alive, it kept regenerating.
At that moment, from
behind the bushes came the sound of rumbling footsteps.
*Grrrr......*
"W- what!?"
The next moment, a
gigantic clay golem, perhaps three times the height of a man, emerged from the
bushes.
On top of the golem
were the figures of Mimuru, Tom, Kevin, and Karanti, who were supposed to have
parted ways at Shino's hut.
"Wha
......!"
"Gooooo!"
As if following
Mimuru's call, the massive golem, made of hardened earth, rushed toward the
demonic beast. It pushed the beast to the ground and slammed it into a huge
tree.
*Gyan!*
"Oopsie!"
Mimuru, with Tom on
her back, jumped off the golem, followed by Kevin and Karanti.
Kevin and Karanti then
rescue Nozomu, who was crouched on the ground. Meanwhile, Mimuru headed toward
Shina, who was still in a daze.
"E-, eh,
eh?"
"Shi ―――――― na~a~a~a~a!
You, foolish Elf ―――――!"
Mimuru charged at the
elf girl, pushing Shina down and pinching her white, soft cheek.
"I-, hi ~ya, hi
~ya! Hi~yahyehye ―――!"
"Who are you to
give up, you foolish elf!? You went ahead on your own, got depressed on your own,
then disappeared on your own ....... Spare me and Tom the frustration of
worrying about you ―――!"
Kevin's mouth hung
open as he looked downward at Nozomu, while Karanti's cheeks puffed out as she
glanced down at him.
"Yo, looks like
you're alive, huh?"
Kevin snorted
sarcastically at Nozomu's silent gaze, which was filled with questions about
why they had come here.
"Well, I've been
venting my anger at that elf for a while now, and as the leader of the party, I
can't just abandon you here."
"Nozomu-kun, I'll
heal you up now, will you just relax a little?"
Tom, whose upper body
was bandaged, rushed to Nozomu and reached into his pocket.
Nozomu, letting out a
ragged breath, reapplied the [Ability Suppression] to his body. The surging Qi
calmed down.
After confirming that
Nozomu's Qi had calmed down, Tom quickly began the treatment. He gave him a
potion he had in his cape pocket and cast a healing spell on him.
"Why are you here
......?"
"There's no way
we're leaving you two behind. Besides, we all wanted to say a few words to
Shina......"
"My party took a
rest in your hut, after all."
Pain and discomfort
fade away. Nozomu felt relief as his breathing calmed down.
"T-, thank
you."
"No problem, and
thanks to you, Nozomu-kun, we're able to keep Shina safe. Of course, I'll let
her take some punishment from Mimuru."
Nozomu's cheeks
twitched involuntarily as Tom smiled at him with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Tom, that
gigantic golem is ......"
"It's a golem
that was created by combining the magic power of Kevin's party members. It's
impossible to deal with that demonic beast alone, so I gave it the ability to
regenerate itself, so it can buy us some time."
*Uoooooon!*
The golem was blown
away as the demonic beast roared. However, just as Tom said, even though the
knocked-down golem crumbled under the impact, it immediately began to
regenerate.
"Ugh......."
"The injured
should stay put. This is our turn."
"Wait a minute.
What about your other party members? ......"
"They can't move
yet. And it's too late to evacuate them. That's why we have to do something
about this beast right here."
After saying so, Kevin
quickly stepped forward to protect Nozomu and the others.
"But I never
thought the Garm I failed to kill would end up becoming such a
monster......."
Contrary to his light
tone of voice, his expression was filled with tension.
He lowered his waist
and clenched his fists. The leather strap of the gauntlet he wore creaked as
the Qi that filled his body rose like steam.
Next to him, Karanti
took up a stance and Mimuru drew her dagger.
"Fuh~......."
The next moment, along
with the sound of muscles creaking from the bodies of the three, their bodies
began to transform.
Their fur grew longer,
their eyes narrowed, and their claws extended, transforming them into a more
beast-like form.
[Beastification]
A "racial
ability" possessed by beastmen, an ability to transform one's own body and
further enhance one's already superior physical abilities.
Unlike abilities that
manifest themselves on each individual, "racial ability" is a general
term for the unique abilities possessed by each race.
The ability to
"turn into a bat" of the vampire that Nozomu once fought is also a
form of "racial ability".
Beastification, a
racial ability of beastmen, is a very powerful ability.
Their drastically
increased physical abilities also amplify their Qi abilities, which is the
source of their life force, resulting in an exponential increase in their own
fighting abilities.
Furthermore, Kevin
even used his ability [Qi-Lightning Transformation] and began to cover his body
with lightning.
This is a combination
of his racial ability and unique ability.
"""Ooooooooo!"""
While howling like
beasts, Kevin, Karanti, and Mimuru leaped at the [Deformed Demonic Beast].
Kevin thrust out his
fist of lightning from his waist, while Karanti and Mimuru unleashed a series
of leg blows.
*Gu~uuu......*
*Boom!*
The air exploded with
an impact that shook the trees of the forest.
Their combined blows,
as if they were breathing in unison, caused the [Deformed Demonic Beast], which
was more than twice their size, to stumble backward slightly.
With the momentum of
the blows, the three dashed at the [Deformed Demonic Beast] and kept on smashing
it with their four limbs while screaming.
"You fools
....... You won't even be able to retreat......"
The problem is that
the manifestation of a racial ability has a significant drawback in some cases.
While the
"beastification" of beastmen greatly enhances their physical
abilities, it also paralyzes their fear and other perceptions, resulting in a
significant reduction in their ability to make rational judgments.
As a result, their
fighting behavior is straightforward, and they have no concern for their own
safety.
And despite their
beastification, they are not as strong as [Deformed Demonic Beasts] in terms of
their raw potential.
In fact, Kevin had
used not only beastification but also [Qi-Lightning Transformation], but he had
not been able to inflict any damage on the beast.
*Guooooo!*
The roaring demonic
beast caused the wind to billow as if to hinder them.
It became a black wind
that blew Kevin and the others away.
The beast transformed
its huge saw-like tails into spears, hurling them toward the three of them.
"Guuuuuuuh!"
*Shaaaaaaaah!*
The jet-black spears
loomed over the three, who were still in the air and defenseless. The three
took advantage of their increased physical capabilities and their superior
sense of balance to adjust their stances in the air, but they were not able to
evade in time.
*Zoom......*
However, the restored
golem compensated for the gap between the three of them.
It intervened in the
path of the three outstretched tails, intercepting the attack of the [Deformed
Demonic Beast] with its huge body.
*Thud!*
The golem's head and
torso were severely damaged by the impact.
However, the golem
immediately began to regenerate due to the regenerative ability that Tom had
bestowed upon it.
Conversely, the golem
pinned the tails that had pierced into it with its regenerated body, and in the
meantime, Kevin and the others attacked the magical beast once again.
With the three of them
specializing in all-out attacks and the golem's defense that relied on its
regenerative ability, they were engaged in a walk-a-tightrope battle against
the [Deformed Demonic Beast].
"It's no use
...... You won't be able to defeat that beast that way......"
Shina's powerless
voice echoed.
In fact, she could see
where Kevin and the others would end up in the battle.
Their attacks, like
Shina's engraved arrows, were blocked by the source element that the [Deformed
Demonic Beast] was clad in, and they were not able to land any effective blows.
Moreover, the effect
of the source element that the demonic beast wore began to suck out the magic
power that was constructing the golem's body.
The golem's
regenerative ability, which had been supporting its defense, gradually became
unable to keep up.
"Shina, we don't
have much time. Come here."
Tom took Shina to the
rear, where the aftermath of the battle could not reach them, and began to draw
a formation on the ground around her with nearby stones.
"Tom, what are
you- ......"
"I'm going to ask
you one straightforward question, Shina. That beast has the power of a spirit
race, doesn't it?"
"Y-,
yeah......"
"I knew it. The
only way for everyone to survive here is for you to be able to use spirit
magic."
A hexagram
representing the six elements. Surrounding it were multiple magic formations
that resembled concentric rings.
It was somewhat
similar to Tima Lime's magic circle.
"Spirits can feed
on both magic and Qi. On top of that, that demonic beast is quite a glutton. My
golem is not a good match for it, and it won't last long."
Furthermore, Tom
placed magic stones imbued with the six attributes of red, blue, green, yellow,
white, and black at each point of the hexagram. It was truly an altar with
magic formations and ritual tools.
Contracting with
spirits is where elves excel the most. However, it does not mean that humans
cannot form a contract with spirits.
It is possible to
temporarily borrow the power of spirits by performing a suitable ritual. For this purpose, Tom built an altar, albeit a
simple one, at this location.
"Shina, calls out
to the spirits through the center of this formation."
"E-,
eh?......."
"Just focus on
talking to the spirits. I'll support you."
"A-, as I said,
I'm- ......."
"Don't worry. As
long as Mimuru and the others can fight, that beast won't be able to touch
you."
"No, that's not
it! Why did you guys come here!? I hurt you all so much!
From Shina's mouth,
what she had been suppressing until now began to overflow.
The cries of a girl
bound by the past burst forth.
"If I hadn't been
so reckless, everyone would have been safe! I am always so bossy, always
telling people what to do, but when push comes to shove, I can't do anything,
so why are you bother helping me when I can do nothing!?"
Having finished
screaming for a brief moment, she looked down and let out a rough breath,
huffing and puffing.
Tom looked at Shina
with a calm expression on his face and said, "I have a message from
Mimru," and then slowly opened his mouth.
"It's because we
disagree with what you did. Especially Mimuru......"
"What?"
"We don't want to
hesitate, so we act, we chase after you. We don't need any reason to care about
the person we love. You know that very well, don't you Shina?"
"............"
"That's why she
won't give up."
Shina, with a
complicated expression of mixed surprise and satisfaction on her face, shifted
her gaze to Mimuru, who was still fighting the [Deformed Demonic Beast].
Even from a distance,
Mimuru's body was already covered with numerous injuries.
Although she is not
fatally wounded, the course of the battle is clear.
Even so, she would not
stop fighting.
She was struggling to
protect her friends from the evil that was about to befall them, charging
across the ground as if she were the embodiment of her own unshakable will.
At that moment, Shina
and Mimuru's gazes crossed.
Mimuru's mouth turned
up slightly and a smile appeared on her face.
It was a smile that
seemed out of place in such a dire situation. However, the smile conveyed
Mimuru's voice, which Shina should not have been able to hear.
[When this is over,
I'll have you tell me everything! I won't let you get away with it!]
Even without words,
her best friend's warmth gently wrapped her heart and melted the ice that had
covered it.
Just as spring
sunlight melted away the snow that had accumulated over the winter.
"Mimuru......"
"Mimuru came here
to learn more about you, to be friends with you, to be your companion, and to
be a part of your life. And of course, so did I. Well, Nozomu was the first one to
make a move though."
"Ah......."
Shina's gaze turned
from Mimuru and the others to Tom and then to Nozomu.
He was still crouched
down, breathing heavily, as if he was still struggling to catch his breath.
Yes, more than anyone
else, he was the first to come to her rescue.
He risked himself,
risked his life, twice.
"U-,
um......"
"Don't worry
about me. For now, let's just focus on those who are fighting ....... There is
still time. It's not over yet......."
"...... Un."
There is still time.
Shina nodded her head
with a slight, but sincere smile in response to Nozomu's words.
She felt a twinge in
the back of her nose, and tears naturally welled up.
Yes, Mimuru and the
others are not dead yet. They are still fighting for everyone with all their
might.
It is not over yet,
just as it was 20 years ago.
Wiping the tears from
her eyes, she stood up.
"Tom,
please."
The cage of her
frightened, frozen heart gently unraveled.
The melting ice became new sustenance, giving her a reason to stand up again. A desire to
respond to the feelings of her friends here and now.
"Yeah. Leave it
to me."
Tom nodded at Shina's calm but strong voice.
When she raised her face again,
her face was stained with tears, but she was staring straight ahead.
◆
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