Volume 2
Chapter 6.2
The Shadow of
Causality Part 2
Translator : PolterGlast
Going back in time a
little, around the time when Nozomu was entering the forest, Shina was also
invited by Mimuru and Tom to venture into the Spasim Forest.
The reason was to
collect alchemical materials for Tom to use in his private research.
Basically, alchemy
materials themselves could be obtained cheaply when the student is as promising
as Tom.
However, he decided to
collect the necessary materials in the forest to make an achievement for his
girlfriend, Mimuru, and because he needed some funds recently.
Unfortunately, the
weather was rainy, and although it was drizzling, Tom was happy to go deeper
into the forest, as he had not been able to enter the forest for a while due to
the Direwolf's commotion.
When he reached the
collecting area, he began to collect medicinal and herbal plants, insects, and
fungi growing on the ground as the rain drizzled down.
While he was gathering
materials, Mimuru stayed close to Tom, while Shina kept a watchful eye on the
surroundings from afar.
As the spring rain
soaked her rainproof cloak, Shina, serving as an escort, lifted her eyebrows.
The area around
Arcazam was originally blessed with enough precipitation to form dense forests.
Rain falls regularly throughout the year.
Shina herself did not
dislike rainy days. In fact, she likes them. Her hometown was also blessed with
rain, so much so that there was always fog.
Now, however, it was
rather distressing. The previous day's argument with Nozomu had also stirred her
heart.
"What's wrong
Shina, you don't look well. Maybe something is going on between you and
him?"
Mimuru, who had been
watching Shina from a distance, spoke to her.
"Him,
huh?......"
"Nozomu Bountis.
He seemed to have something he wanted to ask you, Shina, and lately, he has
been bothering you a lot, hasn't he? Did something happen?"
Hearing Mimuru's
words, her voice hinting at her anticipation, Shina then understood that it was
her friend who had told Nozomu where she was training. At the same time, the
discomfort swirling in the pit of her stomach grew.
"......No,
nothing of the sort."
"Hmmm......."
"What is
it?......."
Mimuru gave a
meaningful expression to Shina, who insisted that nothing was going on, but she
eventually shrugged her shoulders in dismay.
"Well, I just
thought you were not as annoying as usual. You didn't have to lie to
me......"
"It's not a
lie......"
"It is a lie.
Whenever Shina lies, her ears twitch in an unnatural way."
With a flustered
expression, she held her own ears, but they were not moving in any particular
way. However, seeing Mimuru's meaningful smile as she saw Shina's reflexive
action, Shina realized that she had been had.
"I knew something
was up. Hey, why do you hate Nozomu so much? Didn't he save you from that
Karanti?"
"I saw him. I
actually saw him dumping Lisa-san ......."
Mimuru's words brought
Shina's mind back to the scene she saw by chance two years ago.
He and a stranger
coming out of a brothel in the commercial district. The girl with red hair
collapsed with a shocked expression on her face.
"Is that true?
You didn't see it wrong or something?"
"Yes, it was from
a distance, but I'm sure that man was Nozomu Bountis......."
Having said that much,
she stopped mid-sentence as Nozomu's face from yesterday appeared in her mind.
At least there was no
trace of murky atmosphere in his voice at that time, the kind that people who
mend their lies tend to wear.
"Shina?"
What was there was a
sadness that could not be hidden and resentment at the reality that things were
not going the way he wanted them to.
And these feelings
were the same as what Shina was feeling now. That was why she could not
continue to speak any longer.
"No, it's
nothing."
(I don't know why. But
at that time, surely, he and Lisa-san......)
The image of him
saving her from Karanti's involvement in the library a few days ago also
stirred her heart.
Flashbacks of multiple
images of Nozomu, and the indescribable feelings that accompany them.
A sense of déjà vu and
an unpleasant feeling that crawled up her spine made Shina involuntarily put
her finger to her forehead and bit her lip.
(What is this feeling?
It's as if it's all overlapping......)
"Hmm~, from our
conversation with him in Torgrein-sensei's lab, I felt he wasn't that kind of a
person~."
"Well, we don't
know Nozomu-kun very well ourselves."
"We have no idea
about him......"
"Right? We don't
know much about him ourselves. We met and talked with Nozomu only
recently."
Hearing Mimuru and
Tom's words, Shina couldn't help expressing her surprise.
It took time to get to
know someone. She herself had not been on good terms with Mimuru and Tom from
the beginning.
She had been annoyed
by Mimuru, who had been following her since the first day she entered the
school, and although she ignored her, they began to talk while they were
together, and before she knew it, they were working together like this.
It was as if they were
her former spirit friends who had disappeared.
(Was I, perhaps, doing
the same thing to him as Karanti and the others did to me?)
When one judges
another person's character, one is inclined to label him or her 'because he or
she is like that. It's easier that way.
The words and actions
she was directing at Nozomu were actually the same as those who ridiculed her
as "dead leaf ears".
This realization
brought Shina's heart into depression and further contributed to her confusion.
Shina's thoughts were
going round and round like an endless loop, and with her mouth set in a straight
line, she began to fiddle with her fine azure hair with her fingertips.
At that moment, the
sound of grass rustling in her ears caught her attention.
"~!"
Thinking she had
encountered a demonic beast, Shina reflexively readied her bow and fired an
arrow.
There was no response,
and her arrow disappeared deep into the bushes.
Shina quickly took her
next arrow and said a warning.
"Who is it? If
you're not a demonic beast, come on out. I'll hit you next time."
"W-, wait a
minute!"
"You......"
Prompted by Shina's
warning, Nozomu emerged from the bushes, the man she had lashed so harshly at
yesterday.
The appearance of the
person she least wanted to see at the moment caused her eyes to widen, followed
by her contorted mouth.
It was an expression
of avoidance rather than disgust.
"Shina, I knew
it, something must have happened ......."
Mimuru, who was
looking at Shina's expression with a sideways glance, let out a dismayed voice.
But she immediately
changed her expression and walked up to Nozomu, waving her hand.
"Nozomu-kun,
yahhoo---. It seems you had a hard time dealing with Shina yesterday~~."
"Hey,
Mimuru......."
"By the way, I
want to ask you ...... Is it true that you betrayed Lisa-san?"
"~......"
Anger flashed on
Nozomu's face, and his squinted eyes turned to Shina.
"......What, it's
the truth."
The sharp gaze
directed at her caused Shina to say something that also created a stir.
A reflexive action.
She, too, had become stubborn due to her mixed feelings toward Nozomu.
At the same time, her
heart ached as she recalled his haggard appearance yesterday when he muttered,
"I didn't do it.......".
"......I told you
I didn't do it."
Shina's words seem to
cover up her awkwardness, but unfortunately, Nozomu could not understand her
complicated state of mind.
Nozomu was just as
stubborn. With a hardened heart, there was no way he could ever think of being
considerate of the other person.
"Nyaan~~. Are you
guys fighting?"
In the meantime, in
front of the two who were creating an extremely awkward atmosphere, the culprit
who had thrown the spark into the fire was determined to watch the fight with a
nonchalant expression on her face. Tom, on the other hand, seemed to be a
little pressured by Nozomu and Shina's grim atmosphere.
The atmosphere was
tense. They don't curse at each other, but the atmosphere felt very bad because
they didn't say anything.
(What is this feeling,
it's sickening......)
The uncomfortable
feeling that had been hitting them for a while now finally became bad enough to
make Shina feel sick.
This was followed by a
ringing in her ears, as if bells were being rung in her ears.
"U-,
uuu......"
"Shina? What's
wrong?"
The pain was so great
that Shina involuntarily crouched down on the spot.
Mimuru noticed the
sudden change in Shina's behavior and grabbed her right arm as she was about to
fall down. Before she knew it, Shina's complexion had turned completely pale.
"O-, oi, are you
all right?"
Nozomu, who had been
glaring at her earlier, was also surprised by the sudden change in Shina's
condition and supported her body from the other side.
"Tom, hey!"
"Shina, are you
okay?"
Called by Mimuru, Tom
also rushed to Shina's side. At that moment, a low voice echoed in the
collection area.
"What the, so you
guys were here too?"
The voice was full of
confidence and pride. When Nozomu and the others turned their eyes in the
direction of the voice, they found Kevin and his party of silver wolves there.
A total of 20 students
were there. Nozomu and the others thought they were here for a collection as
well, but when they saw Kevin and his party in full gear, they changed their
minds.
"What are you
guys here for?"
"We just came to
investigate the possible repercussions due to the Garm's pack's movements. It
was such a big pack after all. The guild is concerned that the territory of the
demonic beasts in the forest might be changing."
The party members,
mostly made up of beastmen, followed Kevin's lead as he stepped into the
collection area and deployed a semi-surrounding force around Shina and the
others.
"What's wrong
with you, dead leaf ears?"
"Oi......."
Nozomu's voice, tinged
with anger, slipped out of his mouth in response to Karanti's comment as she
looked down at Shina, who was crouching down.
Certainly, Nozomu and
Shina did not have a good relationship. But even so, his words came out of
reflex in response to Karanti's blunt and abusive words.
"Ara? The bottom
of the barrel is with you too? You two dropouts sure do get along well."
"Karanti
......"
"Yes! What is it,
leader!?"
"Shut up for a
second."
"Y-,
yes......"
In response to Kevin's
low, intimidating voice, Karanti, who was about to approach Shina, opened her
eyes wide and backed away as if frightened.
The other members of
the group, unable to hide their unease at the fact that Kevin, different from
usual, simply looked down at Shina without saying a word.
"Hey, get the
hell out of here. Someone like that staying in this forest is just a
nuisance."
Mimru frowned at
Kevin's dismissive words.
"We'll do that
even if you don't tell us! Tom ......"
"Uh-huh. Shina,
hang in there."
"Don't......"
However, avoiding the
hands of the two who were trying to support her from both sides, Shina turned
her attention to a corner of the forest.
The ringing in her
ears had become even louder, accompanied by a headache, and an intense vision
hit her.
It was a black,
four-legged beast that suddenly emerged from the depths of the forest.
The moment the demon
beast's crimson eyes caught Shina, the ever-vivid vision burst forth at once.
"It's
coming......"
"Coming? What do
you mean?"
"An? ~!?"
A strong chill ran
down Kevin's spine. In the next instant, he reflexively sent his Qi throughout
his body and leaped from the spot.
"Uoooooon!"
The moment Kevin
leaped away from the spot, with a roar that ripped through the air, a powerful
torrent of magic power pierced the spot where Kevin was previously standing.
"What the
hell!"
"That was ......."
Kevin, Shina, and
everyone, traced the main source of the magic power and then they were at a
loss for words.
It was a huge
jet-black wolf. It had black-tinted fur and crimson-tinted eyes. Its tail,
which was almost as long as its body, undulated sharply like a saw, and it
bared sharp canine teeth reminiscent of swords as it glared at Shina and the
others as if they were its enemies.
"~......."
The crimson eyes that
glared at her brought back abominable memories for Shina.
The forest was
engulfed in flames, the echoing screams, her parents covered in blood, her
sister and the spirits who urged her to flee and then vanished.
"You, you are
......!"
With her vision
turning red with anger, Shina pulled out the bow on her back and placed Tom's
special engraved arrow in the quiver, and without hesitation, she poured magic
power into the arrow. Blue-colored magic power poured into the arrow in a
frenzy, and the engraving on the arrow began to emit dazzling light.
At the same time,
Shina began chanting. She converged the air around the arrow, coiled it into a
spiral, and released it all at once.
It was a fusion of
strengthening magic and wind magic. The arrow, strengthened and far stronger
than steel, with the help of the tension of the bow, which has also been
strengthened, combined with wind magic, shot in a straight line toward the
jet-black demonic beast.
And just before it
pierced between its eyebrows .......
*Clang!*
Then, it was bitten
down by the fangs of a jet-black demonic beast.
The beast concentrated
a black haze of power in its mouth to catch Shina's engraved arrow, and then
crushed the arrow to the point that it was barely distinguishable.
"No
way......."
While Shina was
stunned after having her greatest firepower crushed, Kevin moved next.
Concentrating his Qi
on his legs, he released it in a violent burst. Diving into the bosom of the
demonic beast at once with his [Flash Step], Kevin circled around to the side
of the beast, strengthened his whole body with Qi, and furthermore, with his
palms resting on his hips, concentrated his Qi on his claws and released a palm
strike.
Perhaps instinctively
sensing the danger of the jet-black demonic beast, his complexion showed no
sign of the past amusement.
"Oooo!"
An all-out palm strike
was slammed into the side of the jet-black demonic beast.
[Qi-jutsu・Impaling Claw Fang]
A Qi-jutsu that
simultaneously attacks the opponent with a dual attack of impact from the palm
strike and a burst of Qi released from the thrusting claw.
*Boom!*
The sound of a heavy
blow echoed. However, the jet-black demonic beast bared its fangs, unaffected
by Kevin's powerful strike, which shattered even a boulder.
"Dodge!"
"Tch!"
Reacting to Nozomu's
yell, Kevin jumped backward with a click of his tongue and backed away from the
wolf's fangs.
At that moment,
Kevin's eyes caught sight of a patch of red fur on the neck of the all-black
demonic beast.
The red furs,
reminiscent of a collar, reminded Kevin of the image of one of the demonic
beasts in his mind.
"Isn't this the
same Garm I failed to finish off before?"
"Everyone, cover
the leader!"
"Yeah!"
"All right!" "I'm on it!"
To support Kevin, the
members of his party, including Karanti, simultaneously pounced on the [Gray]
that had turned into a jet-black demonic beast. Their aim was at the limbs, the
head, and the tail, which controls the beast's balance.
Moreover, even if they
were to miss the initial attack, they would take advantage of their numbers,
and each member of the party would be in a position to launch a second and
third attack, and so on. Their skill and teamwork, which enabled them to set up
such a siege formation in an instant, were undoubtedly the best in the school
year.
However, Kevin, who
was watching them, paled and shouted.
"No, stop!"
The next moment, black
power erupted along with a gust of wind.
Magic power erupted
from the raised [Gray]'s black tail, raging wildly.
"Guuaah!"
"Kyaaaa!"
With a gust of wind,
magic blades scattered in all directions. The first group of Kevin's party
members who attempted to pounce on it were injured one after the other.
"Kuh, everyone
spread out! Second team, distract the opponent with a delayed attack! Third
team, rescue the wounded!"
"Oooooo!"
Although Karanti and
the others immediately tried to regroup, the magic blades rained down on the
second and third groups that were trying to help as well.
Nozomu had also heard
from Irisdina that [Gray] had escaped with a fatal wound, and more importantly,
it was Nozomu himself who first detected that Garm was roaming around Arcazam,
which triggered the request to subjugate it.
Also, from the fact
that Kevin had mentioned the name [Garm], he was able to guess that this
jet-black demonic beast was the one that his friends had engaged in battle
with.
"Kuh!"
"Tch!"
In an attempt to save
them from being wounded, Nozomu and Kevin stepped forward to get the attention
of [Gray].
It was Kevin who took
the lead.
While activating his
Qi-jutsu [Flash Step], he also combined it with his [Qi-Lightning
Transformation] Ability. He rushed forward with a tail-like thunderbolt.
Nozomu was surprised
by his speed. It was definitely an instantaneous acceleration comparable to
Mena's.
"Oraaa!"
Kevin thrust out his
fist while maintaining his speed. His fist strike went straight into the head
of the demonic beast as if it were sucked in.
At the same time, the
sound of exploding thunder echoed. It was the technique that had inflicted a
fatal wound on this demonic beast the other day.
"Wha!?"
However, Kevin's blow
failed to inflict even a single wound on the demonic beast.
The beast bared its
fangs and attacked him.
"Ugh!"
Kevin quickly jumped
backward to avoid the deadly fangs, but his face showed a color of
uncontrollable agitation.
(Based on its
intimidation and magical power, it is clearly at the top of the A-rank. Maybe,
it can even reach S-rank......)
Even from Nozomu's
perspective, the demonic beast in front of him had undergone a transformation
that was clearly different from that of an ordinary Garm.
The murderous intent
and intimidating sensation emanating from the jet-black demonic beast's entire
body caused Nozomu's keen senses to sound a warning bell that could not have
been more alarming: "If we leave this demonic beast unattended, there will
be a serious problem."
*Koo~o~o~o……*
The [Gray], which had
been scattering its magic blades in all directions, opened its mouth and began
to gather magic power in its mouth.
The air trembled and
the trees screamed as if frightened by the increasing magic power.
Then, the magic power
that had reached a critical point was released all at once along with a roar.
*Uooon!*
"~!"
The target was
Karanti, who was practically in charge of Kevin's party.
She was lending a
shoulder to a wounded comrade when a stream of [Gray]'s magic power attacked
her.
"Kuh~,
ooooo!"
Kevin shouted in the
face of the crisis. With his full strength, he intervened between Karanti and
the others and the approaching stream of magic power. He then crossed his arms
and took the [Gray]'s stream of magic power head-on.
"Oooooo!"
[Qi-jutsu・Iron Body Technique]
This is a defensive
Qi-jutsu that utilizes Qi-jutsu to strengthen the entire body and block an
opponent's attack.
The [Gray]'s stream of
magic power was met head-on with Kevin's [Iron Body Technique], which is one of
the most talented students in the school year and reaches A in rank.
"Guh~......"
But the cost was
great. His arm, which he held up like a shield, was shredded, and his entire
body was covered in countless wounds. He was bleeding profusely and clearly in
no condition to fight.
"This is bad!
This thing has become far more dangerous than before. We have to get out of
here now!"
Mimuru shouted for
retreat as Kevin, who was superior to them, was defeated in a single blow.
In fact, the current
[Gray] was no longer an existence that they could handle by any means.
"W-, we get it.
Leader ......"
Karanti agreed to
withdraw in place of the injured Kevin.
"All right, then,
immediately ......-eh, Shina, what the hell are you doing!"
But just as Mimuru was
about to retreat, a surprising sight caught her attention. It was Shina
pointing an arrow at that extremely dangerous demonic beast.
"Sister's,
Razword's, everyone's enemy ......!"
A black demonic beast
with crimson eyes. It has the same characteristics as the demonic beast she
encountered as a child in the burning Nebula Forest, which was her target of
revenge.
Shina's eyes were
stained with anger, and Mimuru's voice could not reach her.
The arrow nocked on
the bow was clearly infused with an excessive amount of magic power, and the
shafts bearing the magic formula were beginning to crack.
Even so, Shina kept
pouring magic power into the arrow.
The screams from her
past stuck in the back of her ears, and her eyes were clouded with hatred.
"Enemy? Don't
tell me, at the time of the Great Invasion......"
On the other hand,
Nozomu's eyes widened in surprise when he overheard Shina's words, but his
thoughts were interrupted by a sudden gust of wind.
Shina's arrow was
shot.
[Magic-Manipulation
Engraved Arrow・Blue Winged Comet]
The arrowhead, filled
with magic power with all its might without thinking of the consequences,
turned the arrowhead red-hot, and with a spiraling wind, flew like a comet
toward the demonic beast.
However, the [Gray]
flashed its tail while glancing at Shina's arrow that was approaching.
And with the countless
magic blades it released, it easily crushed Shina's arrows to pieces.
"Ah......."
The magic blades that
sliced through the engraved arrow bared their fangs at Shina.
Nozomu and Tom moved
in front of Shina, who was stupefied by the approaching magic blades.
"Kuh!"
"O golem!"
Nozomu activated his
[Flash Step] and pushed Shina down to the ground, while Tom created a golem to
shield them both.
Tom's golem was cut to
pieces in the blink of an eye by [Gray]'s magic blades, but Nozomu and Shina
were able to evade it in the nick of time. The sand and soil rained down on
Nozomu and Shina, who were lying on the ground.
However, one of the
magic blades that sliced through the golem caught Tom's body, which had become
defenseless.
"Gah!"
"Tom!"
Along with a scream,
fresh blood danced in the air. Tom's body, which had been hit by the magic
blades, was blown away and slammed into a tree behind him.
"Hang-, hang in
there! Blood-, the blood......"
Mimuru turned pale in
the face of her lover's crisis.
[Gray]'s magic blades
landed on Tom's body like a slash to the throat. It easily sliced through his
school uniform, which was supposed to be made for combat, and deeply wounded
his body.
He was bleeding badly.
Mimuru rushed over and put her hand on Tom's wound trying to stop the bleeding,
but the blood was overflowing from the gap between her palms.
"A-,
ahhh......"
In Nozomu's arms,
Shina let out a trembling cry in front of Tom's collapsed figure.
Her pupils dilated and
her whole body trembled as she remembered the end of her family.
"Kuh! Hey, get a
hold of yourself!"
Nozomu called out to
Shina, who let out a whimper, but it didn't reach her ears because she was so
stunned by the memory of her trauma.
"Don't think
badly of me......"
"Ah......"
*Smack!*
A dry sound echoed.
The pain running down her cheek brought a slight glimmer of light back into
Shina's eyes.
"Listen, there is
a hut just north of here. You can do some medical treatment there, so you
should take Tom and Mimuru and head there now! I'll buy you some time."
"......Eh?"
Nozomu, who slapped
Shina on the cheek to bring her back to her senses, stood up quickly and glared
at the [Gray].
There is no time for
hesitation. If they don't act immediately, everyone in this place will die.
Fortunately, it is
close to Shino's hut. There is a certain amount of medicine available, and they
will have time to use recovery magic. Nozomu raises his voice to Kevin and the
others.
"You guys too! If
you don't want to die, go north!"
"What are you
talking about?...... How can you, a bottom-feeder, hold back that demonic
beast? ......"
Kevin was saying
something, but Nozomu ignored him without answering his questions.
Just as he drew his
katana and was about to step forward, the hem of his uniform was yanked with an
unreliable force.
"Wa......-it."
Turning around, he saw
Shina, who was looking at him with clinging eyes.
"...... Please,
don't leave me. Onēchan, don't leave me ......"
Obviously, she was not
looking at Nozomu. She was looking at someone who was not there. Her exposed
fragility and vulnerability made Nozomu feel as if his hair was being tugged
back.
*Uooooooonn!*
However, there was no
time for hesitation. [Gray] raised its saw-like tail and began to gather magic
power as it roared. It must be trying to unleash its magic blades again.
"~, Kevin! Take
care of Shina and the others!"
After taking a deep
breath and shaking off Shina, who was clinging to him, Nozomu activated his
[Flash Step]. The next moment, countless magic blades rained down on him.
"Phew!"
He injected his Qi
into the katana and drew it out while imbuing it with an ultra-thin blade of
Qi.
At the same time, he
activated his [Flash Step・Curved Movement]. As he weaved his way through the gaps between the
raining blades, he sliced through only the blades that would hit Shina and the
others behind him, causing them to dissipate.
"Wha......"
"What are you
doing!? Get the hell out of here!"
While urging Kevin and
the others, who were surprised, Nozomu ran to close the gap between him and the
[Gray].
(As I had expected,
[Gray]'s magic blades are just forcing magic power to solidify. If I slice
through it even a little, it will dissipate!)
Originally, the power
of magic is vague as it is, and it will dissipate in a short period of time.
For this reason, people can use techniques and rituals to give a clear
direction to their magic power, but no such techniques are applied to the magic
blade of [Gray], which is a demonic beast.
Therefore, the magic
blade, which is merely solidified by force, is inherently fragile, despite its
size and the magic power contained within it.
When Nozomu, who had
discovered the flaw in the [Gray]'s magic blade, closed the gap between the
two, [Gray] tried to tear Nozomu's body apart with its own fangs.
Facing the oncoming
huge mouth, Nozomu twisted his body again and changed his direction. He ran
past the approaching fangs, dodging them, and then shot his blade in a single
slash.
*Gugyauuuu!*
[Gray] screamed in
agony as its right foreleg was slashed at its base. Its crimson eyes turned
even more furious as they turned to Nozomu.
"All right, just
keep following me!"
Nozomu, having
succeeded in turning [Grey]'s attention to himself, ran directly behind [Grey]
and jumped into the bushes.
*Guoooooo!*
[Gray], who was
furious after being injured, began to chase after Nozomu with a roar of rage.
And so began a deadly
pursuit.
◆
"Haa, haa, haa,
haa!"
A roar shook the atmosphere,
and even the ground shook as the giant beast's footsteps rushed past.
It had been more than
ten minutes since Nozomu had attracted the demonic beast as a decoy, and his
escape from the beast was still going on in the forest.
Considering the difference
in ability between him and the demonic beast, the beast would have caught up
with him and killed him in a matter of seconds.
One of the reasons he
managed to escape was because of the geographical advantage Nozomu possessed.
The forest where he
was forced to run around a lot by Shino as part of his training. It was a place
where he was often attacked by demonic beasts and had to flee for his life.
Nozomu knew this place better than any adventurers and students.
The place Nozomu chose
for his escape was a place in the forest where the trees were relatively short
and had grown to a certain extent. The distance between the trees was narrow,
and the [Gray], which was bloated and huge, was unable to catch up with him
because of its size and the obstruction by the dense vegetation.
However, Nozomu was
also unable to completely shake off the demonic beast, and the distance between
the two remained almost unchanged.
It was clearly Nozomu
who was at a disadvantage in the situation as it was.
(We are almost at the
end of this area. But for their safety, I still have to gain some distance.
...... Will I make it in time?)
He glanced back and
saw a jet-black demonic beast, still chasing him with its huge mouth fully
open.
(Damn! It won't give
up on me, will it!)
When wolves chase
after their prey, they keep up the chase for hours. Of course, it won't give up
easily yet.
And Nozomu himself
didn't think he could keep running for such a long time.
(...... I guess I'll
just have to do it, huh?)
Nozomu decided to change
the direction in which he was running. In order to defeat the demonic beast
behind him, he must take a sure-fire method.
He thinks of releasing
his [Ability Suppression]. In his mind, the nightmare after the release at the
Francilt mansion resurfaced.
There is anxiety.
However, if he continues as he is, he will surely be killed by the demonic
beast behind him. If so, there was no other choice.
Eventually, the flat
ground ended and a steep downhill came into view.
Nozomu ran down the
slope as fast as he could.
If he were to lose his
footing and fall, he would tumble in a straight line to the bottom, and serious
injury would be unavoidable. But he could not slow down now.
[Gray] was also coming
down the slope, trying to catch up with Nozomu.
The distance between
Nozomu and [Gray] closed in even further, and at last it was right behind
Nozomu.
[Gray] opened its jaws
wide. Its huge mouth, which opened to the left and right, was stained bright
red, and its countless fangs were gnashing and clattering.
And just as the
beast's jaws nearly caught Nozomu...... Nozomu suddenly disappeared from its
vision.
*Gyan!*
A moment later, severe
pain hit [Gray]'s left foreleg, and fresh blood splattered on the ground.
[Gray] suddenly lost
its balance and tried to regain its balance, but it couldn't stand on one leg
and fell to the ground, rolling down the slope as it was.
"Phew......."
Nozomu, who was about
to be captured by the demonic beast, had escaped to the side before anyone knew
it.
The moment the beast's
fangs were about to reach him, he changed the direction he was running with
[Flash Step・Curved Movement]. As
he evaded to the side, he slashed at the [Gray]'s left foreleg.
No creature could
escape from gravity. When descending a slope, a four-legged creature's weight
will be concentrated on its forelegs.
Because [Gray] was
injured in its weight-bearing forelegs, it was unable to control its own weight
and momentum as it ran down the hill, and it rolled down the slope.
"Haa, haa, haa
...... haaaaah!"
Nozomu grabbed the
invisible chains that bound him and ripped them off with all his might.
The shattered chains
were flying in the air, and the immense amount of Qi released raised Nozomu's
abilities to a new level.
Nozomu sheathed the
katana he had been drawing, and then he focused all his Qi into it, extremely
compressing it. At the same time, he activates his [Flash Step] and charged
toward the [Gray] that had rolled down the slope.
*Guooooo!*
[Gray] raised itself
up at the bottom of the hill and opened its mouth toward Nozomu, who jumped at
it from above.
An enormous amount of
magic power was concentrated. Then, the magic power that had reached a critical
point was released along with a roar.
*Uooooooon!*
A torrent of magic
power was released. Faced with the stream of magic power coming in a straight
line, Nozomu also snapped his sheath's mouth open and pulled his blade out.
[Qi-jutsu・Phantom]
The ultra-thin
Qi-blade slashed through [Gray]'s magic power and sliced off the beast's lower
jaw.
*Gahyu!*
The firing platform
collapsed, and the unstable torrent of magic power instantly dissipated. Then
Nozomu unleashed a returning cleave to the side.
"Haaaaaa!"
[Qi-jutsu・Phantom] was released for the second time, and it
severed [Gray]'s body in two, creating a huge line of slashes on the ground.
Then, the [Gray]'s
severed body slowly collapsed.
"Haa-haa,-phew……
guh~."
Nozomu, who landed on
the ground, looked down at his arms, which were in pain while breathing
heavily.
The skin of both of
his arms was torn, and blood was dripping down. It was a backlash from the
release of his power.
At the same time, a
strong feeling of weariness came over his whole body.
"Good. I'm sure
with this-......"
It was defeated.
Nozomu was relieved and tried to reapply the [Ability Suppression] to himself
again.
The next moment,
however, he heard a deafening roar from the beast.
*Groooaarrrrrr!......*
"You've got to be
kidding me......"
There was [Gray], who
was coming back to life. The wounds cut by [Phantom] were covered in a pale
light of Qi, gradually sealing the wounds.
"Is it absorbing
the Qi of the technique I unleashed?......"
The jet-black demonic
beast regenerated its wounds with a pulsating thumping sound.
Following this, black
particles of light began to dance from [Gray]'s black fur.
The particles of light
were similar to the ones covering Tiamat, which Nozomu had seen before.
"The light of the
source element ....... But how come? ......"
*Guoooooo!*
"Damn it!"
[Gray], which had
closed its wound, leaped at Nozomu with only its upper body.
Nozomu reflexively
slammed his right hand into the ground with all his might.
[Qi-jutsu・Light of Annihilation]
A torrent of Qi
erupted from the ground, enveloping Nozomu and the [Gray], and exploded,
engulfing the surrounding trees.
With a roaring sound,
it blew away everything in its path.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Aiden Elliott
Kcx1
Rahul Panuganti
Swagaraga
[Gold]
Hikari Ashta
Jor Tran
[Silver]
CoolmanMTD
Glasses Kun
Godman gaming
Mateo
ONEEYED_SLOTH
Vain Indigo
Alden H
Anton Lim
Curious Panda
Danial Azman
Стас Удрис
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
