Volume 2
Chapter 8.2
Connecting
Lights at the Lees of Shadows Part 2
Translator : PolterGlast
The truth is, I knew.
I knew that I had not yet gotten over the fear.
The truth is, I was
having fun. I enjoyed talking with Mimuru and spending time with the three of
us.
But I couldn't say it
out loud.
I felt that if I did,
it would diminish my past feelings of helplessness and frustration.
I admit that I’m still
weak and had yet to overcome my fear.
My fears won’t go
away. My weakness won’t disappear.
Even so, I don't want
to leave it as it is. I don't want to repeat that tragedy.
And now I want to save
the people who have protected me.
I am surrounded by
people I care about. They are fighting for me.
Mimuru, Tom, and the
spirits of this forest.
There are also those
who have saved me.
Kevin, who is awfully
overconfident, and Karanti, who is unfriendly.
And the one person I
used to hate. Nozomu Bountis.
I guess my impression
now is ...... that he is a good-natured guy?
At least, I am sure he
is too kind compared to the others. I don't think anyone would be able to
sacrifice himself that much to let a person who had been so abusive to him
escape. At least I don't think I could.
About the scene that
triggered my dislike of him, I can understand it now. I know now that it was
definitely not him.
The dislike I have
felt for him up until now is suddenly reversed, and an indescribable, sweet and
sour feeling begins to well up inside me.
I glanced at him with
a sideways glance, and he was staring at me with eyes filled with surprise and
warmth.
Along with joy, warm
feelings welled up all at once.
I can't show him any
more embarrassing behavior. That's why I'm going to .......
"Raz, you're
here, aren't you?"
A childhood friend.
Calling out the name of the spirit I grew up with in the Nebula Forest, I put
my hand on my chest and focus my concentration, deeper and deeper, as if to
recall the connection I once felt.
As I did so, I found a
stream of magic power, thinner and more fragile than a thread, branching out
within my own body.
Carefully, I trace the
thread.
Before I knew it, I
found a small, seemingly on the verge of disappearing, micro-spirit floating
and trembling in the palm of my hand.
"I'm sorry, I
didn't notice you......"
[Pyuririri......]
A muffled, yet
desperate voice.
I gently wrapped my
hands around the trembling little spirit.
"You stood
alongside me and tried to protect me. I've been frightened all this
time......"
This tiny friend of
mine was never gone.
Even though he had
lost his powers and most of his consciousness, he remained with me, and he was
trying to protect me.
Yet, my fear and
anxiety caused him to overreact, and I kept threatening him as an enemy, even
though he was my own friend. Whenever I tried to make a contract with the
spirits, I kept releasing my own hostility into my own magic power.
Therefore, I became
unable to contract with the spirits, and no one could notice Raz's presence
because he was concealed by my magic power.
I poured my magic
power into our connection, which had become so thin.
The trembling of the
lapis lazuli spirit subsides and its light grows stronger.
"Thank you, I'm
fine now......"
All because of my own
inadequacies.
I remained trapped in
the past, looking only ahead and refusing to see the "present".
I thought I was moving
forward, but I kept walking around, not realizing what was important.
But I have to put an
end to that.
"Even though I've
become like this, will you still be willing to stay with me?"
The next moment, the
ball of light popped.
And a lapis lazuli-colored
feathers spread out to reveal a small bird with long tail feathers.
From its chest to its
abdomen, it is as white as snow, and toward the sides of its body, the color of
its feathers changes to a glossy yellow.
Razward. A lesser
spirit that possesses the power of three attributes (wind, water, and earth),
which is extremely rare among spirits.
[............]
The resurrected
Razward takes my outstretched hand and gently rubs it against his cheek.
With that, I
immediately knew what he was trying to say.
"Thank you."
As if to answer my
thanks, Razward chirped, flew away from my hand, and began to hover around my
shoulder.
"Alright, let's
go......."
I released my magic
power and connected my consciousness to the spirits floating around me.
The magic power that
spread to every corner of the branches brought a chilling sensation down my
spine.
That is the fear that
the spirits are feeling.
The micro-spirits,
whose power is weak, were instinctively frightened by the source element
released by that foreign magical beast.
Toward them, I
conveyed my feelings with my magic power.
(It's scary, isn't it?
....... But it's okay, it's okay to be scared......)
I speak to them
gently, as if I were soothing a frightened child.
The fear they have is
something I have now. So I don't have to throw it away.
(But I want to change
...... No, I will change. With this fear within me, I'll take the first step to
move forward.)
To change myself from
trying to be strong on my own to being able to protect the people I care about.
That's why.......
(Just a little bit,
please lend me your strength. It's okay to be scared. You don't have to be
brave......)
Right here, right now,
together, let's take the first step and be just a little bit stronger.
The next moment, as if
responding to my call, countless spirits began to gather.
The gathered spirits
danced around me and Razword, emerging like a tornado.
"Thank you,
everyone."
With all my heart, I
look ahead while thanking them for answering my call.
There is still fear.
But my mind and body were no longer trapped.
◆
Shina's magic power
was released once again and danced in the air.
Nozomu gazed at the
lights gathering in the air like he was looking at something precious.
Shina's feelings were
transmitted to the spirits through magic power.
Perhaps because so
many spirits were in tune with her heart, even if Nozomu could not hear her
voice, the countless firefly-like lights conveyed her wishes even to Nozomu,
who was watching from a short distance away.
The elf girl, aware of
her cowardice and yet determined to stand up, was both gallant and
breathtakingly beautiful.
It's so ......
beautiful.
Nozomu, who was
fascinated by this sight, held such impressions in his heart.
What fascinated him
more than anything else was the strength of the bond that reconnected them even
after they broke or clashed with each other.
It was how precious
she was, whose heart had truly grown and taken a step forward.
Shina, while aware of
her escape, showed the courage that the current stagnant Nozomu does not have.
Her feelings kept on
spreading through the spirits.
She quickly raised her
hand as if to ask the gathering spirits to help her. She points ahead to Mimuru
and the others, who have been desperately trying to stall the black demonic
beast.
Tom's golem has long
since been destroyed, and the expressions on the faces of the three people show
a deep sense of exhaustion. Just like rats, they were being cornered in the
battle.
However, the moment
Shina pointed at the demonic beast, the battle situation changed at once.
"Raz,
everyone."
The ground rose up,
creating a wall separating Mimuru and the others from the demonic beasts.
As a result, Shina and
the demonic beast were now facing each other head-on.
The trauma returned to
the forefront of her mind.
At that moment,
Razward, the bird-shaped spirit, gently caressed Shina's cheek, as if to say,
"It'll be alright".
"Thank you.
Please take care of me."
Sheena smiled upon
hearing the encouragement given by the spirits with whom she had regained her
bond and returned her gaze once again to the demonic beasts.
*Gaaaaaa!*
The beast roared and
rushed toward Shina, causing the ground to shake.
However, the beast's
rush was blocked by a wall of light that suddenly appeared.
The wall was as thin
as a piece of cloth and looked unreliable.
However, despite its
apparent fragility, the thin wall of light effortlessly took the huge body of
the demonic beast and repelled it.
*Gau, grrrrrr……*
Shina's supple fingers
glide through the air toward the beast that got repelled, and as if following
the trajectory of her fingers, Razward flew through the air.
A whirlpool of
overflowing light. In the next instant, the light barrier instantly transformed
its form into countless spears and rushed toward the demonic beast.
*Guoooooon!*
In response to the
onrushing spears of light, the beast opened its huge mouth and with a roar,
shot out a black sphere. The black sphere and the swarm of light spears
collided, scattering thundering sounds, smoke, and light around the area.
The wall of light
disappeared as compensation for the attack.
Seeing that the wall
of light protecting Shina was gone, the demonic beast rushed toward her again.
However, the beast's
rush was once again blocked by something that suddenly came out of the ground.
*Gagyaaau!*
What emerged from the
ground were countless tree roots. Like a net, the roots overlapped one another,
directly blocking the beast's rush, entangling it, and tightening its huge body
with tremendous force.
The black demonic
beast bit into the tree roots that were wrapped around its body and began to
devour them with its jaws. The roots of the tree that bound its body were also
torn to shreds as the beast struggled to escape its restraints.
Despite having
borrowed the power of the spirits, the beast was gradually breaking free of its
restraints.
However, Shina's
expression showed no signs of impatience.
As she ran her fingers
through the air, tree roots sprang up from the ground again and wrapped around
the huge jaws of the demonic beast, which opened up to release its own
restraints, forcing its mouth to close.
"Phew......"
Taking a deep breath,
Shina readied her bow and arrow. She pulled the string and took aim.
As if responding to
her will, Razward transforms his body into source elements and assimilated into
the arrow she nocked.
The arrow began to be
filled with light.
It was far more
radiant than the engraved arrows she had been using until now.
As Shina began to
channel her magic power, more and more spirits began to gather around the arrow
of light, which reminded one of a comet tearing through the dark night.
And then, far beyond a
comet, it began to radiate an extreme light like the sun.
*Gi, ga~a~a~aaaaa!*
Perhaps intimidated by
the dazzling light, the beast spewed out source elements that had been stored
in its body, blowing away the roots restraining it.
It then re-collected
the source elements it had spewed out. The collected power was stored in its
mouth, and it began to draw out power beyond its limits in an attempt to reject
its impending and certain death.
It reminded one of a
black hole in space that would swallow up the stars.
An arrow of intense
light and a black hole.
The two concentrated forces
were finally released.
A comet of extreme
light and a torrent of darkness released from the black hole.
The two collided with
each other, scattering a vortex of destruction around them.
"Kyaaaa!"
"Ooooo!"
Mimuru and the others,
caught in the aftermath of the collision, screamed as the earth wall created by
the spirits was destroyed.
"Kuh......"
*Grrrrr…… uoooooon!*
The two forces were
engaged in a fierce battle, but the tide gradually began to swing in the
opponent's favor. Shina's arrow began to lose its brilliance little by little.
On the other hand, the beast's attack gained momentum.
"This is......
Could it be that it is absorbing Shina's spirit power?"
Tom muttered so with a
stunned expression.
Spirits are capable of
using magic power and Qi for their own sustenance, but he probably didn't
anticipate that the [Deformed Demonic Beast] would be able to absorb the
spirits' power.
If this went on,
Shina's spirit power would be devoured. If that were to happen, the jet-black
attack would annihilate her and the spirits that had gathered with her.
The comet of light
began to be swallowed by the torrent of darkness. At that moment, another comet
flew into the collision point where two extreme forces were jostling for
supremacy.
Seeing Shina, who was
beginning to lose ground, Nozomu forgot the pain that lingered in his entire
body and took a step forward.
Carrying the memento
of his master, he ran, clutching the invisible chains that bound him.
At this rate, the bond
between Shina and the spirits would be severed once again, and this time
completely lost as darkness consumed them.
Nozomu could never
allow that to happen.
She made a choice
different from his own and overcame her adversities. Her life must be saved at
all costs.
Heat revived in Nozomu's
mind and body, which were still bound by the chains.
The pain that lingered
throughout his body and the fear of using that power. As if to shake off the
chains that entangle him, his raging heart propelled his body forward.
*Swoosh.......~!*
He wanted to tie up
the bonds that were about to be swallowed by the darkness once again.
With this
single-minded determination, Nozomu tore the chains of [Ability Suppression]
and released his power.
The wound, which had
been closed, opened up, and intense pain shot through his entire body, but he
ignored all the warnings from his sense of pain.
His lungs bleed again
and his breathing became erratic, but he did not care.
What he needed was an
attack that would exceed the absorption capability of the demonic beast. That
was why he put everything he had into this single blow.
While holding the
katana in his right hand, he infused Qi with all his might and then extremely
compressed it. With so much Qi poured into it, the blade of the katana began to
creak and screech.
"Uooooooooooh!"
Ignoring his own
disordered breathing, he took aim with his left hand and activated his [Flash
Step]. He plunged into the collision point between Shina's arrows and the
beast's attack. Drew his blade and thrust it out in one stroke like a battering
ram.
"Smash through!"
[Qi-jutsu・Core Piercing]
It is a combined
technique of [Phantom] and [One Billion Severance]. When the blade pierces the
opponent, it explodes into countless needles, exploding the opponent from the
inside.
The activated [Core
Piercing] penetrated the jet-black attack and further pierced into its mouth,
causing it to explode.
The countless needles
of the exploding Qi blades tore through the demonic beast's absorbing power
like it was nothing, and blew its head off while shredding through it.
And then, Shina's
arrow, no longer met with any resistance, flew in a straight line like a comet.
"―――― Go."
As if answering
Shina's call, the comet arrow dove into the wounds opened by Nozomu's [Core
Piercing], and released its hidden power. With a flash of light, it obliterated
the demonic beast's body.
"We did it
......"
The beast, which had
had 80% of its body blown off, showed no signs of reviving and collapsed with a
sizzling sound.
Nozomu's shoulders
slumped in relief that the battle was finally over. The katana that had been
latched onto the tip of his pinky finger fell to the ground, making a clanging
sound.
"Haa......."
Shina let out a deep
breath, released her stance, and looked at Nozomu, who was covered in wounds
all over his body.
Her eyes lit up with a
deep affection that had never been present before.
"You get covered
in wounds every time you fight, huh?"
Fufufu~...... Shina
spoke so and smiled at him. To which Nozomu replied in a curt tone, "It
can't be helped, can it?".
They both smiled
naturally. A small lapis lazuli-colored bird flew between them accompanied by a
gentle breeze.
"Shina!"
When she looked toward
the voice calling out to her, she saw Mimuru and the others rushing toward her
while waving their hands.
Shina looked around
and saw Razward happily flying around, and the spirits dancing and excitedly
following his lead.
She welcomed her
friends as they rushed toward her, thankful for the bond she had regained and
for all the help they had given her. With a big smile on her face.
"Thank you, Raz.
Also, thank you, everyone......."
The blue-haired girl's
time truly began to move.
With the blessing of
the cool forest breeze.
◆
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