Volume 3 Chapter 1.1
The Fierce Emotion of Betrayal Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
Once again, the chains
that bound me were released. Although the chains were tied up again, the
restraints were slowly beginning to loosen. The creaking sound of the chains
foreshadowed my resurrection. There is no way that a mere human being can keep
me restrained. It is as if this outcome had already been decided.
Perhaps it was because
I had lost some of my power to this human. Compared to when I was in the sealed
world, now I can think somewhat more clearly. I also looked into his memory.
This person himself was not aware of it, but I can see. He is harboring a very
small but not insignificant emotion. If that is the case, let me at least make
him relieve his anger. Be grateful for it, and may you return to the heavens
with satisfaction.
◆
Blurred vision.
In his nightmare,
Nozomu witnessed a hellish scene. The searing heat and a single emotion tinged
his thoughts. The only thing that surged up inside him was one single emotion.
It was intense anger. He looked down at his own hands, and noticed that he had
claws and his hands were covered in jet-black scales and stained red.
(This hand is that
dragon's ......)
He wondered why he was
looking down at Tiamat's hand. Before his question could be answered, the
dragon's hand, stained with blood, somehow transformed into a human hand
holding a drawn katana.
Now he wondered if he
had cut something.
Blood stuck to the
blade of the katana, and his whole body felt sticky and uncomfortable, as if
glue had stuck to them.
(What the hell is
happening? ......)
Amidst the confusion,
he looked up to grasp what had happened. And what was there was .......
◆
"~ !"
In a bounce, Nozomu
raised himself up. The sun had already risen, and the morning sun shining
through the window partially illuminated his body.
".......
Morning?"
While shivering from
the cold, Nozomu checked his surroundings. He is in his room. It seemed that he
had fallen asleep at his study desk until morning. On the desk, there were a
number of scribbled letters crossed out in black ink and left discarded.
"Ah, I see. That
reminds me ........."
After he had done some
checking, he remembered what he had been doing yesterday. He was writing a
letter, but he didn't know how to write it, so he fell asleep.
"But still, what
was that dream about?......"
He thought back to the
dream he had just had. Although he knew it was a dream, it felt strangely real.
*Thump - thump*. His heart was beating fast, and an indescribable feeling of
uneasiness was rising up in his neck.
Before he knew it, his
hand clenched and the letter he was halfway finished writing was crumpled in
his hand.
"Oh no
........!"
He hastily unfolded
the letter, but the paper was wrinkled and completely useless. He had no choice
but to take out a new piece of paper that he had not yet used.
He put a dry quill pen
into the opened ink pot and stirred the ink, which had begun to harden. With
the scent of ink wafting through his nose, he looked outside and saw that the
sun was already peeking over the horizon.
"Come to think of
it, I had an early morning training appointment with Iris and the others today･･････"
The location is on the
outer edge of the town. Considering the time to go, there was no more time. He
had to write it down quickly. After taking a deep breath to refresh his mind,
he returned his gaze to the letter on his desk and readied his pen. But no
words came to mind. The contents of the letter that he had just ruined no
longer seemed to make sense to him.
[As it turns out,
she's not lying. Lisa-kun is serious and recognizes that you have betrayed
her.]
[And there is one more
thing I have to tell you. It's about Lisa and the others that I saw. There's
something I realize now......]
Irisdina and Shina's
words came back to his mind.
Nozomu involuntarily
bit his lip as he drew the conclusion he had deduced from this. It was
something he was able to imagine if he thought about it carefully. Considering
what had happened after he and Lisa had parted ways ......
"I didn't notice.
No, I didn't want to notice it･･････"
The dark emotions that
welled up in him made his cheeks tense up even more. For a moment, Nozomu's
lips contorted and he froze, but then he ran his pen and wrote a single
sentence on the letter, which he sealed and put in his pocket without checking
it. He then picked up his beloved katana and his bag and left his room to go to
the appointed place. On the desk, he left an open ink pot and a quill pen that
spread a black stain on the crumpled-up letter.
◆
On the outskirts of
Arcazam. In a field leading to the outer rim of the town, Nozomu was engaged in
an exchange of blows with a black-haired girl.
The girl's name is
Irisdina Francilt. She is the daughter of a prestigious nobleman from the
kingdom of Forsina, a large country, and is the top student in her third year
at Solminati Academy.
The magical light
overflows from her well-proportioned limbs and fills even the rapier she holds
in her hand. Irisdina, who has gained further acceleration through precise
enhancement magic, swings her weapon while dancing gracefully like a butterfly
darting about in the field.
"Haaa~!"
Her speed is just like
a flash of light. The barrage of blows, unleashed in all directions, struck
Nozomu like a dense net.
"Phew~!"
Nozomu, while
retreating backward on his feet, uses his katana poised at the ready to deal
with the oncoming barrage of flashing blows. At first glance, it looks as if
Irisdina is pressing in on him. However, she noticed. She noticed that there
was hardly any sense of urgency in Nozomu's eyes as he dealt with the
approaching blows. In other words, this proves that no matter how much pressure
he seems to be under, it is all within his expectations.
(As expected. It's
amazing how he can surpass my blows, which are overwhelming him, so perfectly
with his abilities......).
Irisdina genuinely
respects and admires him for the truth that she can't push through even if she
seriously swings her rapier.
Ability Suppression.
Nozomu has been
subjected to this ability, which places restrictions on his own abilities.
Despite this handicap, his attack is swift and powerful. The heat rising from
deep within her chest makes her mouth relax involuntarily.
(How about this?)
She activates the
magic she had prepared. The next moment, the ground beneath Nozomu's feet rose
like a mountain.
Soil Manipulation. It
is a basic-level magic that manipulates the soil. Irisdina did not perform the
chanting required to activate the magic. The reason why the magic was activated
in spite of this was due to her ability, [Instant Deployment].
However, her magic had
no significant effect. Despite being suddenly caught in the rising soil, Nozomu
calmly responded to the situation.
Instead of forcibly
resisting, he conversely let gravity take over, rolling on the ground and
escaping from Irisdina's range of attack.
She fired follow-up
magic bullets at the destination of Nozomu's evasive maneuver, but he
dexterously unsheathed his scabbard from his sword belt as he rolled and
repelled only the magic bullet that would hit him directly.
(Just how in the world
was he able to do that?)
Even with his vision
spinning around and around, he accurately intercepted the magic bullets that
were approaching him. While being shocked by Nozomu's ability to sense danger,
Irisfina continued to invoke her magic.
[Restraining Magic・Chain of Darkness]
The moment a magic
circle appeared under Nozomu's feet, four black chains shot out and intertwined
with his limbs. After confirming that her opponent's movement was completely
restrained, Irisdina leaped while releasing a magic bullet for a follow-up
attack. At the same time, she further strengthened her mithril rapier, [Silver
Wings of Evening Star], by infusing it with magic power.
[Magic Sword・Lunar Eclipse]
It is the most
powerful magic Irisdina possessed. It is the most powerful magic Irisdina
possessed. Even the strongest A rank person would find it difficult to block
it.
"Phew~......"
However, Nozomu
slashed all of them off. He focused his Qi on the katana in his right hand and
turned it around with just his wrist. With that, the chains of darkness that
touched the blade of the katana were cut in half. He then slammed the butt of
the sheath against the magic circle on the ground while sheathing the katana.
[Mikagura-style・Breaking Strike]
An internal
destructive technique that combined bursts of Qi and a heavy blow shattered the
magic circle underneath his feet, completely erasing the remaining chains of
darkness with a bursting sound. Nozomu, who had freed himself from the
restraints, once again enveloped the katana he had just sheathed in Qi and drew
it at once.
"~ !"
[Mikagura-style・One Billion Severance]
A flash of light
bursts forth. Countless blades of Qi collided with the oncoming swarm of magic
bullets and whittled them away. Then for the third time in a row, he poured Qi
into the blade of the katana, and with a returning strike, he intercepted
Irisdina's all-out attack.
"Ugh
........!"
"Mmh
........!"
The two blades
collided and competed against each other. Sparks were flying and the smell of
burning air hit their noses.
Irisdina expressed her
admiration for the situation for the umpteenth time today. It was
understandable. This magic sword she had managed to create amidst the battle
would still be able to slice through even the scales of a dragon race. On the
other hand, Nozomu's Qi-blade was made in less than half a second. Despite
this, his Qi-blade boasted the same strength and sharpness in terms of density
and quality as the magic sword that Irisdina had struggled so hard to create.
"As usual, you
are a man who is capable of doing extraordinary things without difficulty
......!"
"No, honestly,
I'm reaching my limit. This is my last ･･････!"
The two leaped
backward as a sort of mutual signal. Then each of them took the stance they
were best at.
Irisdina thrust out
her left hand and calmly raised the tip of the rapier to a thrusting posture,
and Nozomu lowered his hips and sheathed his katana. Displaying the Quick-draw
technique stance.
A slight pause was
generated in the midst of this. A tense atmosphere engulfed the area・・・・・・ and it erupted.
"~, haaaaa!"
Irisdina was the first
to move. She boosted her magic power all at once and successively invoked
strengthening magic on her own body. Instantly raising her physical
capabilities, she stepped forward with all her might. At the same time, she
generated five magic bullets. While matching the movement of the rapier, she
released a thrust with even greater penetrating power by intertwining the five
magic bullets with the [Lunar Eclipse] in a spiral motion.
[Magic Sword・Black Comet]
A new technique she
developed after her battle against Rugato. Magic power converged at the tip of
the thrust and pierced the atmosphere in a spiral, hurtling toward Nozomu. Her
figure resembled a black star slicing through the moonlit night.
"~ !".
A black comet was
closing in. Nozomu focused all his concentration within a second. His vision
turned gray, and all movement in his eyes came to a standstill. In the slow
world, he took a step with his right foot and drew his katana while
strengthening it with all his might.
*Clang!*
With a high-pitched
metallic sound, the two shadows collided. The clash lasted only a moment. The
result was obvious.
"Hmm, looks like
it's my loss..."
Irisdina gently ran
her fingers over her own abdomen. A single scar was shallowly etched on her
uniform.
"Phew~ ........
-sorry, your clothes, ah-･･････."
Following Irisdina's
dispersed magic, Nozomu also released his stance, but then something unexpected
caught his eye. What glimpsed through the gap in her uniform, which had been
slit open, was Irisdina's white belly. Her lovely navel was peeking out from
her silky skin without a single stain.
"Hm? What's
wrong?"
"No,
umm......."
Irisdina, who had
noticed Nozomu's gaze, began to tug up the edges of her cut uniform with a grin
on her face.
Nozomu turned away in
a panic, blushing in response to seeing the white porcelain skin being exposed.
Seeing him like this, she chuckled and smiled.
"Hahaha, you're
fun to tease after all~~"
"Ojōsama, you are
being immodest."
As Irisdina was
enjoying Nozomu's reaction, a middle-aged maid with neatly combed light-purple
hair came over to admonish her.
Mena Manat. She is a
maid who used to be a close attendant of Irisdina's father, the head of the
Francilt family, and is regarded as a skilled swordsman who now takes care of
and guards Irisdina's younger sister, Somia.
She had a spare
uniform in her hand, and a curtain had somehow been hung over a nearby tree to
create a simple changing room.
"I know. I
wouldn't do that to anyone else."
Irisdina picked up her
spare uniform in a lighthearted manner and followed Mena's lead to the simple
changing room.
When she disappeared
behind the curtains, Nozomu slumped his shoulders tiredly and sat down on the
ground.
"Haa,
Gosh........"
"Fufu~, Ane-sama
must be enjoying herself when she hangs out with you, Nozomu-san."
Somiriana, Irisdina's
younger sister, approached Nozomu.
She looked into
Nozomu's face and smiled at him, her glossy black hair fluttering just like her
sister's.
"Should I feel honored,
or should I lament that I'm always being made fun of?・・・・・・ Ah, right,
Somia-chan, where's Mars and the others?"
"If it's the two
of them, they're over there ........."
Somia pointed toward
where Mars and Tima were practicing magic.
"Just a little
more, almost there ....."
In both of Mars'
hands, two wind masses are being formed, and they are gradually growing in
size.
It is a rather
advanced training, using multiple magics to change its scale. However, it seems
that he is still not able to control it. The shape of the wind mass in his
hands is gradually becoming unstable.
"No, no, Mars,
suppress your magic power!"
"Mu, guu, muuu
........"
Tima tried to calm
Mars, but perhaps because he tried to suppress it by force, the turbulence of
the magic power did not subside.
On the contrary, the
excess supply of magic power caused the distorted wind mass to expand at once.
"Oh no!"
"O wind, up you
soar!"
However, just before
the wind mass burst, Tima moved.
She enveloped the wind
mass, which was about to burst instantly, with her own magic power and released
the raging wind into the sky.
A strong updraft was
generated, but without causing any damage to the surroundings, and almost all
the magic power dissipated into the sky.
"Ah-......"
At that moment, Tima's
skirt suddenly lifted up.
Nozomu, sensing what
was about to happen, reflexively tried to avert his gaze ・・・・・・
"Nozomu-san,
don't!"
"Ummph."
Somia, who was
standing next to him, twisted his neck as hard as she could.
The sound of bone
cracking resounded, and Nozomu winced at the intense pain that ran through his
body.
"Ah, I'm
sorry!"
Somia, in a panic,
clung to Nozomu, while Tima, who had finished dispersing the magic power that
had nearly exploded, came up to Mars with puffed cheeks and a pout.
"Did I not
already tell you, Mars-kun? I told you, you can't control magic by force!"
"I-, I thought it
could work......"
"Gosh, I've been
thinking about it for a while now, but you're being a little too tactless, you
know that!? You understand, don't you!? Magic is a very dangerous thing!"
Apparently, Tima was
quite upset with Mars for wanting to proceed with things so hastily.
This was a very
unusual reaction from her, who was usually quiet and not very good with men.
"I-, I do understand
that much......"
Mars awkwardly averted
his gaze and responded in a weak tone of voice.
Did he feel bad about
his recklessness, or was he perturbed by the sight he had just seen?
Perhaps it was both.
If one looked closely, one could see that Mars' cheeks were slightly tinted
with red.
"Really? Then why
are you looking away from me?"
"W-, well, now is
a bit-......"
"What are you-
......"
Tima raised her
eyebrows in response to Mars' stuttering, but then she finally noticed where
his eyes were looking at.
Beyond his glancing
gaze, there was her own skirt. Her face turned bright red.
"~, D-, did, did,
did you see it?"
"N-, no, I didn't
see it! Only a little- ......"
"～～～～!"
The next moment, an
inaudible scream erupted from Tima's mouth. At the same time, the magic power
that reacted to her overflowing shame exploded. *Boom!* and with a roaring
sound, it exploded, blowing Mars away like leaves from a tree. It seemed that
the continent's most powerful magic power was enough to send a single adult
flying through the air, even without any chanting or other techniques.
"Fuwaaa .......
Is Mars-san going to be alright?"
"Well, he has
reflexively clad himself in Qi, so I think he'll be fine....... Hm?"
At that moment,
Nozomu's eyes turned toward the city.
"Nozomu-san, is
something wrong?"
"No, I felt like
someone was watching me ......"
Beyond Nozomu's gaze
is the border between the outer edge of the city and the downtown area. There
lies a place where miscellaneous packages, including wooden boxes and faded
wood, are placed.
He stood up abruptly,
approached the luggage, and began to remove the rotting wood planks.
As the fine pieces of
wood danced around and the dust tickled his nose, a stone wall hidden beneath
the wood soon emerged.
Nozomu puts his hand
on the cool, damp stone wall.
A slight smell of
burning wood mingled with the scent of rotting wood.
"Nothing, huh
...... no, there's a trace of magic power here."
A faint heat of magic
power blended with the cold feel of the stone. Upon closer inspection, one of
the stone walls is blackened and charred.
When he ran his finger
over it, a film of charcoals fell off.
"What in the
world is this? ......"
With a frown, Nozomu
picked up a piece of charcoal that had fallen to the ground.
The remnants of magic
power that had been floating around were no longer there, and the pieces of
charcoal shattered and disappeared into the late spring winds.
◆
"That was
dangerous!"
An oval mirror
floating in midair. The moment his gaze met the person reflected in the mirror,
he released the magic he was casting.
At the same time, he
ordered the medium that was receiving the image to destroy itself.
Having finished
destroying the medium in the nick of time, the person who had been spying on
the reflection was heaving with relief and exhaled deeply.
"Whew, that was
close. Just what kind of presence-sensing abilities does he have? Even though
that Mena Manat didn't notice me ......"
However, what followed
on his face was pure interest.
While being surprised
by Nozomu's abilities beyond his imagination, at the same time his curiosity
about the subject of his investigation accelerated.
"Nozomu Bountis.
I see. He seems like an interesting guy. I've been doing this part-time job for
a while now, so I've had to deal with a lot of troublesome things, but it looks
like I hit the jackpot this time. Heh heh~!"
With his golden ears
and tail wagging, he quickly picked up his bag and walked out of his room.
The Solminati Academy
uniform he wore had a blue nameplate on it, indicating that he belonged to the
second class of the third grade.
◆
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Aiden Elliott
Kcx1
KevinP
Swagaraga
[Gold]
Godman gaming
Hikari Ashta
[Silver]
CoolmanMTD
Glasses Kun
Mateo
ONEEYED_SLOTH
Alden H
Anton Lim
Curious Panda
Danial Azman
Matzar1
Стас Удрис
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
