Volume 3 Chapter 4.2
Ripples of Impending Danger Part 2
Translator : PolterGlast
Mars, along with Tommy
and Cami, were making their way through the forest to complete the tasks.
The task they chose
was to collect Regina Flowers.
The nectar and
receptacle of these flowers, which bloom in the spring season, are one of the
ingredients that can significantly increase a potion's effectiveness.
By choosing something
as easy to carry as a flower for the task, Mars was able to see how thorough
Nozomu was in choosing by taking their mobility into consideration. However,
the two others behind him were different.
"...... Hey, are
you sure he can handle it?"
"Nah, I don't
really sure either, but we don't have a choice. Jin said this is the only
way......."
"Oi, if you're
not satisfied, you can just leave. Just so you know, we don't need your
cooperation."
Mars shut down their
blurted-out concerns. He glared at them sharply, to which Tommy and Cami looked
away awkwardly. This attitude irritated Mars even more.
"In the first
place, it was you guys who came to us and asked us to team up anyway. Can't
your leader even unify his own people?"
The two who had their
leader made fun of, now glared back at him.
Cami, perhaps feeling
really pissed off, looked as if she was about to pull out the dagger from her
waist at any moment.
"Ho~u. I thought
you guys would be intimidated, but I guess you still have a little pride left
in you......"
"I hope you don't
make fun of us too much. Although we're not as good as you, we still have pride
having remained in this academy up to now ......"
"That's right!
What about you then? You seem to have a lot of faith in that guy, but can he
really show us something worthwhile? Don't tell me, when we come back we would
find that the entire team had been wiped out."
Mars smiled at the two
who were lashing out at him and determined not to be outdone.
It would be
meaningless if they did not do so after all. He is not interested in anyone who
just keeps looking down even after being ridiculed like before.
"What are you
talking about, you saw his fight before, aren't you? We're serious about
winning. You two should be the ones to show us what you're made of."
"Bring it on.
Peel your eyeballs out and take a good look!"
Cami declared firmly,
and Tommy nodded with strong eyes as if agreeing with her. Satisfied with their
behavior, Mars snorted and moved on.
(Come to think of it,
I also thought that Nozomu was a guy with a lack of driving spirit until just
recently......)
The first person that
he could truly call a friend ...... popped into his mind.
I wonder if that's
why. At the same time, a question that he has been thinking about a lot lately
comes to his mind.
(......What is that
guy hiding?)
He has always been
aware that Nozomu was hiding something, but his behavior today was particularly
strange.
When it comes to
fighting, he is a man of extraordinary concentration and combat skills, but
today his performance is lacking spirit.
He even failed to
slice through a mere eighth-class magic bullet earlier.
(What the hell is that
guy up to!?......)
Remembering Nozomu's
behavior, Mars felt irritated. He is strong, he has the power, so he should
just stay that way. After pondering to that point, Mars shook his head.
(Forget about him.
Right now, I need to learn to master that technique......)
Magic-Qi Combination
Technique. A technique he discovered as he spent more and more time studying
magic. A power that Mars saw in Nozomu, who had overwhelmed Rugato, and
realized the possibility of reaching his realm.
However, the road to
attaining this power is long and has yet to see even a glimmer of light.
(Damn it......)
Nozomu who lacks
fighting spirit and himself who keeps stumbling. With impatience welling up
inside him, he unknowingly clenches his fists.
"Mars, we're
almost there."
In response to Tommy's
words, Mars regains his composure and proceeds onward.
Ahead of him, the
dimly lit forest had opened up, and the sun was shining through the trees. In a
slightly open area, there was a large fallen tree.
Nearby, several
white-petaled flowers were blooming. And then, there was another party.
There were four of
them. They must have come to pick flowers to accomplish their task, just like
Mars and the others.
"......We found
it. And looks like we got a bonus."
"So what are we
gonna do?"
"Isn't it
obvious? I'm going after them."
While hiding in the
bushes, Mars reaches for the greatsword on his back.
Dissatisfaction toward
Nozomu, frustration toward himself. He puts all of this into his chest and
focuses only on swinging his sword.
To survive this
exercise and become stronger. That is all he needs to think about.
◆
By the time Mars and
his team found the Regina flower, Nozomu had finished building some simple
traps around the base.
The traps were nothing
special. They were childish things, such as using tied grass to snare the legs,
or using a bent tree to knock the opponents down.
But that is fine.
The purpose is not to
render the opponents incapable of fighting. The purpose is to stop them and
disrupt their concentration.
(Don't stop thinking.
Look up. Look around you and look at yourself. Isn't that right, Shishō?)
While looking at his
katana, which was no longer able to channel Qi, Nozomu remembered the words
that Shino had told him.
If you can no longer use
the Qi-blade, then you have to use something else to survive. He had also
learned those skills from Shino.
However, the more he
tried to refresh his mind, the more the sense of loss stirred deep in his
chest, preventing him from thinking.
Why did I still
remain at the academy in the first place?
Even though he already
knew the answer to that question, he couldn't help but wonder.
In the end,
Lisa is nothing but a worthless woman .......
(Are you sure?)
In his mind, the
bewildered appearance of Lisa yesterday came back to his mind.
Why do I have
to suffer so much in the first place?
Don't think
about it. I should just throw it away. The reason why I came to this school and
all.
Because those
things are gone now ......
(You know that's not
true, don't you?)
*Round and round*
.......
It's painful
to think about. I want to give up thinking. But if I do, I will return to the
escapism spiral once again. Back to those days when I ran away for no reason
and even turned away from what I ran away from.
That is the
only thing that ...... I can never do.
"By the way, how
are you so adept at this, Nozomu-kun?"
Jin's sudden question
interrupted Nozomu's train of thought.
"A~a. I used to
go into Spasim Forest by myself sometimes."
"Huh? But with
your rank, I don't think you'll be able to accept any requests to go into the
forest......"
This time Hamria is
the one asking. Her tone of voice was tinged with hesitation, perhaps concerned
that she had been ignoring him all this time.
"Yeah, that's why
I went in there without permission. Recently my rank has gone up, so I guess I
can accept it in one way or another now......"
Upon hearing Nozomu's
words, Jin and the others all look surprised.
From their point of
view, they would not have expected that Nozomu, whose grades were at the bottom
of the class, would have entered Spasim Forest all by himself.
But for Nozomu, who
had experienced a seemingly endless marathon through the danger zone at the
behest of an unreasonable master, going into the forest was not so much of a
challenge.
"You're amazing
after all......."
Jin, who had heard Nozomu’s
words, let out a voice of admiration. There was no hint of attempts to curry
favor or read the air in his voice, but rather a genuine sense of respect.
"You don't think
it's a lie?"
"A while ago, I
might have thought so. But after watching you and Mars go head to head in the
recent practical classes, I'm convinced it's true."
After saying so, Jin
paused for a second and then looked a little frustrated.
"......There is
no time left for us. Maybe that's why. We wanted to know about your
strength."
"Strength?"
"Yeah. We came to
this Solminati Academy for a variety of reasons. Our families had high
expectations for us, but ...... things didn't turn out so well."
A genius or prodigy in
their hometown, but at Solminati Academy they are at the bottom of the barrel.
Such stories are often heard at this school.
"There are times
when I feel ashamed of my weakness. But I still don't want to betray my
hometown's expectations."
Even if he doesn't
know everything about their situation, he can guess to some extent.
But there is no need
to ask, Nozomu thought.
At least he knew, Jin
and the others bowed their heads for the things they couldn't give up on.
It is not an easy thing
to do, given the fact that many people turn a blind eye to their own mistakes.
"In this forest,
the territory of the demonic beasts is constantly changing. This is especially
true deep in the eastern part of the forest, where we sometimes encounter demonic
beasts we didn't expect."
"Eh?"
"I myself lack
endurance in battle. That's why it's important to cut down on every possible
waste in my movements. Not only the way I swing my sword, but also the way I
walk and run."
"Nozomu-kun......"
"As for katana-jutsu......
I honestly don't know how to explain it. But there is no point in simple
repetition. You have to be strongly aware of what kind of situation you are
dealing with with each and every swing. Never stop thinking, no matter what the
situation. At least, that's what my master taught me."
"Master? You have
a master?"
"Until recently,
I did."
That may be the
reason. Nozomu also feels compelled to talk about himself. He feels that he can
be of help, even if only a little. Perhaps it is also because of Jin's
personality.
"But she left me
this katana and her techniques. She also left me with something else that is
important."
"Something
important?"
"...... I don't
think it's something I need to bother telling you guys, because you've already
accomplished it."
What do you mean?
Nozomu smiled quietly
at Jin, who tilted his head.
Hamuria and Deck
behind him were also blinking their eyes.
"The atmosphere
has become strange. If everything is going well, Mars and the others should be
back by now, so it's about time we-......!"
A chilly wind blew
down his spine.
Although it is an
occasional breeze in the spring forest, Nozomu's sensitive senses felt a sense
of discomfort in the air.
"Nozomu-kun?"
Nozomu slowly stood up
and looked at the bushes on the right side. Then, with a rustling sound, a
woman emerged.
"Ah, it's
Nozomu-kun~~! Yahho~~!"
Brown wavy hair and a
prolonged voice. It was someone Nozomu and the others knew well.
Anri Var. She is the
homeroom teacher of the tenth class and a teacher of Nozomu and his classmates.
While waving her hand
innocently, she approached Nozomu and his friends step by step.
However, she was
wearing the same pendant on her chest as Nozomu and the others.
That means she is the
person who plays the role of a powerful demonic beast in this Special
Comprehensive Exercise.
"Anri-sensei. Are
you-?"
"Yes~. I'm sure
you've noticed that I'm one of the special targets of this Special
Comprehensive Exercise~~."
Anri was smiling, but
Nozomu could not stop the cold sweat from running down his spine. He sensed the
fighting spirit hidden behind her smile.
Perhaps it was the
same for Jin and the others, too, as their breathing became shallow from
nervousness and drifted into Nozomu's ears.
(Nozomu-kun ......)
(Don't move. If you
move poorly, you'll be defeated......)
Nozomu took a step
forward while whispering to Jin and the others to be on the alert.
"Anri-sensei, did
you come here knowing we were here?"
"Nn~~, you're wrong~~.
My job is to wander around in various places~~. Of course, I do my job properly
even when I stroll around~~."
After saying so, she
pulled out from her pocket the pendants of the students she had defeated so
far. There were more than 20 of them.
Nozomu couldn't help
but swallow his saliva at the fact that she had defeated more than 20 students
by herself.
"...... Does that
mean you are also going to target us?"
"..... Un, that's
going to happen. But I'll try to make it as painless as possible ......
Sorry~~."
The moment Nozomu
heard those words, he moved.
"Jin, Deck,
Hamuria, run!"
Nozomu took out a
smoke ball and the [Twin Stone of Misfortune] from his pouch and slammed them
on the ground.
The smoke that spread
instantly hid Nozomu and the others, and at the same time, the [Twin Stone of
Misfortune] shattered with a light sound.
They then turned on
their heels and immediately began their escape.
Anri had approached
them with hardly any warning signs. In other words, all the warning systems and
traps they had set up were totally useless against her. Having allowed her to
approach first, there was no choice but a head-on confrontation or escape.
And if they wanted to
survive through the day, it was only natural that they would avoid fighting as
much as possible.
However, just as
Nozomu and the others rushed out to get away, his ears heard the sound of
something approaching from the side.
"~!"
The moment he
reflexively rolled on the ground, *woosh!*, he heard the sound of wind passing
by, then *bang!*, followed by the sound of something exploding on the ground.
"A~a...... You
dodged it. Then what about your friends~~?"
"Kyaaa!"
"Gaah!"
The screams of Deck
and Hamuria, who had been targeted, were heard.
Jin rushed to the
fallen duo, but Anri's eyes focused on him this time.
"Crap!"
Nozomu reflexively
focused on the direction of the attack from the way Anri swung her arm, and at
the same time, strengthened the Qi in his entire body.
He drew his katana and
repelled the shadow that was coming toward him, bending through the dimly-lit
forest.
"Ugh, Jin, how
are their condition!?"
"Don't worry,
they haven't disqualified yet!"
Fortunately, Deck and
Hamuria were not disqualified yet. However, they both dropped their weapons and
held their arms, as if they were in pain.
While Jin was in the
process of supporting them, Nozomu was exposed to Anri's attack.
Nozomu's eyes, with
their extraordinary concentration, caught the shadow that was closing in on
him.
"Kuh~, a long,
flexible, cord-like thing ...... A whip, huh?"
A black-dyed whip,
writhing like a snake, came at him.
Combined with the fact
that the whip was moving at high speed and in a dimly lit forest, it was
difficult to see. Relying on the chills that kept coming and the slight sheen
in the shadows, Nozomu kept moving to the right and left to dodge.
Her whip is sharp and
heavy, and there is no wasted motion.
If Nozomu were to be
hit even once and lose his balance, he would be defeated before he had time to
regain his stance.
(One, two, three
...... here!)
With perfect timing,
he placed his katana in the whip's trajectory.
The moment the whip
wrapped around the blade of the katana, Nozomu seized it before it slipped
away.
"Amazing~~!
Nozomu-kun, you saw through it so well~~. Even though in a dark place like
this, my whip should be pretty hard to see~~"
"...... Because I
could faintly see your whip moving through the air. After that, I just have to
match the movement of Anri-sensei's arm and the timing of the shadow's
movement. To be honest, I was worried that your arm swing might be fake."
Despite the tension, Anri
never lost her smile.
"Jin, take the
two of them to the rendezvous point!"
"Eh!?"
"We will lose if
we keep fighting Anri-sensei like this. Go to the rendezvous point first and
bring Mars and the others."
Deck and Hamuria had
been hit so hard by the previous blow that it was doubtful they could fight
properly.
It is impossible to go
to the rendezvous point while facing Anri Var. Then, it is necessary to stall
for time and at the same time bring Mars and the others back.
(Somehow, something
similar happened recently......)
Remembering the Abyss
Grief incident, Nozomu inwardly chuckles.
Jin hesitated
slightly, but then, perhaps coming to the same conclusion as Nozomu, he rushed
off to the rendezvous point while taking the two of the others with him.
"Nozomu-kun, are
you sure~? If all of you fight together, you will have a better chance of
winning, you know~"
"Our enemy isn't
just sensei, after all. Since we have injured members, I'll give priority to
getting them out first. The pain from the whip is fairly long-lasting, but it
will subside somewhat over time. Besides, Sensei, if you want, you could have
attacked the three who were leaving earlier, couldn't you?"
"U~n. But,
Nozomu-kun, if I were to attack Jin-kun and the others, you were going to rush
straight toward me, weren't you~? Considering that I use a whip, you would have
reached me before I could defeat Jin-kun and the others~~"
Yes, it is difficult
to defeat an opponent with a single blow with Anri's weapon.
A whip is essentially
a weapon that inflicts pain and breaks the opponent's spirit. If Anri attacked
Jin and the others in this situation, Nozomu's katana would reach her before
she could defeat them.
Anri does not
underestimate Nozomu. In fact, she considers him to be a prominent force among
the students in her charge.
In that sense,
Nozomu's plan was successful. At the very least, he was able to turn her
attention to himself.
Nozomu and Anri, both
of them, felt a flicker of energy from their bodies. The next moment, she swung
her arm as if to flex it.
The whip that had been
held in place began to lash out at high speed, trying to whip around Nozomu's
body.
The force is so strong
that it is hard to believe that it is coming from a woman's slender arm. Nozomu,
who is under the influence of ability suppression, is unable to restrain it,
and before it can whip around his body, he releases the whip that he had
grabbed.
"Kuh!"
With the whip now
being freed, Anri resumed her offensive. Nozomu, using his[Flash Step・Curved Movement], maneuvered through the overgrown
trees, running in a circle with Anri at the center, trying to dodge her
attacks.
He changed the length
of his stride, shifted his timing, changed the direction of his movement, and
used the trees as shields to evade the whip strikes that were fired in
anticipation of where he was going to move. Furthermore, he also performed
various feints, such as swaying only his upper body and running in the opposite
direction while pretending to run forward.
"Fuwaa~~!
Amazing, amazing! How come you are able to make such movements with a [Flash
Step]!?"
Ever-changing and
inexhaustible. Anri let out several gasps of admiration for Nozomu, who was so
steadfast that it was hard to believe he was in a forest with countless
obstacles and poor footholds.
However, contrary to
her carefree tone of voice, her offensive power did not wane in the slightest.
Rather, she heightened her own Qi and blocked Nozomu's escape route with even
greater ferocity, speed, and dexterity.
(Damn, I'm starting to
lose......)
Nozomu's eyes widened
as the bark of a tree he was using as a shield burst open and the trunk was
gouged out.
There is no doubt that
Anri's ability is A rank.
The power of her whip
is now too strong to ignore. Her response speed is also high, and her whip
stroke is gradually catching up with Nozomu's [Flash Step・Curved Movement]. The tide needed to be turned.
(Let's just do it,
shall we?......)
Nozomu, who had been
circling around Anri, suddenly changed course. He dared to charge from the
front.
"Un. I knew you
would react that way~~"
However, Anri also had
anticipated Nozomu's actions. She knew from the start that the only way Nozomu
could find a way to win is in close combat. Calmly, and unperturbed, she swung
her whip, completely anticipating her opponent's movements.
"He~re~!"
The whip, which was
released aiming at the timing when he tried to change direction from right to
left, completely caught his movement and was accurately aimed at his head.
Nozomu's katana was
raised in an attempt to block the whip.
At that moment,
however, Anri twisted and pulled her arm away. The whip's trajectory, which
seemed to be a downward strike, changed to an upward motion. Up, then down. It
is an attack that exploits a psychological gap in the opponent's mind.
"Guh!"
Even so, Nozomu
responded. Reflexively, he pulled up the sheath at his waist with his left hand
and inserted it into the whip's trajectory to prevent it.
However, the impact
caused his upper body to be lifted off the ground. Nozomu was completely
defenseless, and Anri's follow-up attack was closing in on him.
"Too bad,
Nozomu-kun~~. Now let's end thi-......eh?"
At the moment it
seemed that her whip would hit Nozomu's defenseless body, a burst of sound
could be heard coming from his back.
Nozomu's lifted-up
body was forcefully brought back to a forward-leaning posture.
Then, he activated his
[Flash Step] once again. He rushed toward Anri, passing under her whip, which had
been fully extended.
The sound of the
explosion was caused by a torrent of Qi that was released from Nozomu's back.
When he was dealing with Anri's whip using the trees in the forest as a shield,
he compressed the Qi on his back so that she could not see it beforehand. He
released it just before the whip hit him, and forcibly moved his body out of
the way to evade it.
"Haaaaa!"
Anri, who had thought
she surely caught Nozomu, was clearly too late in reacting. She couldn't pull
back the whip in time. Having totally captured her, Nozomu unleashed a single
horizontal slash.
"E , e~~~i!"
However, the moment it
looked as if Nozomu's blade would reach Anri's body, a fluttering white cloth
flew through the air.
"Eh?"
Nozomu involuntarily
let out a shocked cry upon seeing the scene that flashed before his eyes.
White, glistening skin
peeking out from a billowing skirt. The slender, slim legs. The cute pink
fabric. And a mass of black iron, in contrast to her white skin, strapped to
her moderately plump thighs.
It was a black iron
baton as long as two arms. It was clearly intended for use in battle. Anri
grabbed the handle and raised it at once.
"Ugh!"
"T-that was
close~~!"
The baton caught
Nozomu's blade firmly, and Anri let out an unintentional sigh of relief.
Despite being
one-handed, her baton did not even flinch.
"Eee~~i!"
In contrast to her
carefree voice, a strong pressure was returned.
Nozomu reflexively
used the curvature of the blade to parry and unleashed a barrage of
counterattacks, but was once again deflected by Anri's baton, which was quickly
brought back to its original position.
"Kuu......!"
Nozomu kept on
slashing, but his blade did not even graze Anri, perhaps because of the
difference in their physical abilities.
"Teyaa~~!"
Instead, Anri
counterattacked with a roundhouse kick toward Nozomu's flank.
The white leg that peeked out from the fluttering skirt came at him with a force that was unimaginable from her appearance.
"Whoa!"
Fortunately, Nozomu
was able to crouch down and avoid Anri's roundhouse kick, but she did not stop
moving, weaving her body techniques into a series of blows with her baton.
A rondo of blows and
kicks is unleashed.
Anri drives Nozomu
into a defensive stance and hits him with a single, powerful kick.
Although he succeeds
in blocking it reflexively with the hilt of his katana, Nozomu is blown away.
Even so, he quickly
rolled himself onto the ground and leaped backward. At the same moment, a
pursuing whip strikes the ground.
"There~!"
Anri's offensive does
not stop. She leaps and swings the whip further, aiming at Nozomu, who is still
in the air and defenseless.
As the whip extends at
high speed, Nozomu maintains his balance with exquisite trunk control and
prepares to slash off the approaching whip. The next moment, a strong wind
suddenly blew.
"Bububu!"
A gust of wind rushes
through the air, blowing Nozomu's body off to the side, and Anri's whip cuts
through empty air.
"Peh~, peh~! What
the heck is going ......on?"
Unable to react
properly due to the suddenness of the situation, Nozomu crashed to the ground.
Gasping at the bitter
taste that filled his mouth, he turned his eyes toward where the gust of wind
had come from ...... and then he was shocked.
"Thank goodness.
You seem to be all right."
"Perfect timing,
right?"
There they were, Deck
and Hamuria, who should have left with Jin.
"I thought you
guys had escaped!"
"We turned around
and hid in the bushes to see what was going on. Jin alone was enough to call
for Mars and the others. And thanks to you, who bought us some time, the pain
had lessened."
Deck stood in front of
Nozomu as if protecting him and smiled as he held up his spear.
"Nozomu-kun. Are
you all right?"
"Y-yeah."
While Deck is facing
Anri, Hamria comes toward Nozomu's side and lends him a hand.
With a puzzled look on
his face, Nozomu stood up and readied his katana again.
"Why did you go
back?"
"At this rate, we
will end up being carried by you. That's not the right thing for a party to do,
is it?"
"Planning a
strategy, finding a base, and playing the role of bait. If you take every
active role available, we will be left with nothing to do."
Nozomu's unintentional
question was answered without hesitation by both of them, even though they were
facing Anri, who was much higher in rank than them.
They are at the
bottom. However, they are not useless.
They want to become
stronger and grow as much as possible. Above all, they do not want to regret
anything.
Nozomu was impressed
by their determination of looking straight ahead and trying to move forward.
"H~mm. I see,
Deck-kun and Hamuria-kun decided to come back, huh~~"
Anri put her hand
holding the baton to her cheek and tilted her head cutely. Combined with her
lovely appearance and atmosphere, it was a very picturesque sight, but they
couldn't help but feel nervous and uneasy as she already demonstrated her
ability.
"Deck
......."
"Jin is currently
on his way to bring Mars and the others. In the meantime, we need to hold our
ground here. Got it?"
The word
"we" from Deck's mouth seeped into Nozomu's heart.
It was impossible to
describe the buzzing in his heart. His body trembled and his heart naturally
beat faster.
Strength returned to
the hand that held the katana. With both feet firmly planted on the ground, he
faced Anri one more time.
Watching him like
this, Anri's happy expression blossomed.
"......Alright!
Then, here I go~~"
The Qi enveloping
Anri's swelled up. Her body glowed faintly from that Qi and the light of Qi
extended to her weapons. Apparently, now that Nozomu's companions have joined
the fight, she decided to get serious.
Nozomu and Deck leaped
out at the same time Anri raised her whip and Hamuria began chanting her magic.
"Deck!
Anri-sensei can also do close-quarters combat! Don't let your guard down just
because you've closed the distance!"
"Alright!"
With the sound of a
whip ripping through the air, they ran as fast as they could, trying to get
through the ever-changing web of whips.
◆
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Aiden Elliott
Angel Antonio Noj Ramirez
Kcx1
KevinP
Kyle Wiggins
Marvin Sanchez
Matthew Shuler
Swagaraga
[Gold]
Godman gaming
Matt Nieschburg
[Silver]
ArUnInAcTiOn
Benjamin Ernst
Carl
CoolmanMTD
Damian Karis
Genetic Deadend
Glasses Kun
LemonLover
Maddes
Matzar1
Nazmun Saikat
ONEEYED_SLOTH
Thiago Leite Denedai
Alden H
Anton Lim
Ctdela
Curious Panda
Eric Martinez
Michael Park
Nathaniel Reyes
Real_Asian
rtristen bodhoo
Стас Удрис
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
