Volume 3 Chapter 4.5
Ripples of Impending Danger Part 5
Translator : PolterGlast
While Irisdina and
Tima were confronting Lisa and her team, Nozomu and his team, who had narrowly
won the battle against Anri, were moving to the north side of the exercise area
to reposition themselves.
"......
Nozomu-kun, what are we going to do now?"
"Let's see. Since
the total number of parties is likely to be reduced, and if our priority is to
survive, I don't think we need to do much moving. But if we are aiming for the
top ranks, that's definitely not going to be enough."
"That's true.
With the number of points owned by each party increasing, the ranks will change
significantly in a single battle. If that's the case, then it will be necessary
to fight against those in the higher ranks......"
Perhaps concerned by
Jin's explanation, the other members of the team gulped nervously.
"Well, I think we
still have a chance to win though......"
"R-really?"
"I'm sure there
will be a few shortages of members in other parties, and now that Mars and the
others have rejoined us, it might be possible."
Hamuria, with a solemn
expression on her face, was relieved to hear Nozomu's words. Perhaps it is
because of the battles they have fought so far that she has come to trust him.
Jin, who was by her side, also relaxed his expression.
However, Tommy and
Cami's expressions were still hard and there was a hint of uneasiness in them.
"......Everyone.
Now that we've come this far, why don't we give it a try?"
It was Jin who raised
his voice to dispel the atmosphere.
"I have to admit,
I'm anxious too, but at least we've come this far. That means that if
Nozomu-kun and we work together, we should be able to handle the fight,
right?"
"I think so. It
won't be enough if it were just Mars and me after all......"
Jin's words were right
on target. Nozomu, who has a limited amount of Qi to begin with, has difficulty
fighting battles in rapid succession.
It was only with the
help of Jin, Deck, and Hamuria that he was able to defeat Anri.
In order to win, the
power of both Nozomu's party and Jin's party is indispensable.
"See? And since
we've come this far, why don't we go as far as we can go anyway? We, who are of
the tenth class, were able to fight to this point. Even if we fail, I think the
teachers will recognize us even from that fact alone."
Hearing Jin's words,
Tommy and Cami both exhaled heavily and raised their heads.
"...... Right.
This is the time. Let's do it!"
"Yes. This would
be a good time to repay them for all the times they've made fun of us!"
Both of their faces
had regained their vitality. If they only thought about their grades, they
could just hide and survive with it. But to vent the resentment of having been
treated disrespectfully so far, they choose to go on with the challenge.
(I wonder how far the
current me can go......)
While Jin and the
others were in high spirits, Nozomu gently put his hand on the hilt of his
katana.
He gently sent Qi to
the blade so that it would not be noticed, but the blade still remained silent.
"............"
Then Nozomu noticed
that Mars had a strangely difficult look on his face.
He put his hand to his
chin and looked at his greatsword, thinking about something, and then glanced
at Nozomu and his katana, with the excited Jin and the others by their side.
"Mars, what's
wrong?"
"...... No, don't
worry about it. It's nothing."
His mind is not here.
Nozomu asked him about it, but he said it was nothing and looked away.
"......What's
wrong? You're acting weird today."
"Aren't you the
sa- ...... no, really, it's nothing. Just leave me alone."
A stagnant atmosphere
flowed between the two of them.
Mars clearly has
something on his mind, but Nozomu himself is also hiding too many secrets.
About the Dragon
Slayer, about the fact that he is now severely weakened, and about Lisa and the
others......
The guilt and anxiety
of not being able to talk about it, and above all, the fear of being consumed
by anger, make Nozomu hesitate.
Although he was aware
of this, his tightly closed mouth kept refusing to speak out.
But Mars, too, is
unable to speak his mind.
Because for him,
exposing himself is the same as revealing his weakness.
And Mars is someone
who has always been in denial of his own weakness. That is why he could only
keep his mouth shut so as not to leak out his anguish that made him feel as if
he were going to vomit.
"Hey, Nozomu-kun,
about what we're going to do from here on out ......"
"Let's see. For
now, we- ............~!"
Just as Nozomu was
about to formulate his words to escape from Mars' gaze that he felt from the
side, his keen senses sensed multiple presences approaching.
In an instant,
Nozomu's expression changed to a serious one, and he turned in the direction of
the presence, then lowered his waist and drew his katana.
"Oi, what's
wrong? ...... oh, I see ......?"
Mars, who had a
dubious look on his face, immediately realized that the enemy was approaching
and stood next to Nozomu, with his greatsword in his hand.
"Everyone, be on
your guard!"
As Nozomu and Mars
took up battle stances, Jin and the others also readied their respective
weapons and positioned themselves in battle formation.
Before long, the
bushes in front of Nozomu rustled, and four students emerged from the bushes.
"Finally, I found
you. You survived after all......"
With these confident
words, Kevin Ardinal, a young man of the Silver Wolf tribe, showed up.
Behind him were his
party members, including Karanti.
Nevertheless, they too
had fought a pretty tough battle, and their numbers were clearly dwindling.
"Now then,
Nozomu, shall we get on with it? Karanti, stall the others."
"Copy that,
Leader."
Kevin lowered his hips
and readied his fists.
With that alone, a
sense of intimidation hit Nozomu and the others, as if a gust of wind was slamming
into them
"Ugh,......"
"U......"
Tommy and Cami both
let out an involuntary groan under Kevin's pressure.
Jin and Hamuria might
have grown accustomed to pressure after fighting against Anri, but they still
couldn't hide their gasps.
On the other hand,
Nozomu and Mars were taking Kevin's fighting spirit without batting an eyelid.
Nozomu, keeping the
tip of his blade in the center of his field of vision, focused his attention on
Kevin and Karanti and the others behind him, while Mars, next to him, readied
his greatsword which was already clad in a blade of wind.
"Hou~, putting
aside Nozomu, that lone wolf also doesn't change his expression, huh? Looks
like he is more capable than I thought ......"
"Of course. I'm
going to make you howl this time."
"I'm looking
forward to it ...... well, I'd like to say that, but unfortunately, the person
I want to fight is Nozomu......~!"
The next moment, the
sound of thunder echoed, and Kevin accelerated at once to close the gap between
them.
[Qi-Lightning
Transformation]. Kevin's ability to transform his Qi into lightning.
He literally closed
the gap at the speed of lightning and fired his fist toward Mars.
"Fuh~!"
"Ugh!"
Quickly, Mars held up
his greatsword like a shield to parry Kevin's right fist strike, but he was
pushed backward greatly. This is a fist strike by a beastman who originally had
physical capabilities greater than that of the human race and has been enhanced
with both Qi and Abilities. Kevin's physical strength exceeds even that of
Mars.
"Let's go,
Nozomu!"
Kevin, having
eliminated Mars, stepped directly toward Nozomu and unleashed a roundhouse
kick.
Nozomu reflexively
crouched down, and Kevin's leg armor, reinforced with Qi, roared as it passed
over his head.
"Fuuu~!"
Nozomu used the
momentum from his crouching to launch a swift slash at the side of Kevin's
head.
"It's too
slow!"
The blade, however,
was easily blocked by Kevin's gauntlet. Nozomu proceeded to deliver a series of
blows, but Kevin, cloaked in dense Qi, was able to resist even the slightest
damage.
"Where's that Qi
blade of yours!? Come on, you can use it!"
"Damn, if I could
use it so easily now, I wouldn't have a hard time ......."
Kevin repelled
Nozomu's slash with his strength and unleashed a high-speed fist strike as a
counterattack. Kevin's fist, strengthened with Qi, has the power to easily cave
in even steel plates. There is no way Nozomu could afford to receive this blow
directly.
Nozomu, while retreating,
kept avoiding Kevin's attacks with minimal movement, and kept an eye on Kevin's
tendencies.
A straight fist
thrust, a hook, and a double roundhouse kick. Then a series of punches while
stepping forward. His moves were powerful and full of dynamism, just befitting
of a beastman.
While carefully
avoiding each blow, Nozomu synchronized his breathing with that of his
opponent.
His concentration
heightens. The world stagnates. He chose the straight fist thrust from among
the many strikes, and put his left hand on his opponent to forcefully grasp his
opponent's center of gravity.
Then, the moment when
their power collided with each other. Nozomu puts his own weight on his left
hand and throws it downward in a fluid motion.
"~ !?"
Immediately afterward,
Kevin's body lurched forward as if a weight had been placed on his arm.
[Aiki]. One of the
Eastern Taijutsu. A technique to control one's body by synchronizing one's
breathing with that of one's opponent.
Nozomu then pulled
back his legs to a crouching position and released the Qi that he had
compressed forward with his hands outstretched.
[Mikagura-style・Shock Cannon]. A violent shockwave of Qi was released
and blew Kevin's body away.
"Fuha, you're
amazing after all!"
Kevin was blown away,
but like a cat, he flipped his body around in mid-air and landed on the trunk
of a tree.
With a gleeful smile
on his face, he pounced on Nozomu again.
"That wolf
bastard ......~!?"
"I won't let you
get in the way of our leader."
Meanwhile, the
blown-away Mars was being blocked by Karanti and the others.
He swung his
greatsword, which was clad in a [Qi-jutsu・Wind Blade] as if to tell them to stay away, but with their agile
movements, Karanti and the others were able to corner Mars in the blink of an
eye.
"Mars-kun!"
Then, Jin and the
others come to his aid. Jin and Tommy intervened in order to separate the other
members from Karanti, and Cami and Hamuria fired magic into the gap that was
slightly opened up.
What they unleashed
were magic bullets and earth spears. However, their magic was easily destroyed
by Karanti's knife-hand strike.
"T-they were
crushed in a single strike ......"
"This is why I
hate upper-class students!"
"Come on, just
keep shooting. If Mars-kun could make a move here, they'll be pushed all the way
back!"
While Hamuria was
taken aback and Cami was exasperated, Jin and Tommy swung their weapons as hard
as they could, desperately trying to push back.
"Don't ...... get
in my way!"
"You
......!"
Mars, who was crossing
weapons one on one with Karanti for a moment, heightened his Qi and pushed
Karanti back forcefully, releasing the blade of wind that clung to his
greatsword.
[Qi-jutsu・Rift Wind Hammer]
"~,
Retreat!"
Karanti's order
echoed. In response to her words, the other members also moved away from the
approaching vortex of wind blades.
"Karanti, it's
not just Mars. The others are tougher than we thought."
"Obviously, it's
because they teamed up with Nozomu. Let's push them all at once."
However, even in the
face of Mars' Qi-jutsu, they showed no sign of being intimidated at all.
Then they clashed
again. The battle quickly reheated itself, scattering Qi and magic, and a
fierce war of attrition ensued.
"O-ra ~a!"
"Guh~!"
Kevin stepped toward
Nozomu and unleashed a barrage of Qi and purple lightning. His fist strike is
not something that even Nozomu can easily deflect, and in addition, the
electricity that envelops Kevin's fist is gradually numbing Nozomu's body.
If he were able to use
offensive Qi-jutsu such as [Phantom], he might still be able to defend against
this purple lightning by repelling and slashing them apart.
However, as Nozomu was
unable to use most of his Qi-jutsu, he could only try to dodge the attack.
The fact that he was
still able to fight in spite of this was due to the hellish training he had
received from his master.
Meanwhile, Mars and
the others were also gradually being cornered by Karanti and the others.
"Chi, damn
you!"
"Based on his
sheer Qi power alone, he's comparable to an A rank. Don't get too close to him.
Make him stop by tiring him out!"
The three, Karanti and
the others, surrounded their opponent, and two of them repeatedly disengaged
against the most dangerous Mars after a single blow, while the remaining one
was facing Jin and the others.
But that is just the
basics. By taking full advantage of their physical capabilities, the three of
them take turns and change targets one after the other, whittling away at the
physical and mental strength of Mars and the others, who should have had the
advantage in numbers.
"Jin, beside
you!"
"Whoa!"
"Tch, I
missed!"
As soon as they find
the slightest opportunity, they immediately change their formation and launch
an assault. Their movements were precise and without hesitation or stagnation.
On the other hand, Mars, Jin, and the others were not able to coordinate well
with each other.
Mars has been
semi-isolated in class because of his outstanding individual abilities, and he
has not been able to build a connection with the other members like Nozomu has.
Until now, he has been
able to manage on his own, but unfortunately, Karanti and her team are one of
the most well-coordinated parties in the school. They are not a party that can
be dealt with just by individual ability alone.
"It seems like
they will be finished soon. There's nothing easier to break down than an
uncoordinated pack."
Nozomu gritted his
teeth at the sight of Mars and the others being driven into a corner.
What now, what
can I do?
They are in a pinch,
and he is in a situation where he cannot create any Qi-blades.
In this
situation, what I can do is .......
"Oioi! Are you
sure, you can afford to look the other way?"
Sensing that Nozomu's
attention was slightly distracted, Kevin launched an onslaught.
Pushed by a series of
high-speed strikes that accelerated even further, Nozomu lost his stance, and
then a powerful roundhouse kick was unleashed.
"Kuh~!"
Nozomu jumped backward
with all his might. A foot strike, clad in purple electricity, passed by,
grazing the tip of his nose.
But even that was
Kevin's way of leading him on.
*Bam!* A shock struck
Nozomu's back. He glanced to the side to check behind him and saw a large tree
blocking his escape route.
"I got you!"
*Bzzt!* With a crackling
sound of lightning, Kevin instantly dived toward Nozomu's chest and unleashed
an all-out attack.
[Qi-jutsu・Impaling Claw Fang]
A ki-jutsu that
simultaneously launches a palm strike and a powerful burst of Qi from a
thrusting claw.
Kevin's right arm,
resembling the fangs of a wolf, came close to Nozomu's face.
"............"
Nozomu's pupils dilate
in the face of the approaching fist, and the face of a skilled fighter appears.
His concentration
turns extreme spontaneously, his vision turns gray, and at the same time,
everything moving around him is slowed down.
It is what can be
called an instinct ingrained in one's mind.
The katana is slowly
lifted in front of the oncoming silver wolf's fangs, and Nozomu relaxes all the
strength out of his body.
As the weight of his
falling body converges into his heels, Nozomu flows sideways as if he were
sliding. At the same time, Nozomu's katana's trajectory changes as it strikes
the side of the approaching silver wolf's fangs. The blade moves toward Kevin's
face.
[Mikagura-style・Willow Blade]
A single strike that
combines blocking and attacking in a single movement. Just like [Mikagura-style・Oscillation], it is a pure katana technique that does
not rely on Qi-jutsu.
"Wha, gu~u!"
Kevin reflexively
blocked the [Willow Blade] with his left gauntlet.
The high-pitched
metallic sound resounded as the thrusting [Impaling Claw Fang] dug into the
tree behind Nozomu.
A powerful explosion
sound followed. The released Qi and the thunderbolt roared out, gouging the
trunk of the large tree from the inside.
"This guy
......!"
As if in pursuit of
Nozomu, who had slipped to his side, Kevin turned his outstretched fist into a
knife-hand and swung it at once.
[Qi-jutsu・Knife-Hand Claw]. A ki-jutsu to slice through an
opponent with a Qi-infused knife-hand strike.
However, before the
knife-hand strike could reach Nozomu, the Qi under Nozomu's feet exploded.
"~ !"
"Wha~!"
Nozomu, who had
activated his [Flash Step], leaped. He leaped to the trunk of a large tree that
was behind him.
"Kuh, what the
heck are you- ...... wha~!"
The next moment, the
tree, whose trunk had been gouged out, began to fall with a creaking sound. The
tree was falling down, and the people on the other side of the tree were Mars
and the others.
"What the ......!"
"Oioioi!"
The sudden situation
startled not only Mars but also Karanti and the others, and they hurriedly
retreated away from the collapsing tree.
In the midst of all
this, Nozomu sheathed his katana while jumping toward Karanti and the others who
were trying to retreat. He snipped the koiguchi
and showed it to them.
"~ !"
Seeing Nozomu ready to
draw his katana, Karanti and the others stiffen their faces and brace
themselves. They know how sharp Nozomu's blade is. After confirming that the
other party's attention was on him, Nozomu shouted,
"Mars, now!"
"~, Oooo!"
"Wha~......
gah~!"
Aiming at the moment
when their attention turned to Nozomu, Mars attacked a member of Kevin's party
with his greatsword.
Nozomu's aim was to
pin Karanti's attention on himself, creating an opportunity for Mars and the
others to counterattack.
The opponent's pendant
glows red as he is knocked away and rolls on the ground, signaling his
disqualification. Now, with the exception of Kevin and Karanti, there is only
one person left.
This meant that their
party's range of combat maneuvers was significantly reduced. At the very least,
it would be impossible for the two of them to hold off Mars, Jin, and the
others.
"Good grief, they
got us ......."
"Heh, this is the
end of you guys."
"I don't know
about that ......"
Alongside Karanti,
Kevin readied his fists. Instead of losing their fighting spirit, they became
more fired up, and the Qi that oozed out of them turned into lightning and
began to crackle and release sparks.
Faced with this
growing sense of intimidation, Nozomu and the others readjusted their weapons.
The tension that was
building up reached a critical point, and just as it was about to break, a
scorching fireball fell from the sky and landed between Nozomu, Kevin, and the
others.
"~ !"
*Boom!* A thunderous
explosion was heard and searing flames were scattered.
"W-what the
hell!?"
Nozomu and the others
reflexively jumped back. Kevin and the others are also frowning at the sudden
intervention and keeping their distance.
The suddenness of the
incident caused Jin and the others to express their agitation. Nozomu and
Kevin, who were fighting, are also temporarily stopped by the explosion.
Then, as if to further
escalate the situation, a hail of arrows rained down from the sky in a
haphazard manner.
"Kuh~!"
"What!"
As soon as Nozomu and
Kevin jump back from their spot, the arrows come piercing down to the ground.
Four figures slowly emerge from the bushes.
"Well, well, we
finally found you, Nozomu."
"Feo ......"
"Oh, it's Nozomu.
Yahho ――!"
Feo, Mimuru, Tom, and
Shina appeared.
On Shina's shoulder,
there is also a small spirit, Razward, who can also be called her partner.
*Gulp!* Upon seeing
this, someone there gulped their spit. The speed and scale of the magic evoked
by the spirits-accompanied elves were undoubtedly comparable to or even greater
than that of a high-level mage. Karanti, in particular, had sweat on her
forehead, perhaps because she had witnessed firsthand their power in the Abyss
Grief incident.
However, once again,
the situation changed.
Suddenly, the sound of
an explosion reverberated, and a torrent of powerful magic power swept through
the forest, gouging out an entire section of the forest and pulverizing it. As
pieces of trees and soil billowed up, five figures broke through the cloud of
dust.
"Tima, are you
all right?"
"U-Un, I'm
fine!"
"Lisa! Did you
get them!?"
"No, I
missed!"
Emerging through the
cloud of dust were Irisdina, Tima, Lisa, Ken, Camilla.
"Wha~!? I-Iris!
And ...... Lisa!?"
"N-Nozomu!?"
"This is
.......~."
".......Hee."
Nozomu, Irisdina, and
Lisa let out a startled cry when they saw each other. Kevin and Feo were also
unable to hide their surprise when Irisdina and the others stormed in after
them.
Nozomu, Irisdina,
Lisa, Shina, and Kevin. All five parties that had defeated the special target
in this exercise gathered here.
"............."
*Ba-thump .......*
In the depths of
Nozomu's chest, the anger that he had been pushing down began to rise up again.
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