Volume 3 Chapter 6.1
Once Again,
The First Step Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
[ Chichichi ......
(Shi-jou, I brought them here!) ]
"Thanks for your
help, Raz."
Razward, who had
guided Irisdina and the others*1, returned to Shina's shoulder. She
thanked her childhood friend and quickly stepped aside together with Anri, as
if urging Nozomu to go over to Irisdina and the others.
Nozomu nodded and
thanked them for their thoughtfulness, and then turned to face Irisdina and the
others.
Irisdina was the first
to open her mouth.
*1 Tl
note : Probably they are Irisdina, Mars, Tima, Feo, Mimuru, Tom, Norn, Somia,
Mena.
"Perhaps, this
place is- ......"
"This is where my
master taught me how to wield a katana for two years."
Nozomu's gaze fell on
Shino's grave beside the hut.
It is a simple grave
made of only stones. But Nozomu's gaze on the grave was full of affection, and
his face was the most peaceful face Irisdina and the others had ever seen.
(Nozomu, he can also
make such a face......)
Irisdina was
captivated by Nozomu's smile, which she had never seen before.
Her heart pounded even
faster.
"Nozomu......"
"Mars, huh?
......."
Mars stepped forward
from beside Irisdina.
His usual brash
bearing had waned, and instead, he was shrouded in heavy atmosphere.
"You know, I was
envious of you. Toward you who was able to obtain extraordinary
power......"
Mars revealed his
feelings.
Wanting to have power
like Nozomu's, he began to experiment with the magic-Qi combination technique.
He thought he could
master it, and as a result of his shallow actions, he put everyone in a
predicament.
And most of all, he
refused to admit his own wrongdoings and unreasonably lashed out at Nozomu.
Nozomu listened to him
silently.
"......I don't
expect you to forgive me. And you might not even want to see me. But
still...... I wanted to see you one more time and apologize...... I'm
sorry."
"......It's okay.
Besides, I'm not qualified to be mad at you, Mars. Unlike you, I was just scared
and couldn't even give it my all."
In front of Mars, who
lowered his head, Nozomu also opened his mouth.
"I, didn't get
this power on purpose. I simply didn't want to die, so I fought and got it as a
result......"
While repeatedly
folding and unfolding his fingers, he gradually put his thoughts into words.
His voice was choked
with anxiety and nervousness. But even so, Irisdina and the others were quietly
listening to him. This made Nozomu feel grateful.
"I've been
running away for a long time. Even though I knew I was running away, I couldn't
move forward."
"It's the same
for me. I knew you were struggling with something, but I couldn't bring myself
to step forward."
As if in sync with
Nozomu's confession, Irisdina also expressed her feelings.
"I'm, not as
perfect as you think I am. I'm envious...... and most of all, I'm scared. There
were very few people with whom I could have a frank conversation like
this."
If they were supposed
to be friends, if they were supposed to be colleagues, then there should have
been more that could have been done.
But before she knew
it, Irisdina had distanced herself from Nozomu.
It all started with
just a little jealousy. But the small rift gradually grew.
She found herself in
an awkward position to even talk to Nozomu.
"I knew. I knew
that you were worried about something incredibly big. I knew that, but before I
knew it, all I could do was just talk about insignificant things......"
"It's okay, Iris.
To begin with, it's my fault for not getting my act together."
While holding back
Irisdina, who still seemed to want to say something, Nozomu kept on speaking.
"I'm ......
afraid that if people knew about this power, they'd reject me. Even if they
don't, it could be worse. To be honest, I'm still scared ...... even now."
But when he really
needed this power, he stepped back.
Nozomu raised his left
hand and gripped the invisible chains.
"That's why I
have to move forward ...... I have to show myself for what I really am."
Nozomu exerted
strength in his left hand. The chains that bound his body made a creaking sound
as if symbolizing the anxiety and fear that still lingered in his mind.
"Guu~! ......
Uu~!"
Red stains began to
seep out from under his clothes. The wounds he sustained in the battle against
the [Cracked-Crown] have re-opened.
Nevertheless, while
gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, Nozomu kept exerting strength in his
left hand, but right before he was about to break the chains, a shadow of fear
once again loomed over his mind.
[What's the matter?
Aren't you alright now?]
A voice suddenly
reached his ears. Nozomu's gaze naturally turned to the katana at his waist.
The memento of his
master. Looking back with a sidelong glance, he could see her gravestone gently
peeking out from the corner of the hut.
"Shishō......"
It might be just a
hallucination. It might be a delusion created by his reminiscence. But for
Nozomu, that was sufficient.
When he looked
straight ahead, he saw Irisdina, Mars and the others staring straight at him.
From behind them, Shina and Anri were also watching over him.
Instead of despising
and abandoning him, who could not use his power, they came to see him one more
time.
That alone was enough
to strengthen his final resolve.
"Guuuuu~!"
He concentrated all
his remaining Qi into his left hand. The resisting chains bit into his left
hand and blood began to flow, but this was of no concern to the current Nozomu.
Countless cracks
appeared in the invisible chains with creaking sounds.
Finally, the invisible
chains shattered, and at the same time, a torrent of violent power erupted.
"Ku~u, this is
still ridiculously intimidating ......."
"What the heck
...... is this .......?"
An enormous amount of
Qi was released. The power and density that overflowed in a storm-like manner
took the breath away of everyone present.
"No way, this is
...... the power of spirits ......."
[I knew it
.......]
In this situation,
only Shina and Razward reacted differently from the others.
Five-coloured source
elements mixed in the released Qi. Both of them firmly sensed its presence,
which they had not been able to perceive when they fought the Abyss Grief, and
at the same time, they were shivering.
"A spirit of such
colours ....... No, there couldn't possibly be a spirit with such a number of
attributes and such mighty power ......."
Hearing Shina's words,
everyone looked at Nozomu with their eyes wide open.
"It's not
something a human being could possess ...... no, not even us elves ...... It
will absolutely ...... wreck us."
The expression of awe
that could not be hidden once again showed everyone presents the foreignness
and danger of the power that Nozomu possessed.
In the midst of all
this, Irisdina took a step forward toward the swirling torrent of power.
"...... He said
that he had gained that power by accident. A fighting style of brute force that
doesn't suit his original style. And the power of spirits inside him that
Shina-kun sensed. Just what on earth is this ......"
[Spirits with a single
attribute are stronger in terms of pure power than those with multiple
attributes. In the first place, it's rare for us to have more than one
attribute.]
As if to answer
Irisdina's question, Razward spoke further.
Razward, who has three
attributes and has even reached the status of a lesser spirit, is quite an
oddball among spirits.
But even from his
point of view, the power that Nozomu is currently emanating could only be
described as abnormal.
The crimson flame,
that governs purification, regeneration, and destruction.
The blue water, which
gives birth to life and exudes coolness, but sometimes brings impurity and
corruption.
The brown soil, filled
with the blessings of the earth, carving out the passage of time.
The capricious winds
of the sky, which sometimes carry the seeds of life and travellers, and
sometimes block their way.
And the jet-black
darkness, that governs the night, delivering peace and anxiety, contradictory
things to all.
At that moment, the
image of a giant dragon with five-colored, six-outstretched wings flashed in
Shina and Razward's minds.
A huge body like a
tower soaring into the sky, and wings that would cover the sky growing out of
its back.
Its huge claws and
fangs are so sharpened that they seem capable of tearing apart even the earth.
And eyes dyed with
grudge and hatred, as if wanting to destroy everything in the world.
The spirits that exist
in this world sometimes show a violent side, but even compared to them, this
figure is far more disastrous.
"~! Don't tell
me, it's-!"
[ Tiamat ....... Are
you a dragonslayer.......? ]
Nozomu quietly nodded
at the words of the two who had realized his true identity.
[ I see ....... So
that's why. ]
"Dragonslayer,
you say? ......."
Irisdina and the
others were all at a loss for words upon hearing the name of an existence that
should only exist in legends. Meanwhile, Nozomu calmly began to talk about the
time when he became a dragonslayer.
On his way to the hut
for his daily training, he wandered into an unknown place where he encountered
a five-colored, six-winged dragon.
When he was helplessly
being trampled upon, his Master came to his rescue. They joined forces and then
he was able to release his ability suppression with his life on the line, and
through a series of miraculous coincidences he was able to win the battle.
Just before he lost
consciousness, he saw Tiamat collapse and became a torrent of light, which then
rained down on him as he collapsed and was unable to move.
"This dragon's
powers are too immense to fit inside my body. I managed to survive thanks to my
ability suppression, but that dragon itself is still alive inside of me
......"
Even as he spoke,
Nozomu was constantly resisting Tiamat's attempts to devour him.
He clenched his teeth
in an attempt to suppress the raging force, but as if to mock Nozomu's efforts,
it kept on raging in his body with glee.
"Haa, haa......
every time I released my ability suppression, she raged inside my body. On top
of that, lately, she's started messing with my psyche in response to my
emotions. There have been times when she has shown me dreams of me lashing out
disorderly out of anger and killing everyone. Even when I confronted Lisa and
Ken ......"
"Nozomu
......"
"Eventually, this
thing might come out, devouring my body and my mind......"
Rough breathing was
leaking from his mouth, greasy sweat was forming on his forehead and his face
couldn't have been more tense.
"I didn't know
how I would be treated if people found out about this. I didn't know whether I
would be used as an experimental subject, a political tool, or a convenient
pawn ...... More than that, I was afraid of what you guys would think of me if everyone
knew about it ......"
He kept exposing
everything he had and everything he was harboring.
"If I were to be
swallowed by this dragon, surely I would kill everyone. Even if I don't, I'm
sure everyone will leave me. Before I knew it, this thought had been stuck in
my head for some time. I was so anxious ...... and there was nothing I could do
about it ......"
If Shino were still
alive, Nozomu would not have been driven to this point. However, she is no
longer here. Until now, Nozomu has had to bear the secrets and anxieties of
this giant dragon all by himself.
"I'm- ......'
"Finally, you
tell us about it ......"
"Yeah. Thanks,
Nozomu. For telling us ......"
Irisdina and Mars'
words gently envelop Nozomu's shaken words.
"Nozomu. You've
told us about yourself. Therefore, having heard your story, let me tell you
what my intentions are."
Irisdina approached
Nozomu with steady steps, step by step, through the torrent of Qi that was
raging through the air.
Then, slowly, she
extended her hand.
"...... I wanted
to know more about you. And I wanted you to know more about me."
"~!"
But then, Nozomu's
unsheathed katana was thrust in front of her eyes.
"If you know
more, you may not be able to go back. If you get too deep into it, it could be
life-threatening. You might even get your precious Somia-chan involved
......"
His words were cold
and harsh. But his eyes were shaking so much that one could tell from the side,
and the blade he was thrusting was trembling slightly.
The desire to convey
and the joy at being accepted. Even so, the uneasiness that has not disappeared
and the desire to confirm the hearts of his friends continue to shake his heart
violently, as if it were a scale.
"...... Yeah,
surely. Great power attracts many things. Some people will try to use you for
their own convenience. Some may see you as a threat and try to eliminate you.
Some of them may go after those around you."
Those who pursue their
own interests with a blind eye, those who fear heresy. And when they decide
that they can't touch the matter itself, it will be the people around it who
will be targeted.
"...... But you
know, that's just how my life has been this whole time."
The Francylt family
has great power. As the next head of the family, many people flocked to her, as
well as to her sister.
Naturally, it is not
easy to compare Nozomu, who has immense power as an individual but no
organizational backing at all, with Irisdina, the next head of a prestigious
noble family with a long tradition.
But they were
essentially the same in terms of attracting people's attention, in whatever
form it takes.
"So for me, it's
nothing new. I'd rather not have you gone than those trivial things."
The voice of the one
who sought him, which was directed straight at him, seeped into his heart, and
Nozomu's eyes shook greatly.
As Irisdina advanced
her feet further, Nozomu's body moved backward to match hers.
Mars also stepped
forward and lined up next to Irisdina.
"Now that I think
about it, we never really opened up about ourselves. In fact, maybe we hadn't
even started yet......"
Irisdina and Mars kept
moving forward. The two were already within Nozomu's attack range. The
unsheathed blade could easily reach them within this range.
"Therefore, let's
do it once again. Right here, right now......"
The moment the two of
them reach for Nozomu's thrusting katana and their fingertips touch the
blade.......
".......Thank,
you."
Along with a sobbing
word of gratitude, the tip of the blade lowered slowly.
One drop after
another, hot tears of heartfelt gratitude trickled down Nozomu's cheeks,
twinkling gently in the moonlight and seeping silently to the ground.
"Thank you, for
telling us. And for answering our feelings......."
"Sorry, Nozomu.
And, thanks. For being friends with someone like me......"
He couldn't hold back,
his heart was simply overflowing with emotion ...... With his eyes flushing red
and surrendering himself to the warmth that enveloped him, Nozomu quietly kept
weeping.
Eventually, after a
little while, he raised his face up. Although his face looked terrible from the
tears he had wept, his face was still radiant, as if something had been lifted
from his mind.
"Me, too, once
again with everyone......"
Nozomu opened his
mouth to once again express his feelings in words.
However, in the next
split second, Nozomu's eyes seemed to open wide, and he suddenly hurled a
torrent of Qi at the two in front of him.
A violent shockwave
struck, and Irisdina and Mars were blown backward.
Just what exactly
happened? What was reflected in their eyes, which had no idea what was going
on, was a huge black mass roaring past in front of them and the figure of
Nozomu, who was blown away by the huge mass.
◆
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