Volume 4 Chapter 6.3
Into the Depths of the Pit Part 3
Translator : PolterGlast
Leaving the demonic
beasts approaching from behind to their companions, Nozomu, Irisdina, and Feo
continued to push forward through the intricate network of waterways beneath
Arcazam.
He was not worried
about being caught off guard. But Nozomu frowned at the strange feeling that
welled up in his chest.
Something is wrong. As
if in tune with his uneasiness, Irisdina, running next to him, opened her
mouth.
"Say, Nozomu.
Don't you think something is not right?"
"......About
what?"
"Ken Nortice's
recent behavior. He had been behaving almost perfectly for several years before
and since he framed you. And yet......."
"Indeed. He's
been acting awfully sloppy ever since I started questioning him, has he?"
Irisdina nodded
silently as she replied.
"Yeah. I hate to
say this, but he could have handled it better."
In fact, when Nozomu
confronted him, Ken said that his rumors had been established as fact.
Basically, people
rarely change the impression of someone once made. Unless something
extraordinary happens, a person's impression becomes fixed and consistent.
Nozomu's isolation at
the school was due to two factors: his low competence and the bad reputation of
being a cheater. And only one of them could be completely overturned. As long
as the other remains, third parties will always have doubts.
In other words, Ken
should not normally be in a state of urgency just yet.
And yet, he made his
move. In a way that was so unusual and discomfiting, an attempted murder.
The impatience that
his superiority was about to collapse, the jealousy that had been building up
over the years, and the fact that he had not been accepted by Lisa. Maybe it's
the result of all of these things piling up......
"......In any
case, we don't have the answer right now. Let's prioritize catching Ken
first."
"I concur. And
since they are kidnapping Lisa-kun, ...... there would be a possibility that
she could be taken as a hostage."
After shaking off the
uncomfortable feeling that stuck in their heads, they hurried onward.
Then they arrived at a
huge cylindrical space.
It was a reservoir
designed to prevent the sewage flowing from various parts of the city from
overflowing.
On all sides were
channels through which water flowed from the various districts of the city, and
the entire floor was covered with blocks with several small holes drilled in
them. The sound of water streaming down came from underneath the blocks.
There were two shadows
in the center of the reservoir. They were Ken and Lisa, the ones Nozomu has
been pursuing.
"What the hell do
you think you're doing!? Why did you take Lisa out and let that monster get
close to her!?"
[It can't be helped,
can it~? We had to stall for time to escape from this city~~]
Ken and Mefi were
arguing. Apparently, taking Lisa to hunt down Nozomu had angered Ken. It was
also confirmed that they were trying to flee outside the city with Lisa.
Considering that they were using Caskell, their destination would be the
Empire.
As Nozomu and the
others entered the reservoir, Ken noticed the presence of his pursuers.
"You
guys......."
"Ken. Let Lisa
go."
"Shut up!"
Without giving it a
second thought, Ken fired his magic at the three pursuers. [Intermediate Magic ・ Icicle Dance]. A magic that launches multiple ice
spears to skewer one's opponents. More than ten icicles attacked Nozomu and the
others.
"Fu~!"
"Whoa!"
"Nozomu,
sideways!"
Reflexively, the three
jumped back. However, as Nozomu escaped from the icicle's trajectory, another
shadow attacked him from the side. Two hooded shadows. In the darkness of the
dimly lit reservoir, a silver flash of murderous intent flashes through the
air.
"Manipulated
Starlights-...... No, intruders from outside the city, huh!?"
The ones who launched
the surprise attack were the same people who had attacked Nozomu and Camilla in
the central park. They were from outside the city and had disguised their
identities as Starlights. Nozomu quickly pulled out the [Mumei] from his waist
and deflected the oncoming slashes.
The impact caused the
two sides' distance to widen slightly. The intruders rushed to close the gap
again as soon as they land.
"Now, now,
intruders should get out of the way."
At that moment, Feo
intervened. The magic thunderbolt blasted one of the shadows, followed by the
staff that blocked the other's attack.
"Leave these guys
to me. You two take care of that idiot."
"I'm counting on
you!"
After relying on Feo
to take care of the two manipulated intruders, Nozomu and Irisdina rushed
toward Ken and the others.
Ken, with a look of
frustration on his face, drew his long sword, and Lisa, with a blank expression
on her face, drew her dual sabers.
Nozomu's katana and
Ken's long sword clashed, scattering sparks.
Next to them, Irisdina
and Lisa were clashing their weapons in the same way.
"Ken, let Lisa
go!"
"I won't let her
go. Lisa is mine!"
"She belongs to
herself! Nobody else's!"
Ken no longer talked
about protecting Lisa, but revealed his own selfish desires. Seeing him like
this, Nozomu looked at him with a face that bore a hint of pity.
"In the end,
neither you nor I could support Lisa. We both gave up our right to do so."
"No,
I-......!"
Their gazes clashed.
While Ken's eyes were shaken with frustration, Nozomu's eyes were calm and
brimming with the light of unwavering will.
One who realized his
own escapism, accepted it, and tried to become stronger. Meanwhile, on the
other side, someone who kept turning away from his own mistakes. The difference
in the way they faced their own mistakes. The [difference in mentality] was
clearly visible.
"That's why, I'm
going to end this......!"
Intimidated by
Nozomu's fighting spirit, Ken was involuntarily flinched. At that moment,
Nozomu, while his katana was still interlocked with Ken's long sword, pulled
one of his legs back and spun his body around in a half-turn. With Nozomu's
body drifting to the side, Ken's body naturally slumped forward due to the loss
of support, exposing a fatal opening.
"Fu~!"
A follow-up slash was
unleashed. In an instant, the Qi-blade severed Ken's long sword in two.
Ken gritted his teeth
as his weapon was shattered. Then, Mefi's scream was heard.
[Uwa!]
"Mefi!?"
When Ken turned his
attention to his partner, he saw that Mefi was blown away by Irisdina's magic.
[This b*tch......!]
Irisdina's magic
bullets and high-speed slashes were one-sidedly driving Mefi into a corner.
Mefi was also
manipulating Lisa's body to overcome the onslaught, but her movements were
somewhat sluggish, and it was hard to believe that she was even able to
manipulate such an amazing existence as one of the [Six Bad Omens].
"I see now. It
seems that you and Lisa are incompatible. Her movements are too sloppy."
Mefi had been
assimilating and manipulating Lisa's body, but her compatibility was far from
optimal.
Lisa's forte was the
flame attribute. On the other hand, Mefi was a water-based spirit. Not only
their original affinity was incompatible, but combined with the fact that she
was forcibly suppressing Lisa's memories and will, she did not seem to be able
to exert her full power as a spirit.
[Come on...... do what
I tell you!]
"Hmm, you are
resisting too, huh, Lisa-kun......?"
Irisdina then
ruthlessly pursued Mefi further.
[Oi, you! Are you ok
with this girl getting hurt!?]
"I'm sure she
would turn a blond eye to a few injuries rather than be manipulated by an evil
spirit like you. Besides, I am not Nozomu. That kind of threat is
meaningless!"
Using her ability
[Instant Deployment], Irisdina activated magic one after another.
Then, she cast the
[Restraining Magic・Chain of Darkness].
The black chains wrapped around Lisa's body, which was controlled by Mefi, and
sealed her movements.
[You......!]
In desperation, she
gathered up the water source element to smash it into the chains, but its power
was drastically reduced due to its incompatibility with Lisa. They were quickly
shot down by Irisdina's magic bullets.
In the midst of
shooting down Mefi's spirit magic, Irisdina raised her rapier, the Silver-Wing
of Twilight. The blade of the rapier, which was imbued with magic power, was
continuously infused with strengthening magic.
[Magic Sword・Lunar Eclipse]. This is Irisdina's strongest magic
sword.
Furthermore, while
intercepting Mefi's attack, additional magic bullets were generated.
"This is over......"
With this declaration,
she stepped forward and simultaneously moved the magic bullets she had
generated. While intertwining the magic bullets around her raised magic sword,
[Magic Sword・Lunar Eclipse], she
executed an ultra-high-speed thrust.
[Wha......!]
[Magic Sword Technique・Sunspot Comet]. As Irisdina literally dashed forward
in a straight line like a comet, Mefi somehow managed to release the restraints
on Lisa's arms and raised her twin blades.
The next instant, the
twin blades were shattered like candy, followed by a burst of intense flashes.
Struck at close range by the [Sunspot Comet]'s magic power, Lisa's body was
blown away like a feather. She slammed into the inner wall of the reservoir and
collapsed to the ground powerlessly.
"Oopsie! Nozomu,
we're done here, too!"
At this point, the
situation changed further. Feo eliminated the two intruders from outside the
city. The men, who had been struck by the staff clad in magic lightning, fell
to the ground without any strength.
"Damn it.......
Mefi, reassimilate with me!"
The light blue spirit
separated from Lisa's body and merged with Ken's body. At the same time, an
enormous amount of source elements erupted, and a light blue armor appeared.
"No, not yet! If
I kill you here, Lisa will cast her gaze on me......!"
"That won't
happen. You've crossed a line you shouldn't cross. If you can't even look at
what you've done, nothing will change."
[Wait, Ken, calm down!
This is going to be a repeat of what happened before......!]
"Shut up!"
Ken, not even heeding
Mefi's advice, ramped up his power even more.
"Iris, please
take care of Lisa."
"......Got
it."
In the face of the
gushing magic power and elemental force, Nozomu left the unconscious Lisa in
Irisdina's hands and faced Ken once again, slowly sheathing the katana he had
drawn and slouching down. He boosted his Qi and let it spread to his treasured
katana and his whole body. Heat rose from the core of his body. But his heart
remained calm as he kept his eyes fixed on himself and his opponent.
His eyes were tinged
with pity.
(How long are
you going to make a fool out of me......!?)
"Oooooooo!"
This made Ken even
more infuriated. Without any hesitation at all, he drew out Mefi's power, and
furthermore, he formed a huge magic circle in front of him, absorbing all the
surrounding magic power as much as he could. The overflowing source elements
and magic power began to shake the entire reservoir.
This magic, which not
only absorbed the surrounding magic power, but also the source elements, was
definitely classified as ritual magic. But its scale was far superior.
"This
is......."
With the entire field
of vision already tinted in blue, the dense source elements began to swirl and
bare their fangs indiscriminately at everything in their vicinity. Cracks were
also beginning to form in the inner walls of the reservoir.
Nozomu turned his
attention to the invisible chains wrapped around his body.
If he were to use
Tiamat's power, he might be able to cut through the magic that Ken was likely
to unleash. Just as he thought of that, Nozomu frowned at the debris falling
from above his head.
(No, I can't.
If a large amount of source elements and that dragon's power were to collide in
such a closed space, Iris and the others would be-......)
Numerous cracks had
already appeared in the ceiling, and pieces of shattered bricks were falling
down. No matter how skilled Nozomu might be at controlling it, if two extremely
powerful powers were to collide, all of them would surely be buried alive.
When he looked at Ken
again, he had a smirk on his face as though he had just done his part. He
understood the situation and brought Nozomu and the others here.
(What do we
do? What do we do now......?)
At that moment, he
suddenly felt someone was whispering in his ear.
His gaze spontaneously
turned downward and caught sight of what his right hand was now holding.
[Mumei]
A memento of his
master. Nozomu inherited it along with her techniques, and it is said to change
its abilities like a kaleidoscope depending on the wielder. The wavy pattern
that changed into chains seemed to be speaking to him.
His mind flashed back
to the previous battle against the Cracked-Crown Giant Centipede.
"Feo, Iris, can
you connect me and this guy through the link?"
"Haa!? That's
impossible! We don't even have the appropriate talismans for such magic!"
Contract magic. It is
a magic that creates a connection through magic power, and the most famous one
is spirit magic like the one used by Shina.
The problem is
compatibility. Contract magic is one of the magic systems that is very
dependent on the target of the contract and the aptitude of the user.
Irisdina also had a
look of bitterness on her face.
".......Let's try
it."
"Haa!?
How!?"
"If it is
impossible, let's make it possible. It's easy, Feo-kun. Just make an altar by
scattering talismans in all directions. And Let me handle the chanting."
Without further ado,
Irisdina walked behind Nozomu, who was facing Ken, and knelt down with her
rapier propped up on the floor. Feo, who believed in Nozomu and immediately
took action without question or hesitation, took out talismans, poured magic
power into them, and threw them.
A hexagram was drawn
with Nozomu and Irisdina at the center. This is a magic circle based on the six
basic elements. It is almost the same as the formation used in the practice of
ritual magic at the school.
"I, of
the Francilt bloodline, beseech you. Fire and water, flesh and iron, blood and
blade, may these opposites be joined together and truly be each other's
ally......"
With Irisdina's
prayer, the magic circle was activated. Magic power hovered in the air and
poured into Nozomu and [Mumei] as she chanted.
"Ah......"
"Lisa, have you come
to?"
In the midst of all
this, Lisa, who had been lying on the ground, woke up.
Not really
understanding the situation she was in, she was stunned for a while, but when
she saw Nozomu's face as he spoke to her, her face twitched.
"I-, I-, I
was-......."
The expression on her
face was a mixture of regret and guilt. Nozomu's face, filled with anger
directed at her in the Spasim forest, and the truth she had come to know, were
flooding into her mind.
He was innocent, but
she resented him, believing that he was the one who had unilaterally betrayed
her.
"It's okay."
"Eh?"
Perhaps she was
expecting to be met with curses, anger, or resentment directed at her.
But what Nozomu
directed at Lisa was a calm and composed voice. Reflecting in his eyes is the
same compassionate, sincere light that has not changed since their childhood.
"When this is
over, let's talk. This time, we'll do it right......."
"This is bad! A
makeshift altar and a temporary medium are not enough!"
While Lisa's eyes
widened in shock at Nozomu's unexpected words, Feo's impatient voice was heard.
It seems that the
current condition is still insufficient to establish the contract magic.
(What is
needed is a medium to create a strong connection. If so, then......)
While Feo and Irisdina
looked desperate, Nozomu turned his treasured katana's tip toward himself.
Then, while letting out a wry smile at himself for trying to rely on the most
old-fashioned method in this most technologically advanced city on the Arkmel
Continent, he forcefully thrust the [Mumei] into his own stomach.
"Wha!?"
"What are you
doing, Nozomu!?"
"Ugh!"
Nozomu winced at the
pain in his stomach, but a smile appeared on his face.
It was not the first
time he had been stabbed.
He had experienced it
in his training with his master. He knew where he could stab without any
aftereffects. In fact, he had avoided vital organs such as internal organs.
Nozomu pushed the
blade further in closer to the hilt as if seeking a connection with [Mumei].
Blood began to ooze from his belly, turning the blade redder and redder.
Blood is a medium that
has been used in various rituals since ancient times. Moreover, Nozomu, the
wielder of the blade, stabbed [Mumei] into his own body of his own volition.
There is no greater ritual act than this to connect two parties who are forming
a contract.
Once the blade was
sufficiently stained with blood, Nozomu pulled it out with all his might.
Blood gushed out of
the wound, but Nozomu did not bat an eye and instead held the [Mumei] up.
The magic circle that
was prepared for the contract became brighter, and in sync with it, the
chain-like patterns engraved on the [Mumei] became bewitchingly luminous.
The powerful medium of
the wielder's blood reinforced the links of the two sides, completely dyeing
the ancient demon sword into a form befitting Nozomu.
"No way, he
really did it!"
"Nozomu, he's
coming!"
"Begone!"
The source of the
water element, compressed to the utmost limit, was fired at Nozomu.
A torrent of black
water, seemingly washing away everything in its path, closed in to crush the
bodies, minds, and even souls of its opponents.
(He doesn't even
recognize Lisa anymore, huh?......)
Even though Lisa, whom
he had insisted on protecting, was right in front of him, Ken still unleashed
his extreme power.
Seeing this, Nozomu's
pity deepened even more, and while gritting his teeth, he readied his [Mumei]
to slash away the murky torrent of hatred and malice that was closing in on
him.
"~......"
Nozomu lowered his
waist and lifted his treasured katana in a thrusting stance. He exerted extreme
concentration. He even ignored the intense pain in his gut, and conveyed his
thoughts to his treasured blade.
Please lend me
your strength to protect these precious people behind me.
As if responding to
his wish, the [Mumei]'s blade shone even more brightly. The blood that was
clinging to the blade was instantly erased, and the chain-like pattern engraved
on the blade dissolved, becoming a ring of shining white chains that wrapped
around it.
"Fu~!"
Nozomu swung his blade
in a circular motion. It was the same movement as the technique known as the
[Mikagura-style・Fan-Sailed Lotus]. It
is a defensive technique that uses a film of Qi generated in the trajectory of
the blade to block the opponent's attack.
Along the trajectory
of the technique, rings of chains were scattered in a circular formation
accompanied by light, creating a thin film of light.
Compared to the
oncoming raging murky stream of the source element, it seemed rather unreliable
and insignificant. However, the film of light created by the chain rings
received Ken's spirit magic head-on and did not budge an inch.
"I-Impossible......."
No, it did not just
receive them. The chainrings began to unilaterally absorb the vast amount of
source elements that were crashing into them. The chainrings, each of which was
only the size of a thumb, swallowed the source element streams that were
thousands or tens of thousands of times greater than their volume.
It was an
extraordinary sight, like a huge flood being sucked into a single bucket.
The chainrings, which
were small compared to the scale of spirit magic, absorbed all the magic that
came into contact with them and immediately went back to [Mumei]'s blade,
dyeing it blue.
It was undoubtedly the
power of the spirit magic that Ken had just unleashed. Nozomu's sharp gaze was
directed at Ken, who was stunned.
He then swung his
blade, which had been infused with spirit magic, with all his might.
Immediately afterward,
as if in reverse, the source stream of water elements was fired back at Ken.
The muddy stream
knocked Ken flying and plunged directly into one of the underground waterways.
The outer circumference of the waterway was instantly gouged out, and the
surrounding ground was excavated. It expanded the width of the canal to more
than twice its original width before finally receding after a few hundred
meters.
"Gah, ugh!?"
Ken, who got blown
away, crashed into the ground several times, and finally stopped when he was
blasted away about 30 meters. Immediately after that, *shatter!*, a shattering
sound echoed behind Nozomu's ears. The link he had just established with
[Mumei] was broken.
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