Volume 4 Chapter 8.2
Risking One's Life Till One Burns Up Part 2
Translator : PolterGlast
In the darkness, Ken
stood silently before the childhood friend he had captured. Seeing the
anguished expression on her face, his thoughts, which had been hazy just
moments before, quickly became clear.
(Ah......)
He felt a sense of
loneliness in his heart.
Then, he finally
realized. What he desired was something else.
[Let me go, let me out
of here!]
In his head, the Mefi
he had absorbed was desperately pleading with him, but he ignored the voice and
suppressed it, saying that he did not care. The voice of one who no human
should ever be able to resist was easily hushed.
[Kill. Devour. Their
...... source of life.]
Instead, this time,
the beast's voice echoed. The existence that kept him alive. The will of the
heretical demonic beast.
He was forced to
understand, whether he wanted to or not. Without the power of this demonic
beast, he would not be able to live, and eventually, this demonic beast will
crush his soul and devour everything that lives in this land.
(In the end,
this is no different from when I was being used by Mefi......)
"Lisa......"
Once again, he called
out the name of his childhood friend. A scene from his childhood flashed back
into his mind. The first friends he made after being neglected by his family.
The one he had been longing for.
[In the end, neither
you nor I could support Lisa. We both gave up our right to do so.]
The voice of his other
childhood friend came back to him. He felt his gut churn with anger upon
hearing those words, but at the same time, he also felt a sense of
understanding.
"......It's too
late now."
Yes. Everything is
already too late.
Then there is only one
thing he could ...... hope for.
"You've
come......."
His heightened senses
detected that man's presence.
The cold sensation
from before has disappeared, and in its place is a feeling of elation.
This is the
last. Knowing that naive guy, he might be a little indecisive. But if I use
this extra thing I've captured as bait, I'll be able to fire him up.
There is no
hope. And that's fine. The future doesn't matter anymore.
I'll kill
him....... I'm willing to sacrifice anything for it.
And so, he turned his
back on his beloved childhood friend and muttered "good-bye" in his
heart.
†
Nozomu ran out of the
medical facility, ignoring the staff members who were flustered by the sudden
appearance of the hemisphere.
A sticky humidity
began to entangle his entire body.
Shaking off the air
that clung to his skin, he ran ahead to see a huge shining wall and a huge
black hemisphere.
Perhaps the erosion
had progressed further than before, the wall of light flickered erratically and
seemed to be gradually fading away.
And about 30 meters
away from the wall of light, a large number of city personnel had gathered, who
had rushed to the site after learning of the situation. Among them were people
Nozomu knew well.
"Nozomu-kun!?"
"You woke
up!?"
Jihad and others were
surprised to see Nozomu rushing toward them.
Among them, Irisdina
was the only one who seemed somewhat absent-minded.
"Nozomu......"
"Iris......"
When her eyes met
Nozomu's, she shuddered for some reason.
Her eyes were filled
with bewilderment and ...... guilt. Nozomu was wondering why she had such a
lonely look on her face, but before he could ask her, Fadrey stepped in between
them.
"Sorry, but we
are in an urgent situation. Let me continue. As I said before, before the
Isolation Barrier is breached, we will make the underground magic circle that
is deploying the barrier go out of control and blow it up. There will be some
damage to the facilities in the surrounding areas, but that can't be
helped."
The City Isolation
Barrie is deployed by infusing the source elements drawn from the dragon veins
into the magic circle that is spread out beneath the city. This was planned and
installed at the time of Alkazam's construction as a prototype ritual magic
city, and is still being expanded and adjusted throughout the city.
With such a
super-large scale magic circle, the power stored in it is extraordinary.
If it were to explode,
the buildings on top of the magic circle would be obliterated without
exception. Naturally, the lives of the people there would be annihilated like dust.
The aftermath alone would cause significant damage to the adjacent areas.
"If you do that,
Shina-san, Lisa-san, and the others will die~!"
[You damned old
geezer!]
"There's no other
way. The Isolation Barrier won't last much longer. Once it is completely
eroded, it will be impossible to even make it self-destruct. It is better than
the city itself collapsing."
Naturally, the
teachers, including Anri, and Razward protested, but Fardrey dismissed their
arguments with a firm stance.
Jihad, the representative
of the school side, was silent. He stared at the jet-black hemisphere in
frustration, perhaps torn between his position as a teacher protecting his
students and his position as a representative of an organization.
Nozomu, too, was
feeling a rough discomfort at Fardrey's words. His breathing became shallow and
a strong urgency came over him. Irisdina looked at him with a somewhat uneasy
expression.
"Nozomu?"
Nozomu walked past the
arguing adults and went straight to the Isolation Barrier.
The words of the old
man who had just made contact with him came back to his mind, followed by a
strong sense of unease.
The risk of going out
of control, and a dragon that has been in the city before he knew it.
Having been made aware
of so many important things, the future became ...... tremendously scary.
(But even
so......)
It is okay to run
away. That was his Master's words that saved him.
Also, the people who
rescued him when he was consumed by the rage of anger. That's why.......
"Would you please
...... undo the barrier?"
Quiet but determined
words.
While everyone present
was surprised, Fadrey, under Nozomu's intense gaze, spoke up solemnly.
"I can't do that.
That black hemisphere is unilaterally devouring even the City Isolation
Barrier. Naturally, once caught, one won't even be able to escape, and both
body and soul will be devoured. You are no exception."
Following Fadrey's
words, the guards guarding him surrounded Nozomu.
"Nozomu!
Fadrey-dono, please stop!"
Irisdina raised her
voice, but Fardrey ignored her words and raised his hand to order the guards to
restrain Nozomu. But before he could bring his hand down, an unexpected voice
echoed around them.
[Nozomu, you won't
come?]
"Ken......."
A low, yet provocative
tone of voice. With a clear and rational voice, Ken provoked Nozomu.
[If you're going to
abandon them, then do as you please. But Lisa, Camilla, that elf and the entire
city will be obliterated.]
As if to confirm his
words, the City Isolation Barrier, which was supposed to be at odds with the
Predatory Barrier, trembled. The sparks that should have been flying through
the barrier disappeared. Fadrey's eyes widened upon seeing this.
"Don't tell me,
you've already seized control over the City Isolation Barrier?"
[Only you may come......]
While Fadrey was
surprised, Ken led Nozomu toward a hole in the City Isolation Barrier. The
hole, as small as a needle, spread out in the blink of an eye, becoming a large
semi-circular hole that several people could pass through side by side.
Seeing that Ken had
clearly seized control over the City Isolation Barrier, Fadrey, having realized
that his countermeasures were already impossible, shifted his gaze to Nozomu.
His eyes were trying to see through everything inside. Nozomu met his gaze head-on,
and Fadrey let out a deep sigh.
"In this case, I
have no choice but to entrust it to you......"
Hearing Fadrey's
words, the guards backed down.
As soon as they were
out of the way, Nozomu glanced at Razward and Tima, who were with Irisdina and
the others, and lightly tapped his ear with his finger. As they widened their
eyes at the earring still attached to his ear, he headed for the black hole
that had been bored into the barrier.
"Nozomu......!"
Irisdina cried out
involuntarily.
Nozomu smiled lightly
at her concern and stepped into the darkness of the abyss.
"......!"
The moment Nozomi
entered the barrier, a pitch-black darkness filled his vision. What followed
was a feeling of coldness, as if he were on ice. He winced as he felt the heat
draining from his body, but regained his composure and continued onward into
the darkness.
[I never thought you
could move within this barrier that devours not only your body, but even your
soul. Normal humans would have collapsed before they could even take a single
step, and would die and become my food. What in the world have you absorbed,
Nozomu?]
Ken's voice echoed
from the darkness once again. Although his voice was calm, there was a hint of
both surprise and amazement in his words.
[No, wait. This is not
from the spirit you've absorbed. So this is your own power, huh? What a prick.]
"What are you
talking about?"
[You haven't noticed,
huh? Well, whatever. Besides, you won't be able to worry about it anymore
anyway.]
However, his tone of
voice quickly changed to one filled with hatred.
While letting Ken's
meaningful words stream forth, Nozomu just kept moving forward in the darkness.
As he did so,
eventually, a small light began to flicker from the depths of the darkness. The
flashing light, like a firework, grew stronger instantaneously, filling
Nozomu's field of vision with flashes of light.
He raised his hand and
squinted, and after a few seconds, the light faded away like a receding tide,
clearing his vision at once.
"Is this ......
Oire Village?"
And before Nozomu's
eyes was a small village nestled in the mountains, bathed in twilight.
At the same time, the
cold sensation he had felt earlier disappeared. Apparently, this predatory
barrier has a two-layered structure, and the erosive power that devours even
souls is not at work here.
[Nostalgic place, huh?
But to the current me, this place is just an awful place......]
Mountains drew a
wavering line in the darkening sky, and the houses spread out at their foot. A
nostalgic place to call home.
But there were no
lights in any of the houses, and they gave off a coldness reminiscent of
inorganic stone sculptures.
Just on the other side
of the village, a single large, black tree towered as if piercing the sky.
The hill where the
lone pine tree used to stand, the playground of their childhood. Ken's voice
was echoing from there.
"Over there,
huh?......."
Nozomu made his way
toward the lone pine tree. On the way, he passed through the village, but there
was still no sign of anyone.
He walked alongside
the river that ran through the center of the village and went straight to the
road that led to the lone pine tree.
Suddenly, a modest
house caught Nozomu's eye. It was a small house made of wooden posts, grass
roof, and mud walls. It was Nozomu's house.
He knew that this was
not the actual house where he grew up. Still, he stopped in his tracks.
[Your house, huh?
....... Come to think of it, when you came to this school, your parents were
really against it. I didn't experience any such thing. If you want to go, just
go. My family spoke to me so indifferently, as if to say, "Let the cow off
the leash".]
Perhaps remembering
the old days, Ken's voice, which had been disturbingly eerie earlier, turned
somewhat distant and somber.
[My other siblings
didn't say anything either. Because they would have more food to feed
themselves. I guess it was more convenient for them to be without me.]
"That's not
true......"
[Really?]
"If they didn't
care about you, do you really think they'd raise you until you were
fourteen?"
Although Oire village
was still better off, Nozomu had nevertheless heard stories of famine-stricken
villages selling their children. Ken's family was certainly a big one, and his
parents were always busy working and taking care of his other young siblings,
but they were by no means cold-hearted people.
[Your opinion doesn't
matter to me. Besides, this past is meaningless now. I've already cast the die.
So, I have no intention of going back.]
Ken dismissed Nozomu's
words.
However, Nozomu
couldn't help but notice a hint of slight attachment and sadness in his voice.
[And did you forget?
If you don't hurry up, we're going to run out of time.]
But there was no time
to ask anything back. It was true that Ken had taken control of the City
Isolation Barrier, and the Predatory Barrier was still in place. If left
unchecked, it was only a matter of time before Ken would devour Arcazam as a
whole.
Swallowing the words
that rose to his throat, Nozomu once again proceeded along the narrow path. He
reached the top of the hill, which was his destination.
The sight before him
took his breath away.
A huge tree pierced
the sky. A single pine tree, once a symbol of the playground, has been
transformed into a blackened and ominous object. In front of the tree stood the
childhood friend he was looking for.
[You're here at last.]
"Ken, where's
Lisa?"
[She's safe. For now.
And so are these two.......]
Ken turned around and
showed Nozomu the base of the black pillar that had been half-hidden. Nozomu's
face broke out in shock. There he saw Lisa, Shina, and Camilla, with half of
their bodies entrapped in the pillar, crucified. All three were limp and
unconscious.
"Ken,
you......!"
"Nn......"
Just as he was about
to pounce on Ken reflexively, Lisa's body jerked.
Her closed eyes slowly
opened and her face lifted.
"Nozomu,
Ken......"
[Lisa's awake too.
Shall we begin then? ......]
Ken suddenly raised
his right hand. The black source elements converged, and a single long sword
appeared.
The sword has a luster
reminiscent of black oil bubbling up from the ground. The blade, clearly a
convergence of water elements, looked foreign even to Nozomu, and emitted an
eerie presence.
A blue light mixed
with the black source elements. Nozomu's mind recalled the insect spirit called
Mefi.
"Ken, the spirit
you contracted with -......"
[I ate it. Thanks to
this guy's power.......]
While saying so, Ken
pointed to his left chest. A multicolored magic stone peeked out from a gap in
his tattered uniform. It looked familiar. It was the Abyss Grief magic stone
that Shina and Nozomu had defeated before.
The magic stone was
almost completely embedded in the skin, but from the surface of the stone,
multiple tubes, reminiscent of black blood vessels, were crawling out and
burrowing into the skin. The stone itself was beating continuously, almost
resembling a heart, and each time it beat, a vivid light was transmitted
through the blood vessels into Ken's body.
(Was what that
dragon said true?......)
[She's been deceiving
me all this time, so it's nothing to fret about. And also, the old man who has
been using me is probably scratching his head right now. Just imagining it
makes me feel better.]
"The old man who
has been-......?"
Before Nozomu could
finish his sentence, the jet-black tree shook with a loud tremor.
The entire village of
illusion turned reddish-black, and then the same-colored source elements
converged on the tree. The black tree devoured the gathered elements. Tubes
reminiscent of blood vessels emerged from the thick trunk and began to throb.
The sucked-up source elements become a huge crimson mass inside the giant tree.
"That's
......."
[It is a mass of
source elements absorbed by the Predatory Barrier. This tree is the center of
the barrier. Once it reaches a critical point, it will have enough power to
blow away Arcazam along with the entire dragon veins.]
A brilliant colored
light overflowed from Ken's left chest, followed by a burst of black source
elements from his entire body.
The gush of source
elements covered Ken's entire body and eventually transformed into full-body
armor that radiated a dull luster.
[Nozomu, I finally
have the power I've always wanted.]
Spirit armor. The
armor that Ken previously wore by assimilating with Mefi. Compared to before,
it looked more sinister, and from both eyes of the distorted helmet, blood-red
eyes were peeking out. Its features were the same as those of the Abyss Grief
that Nozomu had defeated before.
With the power of a
spirit and a deformed demonic beast in his hands, Ken pointed the tip of the
long sword at Nozomu.
[This time ...... I
will definitely kill you.]
The sharp, piercing
eyes and murderous intent that made one's whole body shiver. A determination to
completely ...... oppose him.
In Nozomu's mind, he
recalled the scene in the sewers, when he was about to be swallowed by the
raging water, how Ken brushed away his hand.
"Ken, just what
the hell did you really want? Are you ...... really serious about this?"
Nevertheless, Nozomu
still asked. Because he wanted to know. No, he had to know.
There must be a way to
turn back. Even after committing a great crime.
But what came back was
still rejection.
Ken's jet-black long
sword swung out, the blade split and extended like a whip, attacking Nozomu.
"~!?"
Nozomu drew his
[Mumei] and reflexively slashed away at the oncoming serpentine sword.
[Even after reaching
this stage, you are still pestering me with every little thing. I don't give a
damn about your feelings.]
A strong impact was
felt in return. Ken spat on Nozomu's words with a look of contempt and disgust
on his face as he grimaced at the numbness running down his arm.
[Fight me. Kill me,
with everything you've got. That's all you can do now.]
Many questions came to
Nozomu's mind. But there was one thing he was sure of.
Ken would not stop
unless by force.
"Nozomu......"
Making up his mind
after hearing Lisa's mutter, Nozomu put his hand on the invisible chains that
wrapped around his body and tore them off.
[Roaarr―――――!]
Along with Tiamat's
roar, an enormous amount of Qi erupted from Nozomu's body. The enormous amount
of Qi swirled and surged, blowing away Ken's source elements that were floating
around inside the barrier.
"I get it, Ken.
Let's end this. Everything, about us......"
As if in response to
this declaration, [Mumei]'s pattern of ripples shone brightly.
The blade lifted,
leaving a shimmering white trail, and Ken also readied his black serpentine
sword.
Then they both kicked
the ground at the same time. In the blink of an eye, they reached each other
and swung their weapons.
A darkness that
devoured even the soul. A roar that blew away the darkness. The final battle
has begun.
†
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