[WN] Dragon Chain Ori : Volume 6 Chapter 14 [Re-Translation]

This is a re-translation.

Volume 6 Chapter 14

 

The Martial Arts Garden was filled with the murmur of people. Countless eyes were focused on the two people facing each other in the center of the Martial Arts Garden. They were two people whose weapons, physiques, and reputations were completely opposite.

 

Jihad Raundel and Nozomu Bountis.

 

The two of them were standing there, their eyes never leaving each other. The 3rd-grade students, who were watching the two of them from outside the field, were also unable to hide their surprise at the unexpected match.

 

"What in the world is this?"

 

Kevin was the one who reacted to a 1st-grade student who was tilting his head. He said with a spitting tone, without hiding his displeasure.

 

"Heh, this is a waste of time. He's just going to get taken out in one blow by Jihad."

 

"I know. Why him first? I was looking forward to having a bout with Jihad-sensei..."

 

"Well, I guess it's fine? Like Kevin said, he's just going to get taken out in a few seconds."

 

The 3rd-grade students around them also nodded at Kevin's words and voiced their dissatisfaction one after another. For them, this moment of being able to have a bout with Jihad was a rare opportunity for them to improve themselves. There was no way they could have a favorable opinion of a person who had stolen that chance from them, especially someone whom they thought was much weaker than them and had abandoned his lover.

 

Among them, Mars, who was in the same 10^th-class as Nozomu, interjected.

 

"I don't know about that. It seems Jihad isn't using his own sword..."

 

He was probably annoyed by the laughter they had heard earlier. Mars's expression was stern, and he was emitting an anger that could explode at any moment. In fact, he looked like he was about to snap. His tightly clenched fists were trembling slightly.

 

"What kind of handicap is that? It seems you guys don't know, but Jihad always uses those weapons when he fights us."

 

Kevin retorted to Mars's words in a condescending tone. Mars frowned at his words.

 

"...Is that true, Irisdina?"

 

"...Yes. As frustrating as it is, I have never seen him use the 'Jaw Breaker' against us."

 

Mars asked Irisdina, who was next to him, but it seemed that Jihad really had never used that greatsword against them. Well, it was a greatsword that was taller than its owner. It might be difficult to hold back with a sword like that.

 

But after thinking that far, Mars shook his head.

 

"No, I guess that's just how much of a monster he really is..."

 

What came back to Mars's mind was the S-rank vampire he had faced before. He would casually do insane things like manipulating 10 spells at once, and on top of that, he had special abilities unique to vampires. Considering that he, Irisdina, and Tima could only buy time against him even when they fought him together, it might have been natural for Jihad to not use his beloved sword. Thinking about it that way, Mars felt that it might be natural for the annoying guy next to him to think that way.

 

"Even Irisdina and I can't get Jihad to be serious. It's impossible for that bottom feeder to even have a clash with him."

 

While looking at Kevin, who was snorting, out of the corner of his eye, Mars noticed that the anger that had been boiling inside him had subsided. It might have been because he knew Nozomu better than Kevin did, which allowed him to stay calm.

 

Thinking that, Mars looked at Irisdina, Shina, and Tima on his other side. It seemed that Irisdina and Shina didn't care much about Kevin's words, and their eyes were still focused on the two people in the center of the arena. Tima's expression was a little stiff, probably because she had been worried about Mars, who had looked like he was about to explode, but now she was relieved and had relaxed her shoulders. Mars once again closed his eyes to calm himself down, then slowly opened his mouth.

 

"... Well, I wonder about that."

 

Mars shrugged his shoulders and spoke his thoughts out loud. It was true that his opponent was powerful. Nozomu, who could only find a way out in close-quarters combat because of his Ability Suppression, would have almost no chance of winning against Jihad without using his powers.

 

But still, Mars had a premonition that he would pull something off. He was Nozomu, who was completely unaware of just how far his own skills differed from those around him. He would at least shock the people who were still underestimating him as a bottom feeder. Thinking about that, the corners of his mouth lifted.

 

Kevin's face twisted at Mars's expression. When Kevin was about to say something again, a dignified voice echoed through the arena.

 

"In any case, we'll find out soon... Although, I can't imagine Nozomu losing so easily in a pure fight."

 

"You never know what's going to happen in a battle. You should have realized that in the special comprehensive exercise, too."

 

The owners of the voices were the black-haired girl and the fairy girl who were standing right next to them. Their clear, dignified voices silenced the noisy people around them. Kevin was also at a loss for words at Irisdina's and Shina's words.

 

Indeed, the existence of the corpse dragon that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the training ground was still fresh in their memories. It had an overwhelming physique and a body that didn't feel pain because it was undead. It was an embodiment of violence that had rampaged, driven by hunger. That existence was death itself, which the 3rd-grade students had not felt in a long time. If Jihad hadn't come to their rescue, it wouldn't have been strange if there had been casualties. Because they knew that fact, no one there laughed at Irisdina and the others' words, and a heavy silence dominated the place.

 

Irisdina and Shina glanced at the silent people around them, then looked at the red-haired girl nearby. She was just silently watching him, who was standing in the center of the field. At first glance, her face seemed expressionless. But Irisdina and Shina did not miss the fact that her eyes had wavered the moment Nozomu's name was called by Jihad and he stood in the center of the field. Was it because she was worried about him, or was there another reason?

 

Camilla, who was next to her, seemed to be talking to her, but they were too far away to know what she was saying. However, if they looked closely, her shoulders were trembling slightly.

 

***

 

Unaware of the heavy conversation that was being exchanged, Nozomu was desperately looking for an opportunity to step in against Jihad, who was standing in front of him. There were no problems with himself. His katana at his waist, his Ki, and his physical condition were all perfect. But he couldn't step in even though he wanted to.

 

While Nozomu was in a low stance, Jihad was just standing there without even a stance. The greatsword in Jihad's right hand was pointing loosely at the ground, and the huge tower shield in his left hand was not pointed at Nozomu, but was also held to his side like the greatsword.

 

His opponent's gaze, expression, weapon, posture, and center of gravity. At first glance, they all looked full of openings, but Nozomu knew that he was maintaining a moderate amount of tension and could move at any moment.

 

If I step in carelessly, I'll be killed instantly!

 

That unpleasant premonition wouldn't leave Nozomu's head. He felt a tingling pain on the back of his neck. It was the same overwhelming pressure he had felt when he had faced his Master and Rugato at Irisdina's mansion. In front of that, Nozomu didn't think he could easily step into his opponent's range.

 

"Hmm, so you won't step in so easily. Then..."

 

"!"

 

The next moment, the ground beneath Jihad's feet was blown away with a roar. The giant, who was almost two meters tall, suddenly accelerated and charged at Nozomu with an unbelievable speed.

 

"So fast...!"

 

"Hmph!"

 

Jihad's greatsword was swung down at Nozomu. It was a greatsword that was swung at an insane speed. But Nozomu's eyes could clearly see its trajectory.

 

"Hah!"

 

Nozomu instantly saw through Jihad's sword strike and took a half-step back with a shuffling motion. Jihad's roaring sword approached Nozomu. But with that trajectory, it would pass by Nozomu's nose by a hair's breadth. And compared to Nozomu's katana, Jihad's greatsword was also difficult to handle.

 

He could step in now. Nozomu judged that and snipped the koiguchi of his katana. The moment the greatsword passed, Nozomu tried to step in toward Jihad, but at that moment, the bulging muscles in Jihad's arm appeared in Nozomu's eyes.

 

"! Crap...!"

 

"Hmph!"

 

Nozomu hurriedly twisted his body to dodge. The next moment, Jihad's sword, which was supposed to have been swung down, turned into a thrust and was approaching Nozomu while changing its trajectory.

 

"Ugh...!"

 

Jihad's greatsword passed by Nozomu's chest, leaving a tear in his shirt. A cold sweat ran down Nozomu's cheek. To be honest, he hadn't expected him to change the trajectory of the greatsword, which had accelerated so much, with just one hand.

 

"But...!"

 

Nozomu slammed the sheath, which was still containing his katana, from below, as if to strike up Jihad's greatsword. With Jihad's arm fully extended, he couldn't resist Nozomu's strike. Nozomu used his full Ki to strengthen his body, and while deflecting his opponent's sword upward, he rotated his body using the sheath he had struck as a pivot.

 

"Hah!"

 

Nozomu then stepped in and drew his katana. He tried to swing it at Jihad's now exposed side. But Nozomu's strike was deflected with a high-pitched sound. It was Jihad's tower shield that had deflected Nozomu's katana.

 

Jihad, whose thrust had been deflected by Nozomu, used the momentum of his sword being lifted up to twist his body and deflected Nozomu's katana from below with the tower shield in his left hand.

 

"Guh..."

 

Nozomu's upper body was lifted up because he was deflected with such great force. In Nozomu's eyes, which were off balance, he saw Jihad returning his thrusting greatsword to a low stance. This time it was Jihad's turn.

 

"Nn!"

 

Jihad turned the blade of his greatsword and swung it horizontally. By the time Nozomu regained his posture, he was no longer able to dodge Jihad's sword strike.

 

"Kuh...!"

 

Nozomu held up his katana to try and deflect Jihad's sword strike. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and tried to align his katana with the trajectory of his opponent's sword. The moment the approaching greatsword was about to touch Nozomu's katana, Nozomu put strength into his arm and prepared for the approaching impact.

 

"Gah!!"

 

But the force that was actually applied to Nozomu's arm was much greater than he had anticipated. An impact equal to the strike of the Cyclops he had faced before ran through his arm. Nozomu's body flew into the air, and he stumbled from the impact he couldn't deflect. But Jihad's offense didn't end there. A huge shadow was approaching him.

 

The next moment, Nozomu was punched away with Jihad's shield.

 

"Gah...!"

 

Nozomu's body was sent flying and rolling on the ground. As his vision warped from the impact of being slammed into the ground, Nozomu desperately moved his body and jumped away from the spot. An instant later, Jihad's greatsword stabbed into the ground where Nozomu had been. Jihad had immediately pursued Nozomu, who had been blown away, but Nozomu had managed to successfully evade him just in time. Nozomu took some distance from Jihad. Jihad also didn't pursue him and just stood there again.

 

"You dodged well."

 

"Huff, huff... I've been blown away many times before."

 

Compared to Jihad's nonchalant tone, Nozomu's breathing was ragged. His heart was beating like a drum from the tension, but Nozomu's tone was somewhat nostalgic.

 

The days of training with his Master came back to Nozomu's mind. He was constantly getting hurt from being punched, thrown, and cut, but those days had firmly soaked into his body and blood. The reason Nozomu immediately turned to evasion when he was blown away earlier was because his body had been drilled to know that if he didn't, he would immediately be knocked unconscious during a bout with his Master.

 

The two of them took their distance and glared at each other. Nozomu, despite being covered in dirt, was looking straight at Jihad.

 

At that moment, Jihad's cheeks relaxed a bit.

 

"You have good eyes. Your sense of reading the flow of battle isn't bad either. I see, it seems it wasn't a coincidence that Ms. Anri took note of you and that you escaped that magic beast."

 

"Thanks..."

 

Nozomu was a little embarrassed and confused by the sudden praise. His reply, perhaps from the tension, came out a little uninspired.

 

"But it's not enough. Show me a little more."

 

Nozomu, who had been thrown off by the sudden strange words, immediately regained his tension in the face of the fighting spirit that erupted from Jihad's body the next moment.

 

"Here I come."

 

"!"

 

As if that were a signal, Jihad's Ki suddenly surged. And an unbelievable amount of Ki was concentrated at Jihad's feet. A resounding explosive sound. Jihad, who had activated Flash Step, charged at Nozomu again.

 

"Hah!"

 

The greatsword was swung down in a diagonal slash. Nozomu twisted his body to move away from the trajectory of the sword. But Jihad immediately changed the trajectory of his sword and followed up with a horizontal slash. Nozomu ducked to dodge Jihad's sword strike, but Jihad's sword dance continued to attack Nozomu without a pause. A series of attacks from a right slash to a reverse slash, an upward slash to a downward slash, and a diagonal slash to a thrust.

 

It was something that was built on accumulated experience and solid technique. The harmony of the brute strength of his blessed physique and the sword techniques that the Cyclops did not possess cornered Nozomu all at once.

 

"Damn it!"

 

Nozomu desperately focused his consciousness on Jihad and the blade he was wielding. He predicted his opponent's movements from his gaze and the movements of his muscles, and he focused on dodging by moving his body's axis away from his opponent's attacks.

 

But it was impossible to completely dodge every attack in the vortex of Jihad's storm of attacks. Nozomu reluctantly jumped backward to get out of his opponent's range. He was planning to reset the situation. But even that was a trap set by Jihad.

 

Something hit Nozomu's back, and a shock ran through him.

 

"What?!"

 

Nozomu let out a surprised voice and looked back, and a shining magical barrier came into his view. He had been driven to the edge of the field without realizing it.

 

"Oh no...!"

 

Nozomu hurriedly tried to get out of the place. But the next moment, what came into his eyes was Jihad's tower shield, which was filling his entire vision.

 

"Gah...!"

 

Jihad, who had charged at him with his shield held up, slammed Nozomu's body into the barrier. Nozomu let out a groan of pain as he was sandwiched between the tower shield and the magical barrier. A shock and a feeling of pressure ran through his entire body. Jihad grabbed Nozomu by the collar and threw his body away with great force. Nozomu's body was thrown away like a piece of wood. He was slammed into the ground and rolled until he finally stopped near the center of the field.

 

"Gah, ugh...!"

 

Nozomu let out a rough breath and somehow used his arms to prop himself up. He must have hit his head when he was thrown, because his hands on the ground looked blurry.

 

"D-damn it..."

 

Nozomu shook his head as if to tell himself to pull himself together and looked forward. From the depths of his blurry vision, he saw the middle-aged swordsman slowly walking toward him.

 

Jihad, with his back to the spectator seats of the Martial Arts Garden, was walking toward him. The moment Nozomu saw him, a flash of light ran through his vision.

 

"W-what is it...?"

 

What he saw in a blink was not the white-shining Martial Arts Garden, but a dense forest, and a woman holding a single katana, just like him. A person he would never be able to meet again, but who had taught him so many important things. It was the figure of a woman who was more important to Nozomu than anyone else.

 

"Master...?"

 

The figures of his Master and Jihad overlapped and changed places like the blinking of stars. Nozomu couldn't help but let out a voice at that sight.

 

"Hmm?"

 

Jihad tilted his head at Nozomu's words. But the one who was most surprised by those words was Nozomu himself, who had just said them. Why had he blurted out something like that?

 

While Nozomu was in a state of confusion, the voice of a close friend of his echoed through the arena.

 

"Hey! Nozomu, why aren't you getting serious?!"

 

"M-Mars?!"

 

Nozomu, who was surprised by Mars's sudden voice, hurriedly looked in the direction of the voice, and saw Mars leaning over from the edge of the field.

 

"Hurry up and use your techniques! This white-haired dog next to me has been yapping so loudly. Get serious so you can shut that dog up!!"

 

White-haired dog... Was he talking about Kevin next to him?

 

When he looked closely, he could see the beastman youth who had just been called a dog confronting Mars.

 

Then Irisdina and Shina leaned forward in Mars's place.

 

"Nozomu, don't worry. The person you're having a bout with is Jihad-dono! Remember well who your opponent is!"

 

"My opponent?"

 

Prompted by Irisdina's words, Nozomu once again looked at the swordsman in front of him. He had stopped walking at some point and was standing about 10 meters away from Nozomu.

 

Jihad Raundel.

 

During the great invasion ten years ago, he was one of the swordsmen who became a pillar of support for the soldiers, cutting down the hordes of magical beasts with the greatsword in his hand. And a person of the same caliber as Nozomu's Master, Shino.

 

"He's the same as Master..."

 

The moment he said those words, the days of training with his Master came back to Nozomu's mind again. The figure of a person whose techniques he had learned and whose Ki techniques he had used, but whom he had never been able to reach, except for in their last battle.

 

"I see, it's fine, isn't it? Even if I use them..."

 

If the swordsman in front of him was a person of the same class as his Master, it was highly doubtful whether he would be able to do anything to him even if he used all his techniques with the intent to kill, without releasing his Ability Suppression. He remembered his Master, who had casually done monstrous things like canceling out Phantom with Phantom. He also clearly remembered being cut in a diagonal slash with "Phantom -Return- " afterward. He didn't remember doing the exact same thing in retaliation, but...

 

"Actually, my life is in danger if I don't use them, right?"

 

Am I in a really dangerous situation right now? Such an unpleasant thought began to pop up in Nozomu's head. Of course, he was overthinking it, but Nozomu, whose thoughts went in a strange direction when it came to his training with his Master, didn't realize it.

 

Nozomu, who was falling into a strange line of thought and breaking into a cold sweat on his own, was brought back to reality by Somia's voice.

 

"Nozomu-san~! Do your best~!"

 

When he looked up, he saw Somia leaning over from the spectator seats and waving her hands at him.

 

"Somia-chan?"

 

The angel, who was always as bright and cheerful as the sun, was cheering him on. If he looked closely, he could also see Eldor and the others waving their hands just like her.

 

"Nozomu! Go all out! You don't have to hold back!"

 

"Nozomu, listen! Don't flinch at Jihad-sensei's sword strikes! If you do, you'll be crushed instantly!"

 

"Your skill is by no means inferior to Jihad-sensei's! Have confidence!"

 

"Nozomu-kun! Go for it!"

 

Mars, Irisdina, Shina, and his classmates from the 10^th-class were also cheering Nozomu on with loud voices. It was a cheer he had never received before. A hot something he had never felt when he was alone welled up from the depths of his chest.

 

"Everyone..."

 

His body was gradually becoming warm. It felt as if he was receiving strength from everyone.

 

"Phew..."

 

Nozomu closed his eyes and relaxed his entire body. The mock battle was still going on. Normally, this would be nothing short of a reckless act, but Nozomu now felt that it would be fine even if he closed his eyes or lay down.

 

He lightly swung his katana. A pleasant "whoosh" sound echoed in Nozomu's ears. It wasn't a fast sword strike. But he felt as if he could cut through steel with just that now. He lightly clenched his hand to check his condition.

 

"Yeah. I'm fine."

 

The numbness in his body was gone. His whole body was filled with strength, and he felt like he could run anywhere. And his Ki was more abundant than ever before.

 

"Are you ready?"

 

"Yes, I'm ready."

 

Jihad, who had been standing there, called out to Nozomu. Nozomu nodded at Jihad's words. His voice was not loud, but for some reason, it echoed in the ears of everyone in the arena.

 

"I see. Then, let's continue."

 

Jihad raised his tower shield, and Nozomu took a low stance.

 

Standing in front of Nozomu was one of the strongest people he had ever faced in his life. But even so, Nozomu didn't feel a shred of pressure.

 

"Hah!"

 

He instantly enhanced his Ki, slammed it into both of his feet, and exploded it. Nozomu, who had accelerated with the Ki technique "Flash Step," charged straight at Jihad.

 

In response to Nozomu's charge, Jihad raised the greatsword in his right hand. Jihad lightly raised the greatsword, which was originally meant to be held with both hands, and swung it down in a diagonal slash toward Nozomu's shoulder. Because of Nozomu's charging speed, Jihad's greatsword reached him in an instant.

 

Normally, Nozomu, who had fully accelerated, would not be able to stop and would be cut down by Jihad.

 

"Shh!"

 

But in reality, that didn't happen.

 

Nozomu immediately activated "Flash Step -Curving Dance-." While moving his body away from the trajectory of the approaching greatsword, he swung his katana as he ran past.

 

The next moment, a grating "Gya-ri-ri!" sound echoed in Nozomu's ears. It was the sound of metal clashing and grinding against each other. The katana that Nozomu had swung was firmly blocked by Jihad's shield. Nozomu's katana only scattered sparks in vain without hitting Jihad's body.

 

But Nozomu didn't stop moving. He was convinced that such an attack would be blocked. At the very least, such a simple attack had never worked on his Master even once. He knew from experience that if he faltered and stopped moving, he would be crushed instantly.

 

Nozomu, who had circled around to Jihad's back with Flash Step -Curving Dance-, tried to swing his katana at his back as he turned around. But the next moment, Jihad swung his greatsword horizontally as he turned around, just like Nozomu.

 

"Tch!"

 

Nozomu immediately changed the trajectory of his katana and tried to counter the greatsword. If they looked at the result of their earlier clash, anyone would think that it was impossible for Nozomu to receive Jihad's roaring sword. In fact, the difference in brute strength between the two of them was too great. The difference in muscle strength due to their difference in physique, and the decrease in the effect of his Ki techniques due to Ability Suppression. In a head-on clash, Nozomu could only see disadvantages. The students who were watching their battle from a distance could only predict a future where Nozomu would be blown away.

 

"Hmm?!"

 

However, reality did not follow their predictions.

 

Contrary to the predictions of the people around him, Jihad's greatsword cut through the air without hitting Nozomu's body. It was the first time that Jihad's expression changed. In his eyes, he saw Nozomu, who had deflected his sword and was trying to swing his katana a third time.

 

"Hmph!"

 

However, Jihad, who had gone through countless battles, was calm. He wouldn't stop moving just because his opponent had deflected one attack. He immediately swung his greatsword back and brought it down in a reverse diagonal slash.

 

"Haaaaah!!"

 

But that attack was also deflected by Nozomu. As Jihad swung his greatsword a third and fourth time, Nozomu also countered his sword strikes a fifth and sixth time. In all of them, Jihad's sword could not hit Nozomu's body.

 

Seeing his sword being deflected every time, Jihad realized that this was not a coincidence. Nozomu's eyes were firmly fixed on the trajectory of his greatsword, and the katana that he swung without hesitation accurately caught the point of equilibrium where their slashes balanced each other out.

 

In the storm of countless clashing sword strikes, the middle-aged swordsman's eyes began to figure out how Nozomu, who was overwhelmingly inferior in brute strength, could receive his sword.

 

(I see, the principle is the same as that strange Flash Step from earlier...)

 

What his eyes caught was the sight of the dirt at Nozomu's feet being gouged out every time he swung his katana. It was proof that the twisting of his entire body was being transmitted all the way to his feet.

 

(And every time we clash, his body moves away from my sword strike. I see, he's even using the momentum of my sword strikes for evasion...)

 

Flash Step -Curving Dance- was a Ki technique that enabled complex curved movements by linking the rotational movements of the hips and shoulders to the Flash Step, which could originally only move in a straight line. In the same way, the current Nozomu was swinging his katana by linking the rotational movements of his entire body, from his toes to his wrists, with every single strike he made. Furthermore, Nozomu, who had realized that his own strength was not enough to deflect his opponent's sword strike, was even using his opponent's strength to deflect the attack.

 

If he couldn't deflect it on defense, he would deflect it on offense. That was the method Nozomu had come up with to clash with Jihad.

 

"Hah!!"

 

The moment his katana and Jihad's sword clashed, he would shift his body to match his opponent's sword that was pushing him, and at the same time, he would use the unique curvature of his katana and the flexibility of his entire body to deflect his opponent's attack even a little. By performing a deflection and an evasion at the same time, Nozomu was clashing with Jihad head-on.

 

This miraculous technique, which seemed impossible for a normal person to do, was made possible by his well-balanced muscles and sense of balance. And his concentration, which didn't miss the slightest change in force applied to his katana at the very instant the sword strikes clashed.

 

And the weapon Nozomu had was also a big factor. If a normal katana tried to receive it, it would be broken in a single blow. But Nozomu's katana was a masterpiece inherited from his Master. The katana, which was made by a certain master swordsmith, was able to properly respond to Nozomu's unreasonable demands.

 

With the combination of a superior weapon and the skill to make full use of it, Nozomu was able to clash with Jihad head-on.

 

"Hah!"

 

"Shh!"

 

They continued to clash without backing down. Before they knew it, over 20 sword strikes had clashed between them.

 

***

 

Everyone was speechless at the clash in the center of the arena.

 

"What in the world... is this..."

 

Someone's voice, which was let out by mistake, melted into the air around them. But it was what everyone in the room was thinking. If they looked closely, even Inda was speechless.

 

"............"

 

"I-it's impossible... It's impossible! What is this!"

 

Camilla was also speechless and stunned, and Ken was staring at the battle unfolding in front of him as if he was looking at something impossible. In the midst of all this, Lisa was also captivated by Nozomu's figure in front of her.

 

"Nozomu..."

 

His name, which had come out of Lisa's mouth by mistake. At the same time, an indescribable something welled up from the depths of her chest.

 

"...!"

 

Lisa involuntarily placed her hand on her chest. Her heart was in turmoil. The promise she had made with Nozomu echoed in her head. And the feeling of emptiness when she had lost everything.

 

What she remembered was the back of him, who had saved her when she was a child. That scene, which was flashing in and out like a flashback, was overlapping with Nozomu, who was clashing with Jihad.

 

"But Nozomu was... Ugh?!"

 

Lisa frowned at the pounding headache in her head. Why was she being tormented by such a headache and feeling a tightness in her chest? He was the person who had betrayed her...

 

Those thoughts welled up, but at the same time, she also felt a warm feeling seeping from the depths of her chest. It was a warmth that was very similar to when he had made that promise. It was the thing that had made her feel an unbelievable amount of happiness and joy before.

 

In the midst of the confusion of these conflicting feelings, Lisa just continued to be confused.

 

Whether he knew about Lisa's turmoil or not, the person she was looking at was just looking straight at the formidable enemy in front of him. That gaze made her remember the past even more, which only worsened her confusion. Her heart was torn between the warmth that welled up from the depths of her heart and the ice arrow that was freezing her heart. It only confused her all the more.

 

Irisdina and the others were cheering on Nozomu. Lisa tried her best to ignore their voices. All she could do was just silently continue to watch the battle in front of her.

 

***

 

While the people around them were captivated by the battle unfolding in front of them, Nozomu and Jihad continued to clash their blades.

 

"Your skill is indeed extraordinary. But... it's only a matter of time."

 

"Kuh!"

 

Nozomu's face twisted at Jihad's words.

 

It was true that Nozomu was clashing with Jihad head-on right now. But he hadn't broken through Jihad's storm of sword strikes. No, rather, Nozomu was having his hands full just deflecting his sword strikes. He wanted to cut in somehow, but there was no opening. This deadlock wouldn't last long. In that case, the one who would falter first was Nozomu, who was inferior in stamina. He himself fully understood that.

 

"But you've shown me enough. There's no doubt about your skill. There aren't many people in this academy who can clash with me like this."

 

His voice was low and calm. But his tone held a genuine compliment for Nozomu. When Nozomu heard that compliment, he felt a joy welling up from the depths of his chest. It wasn't that he had stayed in this academy because he wanted to be praised. He hadn't wanted to be thanked by anyone. It was because he had wanted to keep his promise, but had also run away by turning his back on it. The reason he was able to endure Shino's insane training was also based on escapism. He fully understood that there was no reason for him to be praised.

 

Even so, the honest praise from the most authoritative and respected person in this academy touched Nozomu's heart. A sense of fulfillment filled his heart. However, Nozomu shook his head as if to say it wasn't over yet.

 

"...No, it's not over yet."

 

Yes, it wasn't over yet. Above all, he hadn't used all the cards he had yet. As long as that was the case, he couldn't end it here.

 

Nozomu swung his katana with all his might, countering the approaching greatsword. When Jihad was about to swing his sword back again, a black shadow was approaching his eyes.

 

"Hmm?!"

 

Jihad raised his shield to block the approaching shadow. It was the sheath of Nozomu's katana. The end of the sheath was easily blocked by Jihad's tower shield with a high-pitched sound. But that was within his expectations. This move was originally intended to be blocked.

 

Nozomu raised his katana and sent Ki into it, then thrust the blade with all his might. His target was the koiguchi of the sheath he had just swung.

 

Ki Technique, Vibration Strike.

 

The impact of the inserted katana and the explosion of Ki overlapped and transmitted to Jihad's shield.

 

"Hmm!?"

 

Jihad's eyes widened at the impact that ran through his shield. It wasn't just the shield. A numbness reverberated from the core of his arm. Originally, Vibration Strike, which was classified as a penetrating Ki technique, would cause serious internal damage to an opponent even if they blocked it. But Jihad had instantly sent Ki into his shield and had canceled out most of the impact. Even so, the numbness that remained in his arm slowed him down for a few seconds. That was enough for Nozomu.

 

"Haaaaah!"

 

Nozomu used the momentum of the Vibration Strike he had just performed to spin his body like a top while his katana was still in the sheath. Nozomu, who had once again sent Ki into his katana and sharpened it to the limit, snipped the koiguchi of his sheathed katana and took a step forward without killing the momentum of his spin.

 

Jihad raised his shield and sent even more Ki into the tower shield than before. Jihad's figure with his shield raised spoke volumes about his intention to say, "Come if you can!"

 

Nozomu's blade was drawn and it charged straight at Jihad with a trail of light.

 

Ki Technique, Phantom.

 

Nozomu's most trusted Ki technique was unleashed. The blade, which had a blade of highly compressed Ki, carved a single scratch into the tower shield.

 

"Hmm?!"

 

Jihad's eyebrows twitched. He was indeed astonished by the shock that had run through his arm earlier. But he had sent more than enough Ki into his shield to block an A-rank attack. And yet, his shield was scratched. That fact was enough to astonish Jihad.

 

"Haaaaah!"

 

Nozomu then swung his blade back again. The extremely sharp blade, which was swung in a diagonal slash, once again carved a scratch into the shield. As he watched the raised tower shield let out a scream along with the scattered sparks, Jihad raised the greatsword in his right hand. If this continued, his blade would cut through his shield. But that would require a few more hits. And for Jihad, that was enough time to defeat the formidable enemy in front of him.

 

The advantage of a shield was that one could instantly switch between offense and defense. He would endure the next attack, and the moment his opponent swung his blade, he would slam his greatsword down. No matter how good Nozomu was, he would be defenseless right after he swung his blade, so there would be no way for him to dodge.

 

Jihad raised his tower shield and prepared for Nozomu's slash. But the next moment, Jihad let out a voice of astonishment at the sword Ki that had swelled up from behind the shield.

 

"W-what?!"

 

What Jihad saw from behind his shield was Nozomu, who had the tip of his katana pointed at him and was pulling his body back as if he were holding a crossbow. His sharp gaze caught Jihad, who was behind the tower shield, and he was putting his killing intent into his Ki and slamming it into the blade.

 

A shudder ran down Jihad's back. It was a sensation he had not felt since coming to this academy, but a sensation he had felt every day ten years ago. It was the defensive instinct that a living creature felt when it sensed imminent danger.

 

"Kuh!"

 

The blade, which was pulled back like a siege crossbow, was unleashed. The blade was heading straight for the tower shield. Jihad instantly threw his shield at Nozomu and raised his greatsword as if to cut into the trajectory of Nozomu's katana.

 

The thrust of Nozomu's blade caught the center of the cross-shaped scratch, and at the same time, the blade that was sharpened to the limit was released.

 

Ki Technique, Core Pierce.

 

The released Ki blade instantly pierced through the shield and exploded into countless blades. An enormous hole was blasted into the shield floating in mid-air, and as countless metal fragments scattered, Nozomu's detonating Ki blade attacked Jihad head-on.

-----

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