Volume 4
Chapter 16
After all classes had ended, Tima and I planned to meet up with Somia, Nozomu, and the others so we left the classroom and headed straight for Central Park. Somia, who was on her way home from Ekros, joined us along the way, and we all walked together.
Honestly,
today my mind kept drifting to what we discussed yesterday at the Ox Head Inn,
and I just couldn't focus on my classes. I think I responded properly when
asked questions or when other students spoke to me, but inwardly, he was
constantly on my mind.
I
recall Lisa-kun's demeanor when I spoke to her face-to-face yesterday.
She
was so unlike her usual self, barely trying to hide her intense hatred for
Nozomu. Her anger was tremendous; I broke out in a cold sweat, and Tima, beside
me, was utterly terrified. But at the same time, I also felt a strange
incongruity. I found it odd that she so stubbornly resented him, despite the
strange rumors.
Looking
at her current state, consumed by hatred for Nozomu, most people would
certainly believe her, thinking that Nozomu had betrayed Lisa-kun. Furthermore,
outside, she was known as an honest, compassionate person who stood firm
against injustice, which only strengthened the credibility of the rumor that "she
was betrayed by Nozomu." However, if Nozomu's account were true, a
completely different picture would emerge. It suggests that someone intended to
drive a wedge between Nozomu and Lisa-kun.
I
prefer not to think about it, but considering her popularity, it's plausible
that such a person existed, and that person must have had Lisa-kun's trust. And
the one who did this was someone Lisa-kun trusted and who benefited after their
breakup.
His
reputation at the academy was completely at odds with the impression I formed
after interacting with him. Despite being childhood friends, Lisa-kun harbored
immense hatred for him. Considering the timing of the rumor, the timing of his
Ability Suppression manifestation, and the people who would benefit from
spreading the rumor, and those who actually did benefit afterward, the first
person who came to my mind was...
(Could
it be Ken Notice...?)
I
haven't actually confirmed it, but if it's true, how shocked would he be...?
I
recall Nozomu's appearance this morning; he clearly seemed to be forcing
himself. When I asked him if something was wrong, he merely said it was nothing
and still wouldn't open up. It was obvious something was wrong, yet...
"..."
"Ai,
are you okay?"
"Onee-sama..."
"Ah,
yeah. I'm fine..."
I
instinctively clenched my hand tightly over my chest. The swirling impatience
deep inside grew even stronger, making me unable to sit still. The fog in my
heart didn't clear; only anxiety and loneliness grew.
"Hey.
You're late."
Lost
in my thoughts, I looked up at the sound of a voice and saw Mars-kun
approaching. But... where was Nozomu?
"Mars-kun,
where's Nozomu?"
"Ah,
well. That guy is—" "Excuse me, may I have a moment?"
"...You are..."
Mars-kun
was about to say something with difficulty when a voice from the side
interrupted him.
I
looked towards the voice and saw a young man from the Fox-tailed tribe looking
at us. He was, if I recall correctly...
"Sorry
for speaking to you so suddenly. I'm Feo Lizitsa. I belong to the 3rd year, 2nd
tier. I had some business with Nozomu Bountis, but it seems he's not
here."
"What
do you want with him?"
Mars-kun
spoke to the male student, Feo, in a stern, wary tone. It seemed he had
business with Nozomu, but what could it be?
"Oh,
I just wanted to talk to him a bit. Like, how did he trick that 'Black-Haired
Princess' into... you know."
The
moment I heard those words, my heart instantly froze.
It
was a statement from someone who barely knew him, yet spoke as if it were the
truth.
"...You
bastard..."
"...You're
quite rude, saying such things directly to my face..."
"Whoa!
It's a joke! A joke!! Don't get too angry."
The
young man from the Fox-tailed tribe tried to play it off nervously, but our
glares didn't soften. Even as a joke, it was too malicious!
"Alright,
alright, I'm sorry... But he's really not here, huh... My bad, I'll come again
when he's around."
Saying
that, he bowed his head, turned on his heel, and quickly vanished into the
city.
Looking
up at the sky, the sun began to cast a red glow on the western horizon. As I
gazed at the twilight-dyed sky, I felt the unpleasant premonition in my heart
swell.
***
"…No,
seriously, that caught me off guard…"
Feo,
having left Irisdina and the others and entered the city, found that the
intensity of their anger made him sweat cold for a while.
"But
to think that Black-Haired Princess would be so smitten with him... I thought
it was just a tall tale, but it's real..."
Feo's
lips curled into a grin. His interest in Nozomu had swollen uncontrollably.
He
wanted to know. What kind of person was that guy? What was the reason the
Black-Haired Princess was so attracted to him?
"…Ah~~
that's it!! I can't stand it anymore!! If it comes to this, I'll use the
quickest method..."
Feo
vanished into the hustle and bustle of the city. His smile was not the usual
unreadable smirk, but like an innocent child.
***
"Vooooooon!!!!"
With
a roar that shook the very ground, a black magical beast charged towards Nozomu
and the others.
Nozomu
glanced back and saw that Shina and the others had also readied themselves for
battle.
Their
party consisted of one vanguard and two rear-guards. Given their numbers and
his own aptitude, Nozomu decided to take the lead. Drawing his katana from his
waist, he immediately charged towards the black magical beast.
"Whoa,
wait a minute!!!"
Mimuru
panicked, seeing Nozomu charge forward alone, but Nozomu continued to run
without hesitation. This was to gain some distance from the opponent so that
the rear-guards could exert their full power.
"Gaaaaaaaah!!"
The
black beast tried to snap its jaws around Nozomu, but Nozomu relaxed the
strength in one leg, letting his body slide sideways, escaping the beast's
fangs. He then tried to slash the beast's body, but a black shadow entered the
corner of his vision.
"!!!"
Nozomu
felt a bubbling sensation throughout his body and instantly threw himself to
the ground without confirming the shadow that had entered his vision.
The
next moment, dirt and smoke rose with a roar, and Nozomu was blown several
meters away by the momentum and impact of his dodge.
"What!!"
What
Nozomu saw as he rolled on the ground was a gigantic black tail. The magical
beast's tail had grown enormous, like a blade, and had slammed into the ground.
"Grrr!"
Nozomu
tried to get up immediately, but the magical beast also quickly pulled its tail
out of the ground, preparing for a follow-up attack.
Just
as the black magical beast was about to lunge at Nozomu again, an arrow fired
by Shina pierced the beast's shoulder.
"Gi!!"
"Take
this!!"
From
the opposite direction, Mimuru also slashed at the magical beast.
She
enhanced her machete-like knife with Ki and attacked, but it only left a single
scratch on the magical beast's black skin.
"Damn
it! What kind of body does it have!!"
She
cursed at the magical beast's body, which barely took any damage from her
attacks, but the next moment, the magical beast's reddish-black,
blood-clot-like eyes glared at Mimuru.
"!!"
Mimuru's
consciousness was momentarily dulled by its gaze, but she crouched down to
dodge the sweeping tail.
The
black magical beast swung its gigantic, sword-like tail further, trying to
drive Mimuru away, but she continued to evade its greatsword with flexible
movements.
However,
her expression showed no room for composure. The magical beast's tail swung
back and forth quickly, leaving her unable to step forward or retreat from its
range.
Shina,
who was in the rear, fired another arrow, and several arrows pierced the
magical beast's body, but they failed to penetrate its black, thick, mud-like
skin, and the magical beast's movements didn't slow down at all.
"W-wait
a minute! Hold on!! Hold on!!!"
Mimuru,
who was continuously dodging the tail's attacks, had no more leeway. Her body
was struggling to keep up with the relentless onslaught. Considering the power
of the tail when it had slammed into the ground earlier, her weapon won't be
able to contend against the greatsword sweeping around her.
Nozomu
stepped in with Flash Step, trying to divert the opponent's attention. He sheathed
his drawn katana and charged forward, his hand still on the hilt.
The
black beast glanced at the charging Nozomu, then attacked Nozomu again with the
tail it had been using to attack Mimuru.
Swept
horizontally, Nozomu drew the katana he had sheathed and slammed it upwards to
strike the tail from below, then relaxed his legs to duck under the tail.
His
hair was swept away by the roaring tail that passed over his head, but he
ignored it and stepped into the katana's range, slashing.
"Gya!!!"
Nozomu's
slash cut through the magical beast's skin, and blood flowed from the wound.
"!!!"
The
smell of flowing blood and the sensation of cutting the magical beast reminded
him of yesterday's events, and Nozomu's face twisted with disgust and nausea.
But Nozomu gritted his teeth and forcibly swallowed that sensation.
Although
he had managed to wound the magical beast, the sludge-like shadow covering its
body immediately sealed the wound.
"Kuh!!"
"Guaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
Perhaps
enraged by the wound he had inflicted, the black beast raised its front paw and
slammed it down at Nozomu.
Nozomu
dodged the magical beast's front paw by leaping sideways, and the beast's paw
only left a large claw mark on the ground, but the opponent didn't relent in
its attack. It immediately swung its tail to pursue Nozomu.
"Nozomu-kun!!
Get away!!!"
Nozomu
was trying to somehow parry the approaching tail, but he reacted to the voice
from the side and, without caring about his appearance, used Flash Step to
retreat with all his might.
Then,
a fireball flying from the side exploded in the magical beast's immediate
vicinity, and the raging blast enveloped the magical beast, but at the same
time, Nozomu was also blown away by the blast.
"Guh!!!!"
"Waaaaa!!"
"Tom!
Why are you attacking him too!!"
"S-sorry!!
It seems the catalyst was a little too strong..."
It
seemed that Tom was the one who had fired the fireball earlier. He had
apparently only intended to attack the magical beast, but the catalyst for
enhancing magic's power was unexpectedly strong, and Nozomu was caught in the
blast as well.
"Cough,
cough! No... I'm fine, more importantly, what about that thing?..."
However,
it seemed he had barely managed to escape the range of the flames, as Nozomu,
though coughing, tried to assess the situation.
Mimuru
and the others also readied their weapons, glaring at the rising smoke, ready
to move at any moment.
"Grrrrrr..."
A
growl was heard from beyond the rising smoke, and a red light became visible.
The
red light was twitching, indicating that the magical beast was still alive.
"…………………I'll
end it…"
The
smoke had not yet cleared, but Shina, who had her bow ready, channeled magic
power into the nocked arrow. The magic power, poured in an excessive amount,
rose like steam, and the nocked arrow began to glow dazzlingly with magic power
light.
『Gather in my hand, stardust of the
heavens. A single arrow, flowing down, cleaving through the abyssal night,
pointing to me, the light of the North Star...』
Shina's
incantation flowed out.
It
was a prayer. A poem to completely obliterate the being before her, surpassing
even mortal blows, chanted with the intent of absolute slaughter.
"…………Eh?"
Nozomu
suddenly looked at her face, and his eyes were captivated by her expression and
the color of her eyes.
(What
is this?)
Her
face was terribly contorted. A face that enjoyed killing, like Nozomu's when he
brutally slaughtered the Triclops yesterday. The face of someone who couldn't
help but rampage in a fit of rage.
Her
eyes were dark. Jet-black, a mixture of dark despair and hatred... just like
the black magical beast in front of him, the color of sludge.
Nozomu
was bewildered by the emotions she was currently harboring.
He
realized that since her expression was exactly the same as his own yesterday,
she was consumed by rage similar to his own.
She
had already finished preparing to release the arrow. The taut string groaned as
it bent the bow to its limit, and the nocked arrow eagerly awaited the moment
it would be released.
"What
is this…………"
Nozomu
let out a confused sound, but it didn't reach her, who was staring at the
magical beast with dark eyes. She released the drawn bowstring from her
fingers.
Divine
Punishment of the Star Sea
Originally,
it's a magic spear that appears in one's hand and is thrown, but now it's
infused into an arrow and fired.
The
arrow she released easily obliterated Nozomu's voice and struck the black
shadow beyond the smoke. It scattered a roar and a blast that surpassed the
fireball Tom had fired earlier.
***
"Phew..."
Shina exhaled deeply
and relaxed her stance. Before her, a hole large enough to fit several of those
magical beasts had opened, and a cloud of dust and smoke, twice as large as
before, rose from its center.
She must have imbued a
lot of magic power. A trace of where the ground had been gouged out in a
straight line remained, showing how intense her rage had been.
"……………"
But Nozomu still
didn't lower his guard. Indeed, that arrow seemed to have inflicted
considerable damage, and the presence he felt was considerably weaker, but
Nozomu's bad premonition didn't disappear.
As if his premonition
had come true, the presence he felt beyond the smoke swelled rapidly.
"Grrrrrrr..."
"!! Not yet!!
It's not defeated yet!!!"
What emerged from
beyond the smoke was indeed the black magical beast. And its body was enlarged.
Its muscles swelled
with cracking sounds, and its black surface tore open one after another,
spurting blood.
From deep within its
torn surface, reddish-black eyes similar to the flowing blood appeared, and
countless reddish-black eyes glared at Nozomu and the others all at once.
Its single tail split
into two, becoming two, and greatly enlarged. Countless curves and turns
appeared on it, and red eyes also formed on its tails, and the sludge covering
its body grew even more defiled.
(Damn it! Is this its
true nature!! Does this mean it wasn't even fighting seriously until now!!)
"This is bad!!
Let's retreat!! This thing is too dangerous!!!"
Mimuru suggested
retreating. Nozomu also agreed. This magical beast was clearly different from
any Nozomu had seen before. Since its true nature was unknown and its latent
abilities were unknown, they shouldn't continue fighting recklessly.
"S-such a
thing…………… Kuh!! Take this!!"
But even seeing this
sight, Shina did not agree to retreat. She nocked an arrow to her bow again and
aimed at the black magical beast.
"No!! Stop
it!!!"
"No!! I won't run
away anymore! I won't go through that again!!!!"
Nozomu raised his
voice, trying to stop her reckless action, which anyone could see was
foolhardy. But she, trapped by some intense emotion, wouldn't listen.
Just as she was about
to fire another arrow, the magical beast moved.
"Gaaaaaaaaa!!!!"
"!!"
The magical beast
charged straight towards Shina. Its speed was overwhelmingly faster than its
previous movements. Furthermore, as it charged, it swung its two tails,
attempting to sweep away Nozomu and Mimuru, who had tried to intervene.
Hindered by the swinging tails, their actions were delayed by a step.
Shina frantically
fired an arrow, but perhaps its hide had become even tougher, as this time the
arrow merely bounced off without even piercing. The magical beast, with that
momentum, opened its mouth wide, trying to devour her.
She instinctively
leaped sideways to escape its jaws, but she couldn't completely avoid the
magical beast's charge itself and was thrown back.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!!!"
"Shina!
Kuh!!"
Tom, seeing Shina
thrown back, gripped a stone that was likely a magic catalyst in his right hand
and tried to cast a spell. But perhaps sensing the flowing magic power, the
magical beast now set its sights on Tom.
"Tom!
Don't!!!"
Mimuru's voice rang
out in protest, but it was already too late. The magical beast opened its jaws,
exposing countless sharp fangs, and this time, it leaped towards Tom. Tom's
spell was not yet ready, and neither Nozomu nor Mimuru had closed the distance
enough. It was clearly too late.
"Ga,
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
A scream echoed
through the forest.
The black magical beast's
jaws had clamped down on Tom's right arm, which had been about to cast magic.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Swagaraga
[Gold]
B random
DavidA
Nepheos
ShitaiNoKootoRyuu
[Silver]
Creris
Fred A.
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Matthew Fraser
Anton Lim
Ctdela
Curious Panda
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
