Volume 4
Chapter 19
"That idiot!!"
Nozomu was now running
through the forest at full speed. When he saw the note Shina had left behind,
he immediately understood that she had gone to settle things with that magical
beast.
Upon realizing this,
Nozomu told the bewildered Mimuru and Tom to quickly leave the forest and call
for help, and then he chased after Shina, running deep into the forest.
"What's she
thinking!! Telling others not to be reckless, and then doing this herself!!"
Nozomu could only
curse at Shina, but deep down, he somehow understood her feelings.
Shina probably
couldn't leave that magical beast alone. Nozomu didn't know the fundamental
reason, but he knew it stemmed from an unforgettable event for her.
At the same time, she
probably didn't want to involve Mimuru and Tom.
If she had explained
the reason, Mimuru and Tom would have cooperated, and although Nozomu's
conversation with them was brief, he knew that they wouldn't abandon Shina, who
was being cornered.
When Nozomu, the
academy's outcast, was being lynched, Shina couldn't avert her eyes. She had,
in one way or another, treated Nozomu, who was covered in blood from his own
rampage.
Nozomu knew that
although she said harsh things, she was a very kind girl at heart.
But precisely because
she was such a kind girl, the presence of Mimuru and Tom by her side was a joy,
but at the same time, thinking that such kind individuals might be killed by
that magical beast, she couldn't talk about her past.
(Damn it, what a
troublesome and hard-to-understand person!)
Shina, who was kind
but could only say harsh things. A girl who was weak but desperately tried to
become strong.
(…Am I troublesome in
the same way?)
Shina, who couldn't
talk to Mimuru and Tom because she was afraid of involving others in the fight
against the black magical beast. Nozomu, too, couldn't talk about himself to
Irisdina and the others, fearing the rampage of the power he harbored within.
These two were, in
fact, very similar in this respect. That's why Nozomu couldn't help but be
concerned about Shina. He couldn't help but worry about her unbalanced and
precarious state.
If she intended to
settle things with that magical beast, the place she headed to was probably the
clearing where they encountered the magical beast yesterday.
Considering the time
she left, there was no time to spare.
"Damn it! Make it
in time!!"
Nozomu quickened his
pace, prioritizing getting to her. He was now frustrated with his own legs,
which wouldn't move faster than his emotions.
***
"Here it
is…"
I've arrived at the
place where I encountered that magical beast yesterday. My objective is to
settle things with that magical beast.
The black beast, the
culprit who stole my homeland and took my family.
Although it was a
different entity from what I saw in my hometown, I cannot allow that existence
to remain in this world.
"Huff, huff,
huff…"
My breathing naturally
became shallow and ragged. My heart pounded so violently that it made my ears
ring, and cold sweat streamed down my back.
(It's okay. I have a
way to defeat it, so it's okay, it's okay...)
While trying to
reassure myself, I unleashed my magic power, spreading it around me.
Spirits, reacting to
the diffused magic power, gathered, and particles of light began to dance
around me. I then began to speak to the gathered spirits.
(Everyone. Please
answer. That black, defiled beast. Lend me your strength to defeat it.)
Spirit
Contract
A contract magic to
make a contract with spirits. By temporarily making a contract with the spirits
present, one can exercise Spirit Magic, which is said to be executable only by
spirit races.
It allows for the
exercise of powerful Spirit Magic, but using this magic requires an extremely
high affinity with spirits, and the time required for the contract depends on
the contractor and the spirits making the contract, so the time taken for the
contract cannot be generalized.
Although originally
counted as a type of magic, it can only be performed by Elves, who inherently
have a much greater affinity with spirits than other races. Other races would
require extensive preparation to succeed with this magic.
Therefore, it is
practically treated as a racial ability of Elves.
I desperately tried to
call out to the spirits gathered around me, but they only circled around me,
not answering my call.
(Why?! Everyone, why
won't you answer me?!)
Impatience grew
towards the spirits who wouldn't listen. I desperately tried to tell myself to
"calm down," but impatience bred more impatience, and the flow of my
released magic power became rough.
The distance between
me and the spirits, who were watching me from a distance, grew even further,
which only fueled my impatience.
Long ago, when I lived
with everyone in that forest, the spirits would answer me quite normally if I
spoke to them.
The spirits played
with my elf friends, ate snacks with us on trees, and slept together.
But since that time
ten years ago, I could barely make contracts with spirits.
I could feel the
presence and atmosphere of the spirits, and there were times when contracts
were formed, but I couldn't truly communicate with them.
Reluctantly, I had
prioritized honing my own abilities until now, but to defeat that magical beast
now, I absolutely needed to borrow the spirits' power.
(Please! I don't want
Mimuru and the others to be in danger anymore! Please, everyone, lend me your
strength!!)
Mimuru and Tom. I had
clashed with Mimuru, especially on various occasions, but only then had I
forgotten the moment of tragedy ten years ago. I could say whatever I wanted.
Most of it was complaints about Mimuru's rudeness, though...
Tom always appeased us
when we fought. Usually, he would appease Mimuru when she picked a fight with
me, and then I would provoke her, and Mimuru would get angry again... Before I
knew it, I, who had been tense from losing my family, was also smiling without
realizing it...
And him. Nozomu
Bountis.
When I only knew the
rumors, I thought he was simply a terrible person.
Since he was dating
Lisa-san, I thought he was skilled at deceiving women. So, when rumors about
him and Irisdina-san spread, and he was surrounded by other male students
behind the school building, I didn't even feel sympathy for him.
The next time I saw him
was in the city late at night. He was wandering around, tattered and covered in
blood.
When I asked about it,
he apparently had been reckless enough to enter the forest alone. And the very
next day, he ignored my warning and entered the forest alone again.
His incredibly
reckless behavior, his life-threatening actions, reminded me of my family who
had protected me, and his already abysmal reputation plummeted even further,
reaching rock bottom.
And yet...
*Rustle...*
"Kuh!!"
The air around me suddenly
changed. The suddenly pervasive defiled presence around me made the spirits
circling me vanish like scattering clouds.
A familiar presence,
one I could never forget. Following that presence, I found "it" at
the edge of the clearing, staring at me intently.
"Grrrrrr..."
The black beast stood
there in its wolf-like form. Its blood-red twin eyes pierced me. My hands
naturally trembled at its gaze, and my footing became unsteady, but I bit my
lip hard, pulled out several arrows from my quiver, and readied my bow.
I no longer had the
luxury of making a spirit contract. This was my one chance. Before the black
magical beast closed the distance, I had to use all the power I had cultivated
to defeat it.
I pulled the bowstring
with all my might, and the bow groaned, bending to its limit. The bow was drawn
to its maximum, letting out a cry, but an arrow with mediocre power wouldn't
penetrate its flexible yet tough hide.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
The moment I finished
drawing my bow, it charged towards me. I released the nocked arrow.
With a whoosh! sound,
the arrow flew, cutting through the air, and accurately pierced the magical
beast's forehead.
The magical beast
shrieked and staggered, but my arrow only slightly suppressed the beast's
charge, and it immediately regained its momentum.
An ordinary arrow
wouldn't be enough to inflict a fatal wound on this magical beast. If that's
the case...
I nocked another
arrow, drew my bow, and this time, while channeling magic power into the arrow,
I also chanted a spell.
Magic power filled the
arrow, and it began to emit a dazzling light. It was a sure-kill arrow that
could certainly slay ordinary magical beasts, but it had already been proven
that firing it head-on wouldn't deliver a decisive blow against this magical
beast.
That's why I had to
lay another groundwork, unnoticed by the magical beast. It was a magic that
wouldn't be very useful against this magical beast, but it was enough for now!
The magical beast,
which had charged towards me with earth-shaking momentum, opened its jaws. Its
head and neck split vertically, revealing a gigantic mouth with countless
fangs.
The magical beast
closed in on me, but I still didn't release the arrow. I desperately suppressed
my gaze, which threatened to avert out of fear, and continuously awakened my
muscles, which were stiffening from the pain of biting my lip.
"Ga-gaaaaa!!"
The moment its jaws
clamped down on me, trying to tear me apart, I activated the magic I had
concealed while jumping backward with all my might.
The next moment,
countless stone spears protruded from the spot where I had just been standing.
The protruding stone spears blocked the magical beast's jaws, which were trying
to crush me, but the stone spears were originally not very strong. They
immediately cracked and began to shatter.
"This will
work!"
But that was enough. I
aimed at the magical beast's mouth through the gaps in the stone spears and
fired the nocked arrow.
The fired arrow was
unerringly sucked into its mouth, and a blast of magic power raged inside the
magical beast's mouth.
However, the blast
that raged at close range also assaulted me.
"Kyaaaaaah!!"
I was blown away by
the blast and slammed to the ground. Although I hadn't taken the full impact of
the shock because I had jumped backward initially, my entire body ached from
being slammed to the ground.
"Kuh!!"
I whipped my aching
body to stand up and checked on the magical beast.
"Ge-hee!
Gu-gyaau!!"
As expected, the
inside of its mouth wasn't as tough as its outer hide. Several of its fangs
were broken, and it was thrashing its head while spitting blood.
"!!
Gah-hyaaaau!!"
But even so, I
couldn't defeat it. The magical beast's countless reddish-black eyes glared at
me, glowing red with anger, and it charged again.
But my body couldn't
move well due to the pain of being slammed to the ground. My fingertips
trembled, and I couldn't put strength into the hand holding the bow.
(…Is it… hopeless…?)
Facing unavoidable
death, I exhaled deeply just once. All the strength drained from my body.
I had many regrets
even at my end. Wasting the feelings of my parents and sister who had risked
their lives to let me escape. Not being able to reclaim my homeland. Mimuru and
Tom who had stayed with me. And yesterday, he, who had taken responsibility for
me and let me escape.
Perhaps it was because
death was imminent, but the approaching beast seemed unnaturally slow.
(Now that I think of
it, I'm sorry to you all as well...)
Beyond the magical
beast closing in, I could see the spirits who had gathered through the Spirit
Contract. The flickering lights trembled irregularly, looking as if they were
scared.
(…Ah, I see, they were
all like me. They were scared.)
I realized it now. All
the spirits were scared of that beast. That's why I couldn't make a contract
with them by unilaterally conveying only my own will.
Of course not, if you
unilaterally order someone without considering their feelings, they won't truly
cooperate. It's even more so if the order is "fight for me" against
someone they are afraid of.
(Ahahaha... I'm an
idiot, aren't I? I wasn't like this in the past.)
When I was in the
Forest of Foschia, all the spirits were my friends. No, I still think so. Then
I should have faced them properly. It's not just about me; I can only truly
face something when there's an 'other' to engage with
But it was all too
late now. The black magical beast was already upon me, its gigantic jaws trying
to devour me.
My vision was filled
with red flesh and blood-stained fangs. Just as its mouth was about to close,
"Uwoooooooh!!!!"
A shadow of some kind
cut in between me and the magical beast.
-----
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
-----
