Volume 5
Chapter 5
"Teyaaah!!"
"Hmph!!"
In the outskirts of
Arcazam, slightly away from the urban area, two women clashed their weapons,
sending sparks flying.
One was Mimuru, a
Beastman girl with a supple physique and cat-like ears.
The other was Irisdina
Francilt, a girl with long, jet-black hair flowing in the wind as she wielded a
rapier as if in a dance.
A little distance from
where the two were fighting, Nozomu, Mars, and Mimuru's friends, Shina and the
others, watched the battle.
"Even so,
Irisdina-san is amazing after all. She's accurately catching Mimuru's
movements..."
"But Mimuru's
quite something too. She's being pushed by Irisdina, but she's skillfully
avoiding fatal attacks."
Tom was impressed by
Irisdina's prowess, but Mars was also marveling at Mimuru's physical abilities.
Nozomu, Shina, and the
others were also watching the two fight, holding their breath.
Why Shina and the
others were in this location requires going back in time a little.
***
With the dismissal
chime, students finished their classes and emerged from the classrooms.
Nozomu and Mars also
left their classroom like the other students and walked towards the main gate.
"So, are we
training at that place again today?"
"Yeah, Irisdina
and the others are coming too, so let's wait at the main gate."
Nozomu and Mars were
supposed to meet Irisdina and the others at the academy's main gate for their
after-school routine of training in the outskirts.
When Nozomu and Mars
arrived at the main gate, Irisdina and the others hadn't arrived yet. The two
were killing time chatting, but after a while of their conversation, Somia came
running towards them from the Ekros school building, waving her hand widely.
"Nozomu-saaan!!"
"Oh, Somia-chan
came first, huh."
"Sorry to keep
you waiting! Where is Onee-sama..."
"Looks like she's
still not here. Should we wait a little longer, and if she still doesn't come,
shall we go to her classroom?"
"Yeah. I think
that's a good idea."
Nozomu was a little
concerned that Irisdina was late, but he didn't think it was something to make
a big fuss about, so he agreed with Mars.
At that moment, a
voice spoke to the three of them.
"Oh? You
guys..."
A voice like a gentle
breeze flowed between the three, and they turned their gaze towards the source
of the voice as if drawn by the wind.
"Shina...?"
Nozomu turned his face
towards the voice, and there was Shina Juliel, an Elf girl with long blue hair
flowing in the wind.
"Hello,
Shina-san!!"
"Fufu, hello,
Somia-san."
"Speaking of
which, is Shina alone? Where are Tom and Mimuru?"
Shina's cheeks
softened as she greeted Somia, who was cheerfully greeting her with an innocent
smile.
Nozomu noticed that
her usual close friends weren't by her side, so he asked where the two of them
were, looking around.
"Well, that
is..."
Shina, as if something
was bothering her, pressed her temple and averted her gaze. Nozomu and the
others tilted their heads, puzzled by her somewhat tired expression.
"W-what about you
guys, why are you just standing at the main gate instead of going
anywhere?"
"Oh, we're
waiting for Iris and the others. We promised to train in the outskirts."
"I-I see..."
Nozomu answered Shina,
who questioned him back, but her reply was somehow evasive.
"…Hey. Do you
always train with Irisdina-san and the others after school?"
"Well, not every
day. But usually two or three days a week."
"I see…"
After hearing Mars's
words, Shina put her hand to her mouth and thought for a while, but then she
raised her face as if she had made up her mind and asked Nozomu for a favor.
"Hey, if it's
alright, can we join that training too?"
"Eh?"
Her request was that
they wanted to participate in the training in the outskirts as well.
"We also train,
but honestly, with just three of us, what we can do is limited. And since all
three of us have different strengths, it's good for practical application
because we're balanced, but I think it would be a good experience to train with
other people sometimes. So the three of us talked, and if it's alright, could
we join you?"
Indeed, Shina's party
clearly had defined roles for each vanguard and rear-guard.
Mimuru, who was in
charge of disruption in the vanguard.
Shina, who provided
support to the vanguard with accurate archery from behind Mimuru.
And Tom, who provided
various magical support from the rear and gave instructions using his wide
field of vision.
Because their
respective roles were clearly defined, they were very well-balanced and easy to
strategize with. However, they also had some difficulty with flexibility.
Their roles tended to
become fixed, and no one could substitute for them.
In other words, if
even one of them was defeated, there was a risk that the party itself could
collapse in an instant, like a castle built on sand.
In fact, when they
first fought the black magical beast, Tom, who was in a position to give
instructions, was defeated first, and they almost completely perished. No, if
Nozomu hadn't been there, they probably would have been completely wiped out.
Shina, who had
witnessed Nozomu's calm and quick judgment up close, decided that what they
needed now was not overwhelming power to repel the enemy, but the ability to
adapt and make decisions in various situations, like him. So, she brought up
this topic to Nozomu.
"I see… I think
that's fine. I'll ask Iris just in case. What do you think, Mars?"
"I think it's
fine. Shina and Mimuru seem pretty capable, and I have no complaints."
"Thank goodness…
Thank you."
Shina had been waiting
for a reply with a somewhat tense expression until Nozomu answered, but when
she heard Nozomu's words of approval, she relaxed her shoulders with a sigh of
relief and smiled. She hadn't gotten Irisdina and the others' approval yet, but
at least she could relax for a moment now that Nozomu and Mars had agreed.
She was originally as
beautiful as Irisdina. Perhaps because she had only shown a stiff, ice-like
expression until recently, Nozomu felt a slight flutter in his heart at her natural
smile.
Just as Nozomu was
about to get nervous in a different way, he heard a groaning sound, and the
three of them looked towards the sound.
"Ugh… my head
still hurts. It's cruel to use violence for just a little dozing off…"
"But if you get
down to it, I think it was Mimuru's fault for dozing off during Ms. Inda's
class…"
What had arrived was
Mimuru, groaning with her head in her hands, and Tom, walking beside her,
giving her an exasperated look.
"But, but! No
matter what, you shouldn't swing a textbook at someone's head with all your
might, should you?! And on top of that, Tom, you conspired with Ms. Inda to
make me write a 20-page reflection paper by the time school ends!"
Mimuru raised her
voice as if she felt wronged. Apparently, she had dozed off during Ms. Inda's
class and was being punished for it.
Nozomu glanced at
Shina beside him, as if asking, "Is this the reason?" and she
shrugged with a wry smile.
"But knowing Ms.
Inda, you would have been stuck in the staff room or the interview room for a
lecture after school, wouldn't you? Was that okay?"
"Ugh…………"
It seemed that Tom had
proposed the punishment of the reflection paper, but judging from Mimuru's
expression, she would have had a much worse time otherwise.
Ms. Inda was a very
capable teacher, even sometimes taking over 1st-tier classes for the busy Jihad
Raundel, but she was also known for being serious and strict. It was Mimuru's
own fault for dozing off in such a teacher's class...
"You're finally
done, huh? Mimuru, that took too long."
Shina called out to
Mimuru, her voice sounding tired from waiting, as if to say, "You've
finally arrived."
"It can't be
helped! I had to write a 20-page reflection paper!!"
"If you don't
like that, then take your classes seriously…"
"I-I was taking
them seriously!" "Well, you fell asleep in about 10 minutes,
though..." "Whoa, Tom!"
Mimuru tried to make
excuses, but even Tom, her boyfriend, began to pick at her words.
"…That's the same
as not taking the class at all. You didn't even take notes, did you? They said
today's topic might be on the exam."
"Ugh… Fine! I'll
just look at your notes!!"
Mimuru glared at her
"betraying" boyfriend with teary eyes, then approached him with a
groan.
Tom, perhaps thinking
he had gone a little too far, scratched his cheek and gave a wry smile, but he
agreed to Mimuru's request.
"Haha… well,
alright, Mimuru."
"Tom, you're
spoiling your girlfriend too much."
"Hmph! Tom's
always on my side, so it's fine!!"
Perhaps because Tom
was back on her side, Mimuru puffed out her chest as if she had regained her
momentum and turned a triumphant face to Shina.
Originally, it was her
own fault, but she seemed to consider Tom being on her side more important, and
the reflection paper and dozing off during class were no longer on her mind. It
seemed she would doze off again in the next class at this rate.
As Shina clutched her
head at the brazen Mimuru, Irisdina and the others arrived and called out to
Nozomu.
"Nozomu, sorry to
keep you waiting."
"S-sorry. For
making you wait..."
"No, it's fine.
We haven't waited that long."
"That's right. We
weren't bored."
Irisdina and Tima
apologized for being a little late, but Nozomu and Mars hadn't felt like they
waited long since they were talking to Shina and the others, so they told them
not to worry.
"Iris, actually,
Shina and the others asked if they could join our training."
"Hm?
Really?"
Nozomu conveyed
Shina's request to Irisdina.
"Yes, if it's
alright, could we participate?"
"…I think it's
fine. What about you, Ai?"
"I think it's
fine too. Nozomu, you agreed, right?"
Neither Tima nor
Irisdina had any particular reason to refuse, so they readily accepted Shina's
proposal.
Shina also seemed
relieved that her proposal was accepted, and she finally truly relaxed her
shoulders.
"That's great.
Well then, I look forward to it."
"Ah, you accepted
that offer!"
Mimuru had regained
her energy from Tom's words earlier, but she was still rubbing her head,
perhaps because the spot where Ms. Inda had hit her still hurt. However,
listening to Irisdina and the others' conversation, she looked up as if
startled.
"Well, you know.
If more people train together, we can gain various experiences, and the scope
of our training will widen."
"Alright! If
that's decided, then strike while the iron's hot! Let's go! Let's go now!!
Hurry!!"
Perhaps pleased that
their proposal was accepted, there was no longer any trace of her holding her
head and groaning like when she first arrived. She linked her arm with Tom's,
her boyfriend, and with her other hand, grabbed Mars's arm, and she dashed off
in an instant.
"Whoa,
hey!!"
"M-Mimuru!
Whoa!"
"Ah,
Mars-kun!?"
"Wait, please
wait for meee~~!!"
Tima and Somia,
surprised by Mimuru, who suddenly started running, dragging two men, hurriedly began
to chase after them.
"Haaah, good
grief..."
"Haha! They look
like they're having fun. Alright, let's follow them too."
"Eh? Wha!"
"Whoa,
Iris!?"
Shina, who had been
dumbfounded by Mimuru's sudden excitement, was now surprised. Irisdina, seeing Mimuru
and the others having fun, grabbed Nozomu's and Shina's hands and started
running after Mimuru and the others as well.
"Wait a minute!
So fast, so fast!"
"We'll lose sight
of them if we don't hurry! Hang in there, Shina-kun!"
"Hahaha…"
Shina, perhaps unable
to keep up with the sudden change of events, occasionally stumbled, but
Irisdina kept running regardless. Nozomu, apparently at a loss, could only give
a wry smile.
But at that moment,
Nozomu noticed a strange gaze directed at him.
"Hm?"
He traced the source
of the gaze, but he couldn't pinpoint it. However, Nozomu recognized this gaze.
(This is…)
"Nozomu, this is
no time to be spacing out! We'll lose sight of them if we don't hurry!"
"…Eh?"
Nozomu, who had been
trying to find the source of the gaze, suddenly felt the strength pulling his
hand increase, and he hurriedly quickened his pace.
In the end, when the
three of them reached the outskirts, both Nozomu and Shina were exhausted,
while Irisdina, perhaps having returned to her childish self for the first time
in a long while, was smiling happily and in a good mood.
***
"Teiyaaa!!"
"Hmph!!"
After taking a short
break, they decided to first assess each other's combat skills and abilities,
so Irisdina and Mimuru began with a mock battle.
Mimuru, with the high
physical abilities characteristic of a Beastman, tried to overwhelm Irisdina,
but she couldn't break through Irisdina's high-speed magic from Instant
Activation and her flawless swordsmanship.
At first, Irisdina
didn't attack, perhaps to observe. But after clashing for a while and seemingly
assessing Mimuru's abilities, Irisdina's opportunities to attack gradually
increased.
"Sei!"
"Whoa!!"
Irisdina's rapier
grazed Mimuru's cheek. Irisdina then immediately activated magic with Instant
Activation. Wind swirled around Mimuru, trapping Mimuru and Irisdina inside the
generated wind wall.
"Crap!!"
A voice escaped
Mimuru's mouth.
The generated wind
wall completely cut off the two from the surrounding space, and in this narrow
space, Mimuru couldn't fully utilize her agility.
Of course, that was
Irisdina's aim, and she didn't miss this opportunity.
Irisdina continued to
use physical enhancement magic, rapidly closing the distance with Mimuru, then
unleashed a torrent of thrusts like a sudden downpour.
"Haaaaah!!"
"Woah-woah-woah-woah!!"
Mimuru, with her
reflexes, tried to parry the torrent of thrusts, but Irisdina's thrusts,
enhanced by physical enhancement, were not only fast but also heavy, with
considerable body weight behind each strike. Mimuru was gradually pushed back.
Eventually, perhaps
reaching her limit, Mimuru's knife was deflected from her hand, and a blade was
pressed against her throat.
"Match over... I
guess."
"…Haaah, yeah.
Looks like I lost."
Mimuru conceded, and
Irisdina sheathed her rapier. Mimuru also picked up her deflected knife.
"Good work. That
was a good match."
"Thanks,
Nozomu."
Nozomu handed water
bottles to the two who returned.
"Thanks! Ahh, I
couldn't win after all~."
She hadn't expected to
be able to defeat the A-rank Irisdina, but she still seemed frustrated and a
little dejected. Her ears, which usually perked up energetically, were now
droopy and hanging down.
"But that was
amazing, Mimuru. You held out that well against Irisdina-san, so you should be
confident."
"R-really?
Hehehe..."
But as expected,
Mimuru recovered quickly. When Tom praised her a little, she immediately
smiled, and her drooping ears perked up. Still, perhaps embarrassed by her
lover's praise, her face was slightly flushed.
"Next, Nozomu and
I will go. Give us a moment."
"Fine, but wait a
sec."
"Mars-kun…"
"…I know…"
Mars declared that he
would go next and asked Nozomu to be his opponent, and Nozomu agreed.
Tima, perhaps worried
that Mars would do something reckless again, called his name in a faint voice.
He knew he had been a
little reckless in today's mock battle, but perhaps because he still had
impatience in his heart, he answered Tima's pleading voice, but his own voice
was also a little stiff.
Nozomu and Mars faced
each other, putting their hands on their weapons.
Mars drew his
greatsword from its scabbard and took a guard, while Nozomu crouched and placed
his hand on the hilt of his katana, still sheathed at his waist.
"Who do you think
will win?"
"Hmm. Mars-kun
has higher physical abilities, but his opponent is that Nozomu-kun, you
know..."
"I don't know
what would happen if he used offensive Ki Techniques like Phantom Void..."
"Those are too
lethal. He's never used them in sparring until now... Wait, how do Shina and
the others know his techniques?"
Mimuru asked for a
prediction of who would win, and Tom and Shina's predictions depended on what
kind of Ki Technique Nozomu would use. However, Irisdina suddenly asked why
Shina and the others knew Nozomu's Ki Technique.
At that question,
Shina and the others froze.
Irisdina's question
was reasonable, and in fact, Somia and Tima, who were nearby, also turned their
gaze to Shina and the others.
They didn't know why
Nozomu had become close with Shina and the others.
Nozomu and Shina and
the others had been ordered by Jihad not to speak of the black magical beast
incident, so they couldn't talk about it to Irisdina and the others.
But Irisdina and the
others were also very curious about this matter.
Just before the black
magical beast incident, Nozomu's behavior had clearly been strange.
No matter how much
they questioned him, he wouldn't answer, and it was clear he was forcing
himself, and that something serious had happened. But from that point on, it
was as if they were blocked by a transparent wall of ice, unable to press
further.
Two weeks had passed
since this incident, and although Nozomu and the others seemed to be gradually
returning to normal with time, the unresolved feelings lingering deep in their
hearts remained hidden and had not yet disappeared.
Irisdina, who inwardly
thought she shouldn't pry too much, suddenly asked the question the moment the
thought of why Shina knew Nozomu's Ki Technique arose in her heart.
And now, with the
single word Irisdina had let slip, that lid had opened, if only slightly,
resulting in a strangely awkward atmosphere.
"Well, various
things happened…"
Shina muttered, as if
leaking a secret, to Irisdina and the others, who were staring at them.
"Various
things…?"
"Yes, various
things…"
The two then fell
silent.
Everyone else also
remained silent, unable to say anything. Nozomu and Mars, perhaps oblivious to
Irisdina and the others' exchange, continued to glare at each other, gauging
each other's next move.
Eventually, as Nozomu
subtly lowered his center of gravity further, Mars also let out a deep breath
and began to circulate Ki throughout his body.
Nozomu also focused Ki
on his feet, and just as he was about to step forward, a voice that put a halt
to their battle echoed.
"Could you two
wait a moment?"
It wasn't a loud
voice, but it resonated deep within. Everyone present gasped and turned towards
the voice, where a male student in Solminati Academy uniform was walking
towards them.
"…You."
"Yo, Nozomu. Got
a minute?"
Golden hair, and ears
and a tail of the same color. His narrow, thread-like eyes and charming smile
on his refined face were captivating, but conversely, they exuded a
suspiciousness that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. In his
right hand, he held something wrapped in a long, slender bag.
It was Feo Lizitsa,
3rd year, 2nd tier.
The Fox-tailed youth
who had previously bumped into Nozomu in the hallway was standing there.
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