Volume 5
Chapter 24
Irisdina and the others, who had been running around the city searching for Nozomu and Mars, gathered at the academy's main gate after sunset. Everyone was out of breath, and their faces showed signs of impatience.
"How was it? Did
you find them!?"
"No, they weren't
in the north district..."
"Craftsmen's
district was a no-go too..."
"They weren't in
the commoner's district either..."
Irisdina asked Feo and
the others who had returned, but the results were not good. Only Tima, who went
to the commercial district, and Shina, who went to the outskirts, remained.
When Irisdina first started looking for Nozomu and the others, she immediately
headed to the boys' dormitory. However, she was only met with surprised looks
from the dormitory students, and Nozomu, the one she was looking for, wasn't
there. After that, she ran around the city searching, but still couldn't find
any trace of the two.
"Mars is probably
somewhere in the commercial district, but Nozomu is... Ugh! Where is
he...?"
Irisdina bit her lip,
trying to maintain her composure, as Nozomu couldn't be found. If only she had
asked him sooner... Such regret enveloped Irisdina's heart.
"Ai! I found
Mars!"
However, her best
friend's voice reached her ears. Irisdina looked in the direction of the voice
and saw Tima and Mars running towards them.
"............"
"............"
Mars and Irisdina's
group faced each other in silence. Their gazes towards Mars were uniformly
stern. Mars, who had been holding his breath under their stares, made up his
mind and bowed deeply before them.
"Everyone, I'm
sorry! I put you all in danger because of me!"
Words of apology from
Mars. Irisdina and the others received Mars's words with stern expressions.
"I won't say
anything convenient like 'forgive me'! Hit me as much as you want!"
"............"
For a moment, silence
flowed between Mars and Irisdina's group. Mars remained with his head bowed,
waiting for their words. Eventually, Irisdina slowly opened her mouth.
"...Mars-kun, you
know who you need to apologize to the most, don't you?"
"...Yeah, I know.
When I see Nozomu, I don't care how much he hits me. I'll accept any words he
throws at me! So, please. Let me help look for Nozomu too!"
"...Alright.
Everyone, is that okay?"
Mars, still bowing,
pleaded to be allowed to help search for Nozomu. Accepting his apology,
everyone nodded in unison at Irisdina's words.
"...Thank
you."
Mars was simply
grateful to them for accepting him again after what he had done.
"Everyone, you've
all gathered."
At that moment,
Shina's voice echoed in front of the main gate. Behind her, Anri-sensei, who shouldn't
have been with her, was also visible.
"Shina-kun! And
Anri-sensei!?"
Irisdina and the
others were surprised by Anri's appearance, but Shina continued speaking
regardless.
"I found
him."
"Really!?"
Irisdina's voice rose
in excitement at Shina's words. She looked around frantically, but Nozomu was
nowhere to be seen.
"...Nozomu
doesn't seem to be here, though?"
"After we talked,
he went into the forest."
"What did you
say!?"
Irisdina's voice rose
again, this time in a shout, at Shina's repeated words. Perhaps overwhelmed by
emotion, she instinctively grabbed Shina.
"Why did you let
him go!? He was injured, right!?"
"Irisdina-san!
Calm down!"
Anri, surprised by
Irisdina grabbing Shina, stepped between them, but Irisdina, heated, pressed
her too.
"Anri-sensei! Why
didn't you stop him either!?"
"Both I and
Sensei certainly tried to stop him! But he said he absolutely had to go there.
Well, after hearing his story, I certainly understood his feelings for wanting
to go to that place."
Shina recalled
Nozomu's demeanor when he made his request to her.
I want to calm
my mind again where Master is sleeping. I'll be waiting in the cabin where I
guided you all before, so please bring everyone there tomorrow.
Although anxiety and
fear flickered in the depths of his eyes, Nozomu still looked back at them
directly. Shina and Anri could sense his will to move forward, even while still
being pulled back by the lingering worries in his heart. Moreover, the place he
specified was a memorable one where he had talked with his master. For him to
solidify his resolve now, there was indeed no more suitable place.
"Nozomu-kun is...
at his master's place right now."
"Master?"
Irisdina and the
others tilted their heads at Anri's words. It was Shina who answered their
question.
"She's the one
who taught him katana techniques. The place he went to seems to have been his
master's house."
"...Was?"
"...Yes, it seems
his master has already passed away..."
Shina recounted to
Irisdina and the others what she had discussed with Nozomu about him and his
master in the outskirts. The circumstances that led to his meeting his master
and how he came to learn katana techniques. The days of training, swinging his
katana every single day. And the last words his master left for him, having
realized her own death.
"Nozomu-kun's
master apparently left these last words: 'It's alright to run away. But don't
turn your eyes away from the fact that you ran. Even if you run, if you don't
forget it, you can move forward someday'..."
"............"
From those words
alone, anyone could understand how deep the bond between the two was. In
contrast, Irisdina and the others hadn't even been told that Nozomu had a
master. Irisdina felt a hollow sensation in her chest. Had they not been
trusted by Nozomu that much...? Such thoughts raised their heads, and she was
assailed by the feeling that the time they had spent with him was gradually
losing its color. Shina glanced at Irisdina, who had lowered her eyes, but
continued speaking regardless.
"...And one more
thing. He didn't tell me the true nature of his power, but his power might be
more dangerous than I thought."
"...What do you
mean?"
Everyone present
narrowed their eyes and listened to Shina's words.
"He said that his
power has another will. And that will think of the people in this city as
nothing more than prey."
What flashed through
Irisdina's mind was the overwhelming power Nozomu displayed in his battle
against Rugato. The torrent of power he unleashed easily swept away even
Rugato's magic power, which had enveloped the mansion, and overwhelmed even an
S-rank formidable opponent. With that much power, calmly thinking about it, there
was a high possibility that some kind of price would be involved.
"...!!"
Irisdina unconsciously
bit her lip tightly. There were clues, yet...
Hearing this story, it
made sense that Nozomu had been acting strangely recently. Why hadn't she asked
him sooner...? Only regret gnawed at Irisdina's chest.
"I think he's
probably been agonizing over that power. And he couldn't talk to anyone, just
kept it bottled up inside himself."
"...Does that
mean we weren't good enough?"
"Somia..."
Somia, who was beside
Irisdina, muttered with a tearful face. That's not it, Somia. It's because I
didn't try to ask him... Thinking so, Irisdina tried to comfort her sister, who
looked on the verge of tears, but her mouth, contrary to her thoughts, wouldn't
utter the words.
"That's not it.
Rather, I think it's the opposite. He couldn't talk about it because you were
important to him. I understand because I was like that before too; the more you
bottle up your worries, the harder it becomes to talk about them. Your heart just
hardens, and there are times when you just can't move forward."
However, Shina
comforted Somia in Irisdina's stead. She went to Somia's side, knelt down, and
gently stroked Somia's head with her hand, comforting her. The pain in her
chest grew stronger. The back of her eyelids grew hot, and tears welled up.
"!!"
Irisdina bit her lip
desperately, trying to hold back her tears. Shina briefly glanced at her from
the corner of her eye.
"Nozomu-kun is
waiting in the cabin deep in the forest. We know the location, so we'll guide
you tomorrow."
"A cabin in the
forest?"
Mimuru and Tom looked
puzzled at Shina's words, but then, as if realizing something, they gasped and
spoke up.
"Hey, Shina. That
cabin..."
"That's right,
Mimuru. The cabin where we took shelter before. He also asked us to guide you
there."
"...Shelter?"
Mars and the others
couldn't understand Shina's group's conversation. Furthermore, the unsettling
word "shelter" made their expressions even sterner.
"We'll talk about
that when we head to the cabin tomorrow. It's a place where he trained in
katana techniques with his master, and it's a memorable place for him.
Nozomu-kun also said he wants to think a bit more, so let's leave him alone for
today."
"...But."
Shina suggested they
meet Nozomu after some time. However, Irisdina's voice interrupted her words.
"No, Nozomu is
still injured... For now, we should at least let him rest somewhere
proper..."
"But that goes
for everyone. Aside from Nozomu-kun, who knows the place well, it's not a good
idea to enter the unfamiliar night forest in an exhausted state."
Irisdina's words,
tinged with impatience. Her words were immediately denied by Shina, but she,
who desperately wanted to see Nozomu, was urged by the swirling impatience in
her chest to head towards the forest.
"...Wait,
Irisdina."
However, it was
surprisingly Mars who stopped Irisdina. Shina's words, "everyone is
exhausted," halted his impatient heart.
"If he says he
wants us to wait... let's wait. He said he'd talk properly, right?"
"Yes, he
did."
Shina nodded in
response to Mars's questioning to confirm.
"Then, that's
enough for me... I think he'll be fine even in the night forest."
Mars's words, squeezed
out, lacked the somewhat arrogant aura he had previously carried.
"Oh? You're quite
subdued. I thought you'd try to go into the forest alone, as if saying 'it has
nothing to do with me'."
"...It can't be
helped if you say 'what are you talking about now'."
Mars replied weakly to
Shina's sharp sarcasm. He wore a self-deprecating smile at himself for trying
to move impatiently again.
"Irisdina-san, is
that alright with you?"
"............"
The desire to see
Nozomu clashed with the desire not to put everyone in danger within Irisdina.
Somia, who was beside her sister, gently squeezed her hand, which was biting
her lip. Feeling the irreplaceable warmth of her beloved sister's skin through
her hand, Irisdina slowly nodded to Shina's question.
"Then, let's head
there after school tomorrow. The meeting place will be the usual
outskirts."
As everyone dispersed
at Shina's words, Mars called out to her as she was about to leave.
"Shina, about...
today, I'm sorry..."
Mars bowed deeply,
apologizing for his foolish act. Shina, seeing him sincerely bowing his head,
didn't feel like blaming Mars any further. She herself had put her comrades in
danger due to her own mistakes when she fought the black beast.
"...Alright. I
accept your apology. Next, you should say it in front of him."
"Yeah. I
know."
Shina simply stated
one more person Mars should apologize to. Mars accepted those words
straightforwardly.
***
Returning to their
mansion, Irisdina and Somia quickly finished their meal and went back to their
rooms, collapsing onto their beds as if crumbling. The accumulated fatigue from
the special comprehensive training, the battle with the corpse dragon, and then
running around Arcazam searching for Nozomu and Mars after their falling out,
had reached its peak. Her limbs felt heavy as lead, and a pervasive languor
enveloped her entire body, immediately inviting her to sleep. However, contrary
to her desire to sleep, her mind refused, resulting in a cycle of brief sleep
followed by waking.
What was he doing
now...? Every image that came to her mind was of him, making her worry. His
figure in her mind had his back to her, and she couldn't discern what
expression he was making. This only further fueled her impatience.
When they first met in
the infirmary, he willingly helped treat the injured female student. Thinking
back, perhaps it was because of that incident in the infirmary that even after
she learned he was the rumored person, she didn't directly associate him with
the rumored image. The next time she met him was in the central park after
school. It was her second encounter, when she saw him happily talking with
Somia on her way to pick her up. Somia had been talking excitedly about making
a new friend recently. But Irisdina never imagined that person would be him.
He, too, seemed unaware that Somia's older sister was Irisdina, and his eyes
widened in surprise when he saw her. Seeing his reaction, she felt a little
mischievous and teased him a bit...
In a noble society
where those who hide their murky desires behind a smiling mask run rampant, her
younger sister, who had been there since childhood, had grown fond of him.
That's why Irisdina didn't feel any caution towards Nozomu.
And then, the incident
that occurred on Somia's birthday. In that incident, caused by a secret pact
between the Francilt family and the Wajiart family in the past, he saved
Irisdina and her sister. And afterward, he even properly gave Somia a birthday
present. Even after saving their lives, Nozomu didn't act condescendingly and
didn't change his attitude towards the two. For Irisdina and the others, who
had seen adults change their attitudes as soon as they gained an advantage, it
was perhaps inevitable that they would be instantly drawn to Nozomu, who
remained a friend without changing. After that, Irisdina invited him on a date,
calling it a thank-you. She had received countless invitations from men, but it
was her first time inviting someone herself. And she had never felt so excited.
His palm was warmer
than she expected, and just seeing Nozomu flustered was enjoyable, making her
so elated that her feet naturally moved forward even in places she hadn't been
to much. They stopped at a candy shop along the way, and she got to eat the
first candy he ever made. At the fortune-teller's shop, he engaged in a comedic
verbal battle with Zonne, whom he had just met. It was fun to see his flustered
face, so she even told him to call her by her nickname. And before she knew it,
she was peeking at his profile as he walked beside her.
Irisdina tightly
clutched the palm she had been staring at. On the night of her date with
Nozomu, just clutching this hand made her heart pound and her soul feel warm.
But now, only pain coursed through her chest. At that moment, she heard the
sound of her room door opening with a creak. Irisdina sat up and looked towards
the door, where Somia stood in her pajamas, looking anxious.
"...Sister."
"Somia?"
"............"
Somia stood rooted in
front of the door for a moment, but then she quickly trotted towards her sister
on the bed and threw herself into her arms. Irisdina hurriedly embraced Somia.
She was about to ask what was wrong but noticed her sister's shoulders
trembling.
"...It's alright,
Somia, it's alright."
Seeing her sister's
state, Irisdina gently stroked her back. She held her gently, as if handling
delicate glasswork, trying to alleviate her sister's anxiety as much as
possible. Somia buried her face in her sister's chest for a while. Eventually,
her trembling subsided, and she pulled away from her sister's body, lifting her
face. However, her face was still stiff, as if her anxiety hadn't completely
dissipated.
"Sister, about
Nozomu-san..."
As expected, Somia was
asking about Nozomu. Somia, who was just as anxious as Irisdina about
reconciling with Nozomu, must have come to her sister's room to seek a little
reassurance. Irisdina was also anxious. Nevertheless, she gently stroked her
sister's head with a smile, trying to reassure Somia as much as possible.
"...It's alright.
According to Shina-kun, Nozomu seems to be waiting for us..."
Irisdina spoke to
Somia with a smile, suppressing her inner anxiety. While trying to reassure
Somia, she was also telling herself the same thing.
"...But what if
Nozomu-san disappears...?"
"............"
For Somia, Nozomu was
also an important presence. He was a close friend with whom she played, and a
benefactor who saved her soul. The impressionable eleven-year-old girl had come
to view this older boy who saved her as an older brother. A girl who feared
losing her family more than anything. For her, the anxiety that Nozomu might
disappear was so great that even her blood-related sister couldn't completely
dispel it. There was no turning back. That feeling grew within Irisdina's
heart.
"If Nozomu
disappears...?"
The morning training
where they honed their skills together in the outskirts. They would never cross
swords in that place again. Lunch they ate with Nozomu and the others. The food
wasn't that different, yet it tasted many times better than usual. And walking
through the city together. Those moments when she smiled from the bottom of her
heart. All of it would disappear. The moment she imagined such a future, a
shiver ran down her spine, and she felt a sensation in her chest as if her
heart had been torn out, leaving a gaping hole.
(No... I don't want
that...)
She didn't want that.
She didn't want Nozomu to disappear. She didn't want him not to be by her side.
The anxiety that
Nozomu might disappear had nested in her chest. However, a will to reject such
a future also welled up. The feeling that there was no turning back ignited her
will to reject a future filled with loss, giving her the vitality to stand up
again. Somia's anxious face in front of her. Irisdina thought that she herself
might be making such a face, but the warmth of Somia's skin in her arms ignited
her heart, which was about to freeze with anxiety, and wiped away the darkness
that had nested within.
"...Somia,
indeed, we have no turning back. But we have another chance."
"...Sister."
The desire not to lose
him burned away the anxiety that had nested in Irisdina's heart. This was the
crucial moment. The battle between the fear of losing and the will to reject it
ended in the victory of the will to break through this situation. With the sole
desire not to lose the warmth she felt in her hands, Irisdina rapidly spoke her
thoughts.
"It's not decided
yet that he's going to disappear. My hand can still reach him. So... so let's
go see Nozomu again!"
She told her precious
Somia, and more than anyone, herself. This time, this time, she would accept it
properly. With that resolve in her heart, Irisdina swore before her beloved
sister.
***
In the forest, where
not even moonlight penetrated. A giant body, the size of a house, lay fallen on
the ground. A dead body, devoid of blood and emitting a putrid smell. Its
scales, which had once shone with a jewel-like luster, were cruelly gouged out,
and its head was severed from its neck, lying on the ground. A dragon that
harbored the contradiction of being alive while dead. Bound by the desires of
hunger and thirst, it was now truly freed from its suffering. Originally, it
would no longer move, and would simply become nourishment for beasts and
insects.
But a moving shadow
was beside the corpse. A mysterious figure with a deep hood covering his head.
When he touched the corpse dragon's body with his hand, its body was enveloped
in a white light. When that light, conspicuous in the dark, covered the corpse
dragon's body, the dragon's body suddenly swelled. A thumping sound, like a
heartbeat, echoed, and the corpse twitched and convulsed. As the white light
enveloped its back, the lost wings on its back began to regenerate. The severed
neck floated in the air and settled back into its rightful place. Eventually,
the heartbeat stopped, and the convulsions subsided, and the corpse dragon's
closed eyes opened, and the corpse dragon, which should have been motionless,
rose to its feet.
The hooded figure and
the corpse dragon faced each other. The hooded figure's expression could not be
discerned. However, the corpse dragon also showed no signs of attacking. Was it
because the person in front of it had resurrected it, or was there another
reason? At the very least, although there was no light of life in the dragon's
eyes, for some reason, its demeanor no longer showed the ferocity it had
before.
"............"
"............"
The hooded figure's
mouth moved. The corpse dragon simply stared at the figure, but eventually, it
spread its regenerated wings and soared into the sky, flying away. The hooded
figure, left alone, simply watched the corpse dragon's retreating figure as it
flew away.
***
The fallen sun rose
again, and by the time it reached mid-sky, Nozomu was alone, swinging his
katana in front of Shino's cabin. In front of the cabin, his master's katana
and memorial tablet were placed. Nozomu continued to practice his swings,
feeling as if Shino was watching over him. His entire body still felt fatigued,
and his limbs were heavy as lead, but Nozomu's heart was filled with vitality.
"Hah!"
The swung katana cut
through the air, and the wind brushed Nozomu's cheek. The scent of trees and
earth filled the air. The sound of the wind cutting through the air with each
swing of the katana was pleasant to Nozomu's ears, as if his heart, clouded by
hesitation and fear, was being cleansed.
Several months had
passed since he fought his master here and accepted her feelings. Only that
much time had passed, yet Nozomu felt he had come a long way around. Even
though he vowed not to turn his eyes away from the fact that he had run away,
he couldn't take another step forward from there.
There was always an
anxiety somewhere in his heart about a power that was clearly different from
others. It had always nested in Nozomu's heart.
What if they find out
I'm a Dragon Slayer...? What if my power goes out of control...?
Such anxieties further
enlarged when Ken confronted him with the truth, and by himself, who wielded
his power in anger after learning that truth.
The anxiety that grew
day by day and the resulting friction with Irisdina and the others. The gap
that formed between Nozomu, who couldn't confide his secret, and them, who
couldn't press him. It grew even wider due to the two parties never meeting,
further widening the rift between them. And this time, during the battle with the
corpse dragon, it tore and broke. Normally, Nozomu, who hesitated to use his
power at such a crucial moment, and Mars, who went out of control alone, would
no longer be able to be friends with them.
"But Shina and
the others overcame it, didn't they...?"
What came back to
Nozomu's mind was the sight of Shina and the others, who had a falling out in
this very place, just like Nozomu and his friends now. Shina, who went out of
control, consumed by hatred for the black beast that stole her hometown, and Mimuru,
who lost her composure after her lover was injured. It was a critical situation
at the time, potentially fatal. However, they finally clashed with their true
feelings, understood each other, and overcame that crisis. Nozomu was secretly
envious of them and found them dazzling.
"What if I had
used this power back then...?"
Yesterday, when Nozomu
was swinging his katana in despair in the outskirts, Shina's words to him came
back to his mind. She had said that if Nozomu had used his Dragon Slayer power
when he fought the black beast, she wouldn't have been able to reconcile with
Mimuru and the others.
I'm grateful.
Thanks to you, I was able to face Mimuru and the spirits again.
Shina expressed her
gratitude to Nozomu, even knowing that he hadn't used his full power. And Anri,
who was beside her, watched over Nozomu with her usual expression.
I want to be
your strength.
It's alright,
Nozomu-kun~.
And he felt the warmth
of their hands. Their words and the warmth of their hands moved Nozomu's heart,
which had shrunk from the guilt of not being able to use his power, and gave
him the courage to move forward again.
"Sei!"
A sharp sword stroke
carved a line in the air. A sword dance full of vitality, completely different
from when he swung it in the outskirts yesterday. There were people by his
side. That joy allowed Nozomu to take powerful steps. All his muscles showed
perfect coordination. The katana swung down as if to cut down all obstacles.
His eyes now, while containing anxiety, showed an even stronger will to move
forward again.
"...Ah."
Nozomu had been
swinging his katana smoothly. However, the sword stroke he swung wavered
slightly. Perhaps the accumulated fatigue in his entire body couldn't be
deceived.
What are you
doing!? I don't remember teaching you such a dull sword!
Suddenly, Shino's
voice echoed in Nozomu's head. Her angry voice, which never ceased during
training in this place. Of course, she, who had become mute, couldn't have said
it, and there was only her katana and memorial tablet at the end of Nozomu's
gaze.
"...I know,
Master. I'll do it properly, so please spare me the punishment..."
He knew she was no
longer there, but Nozomu spoke as if talking to the memorial tablet.
Then hurry up!
Next time, it won't be my mouth, but my katana that flies!
What appeared in
Nozomu's eyes was the figure of his master, for some reason happily taking out
her katana and compressing her ki to the extreme.
"...Master.
Please don't suddenly try to kill your disciple..."
Recalling the nostalgic
scene that was once his daily life, Nozomu's face softened. And then, he also
recalled the unreasonable punishments that always befell him afterward, and
before he knew it, a sense of melancholy drifted behind him.
***
He had been swinging
his katana for a while, but Nozomu still felt the accumulated fatigue. He
stopped swinging his katana and stood still, beginning to meditate. What came
to mind was the time in this place when Shino confessed her past of being
betrayed by her sister and running away. Shino, who had cut Nozomu with Phantom
Void - Return - and then unleashed a torrent of even more intense slashes,
still had a tearful expression. She was sad that her feelings were not conveyed
and that Nozomu was trying to give up on living.
"It took... quite
a while. To realize..."
Shino, who had
realized her remaining lifespan. She had thrown away all of her remaining,
precious time, far more valuable than gold, to convey her feelings to Nozomu.
If it were not conveyed, she would have wasted that precious time.
When she stood in
front of Nozomu, she had already made up her mind, but behind that, there must
have been anxiety about whether her past, which she had run away from, would
truly be accepted. Otherwise, she wouldn't have pleaded with such a tearful
face for her feelings to be accepted. Everyone feels anxious about revealing a
past or secret they wish to keep hidden. Yet, she moved forward. Even with
worries and anxieties, to convey her feelings.
"I probably
wouldn't have realized it if Anri-sensei hadn't asked..."
It was precisely
because she slowly and carefully asked Nozomu about Shino that Nozomu was able
to remember why he was able to accept Shino's feelings. This time, unlike then,
he was the one confessing. There was still anxiety. There was still fear.
Nevertheless, the warmth and words of the two remaining in his hands pushed
Nozomu forward.
"I can't stop
forever..."
The anxiety she
carried at that time. When she confessed that she had been betrayed by her
precious family and lover, her heart must have been disturbed by the thought of
losing precious people again. But she moved forward. To convey her last words
to Nozomu. And above all, because she wanted him to accept her true self.
"Then, I have to
move forward too..."
And then, the time
would come for Nozomu to move forward. Considering the battle with the corpse
dragon, if he wanted to continue his friendship with Irisdina and the others,
he couldn't keep hiding his power.
"Iris and the
others know I have power, but they don't know what kind of power it is..."
Irisdina and the
others knew Nozomu had power, but they didn't know it was the power of a Dragon
Slayer. What kind of answer would they give when they learned the true nature
of his power...?
"Maybe... I might
be rejected. ...But even if I'm worried... I have to move forward, right,
Master?..."
Shino, who risked her
life to teach him not to turn away from the fact that he ran away. And the
sight of Shina and the others, who clashed with their true feelings and understood
each other, came to his mind.
"Just talking...
might not be enough..."
Simply telling them
that he was a Dragon Slayer might not be enough. He didn't know if they would
understand its true nature just by talking. The root of his fear lay in what lurked
deep within that power.
"...Can I even
unleash it in the first place?"
Yesterday's scene came
back to Nozomu's mind. Faced with his comrades in danger, he tried to release
his ability suppression as if to shake off his anguish, but the chains binding
him didn't budge.
"But, once
more... this time..."
As Nozomu meditated
again, the bushes behind him rustled.
"...They
came."
No need to turn
around. He felt their presence behind him. Even though it had only been a day
since they last met, it felt as if a very long time had passed. Nozomu slowly
turned around. There stood his academy comrades... no, the people who were
about to become his true friends.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
-
[Gold]
B random
DavidA
Nepheos
RobertJay
ShitaiNoKootoRyuu
[Silver]
Creris
Fred A.
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Geral Aponso
Matthew Fraser
Anton Lim
Ctdela
Curious Panda
Joe Smith
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----