Volume 5
Chapter 21
"Guaaaaaaaa!!!"
A roar thundered
through the forest. The sound shook the trees and vibrated the air.
Nozomu and the others
instinctively shielded their faces from the wind that struck them along with a
deafening roar.
A dragon.
With tough scales and
vitality, wings that soared through the sky, and scorching breath that could
melt even iron. It was an exceptionally powerful magical beast, capable of
destroying even a castle on its own. It was certainly not something that should
be wandering around in such a place.
However, there was no
glow of vitality in its body. The dragon's eyes were cloudy white, and one wing
was missing. Its dragon scales, which should have shone in the sunlight, were
cracked in places, and in some areas, the underlying skin had peeled off,
exposing its muscles.
A dragon that
continued to live even in death. The being, which should be called a Corpse
Dragon, exposed its naked corpse under the sunlight.
"............"
Everyone present,
including Nozomu and the others, was staring blankly at the giant beast before
them. Their thoughts had stopped due to the suddenness of the event.
The Corpse Dragon
seemed bothered by the sunlight, shaking its head repeatedly, but its cloudy
white eyes fixed on Nozomu and the others.
"!! Everyone,
dodge!!"
Nozomu felt a chill
from the Corpse Dragon's gaze and immediately yelled, leaping away from the
spot. Irisdina, Tima, and Kevin followed his words.
The next moment, the
Corpse Dragon took a deep breath, and scorching breath was exhaled from its
mouth.
The exhaled flames
advanced in a straight line, instantly carbonizing the grass and ground it
passed over.
After finishing its
breath attack, the Corpse Dragon raised its neck again, then opened its mouth
once more and attacked, trying to devour Kevin and the others.
Kevin struck the
dragon's face with a ki blast, diverting its attention, and everyone scattered
at once.
The charging Corpse
Dragon lost its target and plunged its head deep into the ground.
Having escaped the
approaching giant body, they regrouped with their respective parties in the
meantime and regained their stances.
"Oi, oi, oi! What
is this!!"
"Hey! Even I
didn't anticipate this situation! Why is there a Corpse Dragon here!!"
"Jin! What do we
do!?"
"What do we do...
We just have to survive!"
Kevin, Feo, and Jin
and the others were flustered by the sudden appearance of an unexpectedly
powerful entity.
It was understandable.
They had trained painstakingly at Solminati Academy, but they had no experience
encountering a magical beast of this caliber.
Rather, they should be
praised for being able to think and act despite being flustered by suddenly
encountering such a threat. An ordinary soldier would either stand frozen
before this Corpse Dragon or panic out of fear and be killed helplessly.
Kevin, who had
momentarily distanced himself from the powerful opponent, saw his comrades
lying on the ground in his vision.
"Tch! Can't be
helped!"
Kevin rushed to his
unconscious party members while the Corpse Dragon had its face plunged into the
ground. He must have thought that if they continued fighting this dragon, they
might be crushed by it.
He picked up the
unconscious swordsman and spear user under his arms and ran off at full speed.
"Gugu,
geff..."
The Corpse Dragon made
a muffled sound and lifted its neck. Its cloudy white eyes caught Kevin, who
was holding his comrades.
"Guaaaaaa!"
"Tch!"
The dragon charged at
Kevin. He ran at full speed, trying to somehow get his unconscious comrades to
safety, but the Corpse Dragon gradually closed the distance, rumbling the
ground.
"Damn it! How
long are you going to be unconscious!? I'm leaving you behind!"
Kevin cursed at his
unconscious comrades, but he never let go of them from under his arm.
The Corpse Dragon
closed in right behind Kevin, opening its maw to devour them. Knife-sharp fangs
appeared, and a putrid breath was exhaled.
As the dragon's shadow
covered the running Kevin, and its fangs were just about to seize him, a
massive jet-black magic bullet struck the side of the dragon's face from the
side.
"Gyau!"
The Corpse Dragon let
out a small shriek and staggered. Furthermore, a massive lump of wind struck
its gigantic body, causing the Corpse Dragon to collapse from the impact.
In the meantime, Kevin
succeeded in escaping the dragon's fangs.
"I-Irisdina. And
Tima, too?"
In his line of sight
were Irisdina, standing with her rapier pointed at the Corpse Dragon, and Tima,
raising her staff. It seemed they were the ones who had struck the dragon with
magic.
"Kevin! Over
here!"
Kevin, somewhat
bewildered by Irisdina's call, carried his comrades and headed towards her.
"Are you
alright?"
"Y-Yeah. You
saved us..."
Kevin's face showed a
relieved expression. Irisdina glanced at the classmates he was carrying,
showing a worried expression.
Kevin, who was worried
about his comrades, frowned when he saw Nozomu standing next to Irisdina.
He wouldn't challenge
him right now, but it seemed he was still displeased.
"Kevin, your
comrades?"
"They're not
dead. But they're still unconscious... Damn it, what would have happened if I
wasn't here..."
At that moment, Nozomu
heard Mars's voice.
"Nozomu!"
"Mars?"
Mars ran towards
Nozomu. Behind him were Jin and his team, and Shina and her team.
At that moment, the
fallen Corpse Dragon began to stir and rise.
"Tch,
bottom-feeder. You guys are in the way, so get going."
Kevin, seeing the
rising dragon, strongly told Nozomu and the others to leave. But Irisdina
interrupted his words.
"Nozomu, I have a
request. I'd like your team to take Kevin's comrades to a safe place."
Irisdina asked him to
take Kevin's comrades to a safe place. Indeed, the unconscious comrades of
Kevin and the exhausted Jin and his team were no match for the dragon they were
currently facing.
"Y-Yeah. That's
fine. Jin, can you do it?"
"Yeah. What about
Nozomu-kun and the others?"
Jin and his team also
understood that the current situation was too much for their abilities, so they
readily accepted Irisdina's proposal and carried Kevin's comrades on their
backs.
"We'll buy you
time to escape. Mimuru-kun. Go ahead and report this to the operations
headquarters."
"Understood! Tom,
be careful."
"Yeah. Mimuru,
you too."
Mimuru, who had nodded
to Irisdina's request, spoke to her boyfriend Tom, and Tom also exchanged words
with her.
The two smiled at each
other. Perhaps that was enough for them, as they exchanged glances for a
moment, then Mimuru quickly dashed into the forest.
Following her, Jin and
his team also disappeared into the forest, carrying the injured.
"Everyone else,
including Nozomu and Mars-kun, will face this dragon. Understood?"
Kevin complained about
one name in Irisdina's words.
"Hey, Irisdina!
This guy will just be dead weight..."
Kevin said, pointing
at Nozomu. For him, who had been swallowed by Mars's technique earlier and
hadn't seen Nozomu's Phantom Void, this reaction was understandable in a way,
but Irisdina cut him off.
"It's alright.
He'll be fine." Irisdina said with a smile, despite the situation.
"I think so too.
He knows this forest better than anyone here, and he has more combat experience
with magical beasts than we do. We need his strength," Shina added,
agreeing with Irisdina. Both their eyes, looking at Nozomu, showed clear trust,
and Tom, who was behind her, seemed to feel the same way.
Behind them, Feo
watched Shina and the others with an amused look.
"... Tch!"
Kevin clicked his tongue, a bitter expression on his face. For someone who was
deeply infatuated with Irisdina, the mention of another man's name on her lips
was irritating.
In the midst of this,
Nozomu's gaze intersected with Lisa's.
"............"
"............"
Lisa and Ken glared at
Nozomu. Nozomu met their gaze with a self-deprecating expression.
An indescribably heavy
atmosphere enveloped the place.
Just as Lisa was about
to open her mouth to say something, Irisdina cut her off.
"Lisa-kun, I
don't know what happened between you and Nozomu-kun, but now..."
"Now, dealing
with that dragon is the top priority. You don't need to tell me that..."
Lisa further interrupted Irisdina's words. Her stubborn expression completely
rejected Nozomu. It was as if she had imposed this on herself.
Ken, who was next to
her, also glared at Nozomu. His expression was blank, but his gaze was filled
with a chilling hatred.
"! Here it
comes!"
At that moment, Mars's
voice echoed through the area. At his voice, everyone present simultaneously
readied their weapons.
"Gaaaaaaaa!"
The Corpse Dragon's
roar thundered again. The dragon opened its maw once more and unleashed
scorching breath.
"Tima!"
"Leave it to
me!"
Tima, responding to
Irisdina's call, deployed a magic barrier. It was a breath that could carbonize
even bones if taken directly, but the invisible wall, imbued with the highest
level of magical power a human could possess, did not allow the scorching
breath to penetrate.
While Tima blocked the
Corpse Dragon's breath, Irisdina constructed magic with Instant Deployment. The
surrounding wind gathered in a spiral before her eyes and was unleashed with a
roar.
Irisdina's Ravenous
Beast of the Wind Tunnel collided with the dragon's breath, scattering the
incessantly poured flames for a moment and opening a path to the Corpse Dragon.
"Bottom-feeder!
Just don't get in the way!"
Kevin cursed at
Nozomu, then activated Flash Step. He instantly became like wind, rushing
through the gaps in the scattered flames and charging at the Corpse Dragon.
The Corpse Dragon,
noticing Kevin charging at it, moved its neck to try and unleash its current
breath attack on Kevin, but it couldn't catch his movements and only scorched
the ground.
"Heh, too
slow!"
Kevin concentrated ki
into his fist. Having closed in instantly with Flash Step, he slammed a palm
strike into the Corpse Dragon's jaw, as if plunging his claws into prey.
"Take this!"
Ki Technique:
"Piercing Fang Claw."
A ki technique that
simultaneously delivers a double attack of impact from a palm strike and an
explosion of ki released from plunged claws.
With a thudding impact
that reverberated in his stomach, the brittle dragon scales cracked, and blood
spurted out.
However, the Corpse
Dragon paid no heed to the flowing blood and tried to bite Kevin.
"Oppsie!"
Kevin instinctively
slipped under its jaw, avoiding the dragon's fangs. Catching the sound of its
jaw snapping shut above his head in the corner of his eye, Kevin circled to the
opposite side, then concentrated ki into the tips of his feet and unleashed a
kick at the dragon's jaw again.
Ki Technique:
"Rending Kick Blade."
A kick, infused with
ki, quickly swung like a slash, tore through the exposed skin where the scales
had peeled off, like a blade.
But the dragon, even
with its jaw's skin torn, tried to sweep Kevin away with its foreleg.
"Tch! It didn't
work?"
Kevin leaped back to
avoid the approaching dragon's arm, and in that opening, Mars charged in.
"Then how about
this!"
Mars, who had circled
around from the opposite side of the dragon, charged forward, raising his
greatsword wreathed in the ki technique "Dust Wind Blade."
"Deiyaaaah!"
Mars swung his
greatsword down with a battle cry. The greatsword, gaining sufficient speed and
acceleration from the downward swing, shattered the cracked dragon scales and
deeply sliced into its flesh, while the wind blades clinging to the sword
further gouged into the dragon's flesh.
But even that didn't
bother it. It raised its tail high and tried to sweep away both Kevin and Mars.
"What!?"
"Guh!?"
Mars and Kevin tried
to avoid the approaching tail, but Mars, who had just attacked with his sword,
couldn't move immediately.
Meanwhile, a sharp
pain shot through Kevin's body as he tried to jump back. The injury he
sustained from Mars's simultaneous ki-magic technique had momentarily slowed
Kevin's movements.
When he realized it,
Kevin could no longer avoid the dragon's tail approaching him.
The sweeping tail
struck both their bodies directly.
"Guhah!"
"Damn it!
Gahhh!"
The two were sent
flying and slammed to the ground. Furthermore, the Corpse Dragon closed in on
the two fallen figures.
"Mars-kun!"
"Tch, no other
way!"
Tima cried out in
anguish, seeing Mars sent flying. She immediately activated "Calamity of
the Condemned" and unleashed the magic at the Corpse Dragon.
Feo also pulled out
talismans from his pocket, created three fireballs, and slammed them into the
dragon.
A massive fireball
struck the Corpse Dragon, simultaneously triggering a huge explosion, and the
blast ravaged the surroundings. Furthermore, Feo's fireballs struck directly.
The smell of burning flesh permeated the air.
The ground was blown
away and gouged out. Irisdina and the others slightly relaxed their expressions
at the sight, but when a gigantic shadow appeared from within the smoke, they
immediately stiffened again.
The enormous body
emerged from the smoke. But it seemed it wasn't completely unscathed; its body
was blackened in places from being burned by the flames. It seemed the areas
where its scales had peeled off were scorched.
In the meantime, Mars
and Kevin stood up.
However, Kevin's left
arm hung limp, as if broken, and Mars seemed barely able to stand, using his
greatsword as a cane.
Both were unsteady on
their feet, and perhaps they had injured their internal organs, as blood
dripped from their mouths. They were clearly severely injured.
"Grrrrr..."
The Corpse Dragon,
still emitting smoke from its entire body, tried to advance towards Kevin and
Mars.
"Kuh!"
"Damn it..."
Kevin and Mars gritted
their teeth. Their bodies, numb from the impact, seemed unable to move even if
they could stand.
"This is
bad!"
Nozomu threw a ball of
light at the dragon. The Corpse Dragon temporarily lost sight of Mars and the
others in the flash of the exploding light ball. In the meantime, Nozomu and
Feo rushed to Mars and Kevin with Flash Step, grabbing them by their collars.
"O-oi!"
"It's a bit
rough, but bear with it!"
"Wait..."
Nozomu and Feo then
dragged the two away with Flash Step. The Corpse Dragon tried to pursue, but
the support from Irisdina, Tima, Shina, and Tom halted the dragon.
"Ken! Camila!
Support me!!"
Lisa, her crimson hair
flowing, charged at the Corpse Dragon, taking Nozomu's place. Furthermore, a
torrent of magical power surged from behind her. Camila and Ken chanted spells,
continuously firing "Icicle Dance" at the Corpse Dragon.
Most of the ice
pillars that attacked the Corpse Dragon were blocked by its protective scales,
but several of them struck the areas where its scales had peeled off, piercing
its body.
Furthermore, Ken
created a massive ice pillar and slammed it into the dragon's chest.
The dragon's gigantic
body swayed from the direct hit of the immense mass, and in the meantime, Lisa
imbued her saber with magic, doubling its effect with the Nivea's Demonic Hand.
Her blade glowed with
heat, drawing its trajectory in the air, and she closed the distance in an
instant, swinging the saber in her hand with all her might, aiming for its
abdomen.
"Haaaaah!"
Her slash was blocked
by the dragon's scales, deflected with a grating sound like metal scraping
together and scattering sparks. However, her slash peeled off the already
tattered scales of the Corpse Dragon, exposing its soft skin.
"Hah!"
Lisa then sliced deep
into the dragon's body with a return strike, and activated the magic she had
infused into the blade. The severed wound was simultaneously cauterized,
burning the Corpse Dragon's internal organs from within.
It was clearly a fatal
blow. The sensation transmitted to her hand was also clear, and Lisa felt a
sense of accomplishment inwardly, a smile naturally forming on her lips.
"... Eh?"
However, that smile
immediately turned into a bewildered expression. The dragon, whose abdomen had
been sliced open and internal organs burned, raised its log-like arm.
The Corpse Dragon,
completely unconcerned by what appeared to be a fatal wound, swung its arm at
Lisa.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Lisa!"
Lisa was sent flying
and slammed into a nearby tree.
Her breath caught from
the impact, and Lisa coughed violently. Perhaps because she was struck so hard,
she couldn't move at all.
Ken started running to
help Lisa. Camila also tried to cast magic again, but it was clearly too late.
The Corpse Dragon
opened its mouth to devour Lisa.
"A... ahh."
Lisa could only stare
blankly at the jaws of death approaching her.
But the next moment, a
single line ran across the Corpse Dragon's right eye.
At the same time, the
dragon's face exploded from within, along with its right eye.
"Eh...?"
Furthermore, a shadow
cut in between Lisa and the Corpse Dragon.
The shadow
concentrated ki into the katana it held. Then, it swung it in one swift motion.
Ki Technique: Phantom
Void - Return.
Nozomu's extremely
compressed ki blade sliced through the remaining single eye of the dragon.
The Corpse Dragon,
completely deprived of its sight, seemed surprised, writhing as it backed away.
"... Nozomu?"
Nozomu received Lisa's
dazed voice with his back, without turning around.
***
(.... I made it in
time.)
Nozomu muttered that
in his heart, relieved. He had left the injured Mars and Kevin to Tima and the
others and gone to provide support, and it seemed it had been the right
decision.
"...
Nozomu?"
Lisa's dazed voice. It
had been a long time since he heard her voice devoid of hatred.
The same nostalgic
voice as when they were still together.
At the same time,
various emotions surged in the depths of Nozomu's chest.
However, he didn't
know if the surging feelings were anger from being betrayed, sadness from being
continuously hated, or happiness from having been able to protect her, even
just once.
They simply mixed
chaotically, remaining in a state of chaos, continuously rising from the depths
of his chest.
"!!"
A sharp pain shot
through his nose, and the continuously swelling emotions rose to his throat.
However, Nozomu
desperately clamped his mouth shut, trying not to let the surging emotions escape.
The utterly chaotic
swirl of emotions raged like a storm, and if he were to let them out even once,
Nozomu himself didn't know what he would say.
Feeling her presence
at his back, Nozomu faced the Corpse Dragon.
A gigantic body the
size of a house. A foul stench that stung the nose, and tattered wings and
scales. There was none of the dragon's former majesty; it was like a mere husk.
"Lisa! Are you
alright!?"
Ken rushed to Lisa's
side. At the sound of Ken's voice, the emotions that had filled Nozomu began to
turn black.
What's wrong?
You only have to swing that blade once, you know?
The voice of
"that guy" echoed from the depths of the abyss. The image of the
five-colored, six-winged giant dragon flickered with each thumping heartbeat.
It was as if the
Corpse Dragon in front of him and "that guy's" form overlapped.
"Hey, Nozomu!
What the heck was that? You've got some incredible skills there"
Feo, who had rushed to
Nozomu's side, spoke to him in his usual casual tone. He was surprised that
Nozomu, who was inferior in ability, possessed a ki technique that could cut a
dragon's body, scales and all, in two. But Nozomu had no leisure to respond to
his lighthearted remark.
"!!"
Nozomu, trying to
shake off that sight and the black emotions that had begun to color him,
stepped forward.
The Corpse Dragon took
a deep breath, preparing to unleash scorching breath at Nozomu.
Nozomu extremely
compressed ki into his feet and activated Flash Step. He kicked the ground as
if tearing off the shackles of ability suppression along with his feet.
He stepped diagonally,
aiming to circle to the side of the Corpse Dragon rather than directly in front
of it. He lowered his stance, trying to run past the side of the dragon's
breath, and the scorching breath that could melt even iron merely grazed him,
burning his hair and scorching his skin.
But even so, Nozomu
didn't stop. Originally, close-quarters combat was his only option. To grasp
his only chance of victory, Nozomu ran without caring if his body was burned,
and slid under the dragon's feet.
"Haaaaah!!"
He applied Ki
technique: "Phantom Void - Clad" to his katana and slashed at its
form.
His katana, imbued
with extremely compressed ki and transformed into a demonic blade, sliced
through the Corpse Dragon's body, scales and all, scattering sparks.
A putrid smell leaked
from the gaping wound, and flesh oozed out. On the opposite side, Feo slammed
his ki-infused staff into a gap in the dragon's scales.
The Corpse Dragon
swung its arms and tail as if swatting away clinging fly, but Nozomu continued
to move into the Corpse Dragon's blind spots and cut at its gigantic body
without stopping.
"Damn it! It's
not working at all!"
However, Nozomu's ki
blade wasn't having as much effect as he'd hoped. Feo also had a stern
expression, perhaps because his attacks weren't having much effect either.
The Corpse Dragon,
originally without sensations like pain, was already a dead body. While it
might work for an undead the size of a human, Nozomu's blade and Feo's staff
were too small to cut down its gigantic body, which was larger than a house.
"Nozomu! Get
away!"
Nozomu and Feo sprang
back, opening the distance as if recoiling from Irisdina's shout. The magic
rain that immediately poured down struck the Corpse Dragon's body, but most of
it was deflected by its scales and vainly dispersed.
"Tima!"
"Y-yeah!"
Furthermore, Tima
created an extra-large stone spear with "Piercing Rock Dance" and
launched it at the Corpse Dragon.
The massive stone
spear, reminiscent of a battering ram, pierced through the Corpse Dragon's
scales, deeply gouging its chest.
"Gaaaaaah!"
But the dragon,
already a corpse, paid no mind to its pierced heart and charged towards the
direction the magic came from, towards Tima.
"Eh! Kyaaaah!"
"Tima!"
"Kuh!!"
The charging Corpse
Dragon tried to sweep Tima away with its arm. Irisdina and Camila's team
continuously struck it with magic to draw its attention, and Nozomu unleashed a
ki blade, but the Corpse Dragon felt no pain from the ki blade that sliced its
body or the exploding magic.
Reluctantly, Irisdina
pushed her body strengthening to full power, rushing towards Tima like a gale,
and tried to jump back while holding her, but she couldn't completely avoid the
swinging dragon's arm.
She deployed a magic
barrier with Instant Deployment. She tried to block the dragon's arm somehow,
but the instantly deployed barrier couldn't withstand the Corpse Dragon's
powerful swing, and the two were greatly blown away and slammed to the ground.
"Iris!"
"Tima! Damn
it!"
Nozomu and Mars cried
out in anguish at the sight of the two being blown away.
No way... Thoughts
crossed Nozomu's mind, and his chest tightened.
"Ugh..."
However, perhaps
reacting to the shouted names, the two bodies twitched. It seemed the
worst-case scenario had been avoided.
Meanwhile, the Corpse
Dragon calmly sized up its next prey.
"Grrrrrr..."
The Corpse Dragon's
next target was Camila and her team, who were still striking it with magic.
"Kuh!"
Nozomu rushed to the
Corpse Dragon with Flash Step to stop it, circling around it again and slashing
at its body. Feo also used talisman arts from behind, attacking with full
force, but they couldn't stop the Corpse Dragon's advance, and their magic
wasn't having much effect either.
Sweat dripped from
Camila's forehead, and impatience was visible on Nozomu's and Feo's faces.
"Kuh!"
At this rate, they too
would be defeated. The thought crossed Nozomu's mind, and he reached for the
invisible chains binding him.
The shackles placed on
him, the binding chains that bound that dragon.
It was the most
certain means to slay the Corpse Dragon, but releasing that might cause a
tragedy beyond Nozomu's imagination.
In fact, he had once
given in to anger and wielded this power, literally causing a tragedy.
At that time, the
opponents were magical beasts and not humans, but the opponents at that time
were giants with abilities that easily surpassed ordinary humans.
If the power that
easily slayed those giants were wielded against humans, the nightmare he saw
would materialize into reality.
"!!"
Nozomu couldn't break
free from his own hesitation.
But at that moment, a
light suddenly rose from behind Camila and the others.
"This is..."
It was indeed the
spirit contract magic he had seen before.
Particles of light
gathered at a single point, swirling in a spiral. Standing at the convergence
point was an elven girl with blue hair.
She had judged that
she couldn't deliver an effective blow to the Corpse Dragon with her own power,
and had sought help from her friends, with whom she had spent time since
childhood.
This will do...
Nozomu found a way out
with her spirit magic, which had even sealed that black magical beast. But
then, something unexpected happened.
A sudden storm of wind
erupted. The swirling vortex of wind blew away the spirits that had gathered
around Shina, dispersing her contract magic.
"Wh-what's going
on!?"
Shina's voice was
flustered by the unexpected event. Nozomu and the others looked towards the
swirling wind, and there stood Mars, raising his greatsword.
With one arm broken,
he held his sword with his intact arm, pouring all his ki and magical power
into his greatsword.
"With this, no
matter how powerful a dragon is...!"
His gaze was fixed on
the fallen Tima. When the two were blown away, anger and impatience instantly
flared up in his heart.
Driven by that flame,
Mars, who decided he had to do something about the situation, tried to use the
greatest technique he currently possessed.
Indeed, he had somehow
managed to use this technique in the previous chaotic battle. But that only
meant he "could use" the technique, not that he "could control
it freely."
Unaware of this fact,
Mars mistakenly thought he could master it now, and as a result, the situation
Tima and Nozomu had feared occurred.
"Guuuuuuuh!"
The greatsword
creaked, and the swirling torrents of ki and magical power raged on without
harmony.
As a result of
excessively pouring incompatible powers, Mars himself began to run wild beyond
his control.
"Wh-why?! Guaaaaah!"
"Kyaaaah!!"
With a roar, the wind
beasts were unleashed.
The wind that had
gathered around the greatsword finally broke free from Mars's control and bared
its fangs at its surroundings.
The explosively
expanding wind blew away Mars, its caster, and the nearby Camila and Tima.
Shina was protected by the spirits that had been gathering around her, but as a
result, she completely lost her spirit protection.
Shina, having lost her
spirit protection, shot arrows with a face full of bitterness, but the Corpse
Dragon still didn't stop.
"Kuh!!"
The dragon headed
towards them, paying no mind to their desperate attacks. Its form was truly
that of the giant dragon seen in that nightmare.
Nozomu could no longer
hesitate. What appeared in his eyes were the fallen Irisdina and her team, and
Shina, who continued to shoot arrows while suppressing her fear.
Nozomu, with a flash
of his katana, ran past the Corpse Dragon's side, as if forcefully shaking off
the nightmares, fear, and anxiety in his head, and immediately reversed. He
turned, violently scraping the ground, and reached for the invisible chains
binding him, trying to tear them off with all his might.
"Wh-why..."
However, for some
reason, the invisible chains did not break. Nozomu tried again and again to cut
the chains, but no matter how much force he put into it, the invisible chains
wouldn't budge.
"............"
Nozomu was dazed. At
that moment, the dragon, which had approached him, swept Nozomu and Shina away
with its tail.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"Kyaaaah!"
Nozomu and Shina were
sent flying and slammed to the ground. Because they were caught completely off
guard, they couldn't brace themselves, and their consciousness grew white from
the impact.
In his fading
consciousness, what appeared in Nozomu's hazy vision was the dragon's fangs
approaching him, and a man clad in silver armor with a black greatsword on his
back, appearing from the depths of the thicket like a gale.
***
"Hm..."
The darkness slowly
lifted. The first thing Nozomu saw in his blurry vision was the ceiling of a
tent.
"Where is
this..."
"It seems you've
woken up."
Turning his head
towards the voice, he saw Nurse Norn approaching him from the back of the tent.
It seemed this was the operations headquarters' infirmary.
Norn came to Nozomu's
side, took his hand to check his pulse, and looked into his eyes to check his
physical condition.
While diagnosing
Nozomu, Norn told him what happened after he lost consciousness.
According to her, when
Nozomu and his team were in a dire situation, Jihad, who had received a report
from Mimuru, arrived just in time and began fighting the Corpse Dragon. In the
end, Jihad defeated the Corpse Dragon by severing its head with a single strike
of his greatsword, and then cutting its body in half with a follow-up blow.
"Yes. You seem to
be alright. I was worried when I heard you encountered a dragon, even if it was
undead, but I'm glad you're safe."
Norn finished her
diagnosis and began putting away her equipment. Nozomu was concerned about
everyone else and opened his mouth to ask Norn.
"Uhm... what
about everyone else?"
"Irisdina-kun and
the others have already finished their treatment and are outside. Everyone has
wounds that aren't light, but their lives aren't in danger. Shina-kun is—"
"Over here."
Shina's voice came
from the opposite side. When Nozomu turned, Shina was sitting up in bed. Her
head was bandaged, and blood-stained gauze and bandages peeked out from under
her unbuttoned top.
"..."
Red spots appeared on
her normally unblemished white skin. Nozomu's face twisted at the painful
sight.
".... I'll go
call Irisdina-kun and the others. You two should rest." Norn left, and
silence filled the tent. Shina stared intently at Nozomu, but Nozomu couldn't
meet her gaze.
(Because I... couldn't
unleash my power at that time...)
Regret swirled in his
heart. If he was able to unleash his ability suppression, they might not have
been injured.
"Hey..."
Of course, that was
just a possibility. Since the battle with the Corpse Dragon was over, it was a
meaningless thought.
However, the fact that
he couldn't do what was necessary when it was truly needed deeply wounded
Nozomu's heart.
"Hey!"
"... Eh?"
Nozomu snapped out of
it and turned to Shina's call.
"Listen to me.
I've been talking to you for a while now..."
"S-sorry..."
Shina, thinking she
had been ignored, turned a displeased face towards Nozomu. Nozomu hastily
apologized to her, but he was still somewhat preoccupied.
"Well, it's fine.
Everyone's safe, after all."
Shina sighed at
Nozomu's demeanor, but perhaps she was trying to cheer him up. She spoke to
Nozomu in a voice as bright as she could manage, words that Mimuru would
usually say.
"............"
But Nozomu's expression
remained grim. He gritted his teeth as if enduring something, and clenched his
fists tightly.
The two fell silent.
As silence hung in the tent, Shina opened her mouth to say something to Nozomu.
"Hey, you, what
in the world..."
"Nozomu, you're awake!?"
But just as she was
about to speak, Irisdina rushed into the tent, interrupting her. She seemed to
be in such a hurry that she was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling
rapidly.
It seemed Irisdina
wasn't the only one worried about the two, as Tima and Feo's groups were also
visible behind her.
"Y-Yeah. Everyone
seems alright too."
"Oh, thank
goodness... I was worried." Irisdina breathed a sigh of relief, seeing
Nozomu was safe. Her pure relief was evident on her face, her glistening
jet-black eyes reflecting Nozomu. Looking closely, she also had bandages
wrapped around various parts of her body, just like Shina.
"Un. Sorry, I
made you worry..."
"............"
Nozomu's expression
grew even gloomier when he saw Irisdina's injuries. Irisdina, sensing Nozomu's
distress, fell silent.
"Hey, Nozomu, I'm
glad you're safe. More than that—" "Hey..."
Feo and the others,
who were behind her, tried to talk to Nozomu, but at that moment, Mars appeared
from behind them.
"Mars..."
Mars, who had
appeared, interrupted Feo's words. He walked towards Nozomu's bed, ignoring
everyone else.
The next moment, a
fist filled Nozomu's vision, and then an impact struck his cheek.
The sound of a blow
echoed in the tent. Nozomu's body was thrown from the bed, knocking over a
nearby table, and medical equipment was scattered on the floor.
His face was flushed
red with anger, and he glared at Nozomu as if to say, "Is this not
enough!?"
"Why..."
Mars's voice was
choked. His clenched fist trembled, and he gritted his teeth so hard he looked
like he might crush them.
"You, why didn't
you get serious!!"
Mars rushed to the
fallen Nozomu and grabbed him by the collar.
"If you had
gotten serious, you could have easily defeated that lizard!!"
"............"
Nozomu couldn't answer
Mars's words. He just looked down, gritting his teeth as if enduring.
Nozomu also thought
this punishment was natural. However, Mars grew even more irritated by Nozomu's
silence.
"Say something,
damn it!!"
Mars raised his fist
again.
Irisdina and the
others were stunned by the sudden turn of events, but they snapped out of it
when Mars was about to punch Nozomu again and rushed to stop him.
"Mars-kun!
No!!"
"Stop it, Mars!"
"Hey, calm
down!"
Tima and Irisdina
clung to Mars's arm, and Feo leaped onto his waist.
Despite the three
trying to restrain him, Mars would not lower his raised arm. He simply let
himself be consumed by anger, shaking off Tima, who clung to him.
"Kya!"
"Tima!"
Tima, who was not
particularly strong, was easily thrown off. Tima, who fell, seemed to have
twisted her ankle, as she clutched her ankle, her face twisted in pain.
However, Mars, whose
head was throbbing with anger, didn't see Tima, whom he had shaken off, and
used his free arm to punch Nozomu again.
Nozomu fell again onto
the scattered medical instruments. Just as Mars was about to press his attack
on Nozomu further, Norn's angry shout echoed from the tent entrance.
"What are you
doing! This is not a place for making a ruckus!"
"!!"
Everyone present
quieted down as if struck by water from that angry shout. They exchanged
awkward glances.
"............"
Mars continued to
glare at Nozomu. His eyes, though stained with anger, were somehow sad, and
pleaded.
However, seeing Nozomu
remain silent, the color in his eyes changed to disappointment.
"... I thought
you were different from that guy..."
"M-Mars-kun!"
Mars muttered those
words, as if squeezing them out, then turned on his heel and left the tent.
Tima called Mars's name, but he walked away without looking back.
"............"
"... Nozomu, are
you alright?"
Nozomu slowly stood up
from where he had fallen, but his legs gave out, and he stumbled.
Irisdina reached out
her hand to support Nozomu, but Nozomu did not take the outstretched hand,
slipping past it and heading towards the tent exit.
Irisdina tried to
reach out to Nozomu's retreating back, but her hand remained extended in vain.
After the two left,
only heavy silence lingered in the tent.
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