Volume 5
Chapter 22
The Corpse Dragon that suddenly appeared during the special comprehensive exercise led to its immediate cancellation, and a thorough investigation was carried out. The students quickly returned to Arcazam and were dismissed upon confirmation of their safety at the academy. Jihad was commanding the investigation on-site, so Irisdina and the others, dismissed by a substitute teacher, immediately headed to the 10th Class classroom. However, neither Nozomu nor Mars were there. When they asked Jin and the others, it seemed both had disappeared shortly after arriving at the academy.
"Everyone, have
you seen Nozomu and Mars-kun!?" Irisdina and her team gathered in front of
the main gate after searching the academy. Everyone was breathing heavily,
likely from running around the already vast academy grounds.
"Haa, haa, no.
They weren't in the training grounds... What about you, Ai?"
"No luck here
either. Anri-sensei said they were at Arcazam when they arrived, but they were
gone when she checked on the students in the classroom..."
After visiting the
10th Class classroom, Irisdina had visited the instructor's office while
searching for the two. She had intended to ask Anri about Nozomu, but she
wasn't in the office. Later, when she found Anri in the school building, she
too was looking for the missing Nozomu and Mars. According to Anri, the two had
indeed disappeared by the time she checked on the students in the classroom.
"So, there's a
high possibility that neither of them are in the academy now..." Feo
muttered, looking outside the academy, and Tom agreed with Feo.
"It can't be
helped. We probably have no choice but to search every place they might go
to." Mimuru suggested, proposing they go out into the city to search.
Just then, a figure
came running towards them from the direction of the Ecros school building.
"Sister!"
"Somia!?"
It was Somia, who
attended Ecros. She ran straight to Irisdina, ignoring everything else, and
threw herself into her arms.
"What in the
world are you doing here..." Irisdina was bewildered by Somia clinging to
her with all her might. In her confusion, she gently hugged her beloved sister
back.
"U-um... I heard
that you and the others fought a dragon during the exercise and got hurt... So,
I was worried..." Somia, her eyes filled with tears, her voice choked with
a stuffy nose, still worried about her sister's safety. She must have been very
anxious when she heard that Irisdina had fought a dragon and gotten injured.
They were sisters
bound by a deep bond. Just as Irisdina had been on the verge of despair when
she almost lost her sister before, Somia, upon hearing that Irisdina had been
attacked by a dragon, was terrified that she might lose her sister.
"It's alright. I'm
right here. I haven't disappeared..."
"Fue, uu!
Sniff..." Somia had been desperately trying not to cry, but seeing her
sister safe must have broken her emotional dam. Tears overflowed from her eyes.
Irisdina patted her sister's back to soothe her, and Somia gradually calmed
down.
After Somia finished
crying and slowly released the embrace, Shina questioned Irisdina.
"Hey,
Irisdina-san. I wanted to ask you something. What did Mars-kun mean by what he
said?"
"... What do you
mean?" Irisdina asked back, not understanding Shina's question.
"Mars-kun said
it, didn't he? 'If he was serious, he could have defeated the dragon.' What did
he mean by that? I know he's strong, but I didn't think he could defeat a
dragon that easily. Is there something... we don't know?"
"That is..."
Irisdina hesitated at Shina's question.
Shina and her team
didn't know that Nozomu could unleash his ability suppression, nor did they
know about the extraordinary power he exhibited at that time. And they also
didn't know that Nozomu's demeanor had changed recently compared to before.
(But... it's the same
for us... We barely know anything about that power he possesses. That
extraordinary power... it's too anomalous for it to just be the release of
suppressed power...)
He had said that the
power he used when he fought Rugato was the release of ability suppression.
However, if it were
merely the release of suppressed power, it would be strange for Nozomu, who was
skilled in control, to unleash such an immense amount of power uncontrollably.
His fighting style was originally not one that relied on brute force, but a
fighting method that utilized high ki control and excellent swordsmanship to
achieve maximum effect with minimal power. His appearance when he unleashed his
ability suppression contradicted that.
"Irisdina-san...
won't you tell us?" Shina stared at Irisdina. Her eyes were stubbornly
direct. But the will within them was very strong, and Irisdina quickly realized
that Shina had no intention of backing down.
"...
Sister."
Somia's voice reached
Irisdina's ears, small but filled with strong will and emotion. Her best
friend, standing beside Irisdina, also stared at Irisdina with the same eyes as
Shina.
Irisdina, receiving
their gazes, looked up at the western sky. The sun, dyed red, was setting below
the horizon.
Nozomu and Mars-kun,
somewhere in this city. How were they doing now...? Thinking such thoughts, she
pondered the incident that occurred on her sister's birthday.
Indeed, the secret
agreement with the Wajiart family, through which they learned of Nozomu's
power, was not an easy story to tell.
However, the city
illuminated by the twilight, then engulfed in darkness, fueled Irisdina's
impatience.
She couldn't just keep
silent... She had to do something. If she didn't, nothing would change. Not
Nozomu, not Mars-kun... and not them either...
Irisdina closed her
eyes for a moment. She nodded as if determined, then faced Shina and her team
directly.
"We learned about
it on Somia's 11th birthday..."
Receiving Shina's gaze
directly, the black-haired maiden began to tell the story of their fateful
encounter with him.
***
In the forest where
the special exercise had taken place. After the exercise was canceled, Jihad
and his team, along with Arcazam's security forces and dispatched
investigators, were investigating the cause of the dragon's sudden appearance.
They investigated the
depths of the hole where the dragon appeared and found a gigantic cavern
extending deep within, with dragon bones scattered everywhere.
"So, this was a
dragon's nest, Torgrain-dono..." Jihad's calm voice echoed. Before him
stood the hole where the Corpse Dragon appeared, and a man in a white coat in
his mid-twenties who had come to report, along with his guard, a member of the
Silver Rainbow Knights.
"Yes. We examined
the dragon remains deep inside, and based on the condition of the scattered
bones, they are approximately over 10 years old. Moreover, most of the
discovered bones are from young dragons before they reached adulthood,"
the young man called Torgrain answered Jihad's question with a respectful
attitude.
Behind his
intellectual-looking glasses, kind eyes were visible. His physique was slender,
and he clearly wasn't someone who made a living from fighting.
In fact, he wasn't a
fighter but a researcher from the Gloauraum Institute, summoned for the
investigation.
The Gloauraum
Institute was a comprehensive research institution built in Arcazam.
The research and
facilities of this institution were built parallel to Solminati Academy, and
researchers gathered from various countries conducted various studies day and
night.
The results obtained from
their research were announced to various countries once a year and were highly
valued in many fields, such as agricultural development, urban infrastructure,
countermeasures against magical beasts, and preparation for a potential major
invasion.
Furthermore, some
researchers from the Gloauraum Institute also gave lectures at Solminati
Academy, contributing to nurturing future talent.
"10 years...
meaning, before Arcazam was built..."
"Yes. The
entrance was blocked by earth and sand, likely due to some kind of collapse.
The trapped dragons sustained themselves by cannibalism, but eventually, only
one remained. When its food ran out, it went into hibernation, but then died
from exhaustion."
"And then became
undead, I see..."
Arcazam, built after
the great invasion 10 years ago, was an extremely young city. It wouldn't be
strange if there were inhabitants living here before Arcazam was built.
Of course, the
surrounding area was surveyed during the city's construction phase, but by that
time, the entrance to the dragon's nest was already blocked, and the surviving
dragon must have either gone into hibernation or already become undead.
"Torgrain-dono,
what about the Corpse Dragon that attacked the students?"
"Nothing in
particular. Other than it became undead, there was nothing special to
note."
Jihad exhaled,
seemingly relieved for some reason, at Torgrain's words.
The guard member
watched him with a curious expression.
Jihad placed a hand on
his chin and looked at the sky. Although it was originally dim in the forest,
his vision had narrowed considerably compared to before they started the
investigation. The sun must be setting quite low.
"... Understood.
It's almost dusk. We will conduct a detailed investigation, but today, we will
return to Arcazam. Prepare for withdrawal..."
"Understood."
"Understood."
After instructing
Torgrain and his subordinates to prepare for withdrawal, Jihad looked down at
the huge hole in the ground. Just beyond the opening, a deep darkness peeked
out, its depths completely invisible.
The report stated that
no beast-like creatures were confirmed deep within the hole.
He watched as the
reconnaissance team and soldiers who had been underground ascended one after
another, and then he simply stared into the depths of the hole, where there
should have been nothing left.
***
At dusk, the sun set
in the west, and starlight filled the sky of Arcazam's commercial district. It
remained as lively as ever even at night, with the voices of people coming and
going echoing on the cobblestone streets illuminated by streetlights.
In a corner of that
commercial district, at the Ox Head Inn and Tavern, a young man was drinking
sake as if in a state of desperation.
The young man, Mars
Dickens, who was drowning his sorrows, lined up countless sake bottles on the
table, emptying one after another.
He seemed to be
extremely irritated, exuding an aura so sharp it felt like one could get cut
just by touching him. Due to the oppressive feeling he emitted, all the
customers who had visited the establishment today had turned on their heels and
left the moment they stepped inside.
"Nng, nng...
haa..."
Mars paid no mind to
the deserted interior of the establishment, pouring sake into his glass and
downing it in one gulp.
With a burning
sensation down his throat, the sake reached his stomach, and each time, Mars's
head grew hazy and indistinct.
But no matter how much
he drank, Nozomu's figure flickered in his mind.
His appearance during
the mock battle at the end of the second semester. Calling him to the outskirts
and challenging him to a fight, then treating him to a meal at the Ox Head Inn,
and the playful walk home we shared afterward. The training in the outskirts
that began after they started talking. He overwhelmed an S-class vampire during
the battle with Rugato.
All of these shone
brightly, but because of that, the anger burning in his body would not subside.
(That guy! Why didn't
he go all out!? It should have been easy for him with his ability!)
But the more anger he
felt towards Nozomu for not going all out, the more Mars felt something else
welling up inside him, something different from the anger he felt towards
Nozomu.
To conceal it, Mars
drained the sake in his glass.
At that moment, Ena,
unable to stand Mars's disheveled state, approached him with an exasperated,
angry look on her face.
"Hey, big
brother, stop it already. Drinking here like this. All the customers are
leaving!"
"Shut up..."
Mars ignored Ena's
complaint and tried to pour more sake into his empty glass, but Ena reached out
and took away both the sake bottle and the glass.
"... Give it
back."
"No. Big brother
is just a nuisance today."
Ena flatly refused
Mars's demand. Furthermore, Hanna, who was at the counter, also agreed with
Ena.
"That's right,
Mars. We don't have any more sake in the store for you to drink! Besides,
you've emptied so much of the store's stock..."
"Tch..."
Mars clicked his
tongue, glaring resentfully at Ena and Hanna as his sake was taken away. But
then, Dell, who was sweeping the floor, called his name.
"... Mars."
"... What? Hey!
What are you doing!"
Mars was suddenly
grabbed by the collar by Dell. He struggled, wondering what was happening, but
Dell's sturdy arm didn't budge.
"I don't know
what happened, but you can't do anything with a hot head. Go get some night air
and cool off your head for a while."
"Hey! Whoa!"
Dell dragged the
struggling Mars to the entrance of the store and then threw him onto the main
street.
While the thrown Mars
groaned, the owner of the Ox Head Inn quickly changed the "Open" sign
hanging at the entrance to "Closed" and locked the door.
"Haa, big brother
is really a handful..."
"Either way,
there's nothing we can do even if we stay open today. All the customers are
gone..."
Sighs escaped Ena and
Hanna.
Inside the store, the
sound of Mars pounding heavily on the door from outside echoed. However, the
pounding eventually stopped, perhaps realizing he wouldn't be let in no matter
what.
"But... what
happened to big brother? He hasn't been like this recently..."
"You're right.
Since he met Nozomu-kun and the others, he hasn't acted violently or been so
self-destructive..."
Saying that, Ena and
Hanna recalled how Mars had been changing recently.
Since meeting Nozomu,
Mars had stopped acting violently like before. Indeed, he was still feared by
everyone in the shopping district, and he did sometimes use force to drive away
troublesome drunkards who visited the store, but he never caused trouble for
other businesses.
However, Mars's
demeanor when he returned today was like his rougher self from before.
Wondering what
happened at the academy, Ena's gaze kept darting towards the locked entrance
door even as she cleared Mars's table.
Just then, Dell's
large hand gently rested on Ena's shoulder.
"Don't worry. It
might be difficult now, but he'll come back once he calms down. When he does,
you can lecture him and ask him about it."
"Dad..."
Dell's warm hand
rested on Ena's shoulder. The warmth and sense of security from the hand that
was placed there. Perhaps emboldened by that warmth, Ena's depressed expression
gradually recovered.
"You're right.
Since he made Ena sad, we have to give him a good scolding."
Hanna also smiled
broadly and puffed out her chest, trying to reassure her daughter.
Ena, her tension released
by that smile, smiled back and nodded slightly.
Just then, a faint
knock came from the entrance door.
"Yes. Who is
it?"
Since Mars had just
left, Ena thought a customer had arrived and opened the door. There stood a
brown-haired girl who was out of breath.
"Ti,
Tima-san..."
"Haa, haa... I'm
sorry to bother you so late! Is Mars-kun at home!?"
Tima must have rushed
there, as her white skin was flushed red, and white steam rose from her body.
Breathing heavily on a still chilly spring night, she looked at Ena with
pleading eyes.
"Big brother was
here just now, he got completely drunk on the store's sake, so Father kicked
him out..."
Tima's shoulders
slumped when she heard Ena's words, realizing they had missed each other.
Ena had initially
hesitated to ask about Mars, but sensing Tima's unusual demeanor, she decided
to speak up.
"U-um... Big
brother has been acting strange ever since he came back today. He's always been
a troublesome brother, but he's never done something like this inside our
store... Did something happen?"
"Th-that
is..."
"............"
Tima's eyes widened at
Ena's words. Ena, convinced that Tima knew what happened, stared at Tima with
an intense gaze.
Under Ena's gaze,
Tima's eyes darted around, meeting Hanna's and Dell's.
The two of them were
also looking directly at Tima, and Tima immediately understood that they were
worried about Mars.
"U-um...
Actually..."
Tima, prompted by Ena
and the others' intense gazes, spoke. She felt it was necessary to find him
now, so she began to tell them what had happened at the academy.
***
"Haa, haa...
Ugh!"
Mars, after being
kicked out of the store, walked through the commercial district's back alley
with unsteady, drunken steps.
Unlike the tidy,
streetlight-illuminated main street, this area was dim and littered with
garbage. However, that dimness was a comfort to Mars in his current state. At
least he wouldn't be seen by others in such a pathetic state.
"Ugh...
kuh."
He supported his
swaying body by leaning against a wall.
His face flushed red,
and Nozomu's figure still flashed through his mind. But perhaps because the
alcohol that had dulled his thoughts was gone, the thoughts swirling in his
mind were somewhat calmer than when he was at the Ox Head Inn.
The anger towards
Nozomu for not going all out, despite his comrades' danger, was indeed
smoldering in Mars's chest.
However, at the same
time, Mars also recalled that Nozomu had been acting strangely recently.
Nozomu had been
depressed for a while now, and he had been desperately trying to hide some kind
of trouble he was carrying.
In Mars's hazy vision,
his hand appeared. It was his right hand, which had angrily punched Nozomu
today.
(Damn it... what the
hell... Did he really not trust us that much...)
But the little bit of
reason that had returned was quickly swallowed by anger.
Nozomu, who didn't
punch back when suddenly hit, but just looked down. That sight reminded Mars of
Nozomu from when he used to look down on, and anger made his vision turn red.
But at the same time,
Mars felt an intense guilt for some reason.
Tormented by anger
towards Nozomu and a guilt he couldn't explain, Mars gradually quickened his
pace. Just then, Mars heard someone making a ruckus.
"S-stop it!"
"Come on, it's
fine. You came here alone late at night, didn't you? You wanted to have some
fun?"
"How about you
have fun with us? Until morning, of course!"
He heard a woman's
voice calling for help and the vulgar voices of men. Mars walked towards the voices
with a foggy head, and soon he saw young men his age loitering in the alley.
They were surrounding
a woman, several of them trying to pick her up.
It looked like a
pick-up attempt, but it was too one-sided and inconsiderate. The woman was
clearly uncomfortable, desperately shaking off their extended hands that tried
to touch her, trying to escape the approaching men.
The men surrounding
her were clearly delinquents or scoundrels from their appearance and demeanor,
but among them, Mars found a familiar face.
"... What are you
guys doing?"
Mars's eyes fell on
two men in the middle of the delinquents, closest to the woman. They were male
students from the 10th Class who used to be Mars's cronies.
"Oh? ...Is that
you, Mars?"
"Can't you tell
by looking? We're having fun."
"P-please let me
go!"
One of the former
cronies grabbed the woman's arm. The woman desperately tried to shake him off,
but the opponent was a Solminati student, even if he was from the 10th Class.
An ordinary woman wouldn't be able to escape.
On the contrary, the
men became even more excited seeing the woman desperately resist. They cheered
her on, trying to touch the woman's chest and hips.
"Whew~! She's got
a pretty good body! This is a jackpot."
"Yeah! Looks like
it's going to be fun after a long time. Hey, don't let her get away."
"S-stop, please
stop..."
The woman finally
exceeded her limit of terror towards the continually excited men and slumped to
the ground.
"Come on, it's
fine. It looks like this is your first time in this city, right? Since you're
here, why don't we make some good memories..."
Ignoring the woman's
feelings entirely, one of the former cronies reached for the woman's clothes.
However, the next moment, that former crony was punched away and sent flying through
the air.
"Mars! You
bastard! What are you doing!"
It was Mars who had
punched the former crony. The punched former crony fell to the ground, taking
other men with him.
"Shut up. I'm
irritated right now. And you guys are doing something that makes me even more
irritated in front of me..."
The scoundrels
instantly flew into a rage, seeing their comrade punched away. However, Mars
remained completely unperturbed and stared down at them.
Amidst them, the
former crony, who knew Mars's abilities better than anyone else there, took a
step forward.
"Heh... You want
to fight me?"
"Heh! What are
you saying? Unlike the old you, there's no way I'd lose to you now that your
fangs have been pulled and you've become docile!"
Mars's lips twisted
into a smirk. Swirling in his chest was the impulse to vent his irritation on
something, and the joy of having found a place to vent it.
"............"
"To think you'd
be with that bottom-feeder..."
The moment the former
crony mentioned Nozomu, Mars punched the former crony.
That was the signal
for the brawl to begin. For a while, the sounds of punches and curses continued
to echo through the back alley.
***
"! Those
bastards..."
Mars, having had a
spectacular brawl with his former cronies, did not return to the main street
but sat slumped against the wall of a private house in the back alley.
His punched face was
red and swollen in places, and a sharp pain shot through it when he touched it.
The fight itself ended
after both sides exchanged blows for a while, when the woman, who had escaped
in the interim, called the military police.
Perhaps thinking it
would be bad to be taken away by the military police, the brawling individuals
immediately stopped fighting and ran off at full speed.
Mars, who had not
backed down an inch against ten delinquents, was too drunk to use any decent
martial arts.
As a result, he ended
up repeatedly punching while being punched, sustaining injuries all over his
face, and the pain still throbbed.
(...What am I
doing...)
Mars scoffed at
himself, remembering the fight with his former cronies just now.
From an outsider's
perspective, Mars might seem like he intervened to help the woman, but for him,
the woman didn't matter. He just wanted to lash out at anyone. Anything to vent
this irritation. It was utterly uncool.
(............)
The heat that had
built up in Mars's head cooled down after the outburst. But in its place, he
now clearly felt the guilt of having punched Nozomu, and the shame of having
assaulted a friend in anger.
Yet, the anger
smoldering in his heart would not disappear. That "anger" was a spark
that had been festering in his heart for a long time.
Mars had always been
strong-armed and uncontrollable, a hothead, since he was young. The reason he
acted out was the anger that constantly surged in his heart.
He himself knew that
strong anger continued to well up inside him, but his young heart couldn't
resist that anger.
Even now, the anger
within him tried to rage, fueled by guilt and remorse towards Nozomu. To resist
it, Mars clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth.
(Damn it... why am I
always like this...)
Anger at himself for
being unable to control "anger." Emotions about everything were
converted into anger, continuing to gnaw at his heart.
(She must be disgusted
with me... After relying on her so much, this is what I've become...)
Tima's face flashed
through his mind.
She was the one who
taught me magic, enduring my selfishness when all I knew how to do was wield my
power around.
At first, he thought
she was a timid and pathetic person, but in reality, she was a strong-willed
girl who was surprisingly reliable when it mattered most.
But he had betrayed
her trust.
Ignoring her advice
and using that unstable combined technique resulted in putting his comrades in
a dire situation and forcing unnecessary burdens on them. At that time, the
very reason Nozomu and his team found themselves in that predicament was
because he couldn't control the technique.
His anger towards
Nozomu, if traced back, was because he didn't want to admit his own inadequacy.
(Really...
pathetic...)
A dry laugh escaped
Mars's lips. Just then, Mars felt someone approaching.
"Haa, haa, haa...
I found you, Mars-kun."
His name was called.
Mars looked up, and there stood the girl he had just been thinking about.
He didn't understand
why she, who should have been angry, was somehow smiling with relief.
Tima walked over to
Mars and sat down next to him.
"............"
"............"
Mars and Tima fell
silent. In the dim back alley, only the distant commotion of the main street
echoed.
After a moment of
silence, Tima nodded as if she had made up her mind, then slowly began to
speak.
"Mars-kun. I
heard. About Mars-kun and Ena-san's real parents..."
"! Who told you
that!?"
Mars couldn't help but
raise his voice, pressing Tima. No one but his family should have known that
story.
"... After
school, I was looking for you and went to the Ox Head Inn, and Hanna-san and
the others, who heard the situation, told me..."
"... Tch!"
When Tima visited the
Ox Head Inn looking for Mars, Hanna and the others, who heard the situation,
looked down with serious expressions, and Ena was even clinging to Hanna as if
afraid of something.
After that, Dell took
a deep breath and slowly began to tell the story of Mars and Ena's past.
Hanna and Dell were
not Mars and Ena's real parents.
Mars and Ena's mother
had passed away from a prevalent illness when Mars was young.
Afterward, their
father, sinking into despair after losing his wife, became addicted to alcohol
and women and gradually stopped coming home.
One day, two days,
their father gradually stopped coming home. Even when he casually returned, he
wouldn't look at the two of them and would shut himself in his room.
Young Mars and Ena
desperately called for their father from outside the room, but their father,
when he came out, gave them not kind words, but violence.
Their father wouldn't
stop the violence even when begged. Mars and Ena, still powerless, could only desperately
endure the unreasonable violence from their father.
One day, after about a
year of such days, their father finally didn't come home again. Later, they
heard he had run off to another town with a woman he met at a bar.
Afterward, their
relatives discussed what to do with the two children whose parents were gone,
but what happened was not a discussion but a struggle to push the two children,
abandoned by their father, onto each other.
It was an era still
fraught with various anxieties due to the great invasion. None of the relatives
had enough leeway, doing their best to protect their own families, and in their
eyes, the siblings clinging to each other at the end of the ugly bickering were
invisible.
It was at that time.
The spark of anger ignited in the chest of Mars, who had simply remained
silent, holding young Ena.
But then, a woman
suddenly interjected into the relatives' argument with an angry voice.
She was a neighborhood
aunt who had been close to Mars's parents when they were still alive, and the
two children had been very fond of her.
She reprimanded the
relatives who ignored Mars and Ena, who were huddled together, and said she
would "take them in," taking their hands and bringing them home.
Her husband was
initially surprised when his wife suddenly brought home children, but they were
a couple who had not been blessed with children. Her husband, upon hearing the
circumstances, nodded without a word and agreed to take in the two children.
At this time, the ones
who took Mars and Ena into their home were Hanna and her husband, Dell.
When she heard this
story, Tima's eyes widened in surprise.
Indeed, Ena and Hanna
often scolded Mars, but that was something they could do precisely because they
were a family deeply connected in their hearts. Tima could feel that, deep
down, all the family members at that establishment trusted each other. In fact,
she had heard that Mars never brought his cronies to the Ox Head Inn.
They were a family
that believed in each other, but Mars had always been unable to control the
anger within himself.
After hearing Hanna's
story, Tima understood. It was a form of self-defense.
The emotional scars he
carried from his childhood. His desperate cry against being abandoned by his
biological parents and the unreasonable violence he endured.
"... I wanted to
become strong... I wanted to become strong enough to crush such
unreasonableness. Deep down, I wished I had power like Nozomu's or yours."
That was the real
reason he continued to seek power. And it was jealousy towards those who
possessed that power.
"I thought I had
gained that power after you taught me magic. But that was my
misunderstanding... In the end, I couldn't control my anger."
"............"
Tima simply listened
silently beside him as Mars continued his monologue, his head hanging.
"It's a pathetic
story, isn't it? I just let my anger take over, and what I'm doing is the same
as that scoundrel..."
"...
Mars-kun."
Mars's regret and
repentance. The days he couldn't resist the anger festering in his heart, his
jealousy towards his friend, and his repentance for the mistakes he made. Once
the feelings began to overflow, they wouldn't stop, and Mars, for the first
time in front of another, poured out the full extent of his emotions.
"The matter with
Nozomu today is also like that. If you trace it back to the origin, it's
because I got conceited and arrogant, thinking I could use that technique. If I
had left it to Shina and the others at that time, this might not have
happened... In the end, I..."
Mars gritted his
teeth. Blood dripped from his tightly clenched fist.
Tima gently placed her
hand on Mars's.
"............"
"Tima?"
Mars tilted his head,
wondering at Tima's action.
Tima once again
tightly squeezed Mars's hand, then looked directly at him and spoke.
"I know. That
Mars-kun is actually very kind. Everyone knows it. Ai, Nozomu-kun, Somia-chan,
Shina-san..."
Tima spoke slowly, as
if gently explaining.
"Mars-kun, when
we fought Rugato-san before, this hand protected me... It helped my
friend."
Tima's hand was a
little cold. Yet, somehow, that hand felt warm, and it melted Mars's hardened
heart as if melting frozen ice.
"Mars-kun might
have made a slight mistake, it's true. But it can still be fixed. Because
Nozomu-kun and all of us are still here, aren't we?"
At Tima's words, Mars
looked up with a startled expression.
The time with his real
father, who was now gone, could no longer be moved forward. Since his father
had run away, Mars truly had nowhere to direct the anger in his heart.
But it was not too
late with Nozomu. He should still be in this city, and Mars, deep down, wanted
to meet his friend again.
"... Is there
still time?"
Still, the anxiety in
his heart didn't disappear, so Mars asked Tima as if to confirm, and she
answered with a strong tone.
"There's time.
No, let's make time. Let's meet Nozomu-kun again, and this time, let's ask him
properly. 'What are you hiding?!'"
"Haha... Is that
you imitating me?"
Mars laughed, perhaps
finding Tima's imitation of his tone amusing.
Mars closed his eyes
again, taking a deep breath as if to compose himself.
He inhaled deeply and
exhaled slowly, as if washing away his past self. Having exhaled completely, he
opened his eyes with determination and stood up powerfully.
".... You're right.
I need to meet him again and apologize. And I need to tell him. 'Don't hide
things from us!'"
A fearless smile
appeared on Mars's face. It was his usual expression.
Tima also smiled,
seeing his face. The two had one thought in mind:
Meet Nozomu
again, apologize, and then have Nozomu tell them what he's hiding.
"Well then, we
need to find Nozomu first..."
"You're right. Ai
and the others are searching the city, so we... Ow!"
The two, having made
their decision, immediately tried to find Nozomu as if to say, "strike
while the iron's hot." However, Tima's face twisted in pain as she tried
to stand up, and her body swayed.
Mars, who hastily
supported her, saw Tima's ankle swollen red.
"Your...
leg."
Mars stared at Tima's
ankle with a dazed expression.
The next moment, his
expression hardened. He realized that the injury was caused by him pushing her
away when he punched Nozomu.
"Eh!? Ah! I-I'm
fine. It hurt a bit earlier, but I don't feel much pain now..."
Tima, flustered at
having her leg injury noticed, tried to make excuses, but Mars reprimanded her.
"Idiot! Of
course, you're not fine! That means it's getting worse!"
"Eh!? Wait!
Mars-kun!?"
Mars put his hands on
her shoulder and leg, picked her up, and started running at full speed. His destination
was the Ox Head Inn.
His head was filled
with the thought that he had to treat her no matter what, and he didn't even
notice Tima's face, which was flushed red from being carried in a bridal style.
"Anyway! We're
going straight home to treat you now!"
"Eh, ah! Wait,
wait!... Kyaaaah!"
Mars ran through the
night city, ignoring Tima's flustered screams.
By the way, after
arriving at the Ox Head Inn and treating Tima, he was scolded by Hanna and Ena,
and they were both questioned extensively about the bridal carry, resulting in
both their faces turning beet red.
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