Volume 5
Interlude
When Alcohol
Enters, Wisdom Flees
In the commercial district of Arcazam.
A bizarre and
fantastical scene unfolded at the Ox Head Inn and Tavern, making onlookers
doubt their eyes.
"Ham... mng,
gau!"
A fox-tailed youth was
eating. That in itself was normal, but what was abnormal was the sheer number
of dishes spread out before him. Before the fox-tailed youth, Feo, there were
so many dishes laid out that three tables connected together still couldn't contain
them all. Hot bread baked in a kiln, whole roasted birds stuffed with
vegetables. River fish seasoned with piquant spices and grilled, and a mountain
of pasta. Each dish was the proud creation of the inn's owner, and just looking
at them made one's mouth water.
"Nng nng... Phew!
Chomp!"
The dishes, spread out
like a carpet before him, disappeared one after another into Feo's stomach.
"...Amazing."
"Yeah, Feo really
was in a tight spot."
At the table next to
Feo, who continued to eat with incredible vigor, Nozomu, Mars, and Tom were
dumbfounded by the sight before them.
"When we went
into Feo's room, he looked like withered grass..."
"You're right. He
apparently lived on only water and weeds for nearly a week..."
About two weeks had
passed since Nozomu told Irisdina and the others that he was a Dragon Slayer in
that forest. The whole thing started when Nozomu, after finishing his work on a
holiday, returned to his room in the dormitory. As he happened to pass by Feo's
room, Nozomu encountered Tom, who was standing in front of it. When he asked,
Tom said he had come to check on Feo because he hadn't been coming to class
lately. Hearing Tom's story, Nozomu also grew concerned and knocked on the
room's door, but there was no response. Feeling suspicious, he turned the
doorknob and found the door unlocked. Inside, a haggard Feo lay collapsed on
the floor like hay. When Nozomu and Tom hastily helped Feo up, a weak groan,
"Guh~," emanated from his stomach. Nozomu and the others, instantly
deflated, resigned themselves and brought the famished youth to the Ox Head
Inn. The food served at this establishment was generous in portion and
reasonably priced. Moreover, the staff were acquaintances and easy to get along
with. By the way, all the ingredients Nozomu had bought for dinner were eaten
by Feo on the way to the inn. Nozomu was a little put off by Feo, who gnawed on
everything raw, be it potatoes, root vegetables, or even fish.
"So, what about
you guys? Want to eat here too?"
"Eh,
really?"
Mars, who had been
sighing while glancing at Feo engrossed in his meal, offered food to Nozomu and
the others. Nozomu hesitated slightly at Mars's offer, but Mars didn't seem to
mind, a smile on his lips.
"Yeah. I'll treat
everyone as an apology for the special comprehensive exercise. Including Feo,
too."
"...Understood.
I'll take you up on that. Tom, is that okay with you?"
"...Please. Thank
you, Mars-kun."
Mars claimed it was an
apology for the trouble they caused during the special comprehensive exercise.
Nozomu's own dinner had already been devoured by Feo, and it was a generous
offer, so he decided to accept the treat. Tom also nodded, so the two sat down
at a nearby table. After a short while, delicious-smelling dishes were brought
to them. Mars, seemingly also eating, arranged his dishes in front of Nozomu
and Tom, then brought his own food and sat at Nozomu's table. Nozomu's order
was the same rabbit steak and salad he had eaten at this establishment before.
Tom had rabbit stew, bread, and salad, the same as Nozomu. Mars had the same
steak as Nozomu and pasta. All the dishes smelled wonderful and whetted their
appetites. Hungry teenagers could hardly resist. The three reached for the food
before them as if to devour it. What was surprising was that even Tom, who was
usually quiet, ate with an uncharacteristic gusto.
"Nozomu, want to
drink this too?"
"Is this alcohol?
Is it okay to bring it out?"
Mars offered a small
bottle containing alcohol. He probably snuck it from the inn's stock.
"What, it's just
a pick-me-up. Dad gave permission, and it's not very strong alcohol. No
problem."
Mars said, pouring a
small amount of alcohol into Nozomu's and Tom's cups.
"Is it really
okay? I've never had alcohol before..."
"Me
neither..."
Though it was only a
mouthful, it was the first alcohol in both Nozomu's and Tom's lives. Mars
quickly drained his cup and exhaled deeply.
"Phew~! It really
hits different after not drinking for a while. Lately, I've only been allowed
water or tea. Well, it can't be helped, though..."
In fact, Mars had been
placed under an alcohol ban after the special comprehensive exercise because he
went wild with drunk driving, causing customers to avoid the inn for a night.
It was his own fault, and he had reflected on it, but he must have felt the
craving. His face was flushed with emotion from the long-awaited drink. Nozomu
and Mars slowly tilted their cups, giving wry smiles at Mars's appearance. The
scent of some fruit and a bitter taste filled their mouths, followed by a
burning sensation down their throats as the alcohol settled in their stomachs.
"Ugh! That hit
me... Isn't this alcohol a bit too strong?"
"Really? I prefer
something a bit stronger, and this alcohol is actually one of the easier ones
to drink in this establishment..."
Mars tilted his head
at Nozomu's question, peering into the sake bottle in his hand.
"Well, it's
probably because it's our first time drinking alcohol. Tom is probably the same
as me... Tom?"
"............"
Nozomu called out to
Tom, who was frozen with the cup still at his mouth. Tom, who had been stiff as
a wax figure, suddenly collapsed onto the table.
"Hey! Tom, are
you alright?!"
"...Kyuuu~."
Nozomu frantically
peered at Tom's face, and he was flushed red and dizzy.
"Oops~. Tom
really can't hold his liquor, huh..."
Mars offered Tom, who
was groaning, some water and patted his back. Perhaps accustomed to handling
drunks, he was calm, unlike the flustered Nozomu. Even though it was spring,
the night was still a bit chilly. Mars draped a blanket over Tom's back to keep
him warm, then returned to his seat. At the next table, Feo, who had completely
devoured the mountain of food, was receiving something from the surrounding
customers. It seemed the surrounding customers had been betting on whether he
could finish all the dishes, and he must have received a share of the winnings.
He was truly a resilient fellow.
"Nozomu. Speaking
of which, how did you acquire that technique?"
"That
technique?"
Nozomu tilted his head
at Mars's sudden question.
"Phantom Void.
You can't acquire a technique like that easily, can you? I'm curious about what
kind of training your old pervert put you through. I still can't control my
technique very well..."
Mars probably referred
to his combined ki and magic technique. Since that incident, Mars had stopped
using that technique recklessly. Nozomu thought that incident had indeed made
him reflect. Nozomu's Phantom Void and Mars's combined technique had
significant differences, but both required high control. Nozomu's Phantom Void
was based on "enveloping," the basic principle of ki techniques. It
was a basic technique that channeled and enveloped ki to increase a weapon's
strength and cutting power. In contrast, the combined technique Mars sought was
a technique that doubled its effect by combining two techniques. Of course, the
required control and difficulty to achieve it varied depending on how complete
the technique was, and the power used also differed. However, in reality, both
shared the commonality of using existing cultivated techniques. That was why
Mars thought that the method Nozomu used to acquire Phantom Void might be a
reference for his own training, and decided to listen to Nozomu's story.
"...I don't know
if it'll be very helpful, though?"
Mars waved his hand in
reply to Nozomu's words, saying it was fine. Then, Nozomu closed his eyes and
slowly, as if savoring it, recalled the time he was taught Phantom Void.
"Well, at first,
Master would strike any technique into my body during mock battles."
"...Even Phantom
Void?"
"Not just Phantom
Void, but other techniques too..."
Nozomu spoke, shrouded
in a heavy atmosphere. What Nozomu then recounted made even Mars, who was just
listening, break into a cold sweat. According to Nozomu's story, his master had
suddenly launched a Phantom Void strike at his neck during a practical mock
battle. An extremely compressed ki blade was unleashed with deadly intent,
accompanied by sword ki chilling enough to freeze one's spine. At that time,
Nozomu had glimpsed the sight of his own neck being severed. At that time,
Nozomu couldn't have discerned his master's ki blade, and by the time he
realized it, the large tree behind him had been cleanly cut in half and had
fallen with a crash. And a single red line, accompanied by pain, was etched on
his neck. It was no wonder he had a premonition of his own death. After that,
Nozomu continued to have techniques literally hammered into his body through
clashes with Shino. He was hit in the stomach with Vibration Smash and writhed
in agony, suffered full-body bruises from Samsara Reversion, and had his
clothes shredded by Dust Sever. As he recalled, the terror of that time
resurfaced, and cold sweat beaded on Nozomu's face. Once she finished
demonstrating a technique, it was simply a matter of repeated practice.
However, once he could use it to some extent, his opponents would become the
magical beasts of the forest or his master. For Nozomu, who couldn't remove his
ability suppression at the time, eliminating waste was the absolute top
priority. If he exhausted his ki fighting magical beasts, he wouldn't be able
to escape, and if he used half-assed techniques against his master, he would be
crushed in return. Through such training, Nozomu's Phantom Void was unknowingly
sharpened.
"A-and...
then..."
"N-no more. I-I'm
sorry, Nozomu."
Mars, seeing Nozomu's
pale face as he recounted the past, couldn't bear to watch and stopped him. If
he had been forced to do such training every day for over a year... he might
have become a broken person. At the very least, it was certainly a period of
reckless training where one wrong step could mean losing his life.
"W-well, that's
enough to hear. At least I understand that it'll take years of training for me
to acquire a sword skill on your level."
Mars, sweating
slightly from Nozomu's ordeal, at least understood that he couldn't reach
Nozomu's level of Phantom Void overnight. In the end, accumulation was probably
important. Mars looked up at the ceiling, feeling that he still needed more
time to complete his combined technique by himself, let alone just sweeping
away his surroundings.
"What's
wrong?"
Nozomu, who tilted his
head at Mars's silence, called out to him.
"Hm? No, I was
just thinking that I still have a long way to go. I've realized that I used to
be satisfied just fulfilling my petty pride, despite saying I was a top student
at the academy... I have some thoughts about it."
Mars was able to
express his feelings to an extent that surprised even himself. If it had been
his old self, he wouldn't have spoken of such things even if he were dead
drunk. His own failures in the recent special comprehensive exercise, and the
rift with the friend before him. And perhaps, for the first time, being able to
convey his feelings to the other person, had begun to greatly change Mars
himself.
"Mars..."
"But I'm not
going to lose to you. I probably can't do it right away by myself, but I'll
definitely catch up to you."
Mars, with a defiant
smile, quickly drained his cup. He was imprinting his declaration of rivalry
towards Nozomu on himself more than anything else. Nozomu looked at his own
katana by his side. Nozomu himself still regretted some of the things that
happened during the special comprehensive exercise, and he didn't feel at all
that he had surpassed Mars. Nevertheless, he was happy about the feelings of
his friend before him, who acknowledged him. The katana entrusted to him by his
master. Stroking its hilt, Nozomu offered his cup to Mars. Mars poured sake
into the offered cup, and Nozomu, having received the bottle, now poured sake
for Mars. They gently clinked their cups together and quickly drained the
contents. As if reaffirming the bond they had once again forged.
"Ah~. Nozomu-kun,
what are you drinking~?"
"Guh!"
At that moment, a
familiar voice echoed in their ears. Nozomu and Mars almost spit out the sake
they had just swallowed. At least considering the position of the owner of this
voice, they wouldn't be happy about them drinking in a tavern. Thinking that,
they cautiously turned their faces towards the source of the voice... and were
dumbfounded.
"Nozomu-kuuun.
Mars-kuuun. No~~. Don't drink alcohol~~. Hic."
What stood before them
was a woman with a lovely, fairy-like appearance and a gentle, sunny smile.
However, she no longer had the slightest trace of her maternal aura. Her face
was red, and her steps were unsteady; she looked like nothing but a drunkard. In
fact, the woman... Anri Var, was drunk.
"Sensei, you're
drunk too, aren't you...?"
"That's right~.
Sensei is an adult, so it's okay to drink~~."
Anri pressed Nozomu,
her words slurred. Her breath still smelled of alcohol. Nozomu looked around
for her guardian, but Norn-sensei was nowhere to be seen.
"...What happened
to Norn-sensei? Isn't she usually with you?"
"Norn~? She's not
here today~. More importantly, no alcohol for you~, Feo-kun has started
gambling over there~."
It seemed Norn wasn't
here. Nozomu felt a slight unease about the absence of their key stopper. In
his line of sight, he saw the fox-tailed youth making a killing off the
customers at the Ox Head Inn. Having gotten a taste for it after the previous
eating contest, he now seemed to be gambling with cards.
"Hey~. Feo-kun~.
Gambling~ is bad~~."
Anri walked over to
Feo, warning him in a more drawn-out voice than usual. But because she herself
was drunk, her voice had no power at all. Her usual gentle tone usually had a
sense of urgency and intimidation that would make one listen, but...
"What are you
saying, Anri-sensei? This is a tavern, you know. When you drink alcohol, it's
an unspoken rule that it's all fair game..."
"Noooo~~!"
Anri-sensei pressed
him, raising both hands like a child. At that moment, Feo's eyes glinted. He
had a bad feeling. As Nozomu felt a strange premonition, Feo spoke boldly.
"Then,
Anri-sensei, let's have a match! If I lose, I'll stop drinking quietly. And
I'll accept any lecture or punishment, whatever you want! But in return... if
Sensei loses, you'll take off your clothes~~!"
"Haaaaaah!?"
Nozomu and Mars cried
out at Feo's sudden words. Looking closely, Feo's face was also red. "Who
is it?! Who got him drunk?!" Nozomu and Mars cursed inwardly. Feo, who
loved fun and festivals, might usually be somewhat restrained by his reason,
but now it was questionable if any of that reason remained. The men around them
immediately started making a ruckus upon hearing Feo's words. The moment they
thought they might get to see the indecent figure of a beautiful woman like
Anri, the customers' excitement reached its peak, and their cheers began to
vibrate the Ox Head Inn. The men present showed seamless cooperation, preparing
the gambling table. They quickly cleared away the dishes and sake bottles from
the table. Truly terrifying was men's desires. Feo and Anri faced each other
across the prepared table. Feo leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs like
a villainous mastermind, but perhaps imagining Anri naked, his face was
grinning, and his nose was extended. Combined with his alcohol-flushed face,
his face was like a monkey's, completely ruining any semblance of a villainous
mastermind. In contrast, Anri-sensei's demeanor remained unchanged... However,
with her face red from alcohol, Nozomu had nothing but a bad feeling.
"Well then~. If
Sensei wins~, as punishment, Ii will punish you myself~."
Nozomu's premonition
came true; Anri-sensei accepted the bet. She still wasn't making sound
judgments. And what's more, while saying she would punish him, Anri brought out
her weapon, a black whip.
No, Anri-sensei, wait
a moment. That punishment would be more than just painful.
"That's what I
want~~! Bring it ooon~~!"
" " Wait
just a second—!!" "
Nozomu and Mars, who were currently
maintaining a normal mental state, cried out. Well, it was understandable.
Frankly, both Anri and Feo had completely forgotten their positions as students
or teachers. Common sense, reason, and something even more important than that.
"Anri-sensei! Why
is it whipping?! Besides, it won't mean anything if you join in the
commotion!"
"Hey Feo! Don't
cause a huge commotion in this place! I'll be killed by Ena and Mom!"
"That's right,
that's right... wait, no! Is that the problem!?"
"Of course it is!
I already got an earful from the last incident! If I cause another problem now,
I don't know what will happen to me! You know, don't you?! A furious Ena is
scarier than a Triclops!"
The "last
incident" probably referred to when he went wild after the previous
special comprehensive exercise. Since that time, Mars had been completely at
Ena's and Hanna's mercy. His hierarchy in this family was originally low, but.
Nozomu almost agreed with Mars's desperate explanation for a moment. He vaguely
remembered that when she went wild before, she almost beat Mars to death with a
counter chair...
"More
importantly, what about Hanna-san and the others?! They're the most reliable
people at a time like this, aren't they?!"
"They're out
buying sake because it's almost gone..."
"What about
Dell-san!?"
"Right now,
orders are flooding in because a lot of customers came at once, so he can't
leave the kitchen..."
Nozomu clutched his
head. All of their most reliable forces were tied up. Did that mean they had to
stop these two by themselves? The regular customers in the store were already
excitedly watching the match. The two were truly isolated and helpless. No
reinforcements were expected.
"Then, let's
begin~~~!"
"Ah, hey!
Mmph!"
"Wait a minute,
both of you... Whoa!"
Ignoring Nozomu and
the others' struggles, the match began with Anri's cry. Nozomu and Mars tried
to stop them, but they were restrained by the regulars around them. The
customer behind them covered their mouths, and the customer next to them held down
their legs and arms. What well-coordinated restraint. It was a headache to
think that it was all driven by men's desires. Nozomu and Mars resisted
desperately, but there were too many opponents, and they couldn't break free.
Since their opponents were ordinary citizens, they couldn't recklessly use ki
techniques either.
"The game is
cards. The rules are simple. First, draw five cards from the deck. You can
exchange cards twice. The one with a higher hand, based on card numbers and
suits, wins!"
"Alright~~."
In the center of the
cheering regulars, the match between the two, glaring at each other, began.
***
Less than ten minutes
after the match began, the outcome was decided sooner than expected.
"B-blasphemy..."
Feo slumped to the
floor, hands on his head. To conclude, Anri-sensei had completely overwhelmed
him. Feo must have been quite experienced, and confident in his abilities.
However, in the end, he couldn't win as he wished and was cornered. This kind
of match was about reading your opponent, but Anri-sensei's expression remained
completely unchanged throughout the match, so Feo couldn't read her hand. The
two were evenly matched for a while, but what decided the outcome was a small
mistake Feo made. Anri capitalized on Feo's slight mistake, gradually widening
the wound. Throughout, Anri continued to play her moves calmly, her expression
completely unchanged. Her appearance was like a snake silently creeping towards
its prey. Before he knew it, Feo was on the verge of sinking, like a ship with
a cracked hull.
"Well then~,
punishment decided~~."
"P-please be
gentle..."
Anri approached Feo,
whip in hand. Despite Feo's loss, the surrounding fervor showed no signs of
stopping. They probably didn't care who won as long as they were entertained.
Just then, the entrance to the Ox Head Inn opened with a loud creak. Everyone
present's attention was drawn to it. Standing there was an old pervert with
white hair.
"Zo, Zonne?"
Nozomu spoke, probing.
But Zonne, the person in question, strode directly towards Feo, who was still
slumped.
"...How pathetic,
fox."
"Huh!?"
"Is that truly
the representative of the men here? If you're a man, at least try to get the
beautiful woman before you to remove one piece of clothing!"
Suddenly, Zonne's
voice, which had a gruffness never heard from him before, rang out. The
suddenness of the event caused everyone present, including Nozomu, to freeze.
Zonne, seeing the regulars surrounding them, opened his mouth as if spitting.
"You pathetic
men. It can't be helped, I must show you what a true man is!"
"No, who's the
true man...?"
As Nozomu and Mars
mentally retorted, Zonne sat at the table and glared directly at Anri. His
posture was like a king's.
"Now, I am your
opponent. I shall make you take off every last piece of your clothing!"
Zonne spoke such
pathetic lines while exuding an air of dignity. Steam hissed from his widely
flared nostrils, and his nose was extended. He looked exactly like his usual
perverted old pervert self.
"Alright~~. If
you lose, old pervert, you'll get a punishment too~."
"I have no word
for retreat! Bring it on from anywhere!"
With Zonne's
declaration, the regulars' excitement soared even higher than before. Nozomu
and Mars, who had been trying to stop this commotion, were completely left
behind. The two could only hang their heads, having no more options. And the
second round between Zonne and Anri-sensei began. They each drew cards,
discarded the ones they decided to throw away, and drew new cards from the
deck. With preparations complete, they exchanged glances and simultaneously
showed their hands to each other.
"Eh?"
"Heh heh, it
seems I win."
Zonne declared victory
with a defiant smile. The surrounding audience erupted in cheers. Anri-sensei
reluctantly removed the scarf from her neck.
"Not yet!"
"Of course. The
real game starts now!"
And the absurd game
resumed. Anri-sensei, with her unreadable smile, tried to manipulate Zonne, but
the perverted old pervert completely ignored Anri-sensei and continued his own
path.
"Eh?! No
way..."
Zonne forcefully
snatched victory after victory from Anri-sensei. His appearance was like a
tyrant ruling a nation. Or perhaps a repeat exhibitionist. Anri-sensei was
stripped of her clothes piece by piece before Zonne's onslaught, until she was
finally cornered to the point where she was one piece away from revealing her
underwear. And then...
"Again, I
win."
"Ugh..."
Finally, she had to
reach for her last remaining shirt or skirt. The excitement of the crowd
reached its peak. Feo was also behind the smug, perverted old pervert. The
sight of him, hiding in the shadow of a strong man, getting excited over Anri's
indecent state, which he himself couldn't inflict, was truly like a fox
borrowing a tiger's might. It was a sight of utter patheticness.
"Now, young lady.
Which will you choose?"
"Uu, uu,
uuh~~~."
Anri-sensei's face
turned red with embarrassment, and she looked down with teary eyes. That
gesture alone made the men around gulp. Her body was that of a mature woman,
but the aura she exuded was truly that of an innocent girl, an imbalance that
stirred men's lust. Nozomu and Mars also felt their faces redden.
"Come on, come
on! Come on!!"
The perverted old
pervert and the rest of the crowd exhorted, breathing heavily. At that moment,
Nozomu's and Anri's gazes crossed. Her eyes, like a frightened girl's. Nozomu,
driven by her pleading gaze, mustered his last bit of reason and resisted the
regulars who were holding him down.
"Ooooooh!"
He extremely
compressed ki into his right hand and exploded it. Adjusting the power to avoid
injuring them, he pulled his arm free when the restraint on his right hand
loosened from the impact. He then twisted the hand of the person restraining
his left hand, unbalancing them, and slammed that person into the person
restraining Mars.
"Whoa!"
The person restraining
Mars lost their balance. Mars's restraint loosened, and he quickly kicked away
the customers who were holding him down. Nozomu and Mars, freed from restraint,
rushed to Anri-sensei's side.
"Anri-sensei!"
"No,
Nozomu-kuun!"
Anri clung to Nozomu,
who had rushed to her. Nozomu gently embraced her and draped his jacket over
her shoulders.
"You guys...
you've been a little too naughty."
Mars glared at Zonne
and Feo and the others around him. His patience must have finally snapped. His
surging emotions stirred the ki within his body, and his body was enveloped in
a membrane of ki.
"What are you
saying! I want to see beautiful women naked! And touch them! If possible, I
want to make them mine and do this and that! That's a man's instinct!"
"Th-these
guys..."
Zonne's bold
declaration was, indeed, not something to be proud of. How much trouble had his
head been in these past ten-plus minutes...? Nozomu looked up at the sky, his
head throbbing with another headache.
"Mars, words are
meaningless to old men like him. You have to shut them up by force..."
Nozomu stood beside
Mars, shielding Anri behind his back.
"You're right...
It'll probably turn into a big commotion, and some of these men might become
permanently disabled, but who cares? Especially that old pervert..."
"Yeah, just like
Master, he won't listen no matter what you say. So, there's no choice but to
use force..."
Nozomu placed his hand
on the katana at his waist. He certainly had no intention of drawing it, but he
did have the intention of giving the old pervert in front of him a good,
painful lesson. Perhaps due to past trauma, Nozomu had no mercy for this type
of old pervert. He was currently glaring at the perceived evil before him with
a dense killing intent, as if he were being shown an illusion by Tiamat. Mars
also heightened his ki with all his might, wrapping wind masses around both his
hands.
"Everyone! They
are traitors who betrayed us! No mercy needed! Condemn these great sinners who
try to take away the beautiful woman before us!"
"Ooooooooh!"
A roar echoed,
seemingly capable of shattering the building. Just as a large crowd of men,
driven mad by lust and jealousy, were about to surge towards Nozomu and the
others...
"...What is the
meaning of this?"
A cold, sharp voice
instantly robbed the surroundings of all warmth. Standing at the entrance of
the establishment was a young girl. Usually, an angel who healed visiting
customers with her lovely appearance and bright smile. However, her expression
now was like that of a demon crawling out of hell.
"I will ask
again. What is the meaning of this?"
Ena spoke slowly and
meticulously, word by word, as if lecturing a misbehaving child. The men
instantly fell silent. Zonne, who had been vigorously pressing Anri just
moments ago, was completely overwhelmed by the girl before him.
"You're the ones
who trashed the store, aren't you...? If you're customers, I'll serve you, but
if not..."
Ena placed her hand on
a counter chair. Ki overflowed from her entire body, and began to surge around
her like wind. Nozomu felt cold sweat running down his back. Mars, next to him,
was as pale as a sick person.
"O-oh, young
lady. This is a holy war! Beautiful women are men's common property! We must
bring down the hammer on those fools who try to monopolize beautiful women.
Otherwise, the world will not change!"
Zonne, completely
intimidated by Ena's demonic glare, still couldn't deny his feelings. He
mustered his remaining courage and puffed out his chest. Perhaps emboldened by
Zonne's valiant figure, the men behind him began to open their mouths one after
another, pouring out their feelings.
"That's right! I
just got rejected moments ago! She said, 'I don't dislike you, but I'm
sorry'..."
"Idiot! That's
better than being confessed to by another guy right in front of you when you
were about to confess! And the guy was even more handsome than you..."
"What are you
saying?! I found out the girl disliked me even before I confessed! I thought
she didn't dislike me because she always smiled at me... but then I found out
she was... behind the bushes... Ugh, ugh..."
What was said at that
time, he wondered? An indescribable melancholy enveloped the men. Nozomu, too,
felt a certain empathy for them, and somehow began to feel guilty about beating
them up. Though he certainly didn't want to become like them.
"...In any case.
I can't let you leave as you are after causing such a ruckus in the store.
You'll have to pay the price, so be prepared."
Ena began to scatter
smiles and killing intent with her lovely face. There was no one left here who
could stop her.
"E-even if you
defeat us here, the second, the third warriors will eventually..."
Zonne's words were cut
off, and a localized storm raged in a certain tavern in a corner of Arcazam. By
the way, all the money Feo earned from gambling was used to compensate for the
damaged store property, and he returned to a life of extreme poverty, but
that's an irrelevant story.
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