Volume 6
Chapter 25
This is a
re-translation.
---
A young voice echoes
through the already darkened city streets. Two girls walk side by side, having
just left the library.
Somilliana Francilt, a
girl with glossy black hair like the darkness of night, had been doing research
at the library until late with her friend Ransa.
"Sorry for being
so late."
"It's fine. In
exchange, you're treating me to sweets from Wiroppe next time."
Somia gives a wry
smile to her good-natured friend. Seeing the drool dripping from her loosened
lips, she must be imagining a table full of sweets.
Incidentally, Wiroppe
is a famous confectionery shop in the commercial district.
It's originally a
bakery, but alongside their main business of baking bread, they also use
leftover ingredients to experiment with various new types of bread, and they
also make various sweet pastries with things like pastes made from boiled-down
fruit and sugar.
It's a particularly
popular shop among the women of the city, and its popular breads are so
successful that they sell out for days on end.
"You're really
working hard, though. You always have, but it's been especially so lately,
hasn't it?"
"R-Really?"
As they continued
their trivial conversation on the way home, Ransa suddenly asked Somia as if
she had just remembered.
At Ransa's words,
Somia scratched her cheek, looking a little embarrassed.
"Yes, you are. Is
the reason you're working so hard because of that guy's influence?"
"That guy?"
"You know, the
senior who uses a katana and was having a mock battle with Jihad-sensei at the
Martial Arts Garden the other day!"
For Somia, with that
much said, only one person came to mind. The man who was the savior of her
soul, Nozomu Bountis.
Somia recoiled a bit
from Ransa, who was rattling on excitedly. Ransa was a good-natured and caring
friend to Somia, but she was also a gossip who sometimes spread unnecessary
stories and caused trouble.
For that reason, she
often gets warned by their homeroom teacher, but she herself just gives a
noncommittal reply each time and evades the issue.
"He was amazing,
wasn't he! To be able to fight that well against that Jihad-sensei!"
"Yeah, he
was."
The sight of Nozomu
fighting Jihad reminded Somia of when he confronted the vampire who tried to
take her away.
The way he faced the
powerful enemy before him, looking straight ahead without hesitation, was the
same as when he saved her from being kidnapped.
"Hey, can you
introduce me?! Everyone in class seems curious too."
"Umm..."
Somia trailed off,
looking troubled by Ransa's question.
To be honest, Somia
had been asked about Nozomu by her classmates many times since the mock battle
at the Martial Arts Garden. It was only natural that he would attract the attention
of pure and dreamy children after fighting so well against a hero of the
continent.
Moreover, Somia had
cheered for Nozomu at the top of her lungs during the mock battle. The fact
that she had a close relationship with him was already public knowledge.
"It's fine, isn't
it? It's not like you'll lose anything."
She might not lose
anything, but Somia felt a twinge of anxiety and embarrassment about having
Ransa meet Nozomu. She honestly couldn't predict what the gossipy Ransa would
talk about.
Sensing from Somia's
thoughtful expression that she wasn't likely to get a good answer, Ransa leaned
in closer.
"Oh, it's okay!
I'm not going to steal him or anything!"
"Steal
him..."
Perhaps because she's
particularly sharp when it comes to this kind of love talk, Ransa pressed
closer to Somia, bombarding her with questions about Nozomu Bountis. It's
terrifying because she actually knows all the romantic relationships within
their grade. She even knows who likes whom, and who kissed whom where. To be
honest, it's at a level that feels a bit dangerous.
She felt bad about
keeping secrets from her friend, but even setting aside her friend's slightly
troublesome personality, Nozomu had many unusual circumstances.
There was the fact
that he had mastered the Eastern sword art, which had almost no users on this
continent, but above all, there was the unique power that resided in his body.
The dragon power
dwelling in Nozomu that she had glimpsed for just a few months. That power,
which was somehow stable in a precarious balance, had almost gone berserk
before.
Nozomu himself was
much calmer now, but it was clear that it wasn't something she could talk about
so easily.
"W-Well, if
there's a chance..."
Therefore, Somia could
only evade Ransa's question with a vague reply.
(Should I consult
Nozomu-san or my sister?)
While thinking that
she should probably talk to them, listening to Ransa brought back memories of
her previous date with Nozomu.
They went out into the
city together, struggled to do a fortune-telling together, made candy
together....
He was an older man
who, despite giving a wry smile, willingly went along with her as she pulled
him here and there. It was so much fun that she lost track of time.
And he listened to her
talk about her complex, something she couldn't even tell her respected older
sister. It wasn't that Nozomu brought it up; Somia started it herself, but in
the end, he made her realize, "I still love my sister very much!"
Wondering if having an
older brother would have been like that, Somia smiled a little happily.
In the end, she kissed
his cheek as a thank you, which caused quite a stir afterward....
"Ehehe..."
Blushing, Somia
caressed her lips with her finger. Doing this, it felt as if the sensation from
that time came back even now.
Feeling her heart grow
pleasantly warm, Somia was lost in thought.
(Come to think of it,
the older Shina-san kissed Nozomu-san. I wonder what a real kiss feels like?)
Even though it was to
save Nozomu, Shina kissed him in front of everyone. When she tried to ask about
it, Mimuru teased her too much, causing Shina to go on a rampage, and in the
end, she couldn't hear the story.
(My sister... I wonder
what about her?)
Nozomu and Irisdina.
From Somia's perspective, they were a good match, but there was little progress
to be seen. As a punishment for spying on her date, Somia had arranged for them
to be in a party together for the special comprehensive exercises, but there
was still not much progress.
It might be nice to
enjoy a holiday walking through the city with her sister and Nozomu... While
her cheeks relaxed at such a happy scene, Somia felt a slight pang in her
chest.
"Ah!!"
At that moment,
Ransa's eyes widened in realization, and for some reason, she looked at Somia
with a meaningful smile.
Before Somia could ask
what was going on, Ransa moved behind her and pushed her shoulders.
"Come on, come
on, he's here to pick you up."
"Eh?"
The person waiting at
the end of the path where Ransa pushed her was the man she had just been
thinking about. It was Nozomu, dressed in his Solminati Academy uniform.
"Hey,
Somia-chan."
Seeing Nozomu smiling
and waving, Somia hurriedly raised her hand to wave back.
However, when she got
a clear look at the figure of Nozomu standing before her, an indescribable,
strange feeling came over her. Her raised hand froze as if stiff, and
eventually, it lost its strength and dropped limply.
"Nozomu...san?"
"Somia, what's wrong?"
The voice that came
from Somia's mouth was one that couldn't hide some confusion. Ransa, who had
been pushing her back, also tilted her head, noticing Somia's state.
"I was just
passing by."
"..."
Unaware of their
state, the Nozomu in front of them continued to talk to them. His face and
voice were undoubtedly those of the savior she loved. However, she felt an
indescribable sense of unease pass over her.
"Still, you were
working hard so late at night. Iris must be proud too."
"Ah..."
The more the Nozomu in
front of her spoke, the greater the stifling sense of wrongness grew.
And the moment she
looked into Nozomu's staring eyes, Somia found herself blurting out these
words.
"Um... who are
you?"
"...Eh!?"
"..."
As if time had
stopped, the air around them froze.
Ransa, who was behind
Somia, her gaze flickered back and forth between Nozomu and Somia in confusion,
and the Nozomu in front of them had his eyes wide open in surprise.
"You're not
Nozomu-san, are you? Your atmosphere is completely different, and besides,
Nozomu-san doesn't have eyes like that. Who are you?"
Once she said it,
Somia had already seen through the true nature of the unease that had been
weighing on her chest.
Even though his
appearance was exactly the same, a hint of indescribable murkiness could be
glimpsed in the eyes of the Nozomu before her. It was the same quality as those
she had seen in the high society of nobles. It was the color of a person who
hid bottomless desires and gruesome negative passions behind a brilliant
exterior.
"..."
Silence flowed between
them.
As the two faced each
other in silence, with the passage of time, Somia felt a numbing chill run down
her spine. A crawling cold spread throughout her body, and the sensation in her
limbs gradually became dull.
Although the sun had
set, it was still summer, yet the cold that assaulted her entire body was
numbing her limbs as if she were buried in snow.
Eventually, the Nozomu
in front of her shrugged his shoulders as if in resignation.
"...I'm
surprised. I thought I had perfectly disguised my appearance."
The voice heard with a
sigh and the twisted lips. That figure was the complete opposite of the gentle
impression of Nozomu.
It was enough to convince
her that the Nozomu in front of her was a completely different person.
"I knew it,
you're not Nozomu-san. You're Ken Notice, aren't you..."
Ken narrowed his eyes,
not just at being found out that he wasn't Nozomu, but at his true identity
being discovered.
This was completely
unexpected. The Somia now did not have the innocent face she had when she was
with Nozomu; she had the face of a single, dignified woman.
Somia's body was
trembling slightly, perhaps overwhelmed by Ken's abnormal presence.
However, her eyes
stared straight back at Ken, desperately trying to resist his intimidating
gaze. They were not the eyes of a girl of about ten years old.
"Well, if you've
figured it out, it can't be helped. I was going to end this with just a few
minor injuries, but if you know, then I guess there's no choice..."
The intimidating
pressure that had been directed at them suddenly swelled and attacked Somia and
the others. In order to let her friend behind her escape, Somia grabbed the
hand of the trembling Ransa.
"Ransa-chan! Run!"
Ken quickly drew a
formation in the air. The formation drawn with light dissipated, and then an
icicle the size of an adult's arm formed in the air and was launched.
Somia tried to run,
still holding the hand of the trembling Ransa to let her friend escape, but
Ken's icicle was far faster than Somia and the others could escape.
The icicle pierced the
ground at their feet with a high-pitched sound, stopping Somia and the others
in their tracks.
"Sorry, but I'm
not letting you get away. For Lisa's sake, now that you know, I have to silence
you."
The gaze and negative
passions directed from Ken crawled all over their bodies like something sticky.
The jealousy and
hatred for Nozomu, now exposed with the mask stripped away, were too intense
for a young girl, even for Somia, who had a mentality beyond her age.
"...For
L-Lisa-san's sake?"
Her voice trembled,
and her tongue wouldn't move. Still, Somia desperately put strength into her
legs that were trembling so much they were about to collapse, and faced Ken,
who was disguised as Nozomu. She naturally reached her left hand for the
bracelet on her right wrist.
The bracelet with a
bell, a birthday present from Nozomu. The moment she gripped it, the small
ringing sound of the bell echoed in Somia's ears.
"Ah..."
Chirin, chirin...
Every time Somia's arm
trembled in fear, the precious gift from her important person continued to ring
as if to encourage her, and its tone melted Somia's frozen body.
Before she knew it...
the trembling of her body had stopped.
"Yeah, that's
right. I'm the only one who can protect Lisa— "That's not true." ...What?"
"That's not true.
At least, it's impossible for you."
Somia clearly denied
Ken.
The story she had
heard from Nozomu. His past of being torn apart from his lover.
She knew that
provoking Ken in this deserted place might be a bad move, but once lit, Somia's
mouth couldn't be stopped.
" Have you properly expressed your feelings? Have you convey them properly
to her? I'm sure you haven't. Because all you've done was tear two lovers
apart."
"!!"
Somia's words pierced
Ken's chest.
That's right, Ken had
never expressed his feelings and conveyed them to Lisa. The only thing he chose
was to entrap his rival.
Ever since he chose to
kick Nozomu down, Ken had never reflected on his own actions, nor had he
considered Lisa's feelings. He had just blindly deluded himself into thinking
Lisa had become his and reveled in it. Lisa, too, in her heartbreak, became
unable to leave Nozomu's matter behind, and while clinging to Ken, she became
unable to leave him.
It was very much like
playing with building blocks alone.
The girl in front of
him had seen through it and confronted him with it.
"You can't expect
someone to fall in love with you if you haven't even told them."
The sound of grinding
teeth echoed in Ken's mouth.
"You don't see
anyone. The only one important is yourself. Such a person..."
"You've got quite
a mouth on you, missy!"
Ken, his face beet
red, reached for the longsword at his waist.
Ransa, her face
contorted in fear, let out a small scream, and Somia's eyes widened.
But the next moment,
with a swish, something shot past at high speed.
"Tch!"
"Eh?"
Ken clicked his tongue
and stepped back. At the same time, with a loud BANG!, the stone pavement at
Ken's feet exploded.
And a large shadow cut
in between the two.
"Y-You
are..."
"Run!"
Camilla, who had cut
in between Ken and Somia's group, urged them to run while confronting Ken.
Camilla lowered her
stance, on guard, glaring at Ken. Her eyes shone with an obvious hostility
towards Ken that she had been holding back until now.
"Oh dear, what do
you think you're doing? This is the only way to protect Lisa..."
"Shut up! I can't
keep up with your delusions any longer!"
Ken let out a voice as
if exasperated by Camilla's actions, but Camilla herself no longer had a shred
of camaraderie for Ken. She cut off Ken's line as if to declare that she had no
need or obligation to listen.
"Is that so? Then
it can't be helped."
Ken let out a slightly
disappointed sigh. However, he soon raised his face as if to say, "it
doesn't matter," and lifted the corners of his mouth.
"That Ecross
student over there... Since you know about my ability, just like them, I can't
just leave you be either, Camilla..."
"! Y-You..."
He immediately judged
his friend of two years as an enemy and moved to eliminate her. There was no
hesitation or conflict in Ken's attitude.
Camilla, who was shown
the true nature of a human whose restraints had been removed and who had gone
berserk, simply trembled with anger and glared at the "enemy" before
her.
"Sorry, Camilla.
This is for Lisa's sake too..."
Stating words that
should have been filled with guilt in a flat, emotionless tone, Ken drew the
longsword from his waist.
The steel, shining
dully in the moonlight, looked like the Grim Reaper's scythe to Camilla and
Somia's group.
And Ken, disguised as
Nozomu, took step after step towards the prey before him.
"U-Uuh..."
"It's okay, it's
okay..."
Carrying the lives of
the two frightened girls on her back, Camilla tightly gripped the staff she
held. She spurred on her own trembling arms and roused the magic power
throughout her body.
Next, she began to
chant. Constructing a formula while releasing trembling magic power into the
atmosphere, she created a ball of fire about the size of a human head.
"For Lisa's sake?
It's for your own self-satisfaction and selfish obsession, isn't it!"
Camilla shouted loudly
and threw the fireball in her hand. The fireball, flying as if to embody her
anger, bared its fangs at Ken with tremendous force.
However, Ken quickly
poured magic power into his blade and flashed his longsword in an upward slash.
"Hmph!"
A flash of the sword,
tinged with light blue magic light, swept away the bottom of the attacking
fireball, and the deflected mass of flames disappeared futilely into the night
sky.
Furthermore, before
Camilla could construct her next formula, Ken activated body-strengthening
magic and leaped at Camilla in a single bound.
Ken invaded the distance
between him and Camilla like a gale. He swung his longsword, held at his hip,
and brought it down in a diagonal slash towards Camilla.
However, Camilla was
also an excellent student belonging to the 3rd-grade, 1st-class.
She quickly applied body strengthening to herself and blocked Ken's longsword
with her magic-infused staff.
"Kuh!"
"It's useless. Do
you think a rearguard like you can beat me at this distance?"
Amidst the creaking
sound of the staff she was blocking, Camilla let out a cry of anguish.
As Ken said, Camilla,
contrary to her personality, was a person who excelled at supporting her allies
from the rear. Her sense of duty and compassion for Lisa, who helped her when
she couldn't fit in at the beginning of her enrollment, was a prime example.
Although her
strong-willed personality allowed her to handle close combat with a staff to
some extent, her skill was no match for Ken, who had reached the A-rank, of
which there were only five in their year.
"You two over
there, what are you doing? Hurry up and run!"
And Camilla was also
well aware of this fact. That's why she raised her voice, trying to at least
let Somia and the others, who had been caught up in this incident, escape.
"Ah...
But..."
"Hurry! Protect
your friend!"
Camilla, though her
voice trembled with tension, tried to protect Somia and the others with her own
body.
Perhaps spurred on by
her courage, Somia and the others, who had been staring blankly at the fight,
turned on their heels and ran as if shot.
We have to tell
someone about this somehow... They desperately moved their legs, which were
trembling with fear, trying to get away from this place.
"Do you think
I'll let you escape?"
But Ken had no
intention of letting them escape from this place. He kicked Camilla in the
stomach as they were locked in a sword-clash.
"Gah!"
Camilla let out a cry
of anguish from Ken's kick that sunk into her and was sent flying backward.
Glancing at the fallen
Camilla on the ground, Ken activated his formula again. He once again created
an icicle the size of an arm in mid-air.
The target was Somia
and the others, who had turned their backs and were trying to escape from this
place. As Ken's finger swam through the air like a conductor's baton, the tip of
the icicle was aimed at Somia's back.
"! Stop it!"
Amidst her blurred
vision from the pain of hitting the ground, Camilla let out a pained cry.
But Ken's finger was
mercilessly swung down. The next moment, the icicle flew like a released arrow
towards the defenseless Somia and the others.
"Kuh... Damn
you!"
Camilla whipped her
aching body and ran with all her magic power, without thinking about the
consequences. The body-strengthening spell she had activated instantly
increased its effect.
As the high-speed
icicle slowly approached the defenseless backs of Somia and the others, Camilla
rushed towards them without slowing her momentum at all, throwing herself at
them and embracing their bodies.
The next moment, a
nasty tearing sound echoed in Camilla's ears. Following that, a shock ran
through her entire body.
"...!"
Camilla, who had
fallen to the ground, winced and checked inside her arms to find the dazed
faces of Somia and Ransa.
They seemed surprised
at being suddenly embraced, but there were no signs of injury.
"Good...
Kuah!"
The moment Camilla
relaxed in relief, a sharp pain shot through her right leg.
Looking down at her
feet, a crimson-stained icicle was deeply piercing Camilla's right leg.
Furthermore, from the
corner of Camilla's vision, she saw Ken leisurely walking towards them.
"Kuh-uuu! You
bastarddddd!"
Camilla couldn't
concentrate due to the sharp pain running from her right leg, and she couldn't
construct a proper spell. Even if she could form a formula, it was doubtful if
it would work against the superior Ken.
But she couldn't back
down. Camilla gathered all her remaining magic power and threw it at Ken.
A torrent of magic
power without any formula. The magic, merely poured out, couldn't possibly
affect Ken, and only slightly slowed his advance.
However, the next
moment, something strange happened to Ken's body, which had Nozomu's
appearance. Suddenly, Ken's figure distorted as if seen through a lens. And
with a sound like water splashing, the layer of water covering Ken peeled off,
revealing the figure of Ken that Camilla knew so well.
"Tch, the Water
Mirror's Heart Mask..."
Ken clicked his tongue
as the Water Mirror's Heart Mask was dispelled.
The Water Mirror's
Heart Mask works by covering the whole body with water through which magic
power is passed, allowing the ability holder to freely change their appearance,
but when hit with powerful magic, it reacts with the magic of the water
covering the body and the disguise comes undone.
Ken's murderous gaze
pierced Camilla. Camilla smiled as if she had outsmarted him. But with her
right leg crushed, she could no longer run. Even walking would be difficult. It
was utterly impossible to protect Somia and the others like before.
She couldn't stop Ken
on her own. Thinking so, Camilla released her arms that were hugging Somia and
the others, and gently pushed them away as if to tell them to leave this place.
But contrary to
Camilla's feelings, Somia did not try to run away.
She desperately held
back her tears that were about to spill over from fear and began to apply
healing magic to Camilla's leg.
"What are you
doing..."
"T-Treating
you..."
Her lips, bitten to
suppress her fear, looked painful, and behind the brave girl, the god of death
was approaching step by step.
"Hurry and
run..."
While listening to
Camilla's voice urging her to run, Somia did not stop her treatment.
Eventually, Ransa also followed suit and began to treat Camilla's leg.
Ken was already very
close to them. With a sticky, viscous smile, Ken raised his longsword.
"What... is
this."
But at that moment, a
voice that should not have been heard here echoed in Camilla's and Ken's ears.
Camilla and the others
froze at the voice they shouldn't have heard. And Somia and the others were
also at a loss for words at the intruder who had appeared in this place.
Long crimson hair tied
back and a well-featured appearance. Her face, which was beautiful enough to
make anyone turn around, and always had a friendly smile, was now tinged with
astonishment.
"Why is Ken in Nozomu's
form... And why is Ken hurting Camilla..."
Faced with an
incomprehensible scene, Lisa Hounds' thoughts momentarily stopped, and she
stood frozen like a scarecrow.
But her eyes had
clearly caught Ken's appearance when the Water Mirror's Heart Mask was
dispelled.
The sight of Ken
appearing as if shrugging off a cloak, and the sight of her best friend lying
injured while protecting young girls.
Unable to understand
why Lisa was here, Ken also turned pale, dazed and confused.
But the existence of
Ken, who had been in Nozomu's form, showed Lisa a single path who had been
driven into a dead end of thought until now. It was something she had not
noticed until now. Something she had unconsciously tried not to understand.
The scene of
betrayal I saw two years ago was a lie shown by Ken.
The conflicting image
of Nozomu that had been confusing Lisa until now changed clearly, and the
jumbled intentions unraveled in an instant and connected into a single line.
"T-Then, that
time too..."
The image of Nozomu's
betrayal that she had witnessed two years ago was replaced by Ken's figure, and
the reality she had believed in until now began to collapse with a clatter.
"N-No, that's not
it, Lisa... T-This is..."
Ken, with a pale face,
tried to make an excuse, but his flustered words only served to destroy the
"two years of deception" he himself had implanted in Lisa.
Every time Ken tried
to approach Lisa to smooth things over, she backed away, step by step.
"Then...
I..."
At the same time, she
understood that all the hatred and anger she had directed at Nozomu until now
had been directed at an innocent person, and that it was all completely off the
mark. She understood.
The traitor
who trampled on my feelings.
The worst kind
of person who ran away to someone else.
Who was that really?
The world she had
believed in until now was turned upside down, and all the words of anger and
hatred she had directed at Nozomu were reversed and came crashing down on
Lisa's heart all at once.
Her body trembled
slightly, as if to represent Lisa's heart screaming.
"Lisa, l-let's
talk..."
As if seeking help,
Ken reached out to Lisa, but the water spilling from his fingertips would not
return to his hand.
The chains that had
bound her for two years were completely shattered. By none other than Ken
himself, the one who had put on the chains.
"N-No!!"
"!"
Lisa reflexively
rejected Ken's outstretched hand. A sharp slapping sound echoed, and a stinging
pain ran through both of their palms.
It was the moment of a
decisive rupture. Contrary to the flowing silence, the distance between the two
rapidly grew.
No, the two were never
one to begin with. Their relationship was already broken. In any case, it would
have been a matter of time.
But the impact of the
distortion that had accumulated over two years exploded, hitting the two like a
violent tremor.
Ken and Lisa, at a
loss for words, their faces drained of blood.
At that moment, Lisa's
eyes widened at the scene that jumped into her view. Her heart beat violently
as if it had been seized, and her breathing became heavy as if she had sunk to
the bottom of the water.
In her line of sight
was the figure of Nozomu Bountis, running towards them.
***
Nozomu grimaced at the
tragic scene before him.
Camilla, collapsed and
bleeding from her leg, with Somia and the others by her side. And what caught
Nozomu's eye most of all was the sight of Lisa and Ken, standing facing each
other with pale faces.
Why was Lisa here?
A question flashed
through Nozomu's mind, but before him lay Camilla, her leg pierced by an
icicle.
He didn't understand
the situation well, but a reddish-black pool of blood was spreading like a
carpet on the ground. He couldn't just leave the injured Camilla alone.
Temporarily pushing
the question to the back of his mind, Nozomu rushed over to Camilla and the
others.
"Somia-chan,
Camilla, are you okay?!"
"N-Nozomu-san..."
Somia and Ransa had
tears in their eyes, likely from being so scared.
Camilla looked up at
Nozomu with a pale face. Her lips had also lost their color. She must have lost
a lot of blood.
"H-How did you
get here..."
Camilla asked in a
hoarse voice why he knew Ken was here.
Camilla thought the
communication network was still down, and this was neither the Ecross school
building nor the student dormitory. It was no wonder she questioned how Nozomu
could have pinpointed this location.
"I was heading to
the Ecross school building after hearing your communication, and on the way, I
saw fireworks being shot up into the sky."
Ignoring Camilla's
question, Nozomu tore the hem of his clothes into a strip and began to slowly
pull out the icicle stuck in Camilla's leg.
"!"
Camilla winced at the
pain in her leg.
After carefully
pulling out the icicle so as not to damage any arteries or muscles, Nozomu
wrapped the torn strip of cloth around the wound and tightened it.
While continuing to
apply pressure to Camilla's wound, Nozomu recalled the events leading up to his
arrival.
After hearing
Camilla's communication and rushing out of the dormitory, Nozomu had hurried to
the Ecross school building. He had heard from Irisdina that Somia had been
studying even harder recently, so he thought she might still be in the school
building.
At that moment, Nozomu
saw a light flying towards the sky. Yes, it was the fireball that Camilla had
shot at Ken and had been deflected.
Normally, it was
obvious that something was happening in a place where such an attack spell was
used. That was the reason Nozomu was able to come to this place.
Camilla winced at the
pain that ran through her leg when he applied pressure. But the amount of blood
flowing out was decreasing considerably.
Nozomu let out a sigh
of relief, but then slowly stood up and raised his face.
"...Barozza-san.
Please take care of Somia-chan and the others, and Camilla."
Step by step, Nozomu
moved forward. Camilla watched his back.
Barozza shrugged his
shoulders as if to say it couldn't be helped, but placed his hand on the hilt
of his sword at his waist, while Somia and Ransa watched Nozomu go with worried
eyes.
And Camilla looked
down with a guilty expression.
Was she regretting not
being able to stop Ken? Or was she regretting getting Lisa involved?
Nozomu couldn't fully
grasp what was in Camilla's heart, but there was something he wanted to tell
her.
"Camilla..."
"...What?"
"Thank you, for
protecting Somia-chan and the others..."
What Nozomu offered
were words of deep gratitude. To him, Somia was also an important,
irreplaceable comrade, a friend, and a precious girl who had accepted him.
Nozomu expressed his heartfelt relief and thanks to Camilla, who had protected
such a person with her own body.
"Sniff...
Please."
Sniffling, Camilla
pleaded with Nozomu for something.
Camilla couldn't put
into clear words what she wanted him to do, but Nozomu gave a small nod to her
words.
As if pushed on by
those words, Nozomu walked towards his childhood friends before him.
"Ken,
Lisa..."
"Ah..."
Lisa, who was called
out to, had a frightened expression. What was deeply reflected in her eyes was
the color of deep regret.
Nozomu understood
everything from her clearly different attitude. At this very moment, the true
relationship between the three of them was completely exposed.
"No-zomu...!"
Ken, who noticed
Nozomu's presence, glared at him as if looking at an enemy. A tingling killing
intent ran down his spine, and Nozomu's sharp senses sounded an alarm. It was a
hostility so strong that he could be attacked at any moment.
"Ken, it's
useless. It's all over."
Yes, Lisa was already
completely aware of Ken's deception. When Lisa believed she had been betrayed
by Nozomu, she had relied on Ken so much, but now she was completely frightened
of him.
No matter how much Ken
tried to cover it up, it would be impossible.
What is broken cannot
be put back together. Even spirits cannot turn back time.
"You, if only you
weren't here...!"
But even knowing it
can't be undone, people cling to the past. And they seek an outlet for their
unresolvable anger.
Ken, muttering jumbled
soliloquies, pointed the tip of his longsword at Nozomu.
There was no longer
any sense of reality in his words and actions. He just decided that Nozomu was
the root of all evil and clung to his own obsession.
Like a ghost, empty,
yet exposing an extremely dangerous madness, Ken stepped towards Nozomu in a
single leap.
With the momentum of a
gale-like rush, he swung down his blade with enough force to shatter Nozomu's
body.
There was no
hesitation at all.
"...Shh!"
Nozomu reacted
reflexively before he could think about Ken's instant attack.
He quickly dropped his
hips, grabbed the hilt of "Mumei", and strengthened his body with ki
that he had raised in an instant. Twisting his torso, he drew his blade.
The next moment, the
two blades clashed, scattering sparks.
-----
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