Volume 6
Chapter 9
At a corner of the Library of Arcazam, which collected books from all over the continent, a single girl was silently engrossed in reading. Her sky-blue hair swayed slightly in the draft from a slightly open window, and her well-ordered features remained as still as a doll, only her eyes following the lines of text in the book she held. The pointed ears peeking out from her long blue hair indicated that she was an Elf, most blessed by the spirits.
"............Haa."
The girl, Shina Juliel,
who had been quietly absorbed in the book she held, suddenly sighed and slumped
her shoulders. She frowned, her gaze drifting into space, as if something was
bothering her. She looked back at the book in her hands, but this time she
glared at the open page with a strange grimace.
"Oh, come on. I
can't concentrate at all."
Shina placed the book
on the desk and looked up at the library ceiling with another deep sigh. A
strange, inexplicable sensation swirled in the depths of her chest. She was
bewildered by an impulse that made her feel like she wanted to run out at any
moment.
"What in the
world is this?"
Shina muttered in a
small voice so as not to echo around. She thought that if she just uttered
something, anything, the impulse in her chest might subside a little, but
contrary to her expectation, the impulse grew stronger. What she recalled was
what happened at lunchtime today. It was the scene when Nozomu accepted
Irisdina's request while they were having lunch together. Irisdina, with a
slightly tense expression, made her request to Nozomu, and Nozomu, stumbling
over his words, conveyed his acceptance. Irisdina was uncharacteristically
tense, but the smile that escaped her when he accepted was so beautiful that
even Shina, a fellow woman, was captivated. And Nozomu, too, was captivated by
her.
"Seriously, what’s
with him? Even if it was Irisdina-san invited him, his reaction was a bit too
much..."
Remembering Nozomu
being captivated by Irisdina, indignation surged within her. However, the surge
of irritation in her chest, like a geyser, quickly subsided, replaced by an
indescribable regret. This was because she herself had been invited to that
request but had declined. At that time, Feo had cut into the pair of Nozomu and
Irisdina. From his somewhat smirking face, she could tell that he was up to no
good again. Since he was a Fox-tailed youth who meddled in various things just
for fun, it was no surprise that he would jump at her request this time. But he
immediately invited Shina to join them. Judging from his smirking face, he was
probably thinking of something mischievous, but Shina declined the invitation.
"Haa, why did I
refuse...?"
In short, her being
here was due to her own choice, but even so, Shina couldn't help but frown at
the unpleasant feeling spreading vaguely in the depths of her chest. At that
moment, a female voice, which Shina had recently heard often, echoed.
"Shina-san?"
"Tima-san? Why
are you here?"
The person who spoke
to Shina was her classmate, Tima Lime. She was holding several books in both
hands.
"Uhm,
well..."
The books in her
hands, which she held somewhat silently, were mainly about wind-type spells and
magic power control techniques. Wind, and a human who needed magic power
control. Shina could only think of one person who needed that.
"Ah,
Mars-kun's..."
"U~e?!"
She was probably
trying to help Mars with the technique he was trying to acquire. The fact that
she was researching not only magic power control but also wind-type spells was
proof. Seeing Tima's obvious agitation at her single word, Shina's cheeks
naturally relaxed.
"I'm not going to
spread it around. More importantly, how is he doing? Even if it's not as much
as Nozomu-kun's "that power," I don't think the technique he's trying
to acquire can be mastered overnight..."
"Yeah, it seems
like the success rate has plateaued recently. I don't know if that's why, but
Mars-kun hasn't been practicing that Combined Technique much lately."
"Well, after what
happened, he must have some thoughts on it."
Tima nodded slightly
at Shina's words. Mars's complicated feelings towards Nozomu's power. His
admiration for Nozomu's sharpened Ki Blade, yet his impatience stemming from
his desire to become stronger. The incident where he lost control, spurred by
that impatience, and was in mortal danger, he could still vividly recall.
"Maybe that's
why, but Mars-kun seems to be focusing more on magic control than Ki techniques
recently..."
"Is that so?
Since the techniques he uses are mainly Ki techniques, I thought he'd focus on
that first..."
"According to
Mars-kun, he hasn't done much with magic, so he decided to properly build a
foundation for that. Of course, he's also training in Ki techniques..."
"Well, either
way. His Combined Technique requires not only Ki techniques but also magic
spells and magic power control, so he needs to hone both magic and Ki
techniques..."
The power Mars desired
as a result of witnessing Nozomu's Ki Blade. The Combined Technique of magic
and Ki techniques, because it originally uses different powers simultaneously,
requires extremely high control not only over Ki but also over magic power.
Mars had only used Ki techniques until now, so there were parts where he had
neglected magic. He was probably trying to correct that.
"Even so, you
really do a lot."
"N-no, I don't dislike
it... It's just, well..."
Mars has considerable
aptitude for wind-attribute magic alone. She probably hopes that Mars can grasp
a foothold in magic control from there. In fact, when Mars succeeded in the
Combined Technique, the magic he used was without exception wind attribute.
Tima looked down, her cheeks flushed. Fidgeting with the edge of the book cover
in her hands, she spoke in a small voice, as if muttering. Watching Tima's
demeanor, Shina suddenly asked her a question that had come to mind.
"Hey, why are you
so concerned about him?"
"Eh?"
"I know Mars-kun
isn't a bad person, but he's a bit rough. You're the type who would usually
avoid such men, so I was a little curious why you'd be fond of him."
Tima's faintly flushed
cheeks instantly heated up in response to the word "fondness."
"F-f-fond of him!?"
"...Did you
really think I wouldn't notice?"
"A-ahh..."
Shina gave a look of
exasperation at Tima, who was flustered and speaking incoherently, her entire
face flushed crimson. Tima's gaze wandered for a while, but then she let out a
big breath and slowly began to speak.
"At first... I
was really scared, you know? He suddenly glared at me and everything..."
Tima confessed,
looking up at the library ceiling as if recounting old memories. Shina had
heard roughly about the feud between the Francilt family and the Wajiart
family, but she hadn't heard the details, so she pricked up her ears to hear
how Tima and Mars came to be aware of each other.
"I don't think he
had good feelings for me either. I'm gloomy, you see..."
Tima clasped her
fingers, a slightly dark expression on her face. She herself didn't
particularly like her self-deprecating personality. But precisely because of
that, she felt a longing, almost admiration, for people like Irisdina, who were
confident and unlike herself.
"But when Rugato-san
came and Somia-chan was in danger, it was Mars-kun who saved me."
Her precious best
friend's irreplaceable family. A girl who was like a younger sister to Tima. It
was Mars, whom she thought disliked her, who had deflected the magic bullet
that attacked her, who was sealing Rugato's familiar to protect Somia. The
sense of unity she felt at that time. Since then, every time she thought of
him, there was a feeling that slowly seeped into the depths of her body. That
feeling sometimes violently stirred her chest, and sometimes gave her a warmth
as if she were wrapped in soft cotton to the tips of her limbs.
"I can't explain
it well, but I'm really curious about him..."
Tima couldn't convey
those feelings to others face-to-face. Being shy, she inevitably hesitated when
interacting with people. But instead of words, Tima's expression conveyed her
hidden feelings more than words ever could. After all, wasn't it obvious? When
she was talking about Mars, she never once looked down. Even though she was shy
and tended to look down when talking to others. On top of that, her cheeks were
flushed crimson. Anyone who couldn't tell from this must have a serious defect
in their communication skills, commonly known as being "unable to read the
room."
"I see..."
Shina, too, could
sense Tima's hidden feelings. That stirred something in her own chest. What
came to mind, after all, was his figure, shyly accepting the black-haired
woman's request. The indescribable impulse she had felt earlier surged up from
the depths of Shina's chest once again. Silence flowed between the two. The
only sound was the hustle and bustle of the city outside the window. But into
their silence, a familiar voice echoed.
"Yoo-hoo! Shina,
Tima-san. What a rare combination, huh?"
"Mimuru-san?"
The person who
interrupted Shina and Tima's conversation was their classmate, Mimuru. Shina
looked somewhat surprised that she had shown up at the library, a place she
usually didn't frequent.
"You, why are you
here? This is a library."
While the combination
of Shina and Tima was certainly rare, Mimuru being in a library would also be
an equally strange sight to those who knew her. After all, she was terrible at
academics and was always being lectured by her homeroom teacher, Inda.
"H-how mean, Shina!
I read books too, you know?!"
Mimuru puffed out her
cheeks and retorted to Shina, who had added a slight hint of sarcasm to her
words. Mimuru held up the book in her hand as if to say, "Look at
this," but the book's title was filled with difficult-looking titles such
as "Attribute Interference Studies" and "Fluctuations in
Reaction Rate due to Magic Power Quality." By no means was it a book for
her, who was always struggling with reflection essays for class.
"Speaking of
which, where's your boyfriend, Tom?"
"Tom? He's over
there doing some research..."
At Shina's words,
Mimuru pointed to where Tom was, holding a stack of documents in his small
arms. When he noticed Shina and the others, he temporarily placed the documents
on a nearby desk and came over to them.
"Hello, Shina,
Tima-san. Oh, Mimuru, you brought the materials I was looking for. Thank
you."
"............"
Mimuru froze at Tom's
words. Shina's "I knew it" gaze was directed at her.
"...As I thought,
Tom was the one who had business at this library, wasn't he?"
"Hm? What?"
Shina's eyes glared
accusingly at Mimuru, who had lied. Mimuru, whose small lie for a bit of pride
was instantly exposed, flushed crimson with shame, looked down, and trembled
her shoulders. Meanwhile, Tom, who couldn't grasp the situation, just tilted
his head.
"T-Tom, you
idiot—!"
"Eh, huh?!
Why~~?!"
Overwhelmed with
shame. Mimuru, unable to bear it, rushed at Tom and grabbed him. Tom could only
fluster. Mimuru was ranting, "Why didn't you play along?!" and
"Tom, you're supposed to be on my side!", but Tom, who honestly
didn't understand the flow of the conversation, couldn't grasp the situation at
all. For now, Tom continued to appease Mimuru until she calmed down, even
though he himself had no idea why. Watching the two of them, Shina could only
sigh at her friend's completely unchanged demeanor. Incidentally, if she yelled
that loudly, it would naturally attract the attention of those around her. Even
under the silent glares of "be quiet" from the people reading nearby,
the excited Mimuru didn't notice the silent protest at all.
"M-Mimuru-san..."
"Tima-san, what?!
This is important right now... Ah."
Tima called Mimuru's
name and tapped her shoulder. Mimuru, who had turned her face towards Tima
while still clinging to Tom, finally noticed the surrounding gazes at that
moment.
"Ah, ahahaha...
S-sorry."
With a strained smile,
she released her grip on Tom and quickly hid behind her boyfriend, as if to
escape the surrounding gazes. However, was it really a good idea to hide behind
the person she had just been clinging to? Mimuru was taller than Tom, so her
body wasn't completely hidden. Her flattened ears and shrunken posture would
probably evoke an intense desire to protect in some observers. However, Tom and
Tima only gave dry smiles, and Shina, for her part, held her hand to her
forehead as if to suppress a headache.
"Tom, you have it
tough too."
"It's fine. I'm
used to it."
Tom said, as if to
himself, stroking the head of his girlfriend hiding behind him with his hand.
There was no negative emotion like disgust on his face. Perhaps he, too, was
attracted to Mimuru's honest self. Before he knew it, a natural smile, not one
of exasperation, had appeared on his face. Mimuru purred contentedly as her
boyfriend stroked her head. Shina's stiff cheeks naturally relaxed at the
sight, which almost sounded like a cat's meow. A warm atmosphere, like napping
in a sunbeam, enveloped them. At that moment, a young voice reached their ears.
"U- um~. What are
you all doing?"
Everyone present
turned their eyes towards the voice, and there stood a small girl with lustrous
black hair cut to her shoulders. Like Mimuru earlier, she was holding several
books in her hands.
"Somia-chan...
Why are you here?"
"Oh, Tima-chan.
Yoo-hoo~~"
Somia replied
cheerfully, but not so loudly as to bother those around her. Instead of waving
her hand broadly, she gave her a bright smile. She was still a sunny girl.
"Did Somia-chan
come to do some research?"
"Yes! I had some
questions about my school lessons. What were you all doing here? It seemed
quite noisy..."
"Yeah, Mimuru
again, stepping on her own tail and causing a ruckus..."
"Okay, that's
enough of that! More importantly, it's rare to see Shina and Tima-san alone
together. What were you talking about?!"
Mimuru, who had just
been shrinking in her boyfriend's shadow, leaned forward and forcibly changed
the subject, inserting herself between the two. Shina sighed deeply at the
renewed glares of protest from around them. The quick-witted Somia, sensing
what had happened just from this, scratched her cheek with a strained smile.
"Our being
together was a coincidence. More importantly, why are you so interested?"
"No, I just
somehow felt a sweet and sour smell on my whiskers..."
"What's that?
Besides, do Cat Tribe whiskers even have such an ability?"
"Uhm, I haven't
heard of it... Oh, Mimuru-san, you're kind of cute."
Shina gave Mimuru a
suspicious look as she puffed out her chest, twitching her whiskers as if to
show off. Somia also tilted her head repeatedly, but she seemed more interested
in Mimuru's whiskers movement. She originally loved cats. Being fond of cute
things, she might be drawn to such small gestures.
"Heh heh! Girls
in love are sensitive, you know? Tima-san is a girl in love too, right?!"
"Eh?!"
Tima, who had been
watching the three's exchange from the side, suddenly let out a surprised cry
as the conversation was thrown to her. Remembering what she had just been
talking about, Tima felt her cheeks instantly heat up.
"Oh? Was I wrong?
I thought I heard Mars-kun's name?"
"...You were
eavesdropping, weren't you?"
Shina's suspicious
gaze turned accusatory. Mimuru gave a wry smile, as if to say,
"Oops," and let out a dry laugh. But she was quick to switch gears.
Before Shina could start lecturing, she pressed in on Tima, who was nearby.
"So, you were
talking about Mars-kun?! Of course, you'd be curious about someone you
like!"
"............"
Ignoring the narrowing
of Shina's eyes, Mimuru's mischievous grin filled Tima's vision. Tima could
only groan in an inarticulate voice. She looked around for help. By chance, her
eyes caught sight of Somia, her best friend's younger sister. Relying on an
11-year-old might be questionable, but perhaps she, with her strong will like
her best friend, might help. Such hope welled up in Tima's chest, but...
"Oh, I'm
interested too. What were you talking about?"
"Eh?!"
Her hope was suddenly
cut short by Somia herself. Contrary to Tima's thoughts, Somia leaned forward,
her eyes sparkling just like Mimuru's.
"Oh, Somia-chan
is interested too, after all?"
"Yes. I thought
I'd listen for my future..."
"F-future...
Somia-chan, isn't that a bit early...?"
"Uhm, is that so?
I have friends who have kissed their classmates, you know..."
"Eh?!"
If it was Somia’s
classmate, then the friend who kissed must also be around 11 years old.
Incidentally, Tima had never even held hands with a man other than her father.
Naturally, she had no experience with kissing. Kiss, kiss... Kiss at 11 years
old. The image of two people facing each other flashed through Tima's mind. Two
people gazing at each other. Their gazes meeting. The distance between them
closing until they could feel each other's breath. And then the other person's
face filled her vision, and then...
"Aww..."
At that thought,
Tima's face turned crimson, and she passed out. Her brain seemed to have overheated
from being filled with pink scenery.
"Oh dear? Did I
tease her too much?"
Mimuru peered at the
dazed Tima and poked her cheek, but there was no reaction. Shina pressed her
temples, seething with anger, "Not again, this problem child!" She
tried to grab Mimuru's head, intending to do something about this walking
troublemaker. But then, as she reached out, she noticed Somia's gaze. For some
reason, she pulled back her outstretched hand at the pure, direct gaze directed
at her.
"Uhm, Somia-san?
Is that really true?"
"Yes. But
according to Lansa-chan, quite a few of my friends have done it. Merry-chan,
Kinea-chan..."
"I-I see..."
Somia counted on her
fingers, naming one or two people she had heard about. She used both hands when
one wasn't enough, and even folded her fingers back to count when both hands
weren't enough.
"Th-that's
enough, Somia-san..."
"Eh? Is that
so?"
Shina forced a
strained smile. If she hadn't stopped her, how many more names would have come
out? A strange thought crossed her mind, disturbed by the unexpectedly advanced
romantic situations of younger people.
"Perhaps,
Somia-san too...?"
"Eh, me?! No, I
haven't done that. Father and Sister have told me to be modest!"
"I-I see. That's
true..."
Somia replied in a
cheerful voice that was somewhat unexpected from the word "modesty."
It seemed she had no such experience.
"My sister and I
both understand that we're in a position where we can't easily choose a
partner. I think it's a bit regrettable in that regard..."
Somia smiled faintly
and sadly, a smile on her lips. Her appearance seemed so mature that she didn't
look like an 11-year-old girl at all. If she thought about it, she was also a
young lady of the Francilt family, just like Irisdina. She probably understood
that distinction well. While thinking it was natural, Shina inwardly felt a
little empathy for their family circumstances. The Elves had lost their homeland
in the great invasion 10 years ago, suffering many casualties. They were
originally a long-lived race on this continent, and therefore had difficulty
leaving descendants. Having lost their peaceful home and greatly reduced in
number, the Elves were constantly exposed to the danger of the extinction of
their race itself. As a countermeasure, the Elf elders encouraged marriage
between men and women of marriageable age who could leave descendants.
Naturally, marriage proposals came to Shina as well. At the time, she had lost
the ability to use Spirit Magic, but that didn't really matter to her if she
wanted to have children. But she refused and came to Arcazam. In her mind, the
burning forest and her fallen family. And the figure of that black magic beast
were etched. Both of them found it difficult to choose their future partner by
their own will. In that sense, Shina and Somia were similar.
"Well, it's
difficult, isn't it? In many ways..."
Shina murmured to
herself, gently patting Somia's head. The environment that a small individual
can change is limited. Perhaps these were words born from her own experience of
that in her childhood. Indeed, one couldn't do much alone. The techniques she
had desperately trained and honed were easily ineffective against that black
magic beast. But even so, she smiled peacefully.
"You've really
changed recently, Shina."
Tom, who had been by
Mimuru's side and hadn't joined the conversation, spoke to Shina with a smile.
When Shina, feeling responsible for her friend's injury, went berserk and faced
the black magic beast alone, if she had been her old self, she would have been
killed by the hateful magic beast. But for two years, she was able to overcome
that crisis with the help of the people she met at this academy. The bonds she
was able to form. It was precisely because she felt the power of those bonds
that she could smile now. Because she understood and accepted her own
immaturity, and knew that she could change.
"Perhaps... But I
still don't really understand love..."
She had lived until
now with the goal of avenging her enemies and reclaiming her homeland.
Rationally, she knew that she would eventually have to marry someone for the
sake of her race, but she somehow didn't understand what romance was. But there
were people she wanted to help. Her smirking best friend and her best friend’s
boyfriend in front of her. The small, sweetly smiling girl and her family and
friends.
"And..."
An ordinary boy with a
single katana, who could be found anywhere. He had endless difficulties, such
as the power he carried and his childhood friends, and he sometimes got
depressed from overthinking, but he was still the one who unhesitatingly tried
to help her, even though she had spoken ill of him. Shina still didn't quite
understand what Mimuru meant by love. But... Shina's hand naturally reached for
her own lips.
"Speaking of
which, Shina, you kissed Nozomu-kun, didn't you? Since we're here, why don't
you tell Somia-chan what it felt like?"
"...Huh?!"
"Oh, that's
right! Shina-san, you kissed Nozomu-san!"
Kiss, kiss, kiss...
The word kept swirling in Shina's mind. She remembered helping Nozomu when he
was almost consumed by the dragon in the forest. The contract magic she used to
bring him back to consciousness. The method of contract at that time was... Shina's
silken white skin flushed crimson all at once. Her swirling head overheated,
and things like propriety, intellect, and various other important daily things
were unceremoniously thrown out of her head all at once.
"Please! Tell me!
What did it feel like?! Did it taste like lemon?!"
"Wh-why are you
so interested?! You're completely different from when you were talking about that
girl called Lansa!"
"It's fine, isn't
it?! I only kissed him on the cheek, so I'm curious what it feels like to kiss
him on the lips~..."
"Eh?! What do you
mean?! When did you kiss?!"
"When we went on
a date!"
When Shina discovered Mimuru
and the others tailing Somia's date, Somia had already left his side. That's
why Shina didn't know that Somia had kissed him. Incidentally, neither Somia
nor Shina noticed that Somia's story had somehow shifted from talking about her
friends who had kissed to talking about someone else. For Shina herself,
various new facts had come to light. At some point, Shina herself had gotten
caught up in the conversation. But Mimuru watched the two, who were somehow
heating up the conversation, with a smirking, meaningful expression.
"But now
Nozomu-kun is with Irisdina-san! They took on a request, didn't they~. Just the
two of them in a place where no one can interrupt! I wonder what Nozomu-kun and
Irisdina-san are doing right now~"
The irritation she had
felt earlier surged up again, and a vein throbbed in Shina's forehead. It
seemed that Feo was somehow no longer present, but that didn't matter to her
now.
"...Mimuru, come
behind that bookshelf for a second."
"...Eh?"
Shina said
"come," but then grabbed her mischievous friend by the collar and
tried to drag her behind the bookshelf. Somia, who was next to Shina, also had
a somewhat complicated expression.
"S-Shina. Don't
make that face. You'll ruin your beautiful face... S-Somia-chan too, smile,
smile... No?"
"...No."
Shina cut off Mimuru's
attempt to gloss over the situation with a smile. It seemed that various
pent-up emotions had erupted. Given her personality, she usually exercised a
lot of self-control, so the backlash was immense.
"Shina-san, do you
want to use this?"
Saying that, Somia
took out a book so thick it must have been a thousand pages. It was the book
Mimuru had been looking for Tom. Somia was merciless, subtly handing over
something that would make the punishment more severe.
"Yes, I'll borrow
it."
"W-wait, what are
you going to do with that?! My head might get dented if you're not
careful!"
Shina ignored Mimuru's
desperate cries and held the edge of the book Somia offered with one hand, as
if dangling it. The way Shina's slender hand gripped the thick book conveyed an
indescribable sense of intimidation.
"H-help me,
someone!!"
Mimuru, feeling her
life in danger, desperately resisted. But it was in vain. As one could tell
from seeing Shina gripping the dictionary earlier, archers actually have quite
strong grip strength because they have to hold a drawn bowstring and arrow in
that posture until they aim. The Cat Tribe girl struggled desperately, but Shina's
hand gripping her collar didn't budge. Shina led Mimuru away with a faint
smile. And Mimuru's screams echoed throughout the library. Incidentally,
because screams loud enough to make the windowpanes rattle echoed throughout
the library, Shina and the others received a grand scolding from the librarians
and ended up being kicked out of the library, which everyone would agree was
well-deserved.
***
After receiving a
grand scolding from the librarians and returning to her room in the girls'
dormitory, Shina collapsed onto her bed. The bed let out a soft thud as it
received her body. Her uniform might get wrinkled, but her heart was too
turbulent for her to care about such a thing. On the way back to the dorm,
Mimuru's words from the library kept replaying in her mind.
Just the two
of them in a place where no one can interrupt! I wonder what Nozomu-kun and Irisdina-san
are doing right now~
A restless feeling
stirred in the depths of her chest. She lay there, looking up at the familiar
ceiling without turning on the light.
"It's not like I
need to be with him..."
Shina turned to her
side, puffing out her lustrous, pearl-like cheeks in annoyance, and curled up
into a small ball, hugging her knees. It was a gesture like a young child. Shina
remained still for a while, but then she placed a hand on her chest and let out
a deep breath, then lay back down. And vaguely staring at the ceiling, she
relaxed her body and slowly closed her eyes. Soon, her body gradually began to
glow faintly. It was the light of magic power. Using magic power in a corner of
the girls' dormitory like this was not something to be praised. The usually
serious Shina would not do such a thing, but she couldn't help but be concerned
about the two in the forest. Fortunately, this was her room. There was no sign
of anyone in the adjacent room either. Shina, while being mindful of the
surrounding presences, gradually increased her magic power. The light of her
magic power, resembling contract magic, leaked from her body. She temporarily
increased her magic power, and instead of scattering it around like during a
spirit contract, she concentrated it on a single point within herself. The
point Shina concentrated her magic power on was the magic power pathway she had
previously opened with contract magic. Normally, this magic power pathway would
have naturally disappeared. Usually, she would just let it disappear without
doing anything, but she had been regularly pouring her magic power into this
pathway, maintaining it all this time. She herself didn't know why she was
doing such a thing. She just felt a sense of loss, as if a hole had opened in
her chest, when she thought of that connection disappearing. A broken magic
power pathway would easily scatter at the slightest trigger. She gently and
carefully spread the unstable magic power pathway, as if handling a precious
treasure.
"Mmm..."
With her eyelids
closed, feeling the dark world, Shina felt somewhat lonely. Remembering her
past self, who had tried to reclaim her homeland all alone, a wry smile
appeared on Shina's lips. Honestly, connecting a pathway secretly to someone
else was not something commendable. Contract magic, which connects two
different beings, could be very dangerous depending on how it was used. After
the battle with the Corpse Dragon in the forest, she tried to connect this
magic power pathway again, but she tried to restrain herself, thinking,
"No, no, no." However, when he woke up and she heard his old story
from his mouth, she couldn't stop herself anymore. His somewhat sad smile, and
the faces of his childhood friends she saw at the academy, flickered in her
mind, and her chest tightened uncontrollably. It was somewhat similar to the
impulse she had felt in the library today.
"I'm really
concerned. About him..."
What came to mind was
the scene from today, when she was talking with Tima alone in the library. What
did she think of Mars...? Beyond the gradually opening magic power pathway, she
felt the presence of the person she was concerned about. Her dark vision
gradually brightened. Even so, she still kept her eyes closed, not opening her
eyelids. This was because a small, white light approached from the depths of
the world enveloped in darkness. When she saw that light, Shina's lips relaxed.
Seeing that light, the guilt and impatience she had felt until then cleared
away as if they were lies. What she was seeing now was his heart. The figure of
the benefactor who had once saved her life and helped her reconcile with her
best friend. The rising magic power strengthened her connection with him
through her body. Then, the small light in front of her exploded into the dark
abyss with a flash. A gust of wind struck Shina's body. But she felt the wind
with her whole body, a smile on her face. At the same time, the faint light
that spread enveloped Shina's body. She felt as if her entire being was
enveloped by him.
"Heh
heh...!"
A natural surge of
exhilaration. Eventually, with a sensation as if piercing through clouds, Shina
felt a pleasantness as if her entire body was embracing the wind. Her vision
opened. But suddenly, what she saw beyond was a crimson flame that reminded her
of her lost homeland.
"...Eh? Wh-what's
going on?!"
Faced with a scene
like the fires of hell, Shina cried out in surprise. Illuminated by the flames
were Nozomu, with his back to her. Lisa Hounds and Ken Notice, facing him as if
in a mirror. And, projected in the air, overlapping with Nozomu, was the figure
of a raging giant dragon.
"No! Go
back!!"
The tension instantly
soared. Anxiety and fear, as if crushing her chest, welled up, and Shina found
herself shouting loudly.
-----
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