[WN] Dragon Chain Ori : Volume 6 Chapter 29 [Re-Translation]

This is a re-translation.

Volume 6 Chapter 29

 

"U-ugh. Where... is this?!"

 

Lisa Hounds awoke, feeling a weariness enveloping her entire body.

At first, her eyes couldn't focus, and she looked dazed, but as she remembered what had happened to her, she shot up as if jolted.

Before her awakened eyes, an abyssal darkness spread across the entire sky.

 

"Nozomu..."

 

In the true darkness that could drive one's sense of direction mad, she crouched like a child.

A sense of loneliness, as if she had been left all alone in the world, began to eat away at her heart.

 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

 

Words of apology leaked from Lisa's lips.

Just how much had she hurt him? Why had she kept throwing such cruel words at him?

She, of all people, should have known how devoted a person Nozomu was...

Her chest gouged by regret and guilt, all Lisa could do was beg for forgiveness from the one she had hurt.

Just then, something stirred beyond the abyssal darkness.

 

"! Who's there?!"

 

As if reacting to her voice, the jet-black space writhed as if swirling. Eventually, from beyond the vortex that began to turn a dark red, a shadow even blacker than the surrounding abyss emerged.

Step by step, the shadow approached as if crawling. Lisa felt a chill like a snake slithering down her spine and instinctively backed away.

Eventually, the black shadow took on a humanoid form, and from within it, a single man emerged as if slithering out.

 

"K-Ken...?"

 

Her childhood friend appeared in a place that couldn't possibly be real. However, Lisa shivered as she recalled his appearance just before she came to this place.

Ken, his crimson eyes shining, had attacked her while letting out a bizarre scream. Lisa clearly remembered being swallowed by a black liquid that didn't seem like human blood, which had gushed out when his body was slashed.

Meanwhile, Ken, who had crawled out of the shadow, was looking at Lisa with a broad smile on his face.

It was a full-faced smile that seemed to come from the bottom of his heart. However, to Lisa, it looked no different from the smile of an inorganic wax doll.

 

"Lisa... Now we can be together forever..."

 

"Wh-What are you talking about... And your arm..."

 

Above all, the sight of Ken that jumped into her eyes made her keenly aware of the abnormality that had befallen him.

What riveted Lisa's eyes was Ken's right arm, which had been deeply cut by Nozomu. A reddish-black lump, like a mass of flesh, was stuck to it, covering the entire arm.

However, Ken showed no signs of surprise even upon seeing the nauseatingly hideous lump of flesh. On the contrary, he was looking at it with loving eyes.

 

"Ah, this is my power. With this, I can continue to protect you."

 

"St-Stop!"

 

As Ken approached, caressing his own transformed right arm against his cheek, Lisa couldn't help but utter words of rejection. But Ken's steps did not stop.

 

"You don't have to worry. I have power now. Everyone gave it to me. Power that won't lose to anyone..."

 

"No, that's not it. I, I just..."

 

At Ken, who could only find a reason to be with Lisa in power, Lisa shook her head with a tragic face and hung her head.

 

"Why, why..."

 

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING NOW? YOU ARE THE ROOT OF ALL THIS, ARE YOU NOT?"

 

Lisa raised her face at the sudden, stagnant voice, and the crimson eye that had appeared on the lump of flesh on Ken's right arm was staring at her.

 

"M-Me...?"

 

"YES. YOU ALSO DENIED THAT MAN. REJECTED HIM. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GO BACK NOW?"

 

There was no way she could go back to Nozomu now. What she had known in her head was now thrown at her in the clear form of another's voice, and a fatal crack appeared in Lisa's psyche.

 

"IT'S YOUR FAULT, IT'S YOUR FAULT, IT'S YOUR FAU..."

 

"Ah, ahh, ahhh..."

 

The repeated accusations. With each one, crimson eyes opened on the abyssal walls surrounding her, condemning Lisa.

The cold voice, seeping in through the crack in her chest, gradually stole the warmth from Lisa's soul, robbed her of her will to live, and killed her spirit.

Eventually, before the approaching Ken and the crimson eyes, Lisa's vision slowly faded to black, as she murmured her repentance to the Nozomu she had hurt.

 

***

 

While feeling a sensation that made his skin crawl at the darkness spreading before him, Nozomu stood firmly on his own two feet.

 

"So this is the inside of the Predation Barrier..."

 

Still glaring into the unseen depths of the darkness, Nozomu spoke to himself in the abyss that spread before him.

 

"Where is Lisa... Damn, I can barely see in front of me."

 

He was at a loss against the darkness that spread before him. He couldn't tell which way he was facing, nor could he find any landmarks.

According to Zonne, the inside of the Predation Barrier had become a different world, so he had no idea how far this world shrouded in darkness continued. At this rate, he had no way of searching for Lisa.

 

Nozomu-kun, can you hear me?

 

"Shina?"

 

Thank goodness, we're properly connected.

 

A relieved voice echoed in Nozomu's head. It seemed Shina was checking to see if the path was properly connected. Nozomu was also relieved by the voice of his comrade.

This was the domain of that demonic beast. Honestly, it wouldn't be surprising if anything happened. There was a danger of being attacked even at this very moment while they were talking.

Perhaps Nozomu was also a little tense in such a situation. As his heart relaxed a little, a smile appeared on his lips.

 

"...Can you tell where Lisa is? It's too dark to see anything."

 

Wait a moment. Let's see...

 

Currently, Nozomu was magically connected to his comrades outside through Shina via contract magic.

Shina tried to search the inside of the Predation Barrier through Nozomu, but before she could locate Lisa, Zonne's voice cut in.

 

Brat, for now, just go straight. There's a place where the presence of that beast, Abyss Grief, is strangely strong. The red-haired young lady is probably there.

 

Nozomu was surprised by Zonne's voice suddenly cutting in mid-conversation, but the old man continued to speak, ignoring his confusion.

 

For that beast, that young lady is an important existence for stabilizing its host. She's different from just food to fill its belly. At the very least, she's not an existence it would just eat and be done with. You can sense that beast's presence too, can't you, elf young lady?

 

...You're right. I can certainly feel that beast's presence strongly in the direction ahead...

 

"You can tell?"

 

Somehow... When we fought it before, I was more focused on the frightened spirits, but I feel like I can tell now.

 

While listening to Shina's words, who said it felt like a rotten swamp, various speculations floated and disappeared in Nozomu's mind.

When they encountered it in the forest before, she had also keenly sensed Abyss Grief's presence. From that, there seemed to be no reason to doubt her words.

However, if Shina, who could resonate with spirits, could also sense it, does that mean that beast is an existence close to a spirit?

 

"...Old man. Is that beast a spirit?"

 

It's close to one. Its body itself has taken over another living being, but its essence is similar.

 

Essence, meaning its body's structure, is constructed from the same source element as spirits, Zonne continued.

At his clear way of speaking, suspicion towards Zonne welled up in Nozomu's mind again.

No, there probably wasn't a person who wouldn't be curious about this old man. His very existence was too unnatural.

He wouldn't say anything about his own identity, yet he gave advice to Nozomu and the others. Moreover, the content of that advice was all things that even Jihad didn't know.

Furthermore, his own abilities were a complete mystery, and his power was by no means to be trifled with. That was sufficiently evident from the fact that he had made Jihad, the strongest in this academy, kneel.

And even now, Zonne had sensed Abyss Grief's presence faster than Shina. Normally, it was all just a series of impossible things.

But Nozomu shook his head, suppressing his own suspicions, and let out a deep breath as if to clear his mind.

 

"...I guess there's no point in just standing here."

 

He was curious about Zonne. But for now, he would focus on saving Lisa.

The moment Nozomu thought that and took a step, a sharp pain like a spear being thrust into his head suddenly ran through him.

 

Gaaaah! Out! Get me out of here! Let me kill him!!

 

"Guh! Again? What are you talking about..."

 

Tiamat had started rampaging again. Nozomu gritted his teeth and endured the gouging headache.

Cursing inwardly, "Give me a break," he endured the pain for a while, and Tiamat's angry roar slowly faded away.

 

"Hah, hah... Please, just be quiet for now."

 

Eventually, the pain also subsided like a receding tide, but his head felt heavy as if he were wearing a bell.

But he couldn't just stop here, so Nozomu stepped into the abyssal darkness.

 

"Lisa, where are you!"

 

He raised his voice and shouted Lisa's name. As if in response to his voice, something stirred beyond the darkness.

Nozomu narrowed his eyes and approached cautiously, step by step. His hand was already on the hilt of the katana at his waist, ready to draw at any moment.

Eventually, what came into view was a young man of about the same height as Nozomu.

Nozomu frowned at the familiar figure. The young man standing there with his left side turned to Nozomu was undoubtedly Ken Notice.

 

"Nozomu, huh..."

 

"Ken... Where's Lisa?"

 

Nozomu questioned Ken about Lisa's whereabouts in a low voice that rumbled in his gut. His gaze was sharper than ever, and a tense anger and sword ki leaked from his body.

However, Ken glanced at Nozomu and a faint, dark smile appeared on his lips.

As he turned to face Nozomu head-on, Ken's hidden right side was revealed.

His right side, covered in a reddish-black lump of flesh, had reddish-black blood vessels running through it, pulsing, thump, thump.

And what caught his eye most of all was the giant crimson eye that had opened in his right hand.

An intense hunger and hatred, as if to kill and devour everything it saw. A strong negative obsession, like a rotten, bottomless swamp.

It was undoubtedly the same black demonic beast, Abyss Grief, that he had met in the forest.

 

"Your turn is... over now..."

 

While speaking of his obsession with Lisa, Nozomu frowned at his slurred speech.

 

"You've been completely swallowed, haven't you...?"

 

His appearance, smiling faintly without a care for the changes that had occurred to him, was truly that of a monster.

A cold sweat ran down Nozomu's spine. The expression on the person in front of him was Ken's, but he could feel an incredible amount of negative passion from his body.

That passion was incomparable to the Abyss Grief he had encountered in the forest before. Compared to the resentment emanating from Ken's body now, the demonic beast from that time was like a puppy.

 

"Lisa is... mine now."

 

And his passion-filled eyes were directed at Nozomu. At the same time, as if the swollen resentment had burst, it was slammed into Nozomu at once.

 

"!"

 

Before Nozomu could think, his body moved on its own.

The moment he reflexively turned his head, a giant blade passed by, cutting through the wind. A blade covered in jet-black. It extended from Ken's reddish-black right arm.

The end of his right arm, which extended like a whip, had transformed into a thick blade like a machete, and its appearance was very similar to the tail of Abyss Grief he had seen in the forest.

 

"Tch!"

 

The ki, heightened in an instant, rushed through his entire body like a raging torrent, and his whole body grew hot as if on fire.

Ken raised his outstretched right arm and now tried to bring it down on Nozomu's head.

Nozomu quickly jumped to the side, escaping the trajectory of the falling blade. The next moment, the giant blade struck the ground with a thunderous thud!

Nozomu jumped back for a moment to create distance.

The two glared at each other for a beat. At that moment, the darkness that had covered the area began to gradually clear.

The surrounding scene gradually came into view. And when the full picture of this space became clear, Nozomu instinctively covered his mouth at its utter hideousness.

 

"!?"

 

This is...

 

Hk!

 

In a word, it was a space covered by a wall of flesh.

From four-legged beasts like wild dogs to demi-humans like goblins and orcs. A veritable hodgepodge of demonic beasts were mixed together messily like a child's clay creations, letting out voices of resentment.

It looked as if the demonic beasts were eating each other, and it also looked as if they were lamenting.

 

...I see, 'Predation Barrier' is a fitting name.

 

Jihad's heavy whisper echoed in Nozomu's ear. The other comrades, perhaps also at a loss for words, could only be sensed by the sound of their held breath.

In such a hellish world, only Ken maintained a human form on one half of his body. It looked bizarre, and it also seemed to symbolize this chaotic world.

 

"This time, Lisa will be mine..."

 

As Ken spread his arms as if looking up at the heavens, a spherical object floated up from the flesh-covered ground.

A jet-black sphere, like sludge, about as tall as Ken, just like Abyss Grief. The moment he saw it, a shock like a lightning bolt ran through Nozomu's entire body.

Someone was inside the black sphere. Slender limbs and a tightly cinched waist.

The woman floating inside the black sphere was hugging her knees, shamelessly exposing her beautiful body.

Above all, her characteristic long red hair was that of the girl Nozomu was searching for. It was the figure of Lisa Hounds, whom Nozomu had been searching for.

Ken lovingly caressed the sphere in which Lisa was trapped with his left arm. But Lisa's expression was vacant and didn't move an inch.

Lisa's face was completely devoid of emotion. The cheerful figure she once had, which had once captivated Nozomu, was nowhere to be seen.

 

"!!"

 

Nozomu's head instantly boiled over. In response to his rage, ki overflowed from his entire body.

The hand gripping the sheathed katana creaked, and Nozomu's entire body trembled with rage.

The next moment, with a resounding boom, Nozomu charged at Ken at once.

A blade of ultra-compressed ki was already attached to the katana in his hand.

 

"You too shall become our food..."

 

Perhaps Ken's consciousness and Abyss Grief's consciousness were mixed, as his way of speaking was no longer human.

The ground at Ken's feet bulged up. Egg-shaped lumps of flesh, about the size of a human's lower body. And there were several of them.

Then, a crack appeared on the surface of the flesh lumps, and something emerged from within.

What appeared were jet-black demonic beasts. Some had the form of dog-like beasts, while others had the form of small demons like goblins.

There were also creatures with bodies like a mantis with segments, and even bird-like demonic beasts with a body the size of a human arm.

However, all of them had the same blackish body surface as Abyss Grief and a single eye dyed red like blood.

 

"Gyugaaaaa!"

 

"Kishaaaaa!"

 

Letting out grating birth cries, the demonic beasts obeyed their creator and attacked Nozomu all at once.

Baring their fangs, showing their claws, the demonic beasts closed in, trying to devour the prey before them, soul and all.

 

"Get out of my wayyyy!"

 

He snipped the koiguchi and drew his katana.

Nozomu cut down three of the four-legged demonic beasts that had leaped at him in a single stroke.

The bodies of the beasts in front of him were far more fragile than the Abyss Grief he had fought in the forest before. They were probably something like minions or worker ants.

Stepping over the corpses of their slain comrades, the small demons now leaped at Nozomu.

Nozomu's second blade was unleashed in a fluid motion.

The ki technique "Phantom -Return-" bisected the small demons that were about to leap at Nozomu at once.

However, the number of opponents was too great. After cutting down all the small demons, the black birds now swarmed Nozomu.

Perhaps thinking he couldn't be bothered with them one by one, Nozomu lowered his stance and tried to break through the approaching flock of black birds at once.

 

"Ouch! Guh!"

 

The claws and beaks of the leaping black birds tore at Nozomu's clothes and skin.

But Nozomu wouldn't be stopped by that. He braced his feet, put strength into his hips, and pushed his way through the flock of black birds like a ship breaking through rough waves.

Eventually, after the flock of black birds had passed, what appeared next was a blackish insect with giant scythes for forelegs.

 

"Shaaa!"

 

The jet-black mantis supported its body with its hind legs and spread its scythes as if to show off its imposing figure.

And it swung the scythes on both its arms at once from the left and right, as if to sandwich Nozomu's body.

The giant scythes closed in on Nozomu with a roar. However, the swung scythes did not catch Nozomu's body and cut through empty air.

The next moment, a flash of light glittered, and the severed scythes of the mantis danced in the air. An upward slash with a blade imbued with "Phantom -Clad-." Furthermore, with a returning strike, a blow was delivered straight down, bisecting the black insect vertically.

 

Having broken through the swarm of demonic beasts, Nozomu ran straight towards Ken without stopping.

 

"Hah, hah! Hah!"

 

The little remaining ki was consumed at once, and Nozomu's breathing grew ragged.

Ken raised his transformed right arm and swung it down. Its speed was incomparable to when they fought outside the predation barrier.

 

"!"

 

He somehow managed to evade the blade, which approached at a speed exceeding his prediction, with "Flash Step - Curving Dance -."

The blade, slammed into the meat floor right beside him, splattered countless pieces of flesh and blackish bodily fluid. Nozomu frowned at the nauseatingly foul smell.

Furthermore, the down-swung right arm cracked, and countless needle-like blades were born, standing on end.

 

"Chiii!"

 

Seeing a familiar sight, Nozomu swung his katana before he could think.

At the same time as Nozomu's ki-clad katana drew a circle, Ken's frayed right arm exploded, scattering countless black needles in the area.

It was undoubtedly the ability of Ken's "Crawling Serpent's Fang."

 

"Gah! Kuh! It can use Ken's magic too!"

 

The countless needles easily pierced through the ki membrane created by Nozomu's "Fan Sail Lotus" and stabbed into his body. The power was clearly greater than the ice arrows from before.

Furthermore, Ken's right arm, which had been stuck in the meat floor, writhed and was swung, scattering the rotten flesh of the floor. Without time to evade, Nozomu's body was sent flying by Ken's right arm.

 

"Zah!"

 

A shock ran through his entire body, and the air leaked from his lungs.

Nozomu gritted his teeth at the being before him, which was producing even greater power despite its unstable mind.

But even so, the option of giving up did not exist for Nozomu. He somehow managed to break his fall from the impact of being slammed to the ground and got up.

However, Ken had already prepared to pursue.

Countless jet-black icicles danced in the air. This was also, without a doubt, Ken's magic, "Icicle Dance."

The icicles floating in the air attacked Nozomu one after another.

Nozomu again devoted himself to evasion with "Flash Step -Curving Dance-," but he couldn't close the distance with the icicles approaching without a gap.

No, even if he avoided the rain of Icicle Dance and stepped in, the ice arrows of Ken's jet-black "Crawling Serpent's Fang" could no longer be blocked by Nozomu's Fan Sail Lotus.

The fact that he couldn't block the black needles with Fan Sail Lotus was equivalent to having his means of closing the distance sealed.

A situation that cornered Nozomu even further occurred.

The meat floor swelled again, and demonic beasts came out from it. However, the demonic beast that appeared was a far greater threat than the previous ones.

What appeared before Nozomu was a figure about three times his height with limbs as thick as logs. A three-eyed giant, which Nozomu had also faced before, was roaring.

 

"Gaaaaah!"

 

"Tch! There's a Triclops too!"

 

The red-eyed giant charged at Nozomu, who was desperately dodging the pouring Icicle Dance.

Ken's Icicle Dance seemed to have a complete grasp of the Triclops's movements, as there was no sign of the icicles piercing its giant body.

There was nothing he could do if a Triclops joined the fray in this situation. He would either become a grotesque object pierced by countless icicles, or be crushed into a lump of meat by the giant's mighty arms.

Nozomu was cornered in a critical situation in an instant. The only hand he had left was to release his ability suppression.

Nozomu grabbed the invisible chains that bound his body and put strength into them, trying to tear off his restraints.

But at this point, Tiamat, who had been sealed within Nozomu, began to rampage for a third time.

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! Kill! Kill! Kill!!

 

"Gah!"

 

Nozomu endured desperately, letting out a pained breath at the pressure of Tiamat, who was trying to break through his body and become free.

However, the actions of the giant dragon rampaging within his body temporarily froze Nozomu's hand, which was trying to release his ability suppression.

And by the time Nozomu realized it, it was already too late; the Triclops was raising its arm right before his eyes.

 

"Crap..."

 

It was already too late to evade. All Nozomu could do was desperately spur on his frozen legs and move his body half a step back.

 

"Gah...!"

 

An intense shock, as if he had been rammed by a dragon, ran through Nozomu's body.

"Mumei" fell from Nozomu's hand. His body, blown away almost parallel to the ground, was slammed into the meat wall at the edge of the barrier.

At the same time, the meat wall swelled up and tried to swallow Nozomu.

 

"This is the end... Fear not, Lisa will always be by my side, protected... always..."

 

Even in his hazy consciousness, Nozomu tried to escape from the meat wall that was trying to swallow his body as if crawling.

However, even if he put strength into his limbs, Nozomu's body was numb from the impact of being blown away by the Triclops's mighty arm earlier, and it wouldn't move properly against his will. Furthermore, Nozomu's ki was at its limit from the continuous battles.

A feeling of weariness from ki exhaustion enveloped Nozomu's body. Furthermore, the still-rampaging Tiamat was wearing down Nozomu's spirit. His vision was hazy, and from his throat, which was hurting from hyperventilation, a hoarse, wheezing sound was leaking out.

 

Hey Nozomu-kun! Can you hear me!?

 

In his hazy consciousness, what he heard in his mind was the voice of Jihad, who was outside the predation barrier.

 

"Jihad...sensei?"

 

A voice filled with a power uncharacteristic of the usually taciturn man echoed in Nozomu's ears.

 

Listen, somehow, separate that Lisa-kun from Abyss Grief! If you do that, there's no problem in breaking the predation barrier from the outside!

 

He might be able to save Lisa. Remembering that possibility, Nozomu looked down at the invisible chains that were binding him along with the meat wall.

If he destroyed this, he might be able to break through this situation.

Of course, if he released his ability suppression, the sealed Tiamat would gleefully try to tear through Nozomu's body, surrendering to the hatred overflowing from it.

The giant dragon, raging with an unprecedented hatred. It was highly doubtful whether the exhausted Nozomu could suppress that dragon now.

But Nozomu's hand, which was trying to grab the invisible chains, was slow but unwavering.

Yes, Nozomu had come to this academy with the decision to protect Lisa. Until now, it had been an excuse to run away, but now he might finally be able to fulfill that promise.

It didn't matter what form it took. To be able to walk forward facing each other again, he would give it his all right here.

The moment he put strength into his right hand, which had grabbed the chain with determination, Zonne stopped him, as if throwing cold water on his resolve.

 

Wait, brat. Don't release your ability suppression!

 

While wondering why Zonne knew about his ability suppression, Nozomu questioned the voice ringing in his hazy consciousness.

 

"What... are you talking about? If I don't use it now... when will I?"

 

The 'lizard' inside you is rampaging right now, isn't it? On top of that, your soul is being exposed to attacks from the outside. If you release your ability suppression in that state, there's a high possibility that your spirit will be crushed from both inside and out! If that happens, it will be irreversible!

 

What Zonne was saying was not wrong. Tiamat's resistance this time was vastly different from before.

Previously, it had been trying to deceive Nozomu to bring about its own resurrection, but now it was resorting to more forceful means.

And that pressure was now so intense that it was beyond description.

An intense pain as if his head were being squeezed in a vise, and a suffering as if his internal organs were being churned, were still assaulting Nozomu.

On top of that, from the outside, Abyss Grief was trying to devour Nozomu's body and soul.

 

That's why you're going to save the young lady without releasing your ability suppression!

 

Nozomu doubted Zonne's sanity at the outrageous statement.

What in the world was this old man saying? If he released his ability suppression and used its power, he might be able to save Lisa, who was captured by Abyss Grief...

 

There's a proper reason! The connection with a soul becomes much deeper than ordinary contract magic! The influence they have on each other is incomparable to this contract magic! You brat can't fully control 'its' power, and that young lady's soul is already at its limit!

If her weakened mind is eroded, and she's directly exposed to the power and hatred leaking from your soul, that young lady's soul will be shattered!

 

Those words made Nozomu, who was about to release his ability suppression without regard for his own safety, hesitate.

If he released his ability suppression, Lisa might die.

He had come to save Lisa, yet Nozomu's trump card would end up finishing off the weakened her. It was an ironic story, if you could call it that.

 

"Then... how am I supposed to...!"

 

Nozomu gritted his back teeth in frustration. A sense of despair filled his heart.

 

Get a grip, brat! Remember what I told you!

 

With a hazy mind, Nozomu tried to recall Zonne's words. Come to think of it, didn't that old man say that Nozomu had another power of his own?

His consciousness was fuzzy, and he couldn't think properly.

Perhaps losing his patience with Nozomu's state, Zonne raised his voice in frustration.

 

This is no time to be buried in such a creepy wall! Or what, do you have a hobby of getting pleasure in such a place?! Ugh, pervert! What kind of fetish is that!

 

Those words strangely fired him up.

 

"...I don't want to be called a pervert by you of all people, you senile old geezer."

 

Nozomu-san, are you okay!?

 

Nozomu! Absolutely do not do anything reckless! If you die, it's all for nothing!

 

The Francilt sisters, raising their voices out of worry. Judging from their desperate tone, they were probably reluctant to agree with Zonne's ridiculous proposal.

At the thoughts of his comrades who were worried about him, a smile naturally returned to Nozomu's lips.

 

"That old man makes some outrageous proposals. He's as unreasonable as my master..."

 

He had made his decision. Nozomu let out a deep breath as if to steel himself and relaxed his entire body.

 

"...Fine, I'll do it. I'll go along with the old man's plan."

 

Nozomu!? Stop!!

 

Hey! What are you saying all of a sudden! Think about the consequences a little more!

 

The loud voices of Irisdina and Shina echoed in Nozomu's head. Their voices were already close to screams.

However, he couldn't think of any other way. No matter how connected they were through contract magic, it was fundamentally difficult for them to directly intervene in this barrier.

Apologizing to Irisdina in his heart for worrying her again, Nozomu let go of the invisible chains he was gripping.

As if waiting for that, Tiamat and Abyss Grief began to tighten their grip on Nozomu's spirit even further.

 

"Ga-gaaah! Guuuuuh..."

 

An explosive impact continued to assault Nozomu's entire body.

It hurts, it's painful, it's agonizing.

The intense pain running through his body continued to intensify, robbing Nozomu of all his senses.

The ringing in his ears, like a bell tolling, paralyzed his hearing, and his vision was already painted completely white.

His violently beating heart continued to pound with a force that seemed like it would burst at any moment, and his entire body was hot as if on fire.

 

Shina-kun! Increase your synchronization rate with Nozomu-kun! We'll share his senses and put up a barrier in Nozomu-kun's mind to lighten his burden as much as possible!

 

What?! If I do that...

 

Do as Inda-dono says. I don't know what's going on, but this is the only way to reduce the burden on his spirit right now!

 

As Nozomu focused his consciousness inward, Inda and Jihad raised their voices.

The plan Inda and Jihad had proposed was to deploy a barrier in Nozomu's mind via the path and reduce the burden on him as much as possible.

It was certainly possible if they synchronized deeply with Nozomu's spirit.

But increasing the synchronization rate of the contract magic meant that the person putting up the barrier would also receive the same pain Nozomu was experiencing.

The sensation of having one's soul chipped away by a legendary giant dragon and an unknown demonic beast. One misstep would undoubtedly lead to madness.

There were countless other anxieties as well. To be honest, no one had ever heard of anyone doing such a thing.

 

It's alright, not only Inda-dono but I will also synchronize with him to reduce the burden as much as possible. What, don't worry. I may be old, but I'm tough.

 

Then I'll take it on too. Shina-kun, I'm counting on you to maintain the contract magic.

 

Furthermore, as Jihad offered to synchronize with Nozomu, Irisdina followed him.

Then, one after another, voices from Mars and the others came up, wishing to synchronize with Nozomu.

As it was not possible for everyone to synchronize, only Irisdina was chosen besides Jihad and the others.

 

Mars-kun, if it comes to it...

 

I know, I just have to smash that barrier with my technique and Tima's magic, right?

 

Mars and Tima were left because, among the remaining members besides Jihad, the two of them had the most destructive means.

Mars's magic-ki combination technique and Tima's attack magic. Both were difficult to control, but if it came to it, they couldn't be picky about the means to destroy the barrier before them.

 

Jeez! Everyone's so selfish!

 

Shina, while raising her voice in anger, carefully searched for the paths of the four and strengthened their connection.

The four spirits began to synchronize deeply. Perhaps because a part of Nozomu's sense of pain had flowed to them, deep wrinkles were carved into the corners of Jihad and the others' eyes, and a cold sweat broke out at once.

 

Nozomu-kun! Let me tell you, if everyone decides you've reached your limit, we will destroy this barrier from the outside without question. Got it! I won’t ask for your answer!

 

While being showered with angry shouts from Shina, Nozomu's cheeks relaxed into a smile at his comrades' words.

Supported by the encouragement of his comrades, Nozomu endured the pain all over his body, closed his eyes, and focused his consciousness inward.

The ringing in his ears grew distant. It was a sensation as if he were sinking to the bottom of the water.

Beyond the beating of his heart, he could see a faint light.

A ball of light colored in five colors. A small sphere of light that could fit in the palm of his hand, but it gave off a sense of bottomless power.

It was the power of Tiamat, which had tormented and also helped Nozomu countless times.

But the power Nozomu needed now was not this.

Deeper. Nozomu sank to the far bottom of this lake.

How deep had he dived? The ringing in his ears, which had become small, was already inaudible, and the presence of his comrades had also disappeared. Only silence and darkness dominated the surroundings.

But in that silence, something gradually came into view.

What came into view was the figure of Nozomu, crouching in his dorm room. He, slightly younger than the current Nozomu, was hugging his knees with an expression as if his soul had been pulled out.

 

Why, how...

 

"This is..."

 

As Nozomu reached out to his knee-hugging self, the scene before him popped and disappeared like a bubble.

And again, in less than a few seconds, the next scene spread before Nozomu's eyes.

 

What the hell are you doing...

 

The next scene that spread before Nozomu's eyes was a forest he knew well.

In front of Nozomu, who was slumping on the ground, stood his master, who had cut down countless wild dogs.

 

Who are you, old hag...

 

You have no manners towards your elders.

 

The scene of Nozomu and Shino's meeting. The event that triggered Nozomu's start of the harsh Mikagura-ryu training. And one of the major turning points for Nozomu.

 

"My past... memories."

 

While Nozomu muttered, one after another, old scenes floated up and disappeared.

The days of training like torture that began with a shocking encounter. Looking back now, it was an excuse to run away, but those days have certainly become Nozomu's flesh and blood.

The final life-or-death clash with Shino. The event that truly triggered Nozomu to start moving. It still holds a large place within him.

The meeting with his comrades. And their misunderstandings. The first friends he had made in a very long time. But he couldn't tell them the secret he held within, and because of that, they had clashed.

But still, Nozomu and the others didn't fall apart.

Unlike when he was with Lisa and the others, he was able to find the courage to truly face people.

But the scene reflected before his eyes was not just that.

 

Nozomu and the others had been good friends since they were young. Among them was the figure of Ken, watching Lisa, who was concerned about Nozomu.

Ken, who had loved Lisa since he was young. But the one she had feelings for was his childhood best friend, not him.

Every time he saw her walking next to his best friend, an indescribable dark feeling welled up in Ken's heart. Frustration, sadness. Still, he continued to suppress his feelings, thinking that she had chosen Nozomu.

And the scene shifts to when they came to Solminati Academy.

 

Hey Ken, that must be tough. You're forced to deal with such scum...

 

Nazwell...

 

Nazwell, who was killed by a demonic beast in their first year, was talking to Ken. By this time, his jealousy towards Nozomu had swollen to an uncontrollable extent.

Still, Ken couldn't take out those negative feelings on Nozomu and the others. He didn't know how to come to terms with those feelings other than by enduring them.

But no matter how large the pot, it will overflow if you keep pouring water into it.

And when Nazwell was killed by a demonic beast, and the anxiety that Lisa might die was combined with his jealousy, he finally began to stray from the path.

 

Nozomu...

 

The figure of Lisa, running around the city with an anxious look on her face, floated up.

While breathing heavily, she was searching for Nozomu's figure without stopping.

 

It's okay. It's okay... We made a promise...

 

It was the scene of Lisa, driven by anxiety over the rumor that "Nozomu was cheating," searching for him.

Lisa tried to deny the unpleasant thoughts welling up by shaking her head.

But before her eyes was the sight of Ken, disguised as Nozomu, kissing an unknown woman.

The next thing that was shown was the inside of a room with the curtains drawn. In the dimly lit room despite it being daytime, the figure of Lisa sitting on the edge of the bed floated up. She just stared at the floor with her eyes, not moving an inch.

Ken and Camilla burst through the room's door.

It was the moment the time for the three of them ended, and a false relationship by Ken began.

 

"This is..."

 

What flowed into Nozomu were what could be called remnants of memories.

The souls of Nozomu, Lisa, and Ken were connected, and he was only glimpsing a part of each of their memories.

The pasts of the three, shown one after another, floated up and disappeared like a revolving lantern.

Watching the scene, Nozomu felt as if his chest were clogged.

Nostalgia and sorrow, hatred and love.

Everything was nostalgic, everything was infuriating, everything was sad, and only emotions welled up from his chest.

Eventually, everything reflected before his eyes disappeared, and the jet-black space returned.

But unlike the darkness before, something was reflected in Nozomu's eyes. Something was stretched over the space painted black like a spider's web.

 

"This is... a chain?"

 

When he strained his eyes, he saw that the chain was clad in a faint light. But the amount was extraordinary.

Just how many chains were there in this place? The shining chains, stretched out in every direction, covered the jet-black space far into the distance.

 

"Just how far does this go? Huh? But this chain is..."

 

Upon closer inspection, the chain was somehow familiar. The ability suppression chain that had been binding Nozomu's body for several years. It was exactly the same as that.

 

"My own power... huh."

 

Is it beyond this?

The voices of Zonne and the others had disappeared at some point, and Nozomu's murmur melted into the jet-black darkness.

There was no point in thinking. He couldn't save Lisa by staying here.

Nozomu made up his mind and tried to push through the shining chains and move deeper.

But the moment Nozomu laid his hand on the chain, it seemed to emit a particularly large light and trembled as if pulsing.

The next moment, the chains that had been stretched out in the air all flew towards Nozomu at once and began to wrap around his body.

 

"Wh-What?! Gah!?"

 

The chains tightened around his body with a creaking sound. Breath leaked from Nozomu's mouth.

Nozomu reflexively reached for the chains wrapped around his body. He struggled to remove the suddenly tightening chains, but at that moment, a voice echoed in his mind, and Nozomu couldn't help but stop his hand.

 

I'm sorry...

 

A weakened voice, clearly different from Tiamat's. The owner of that voice came to mind, and Nozomu couldn't help but look up at the empty space.

 

"This voice is... Lisa?"

 

Nozomu was surprised by Lisa's voice that echoed in his head. At the same time, the figure of Lisa, hugging her knees with her face down and sobbing, was reflected before his eyes.

 

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

 

"Lisa! Hey!"

 

Lisa continued to utter words of apology. As Nozomu raised his voice, Lisa's body, which had her face down, twitched.

Lisa raised her face timidly and looked around. But it seemed she couldn't see Nozomu's figure, as there was no sign of her noticing his presence.

She looked around restlessly and let out a disappointed voice.

 

Haha, I can hear Nozomu's voice... Have I gone crazy...

 

A hoarse voice. A haggard smile appeared on Lisa's face. Her face, pale and exhausted, looked as if the shadow of death were upon it.

 

But it's fine. Even if it's a phantom, it's fine. Because I got to hear Nozomu's voice one last time...

 

Along with Lisa's sad, yet somehow satisfied smile, her figure began to blur.

Lisa's figure, disappearing into the darkness as if sugar were dissolving in water. Beyond that darkness, something was curling its lips.

Countless crimson eyes appeared in the darkness. Those eyes were watching the disappearing Lisa with satisfaction.

It was undoubtedly Abyss Grief, trying to absorb Lisa.

In the midst of those countless gazes, Lisa curled her body up like a baby and tightly clutched her hands to her chest. As if to never let go of something precious.

Was it Nozomu's words from before, or was it the memories of the happy times she had spent with him?

Nozomu couldn't fathom her heart. All he knew was that Lisa's spirit, which had been preserving itself by closing her heart, had completely given up resisting.

 

"Lisa! Hold on! If this keeps up...!"

 

But at the end... I wanted to properly apologize.

 

The last remaining regret at the moment of her death leaked from Lisa's mouth. Her figure had already almost completely dissolved into the darkness.

 

For not being able to believe in you... I'm sorry.

 

The moment those words echoed in his ears, Nozomu's spirit, which had been on the verge of paralysis, came back to life at once.

He raised his fist and punched his own cheek as if to fire himself up.

A white light flashed before his eyes, and while feeling a numbing pain, Nozomu glared at the chains before him.

 

"Guuuuh! Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"

 

He shouted from the bottom of his stomach, reached out his hands, and grabbed the chains stretched out before him with all his might.

The next moment, the grabbed chain pulsed, and a faint light instantly became an intense flash, filling the jet-black space.

 

"Wh-What!?"

 

Ignoring the bewildered Nozomu, the intricately intertwined chains instantly came undone and raced through the air with a violent screeching sound.

 

Gih! Giuuuuaaa!

 

The chains, flying while tearing through the darkness with an intense flash. The darkness and crimson eyes that had enveloped Nozomu's surroundings trembled in fear, and one after another, they were torn apart by the flying chains, screaming as they were torn to pieces and disappeared.

Eventually, after eradicating all the darkness that had filled the surroundings, the shining chains concentrated on a single point in the air. It was like a school of sharks rushing for their prey.

Eventually, a sound like shattering glass echoed, and a crack appeared in space.

As the chains, racing to fly out, jumped into the crack, they pulled Nozomu's body and led him to the crack that had formed in the air.

 

"Uwah! What? What's happening?!"

 

Nozomu, suddenly lifted into the air, let out a cry of surprise.

What he saw in the depths of the torn crack was a world covered by a meat wall, and in it, the figure of Ken Notice, or rather, Ken Abyss Grief, with his eyes wide open. Beside him was the figure of Lisa, looking down inside a black sphere.

 

"You! How did you escape our fangs!"

 

A gaze was directed at Nozomu, who had landed on the meat floor. In those eyes, surprise and a slight fear could be felt.

 

Perhaps it was because he had glimpsed Ken's memories. At the sight of Ken, who had sought Lisa even to the point of becoming a monster, an indescribable emotion welled up in the depths of Nozomu's chest.

But still...

His master had made him realize he was running away, and his comrades had taught him the courage to move forward.

Save Lisa. This time, he would fulfill his promise!

With that determination in his heart, Nozomu raced towards the person he had to save.

As Nozomu picked up the "Mumei" katana that had fallen on the floor and ran, a single tear flowed from the eyes of Lisa, who had been wearing a vacant expression.

-----

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