Tuesday, September 30, 2025

[WN] A Hero From a Remote Village : Chapter 35


Chapter 35

The Real Ogre


Translator : PolterGlast


After running at full speed for about five minutes.

I feel like it's been a while since I've gone all out, but thanks to that, I managed to get the horde of Lesser Ogres in my sights before the adventurers ahead were killed.

 

And just behind them, I can also sense the reaction of the Ogre horde I detected yesterday.

Combined, the two groups number about eighty in total.

 

"Somehow, we managed to catch up to the adventurers before the Ogres in the back joined them."

"...T-too fasht! I-I thought I was gonna die!!"

 

Aoi, who was on my back, started lightly tapping my head, but honestly, I don't have time for her right now.

First, I set down Ginia, whom I was carrying in my arms, and then I set down Aoi, who was clinging to my back.

 

"Are you okay, Ginia?"

"Y-yesh. I'm okay!"

 

She seemed a little dizzy, but Ginia stood on her own two feet and readied her sword.

Seeing that she's still motivated even after seeing that horde of Lesser Ogres, it might be a good idea to let her fight until the real Ogres arrive.

 

For now—I need to get the adventurers ahead to leave this place.

If the main force of Ogres from the rear joins them, they'll be killed in an instant, and I want to avoid having to fight while protecting them.

 

"Hey! Can you hear me! You adventurers, turn back immediately! There's a horde of Ogres coming from behind you!"

 

I shouted a warning at the top of my lungs, but not a single one of them listened, continuing to fight with the horde of Lesser Ogres.

There were twelve adventurers in total.

 

There are probably three parties of four, but they're up against more than forty Lesser Ogres.

It seems they've managed to defeat only four of them, but adventurers who've only managed four kills after more than ten minutes of fighting will be a serious burden.

I want them to move so that I don't have to let a single one of them die, but my voice is being ignored.

 

"This is my final warning! I can't guarantee your lives if you stay here any longer!"

 

After I shouted that, one of the men finally turned to look at me.

The moment he saw my face, his mouth dropped open in surprise, and then he immediately shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.

 

"Hey! It's that one-armed geezer rookie! ...Hm? Pfft, ahahaha! A rookie adventurer is giving us a warning! We're really being looked down on!"

"Don't pay him too much mind. I heard he got promoted to E-rank recently, so he's probably just in that phase where he's getting cocky. Focus on the fight, there are a lot of Ogres."

"A-a cocky phase! Ugh... Kahaha! My stomach hurts! He's an old man, isn't it a bit too late for him to be having a cocky phase! I can't fight from laughing, so seriously, just go home!"

 

The healer adventurer started laughing mockingly.

I really thought about just going home, but I can't just abandon them for being made fun of.

 

"G-grrr! What is with him! That dopey-faced healer! Forget the Ogres, I'll be the one to knock him flat!"

"Calm down, Ginia. The Ogres from the rear are about to come into view. As long as they're not complete idiots, they'll learn their lesson as soon as they see how strong those Ogres are."

 

I really wanted them to escape before the main Ogre force joined the battle, but if they don't understand the danger they're in, it can't be helped.

I overlooked their rudeness and waited a bit until the main Ogre force came into view.

 

The first to show a change were the Lesser Ogres who were fighting the adventurers.

They suddenly stopped fighting and began to push forward all at once, forcing their way ahead even while taking attacks.

 

The adventurers took this strange behavior from the Lesser Ogres as a chance to attack, but then the main Ogre force, faintly visible in the distance, seemed to come into their view.

A single glance is all it takes to know that these are a different breed of monster from what they've been fighting so far.

 

In contrast to the flabby, simply large Lesser Ogres, these had muscular, well-trained bodies.

They were also 1.5 times the size of the Lesser Ogres, and I could see chunks of flesh from various creatures stuck to the steel clubs in their hands.

This rear Ogre horde was primarily composed of Red Ogres, and I could even see a Flame Ogre at the very back.

 

"W-what are these monsters that just reek of danger...!?"

"We have to run, we have to run. B-but, c-can we even escape?"

 

The adventurers showed blatant fear the moment they saw them.

The fact that they understand the difference in strength and aren't just charging in recklessly is, at least, a good thing.

 

"That's why I told you to run. Those are real Ogres. It's presumptuous to even call the monsters in front of us Ogres; they're Lesser Ogres."

"Those are Ogres...? I've n-never seen or heard of monsters like that!!"

"Just get out of here. You'll be in the way of the fight."

"E-even if you say run, the Ogres behind us are in the way..."

 

When I looked back, the Ogres that had been forcefully advancing without a care for the attacks had now turned around and were blocking the way.

The Lesser Ogres would hold them in place, and the main Ogre force would crush them from behind.

This must be this Ogre horde's winning strategy.

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[WN] Dragon Chain Ori : Volume 7 Chapter 21 [Re-Translation]

This is a re-translation.

Volume 7 Chapter 21

 

A story from a long, long time ago.

In a mountain valley dyed by the sunset, two dragons were facing each other.

Michael and Tiamat.

The dragon, clad in jet-black scales reminiscent of the night, looked down with a pained expression, and while furtively glancing at Michael, she began to speak.

 

"Michael. I'm going to stay here after all."

 

"Why? You were told to come back to the village, weren't you?"

 

"..."

 

"I'm staying here." Hearing those words, Michael let out a sigh as if to say, "I knew it."

 

"Is it about those humans?"

 

"Yeah. Right now, those people are suffering. Because of the recent drought, they can't grow many crops."

 

"Didn't you solve that problem, Tet? Although, you misjudged the amount of power once and created a sea of trees."

 

"I haven't been able to use my power in a way that takes root in that land. I'm a failure, after all... You knew that, right, Michael?"

 

The humans Tiamat had saved before. To save them, who were suffering from famine in a barren land, Tiamat had used her power to make the crops grow.

Although she had made a mistake in the amount of power and had created a sea of trees, the villagers, who had been on the verge of death, had apparently escaped their immediate predicament.

However, even if she had temporarily activated the power of the land with her own, she was a black dragon. It was difficult to completely restore the power of the land with only the power that governed darkness.

 

"...I don't recommend interfering with the humans in the buffer zone, you know? Besides, if you're going to save the humans who live in this barren land with little spirit power, it will take a considerable amount of time. You understand what that means, right?"

 

At the heavy words spoken from Michael's mouth, Tiamat looked down.

Basically, it was rare for the dragon race to go outside their own domains.

The buffer zone was originally a place established near the border of the domains governed by each dragon race, and no dragon stayed in this place for long.

Above all, Tiamat and the others had been ordered to return to their respective villages. To defy this was the same as abandoning their village.

 

"There's no point in me being back at the village. But it seems the people here need me..."

 

With sadness in her eyes, Tiamat looked up at the sky. At her sorrowful expression, Michael bit his lip.

From her birth, Tiamat had been an outcast in her village.

She had no parents. She was a heretical dragon that had suddenly appeared in the black dragon village.

The dragon race, which possessed the highest level of power among the spirit species yet had a physical body, could inevitably only increase their numbers by mating with dragons of the same species and producing offspring.

But at the same time, by inheriting the knowledge and power of their parents, the children could become stronger and wiser.

However, Tiamat had no parents and no power or knowledge to inherit. She was a failure who was not good at using the power of the spirits and could not even control it properly.

It did not take long for such a heretical Tiamat to be ostracized from the village, and her birth further spurred her exclusion.

Of course, there were dragons who had worried about her, who had no relatives. The pair of black dragons who became Tiamat's foster parents had taken in the young her and had raised her diligently along with their own child.

But still, the gazes of those around her, who looked at her from a distance, had never changed.

 

"You have no intention of going back, huh?"

 

"Yeah, I've already decided. I'm clumsy and stupid, but I can't just leave those people."

 

Her face, as she had decided to leave her hometown, showed a hint of loneliness, but in her eyes, there was a strong light of will.

 

"...I'm sorry, Michael."

 

In front of Michael, who had worried about her, Tiamat looked down apologetically.

In the depths of Tiamat's eyes, which had been shining with a strong will, a slight color of desolation was mixed.

 

"...I understand."

 

The moment he saw that color, Michael had spoken such words.

 

"Michael?"

 

"I'll go with you. If you're alone, Tet, you might misjudge the amount of power and get into a lot of trouble."

 

At the bewildered expression on the anxious Tiamat's face, Michael's cheeks couldn't help but relax.

At the same time, something hot was pushing up from the depths of his chest.

 

"...Is that okay?"

 

"Father is telling me to come back, but I can't just leave you alone, Tet. Besides, I'm the same in that I don't have a place to belong either..."

 

Although he inherited the blood of the chief who led the clan, Michael had always been compared to his excellent older brother.

And before he knew it, everyone had stopped seeing him as Michael.

In the line of sight directed at him, there was always the figure of his excellent older brother.

It wasn't that Michael himself disliked his brother. He respected him, and he had been treated with care.

But the gazes of pity that were always directed at him from those around him had always been piercing his heart.

Am I just a substitute for my brother?

If I'm just a substitute, then is there no meaning in me being here?

Such questions had gradually swelled, and before he knew it, they had turned into a suspicion towards himself, those around him, and everything.

A jealousy and resignation that was frayed and on the verge of bursting. What had healed his heart, which could have burst at any moment, was his childhood friend in front of him.

 

"Everyone, please..."

 

"What are you doing...?"

 

A meeting with each dragon race held in the buffer zone. The one who had been brought there as the daughter of a high-ranking official on the black dragon side was Tiamat.

While the adults were having their meeting, they had been introduced to each other as a "face-to-face meeting."

 

"Eh? Ahhh! It's gone..."

 

When they met, she had been trying to let her own power blend into the atmosphere and synchronize with it.

Although it was the very basics of performing spirit magic, such a thing was originally not necessary for the dragon race.

They, who were of the same nature as spirits from birth, could convey their intentions to the surrounding spirits with just their thoughts and use them as their own hands and feet. It was something that could be called an instinct for the dragon race.

But the black dragon in front of Michael couldn't even do what could be done by instinct.

 

"Ugh, I was so close..."

 

"...H-Hah. It can't be helped."

 

Driven by an indescribable guilt in front of the young her, who was looking down with teary eyes, he had diligently accompanied Tiamat's practice until the meeting was over.

At first, it was just because she was so clumsy that he couldn't leave her alone. But after spending some time with her, his frayed heart had naturally calmed down.

It was some time after that encounter that he had heard that Tiamat had become able to use spirit magic.

That was the beginning of the two of them.

 

"I want to see that too. I want to see what this country that you and I are trying to create will become..."

 

"...Thank you, Michael."

 

A smile she had shown shyly. There would surely be hard times. But if they were together, they would surely be able to overcome them.

Filled with such feelings, the two of them smiled.

This was a story from a long, long time ago. A faint memory of a time when they had believed in their own future without a doubt.

 

***

 

Irisdina and the others, running through the forest that had fallen into the darkness of night. Next to them, an old man with a white beard was running alongside them.

 

"So, you dragons were searching for Tiamat, who had escaped from her seal?"

 

"That's right. A few months ago, we tracked the one who escaped from the sealed world and ended up in this city. Well, I was also surprised when I saw the brat who was fine even after taking in Tiamat."

 

To the question that Irisdina had casually thrown, Zonne answered without a pause.

The old man who had suddenly appeared in the infirmary with a flash of light. He had bowed his head to Irisdina and the others and had pleaded, "Please lend me your strength."

They had not been able to grasp the situation at all. Furthermore, the old man had declared that he was a dragon who had now disappeared from the continent, and that he had been watching over Tiamat, who had escaped from her seal.

Of course, they couldn't just believe the words of an unknown old man.

Mimuru was directing a suspicious gaze at Zonne, and Mars was openly saying that he couldn't believe it.

But Irisdina and the others were told that a crisis was approaching Nozomu, and from Zonne's unusual state, they had judged that it was no ordinary matter. They had prioritized joining up with Nozomu for the time being.

Norn, who had been with them in the infirmary, was not here now. As a person who could get through to Jihad, she was to report the situation to him and then join up with them immediately.

 

"Honestly, I have a mountain of things I want to ask you..."

 

"I'm sure you do. Since things have come to this, I can't just keep quiet. But please wait for now. We have to stop Azel as soon as possible."

 

While looking down apologetically, Zonne ran through the dark forest at a quick pace.

 

"By the way, to think even Jihad-sensei was in on it..."

 

"To act in secret in the human world, a collaborator like Jihad-dono is absolutely necessary."

 

Norn, who had been with Irisdina and the others in the infirmary, was now on her way to talk to Jihad.

Since the situation was what it was, she had thought that the power of Jihad and the others would also be necessary to resolve the matter.

There was also the reason that Norn, as a teacher, was the most suitable person to get through to Jihad and the others.

 

"Azel's objective is to re-seal Tiamat. For that, she probably intends to use the dragon-sealing barrier that I have placed around this city."

 

"A dragon-sealing barrier? Is there such a thing?"

 

"Yes. It's a barrier magic specifically for Tiamat. It was originally something I had set up as insurance, but with that trump card, Azel probably decided to face her head-on."

 

A dragon-sealing barrier. It was a magic that only sealed the power of a dragon, a fellow clan member.

It was a forbidden art that the dragon race had devised to surely purge their own kind.

Irisdina and the others, who had no idea that such a thing existed in the city they lived in, could not hide their surprise in unison.

 

"This is it... The dragon-sealing barrier that I set up is here. It seems Azel has also left traces of having used a spell."

 

While at a loss for words, Irisdina and the others continued to walk. Eventually, they came out to a place with a clear view.

 

"This is..."

 

The place the old man had guided them to was the ruins of a goblin settlement that Irisdina had also visited before.

That settlement, which had been occupied by orcs and had been completely ruined by Nozomu's rampage, looked strangely distorted in the forest that had sunk into darkness.

At the scenery, which was like looking through a cloudy glass, Irisdina and the others had suspicious expressions.

 

"Azel and the brat are now in a different space with a different phase. I will open a path to it."

 

After casually saying that, Zonne stretched both his hands into the air. Then, a faint light leaked from his hands and spread as if melting into the air.

While looking at that scene, Irisdina and the others were directing a meaningful gaze at the old man in front of them.

They knew that Zonne was a dragon. However, there were still a mountain of things they wanted to ask.

Although they hadn't had the luxury of thinking while running, now that they had stopped, they couldn't help but be curious.

In the midst of a subtle atmosphere, the one who broke the ice was Mars.

 

"So, if Azel's objective is Tiamat, what's the reason she's so fixated on her?"

 

Zonne's shoulders twitched.

For a while, Zonne had continued to interfere with the barrier in silence, but eventually, he dropped his shoulders as if he had given in and began to speak.

 

"Azel thinks that Tiamat is the enemy of her father... the one who was called Michael, my son."

 

"Her father's enemy?"

 

At Mars's confirming voice, Zonne gave a small nod.

For some reason, his back seemed to have become smaller.

 

"Michael and Tiamat were what you would call childhood friends. It's a long story, though..."

 

A flat tone. But at the edge of that voice, a color of regret could be discerned.

Although they wanted to know the details, unfortunately, they were short on time now.

And before he could question Zonne, the fluctuation in the space in front of them grew a step larger.

 

"...Either way, the possibility of a clash with that Azel is high."

 

While tapping the gauntlet on his hand, Mars shrugged his shoulders. Everyone nodded as if in agreement with that one word.

As Mars said, Azel was the type to try and seal Tiamat even if it meant shaking off Zonne, who was an observer.

If they were to proceed like this, it would be inevitable that they would clash with her.

Naturally, Mars's expression was becoming tense. At that moment, a listless voice was suddenly heard from beside Mars.

 

"What's with the serious face? Are you getting scared?"

 

Feo, with a mischievous grin, was provoking Mars, shouldering his beloved staff.

 

"Well, you were beaten to a pulp by Nozomu when he lost his mind before, so it can't be helped if you've lost your confidence. You seem to be doing something with Tom recently, but I haven't heard anything good about your magic-ki combination technique, so it's probably not going well~."

 

Despite the situation, the mischievous fox was peering into Mars's face with his thread-like eyes, and was deliberately dragging out the end of his sentences to provoke him.

At Feo's sudden provocation, a vein popped on Mars's temple.

For Mars as well, the memory of being one-sidedly trampled by the rampaging Nozomu in this forest before was still fresh.

Although he had been relieved that things had turned out alright in the end, at the same time, it was also an event that had made him painfully aware of his own lack of power.

 

"Umm, umm..."

 

At the sight of the two, who had suddenly started to emit an unsettling atmosphere, Tima, who was beside them, began to get flustered.

 

"...You're saying that, but what about you?"

 

"Well, I also had my own thoughts. Various things, you know..."

 

Mars, who was glaring back with a sullen expression, and Feo, who was shrugging his shoulders.

They were both the same in that they had been painfully aware of their powerlessness. They did not say anything more, and just stared at the shimmering space in front of them.

The tense tension remained the same. But the two of them, who were standing shoulder to shoulder, were somehow exuding a strange sense of security.

 

"Eh? Eh? Eh?"

 

On the other hand, Tima, who had been completely left behind, could only fidget behind the two.

While Mars and Feo were exuding a strange atmosphere, Zonne's formula was spreading into the air.

Eventually, a hole like a wormhole opened up in the air, and eventually, it widened to be large enough for several people to enter. Beyond it, a scenery like a glasswork that had lost its color could be seen.

 

"Alright, a hole has opened. With this, we can enter... Mmph!"

 

Zonne's expression, who had been opening the hole, twisted as if he had bitten into a bitter bug. The next moment, a strong wind blew out from the other side of the hole.

It was not a natural wind. It was a gust of wind caused by the explosion of a strong power.

 

"This seems to have turned into a bad situation..."

 

"! Let's hurry!"

 

"Yes, Big Sister!"

 

"I know."

 

An unusual situation was already beginning. Irisdina, Shina, and Somia, whose eyes had widened at that fact, reflexively jumped out and into the hole.

 

"Fox, hurry up!"

 

"Yes, yes. I know, muscle-bound oaf!"

 

"H-Hey, wait for me, you two~!"

 

Following the three girls, Mars and Feo jumped into the hole, and Tima also hurriedly followed after them, not wanting to be left behind.

 

"Mimuru! Hurry!"

 

"Roger~! Tom, hold on tight!"

 

"Hey!"

 

Furthermore, Mimuru charged in, carrying Tom. Before Zonne could stop them, everyone present had jumped into Azel's sealed world.

Incidentally, Mimuru had charged in while carrying Tom in a princess carry.

 

"Ah, you fools! Young ladies, wait!"

 

Finally, Zonne followed after them in a panic.

Eventually, Irisdina and the others came out to an open place.

But it was not a naturally spread-out clearing.

Around them, large trees that had been broken in half were scattered, and there were gouged-out marks here and there on the ground.

Perhaps due to the release of a strong energy, some of the fallen trees were charred and carbonized.

A scene as if a whirlwind of extreme flames had raged.

It was clearly not a tragic scene that could be thought to have been caused by a human.

 

"This is..."

 

Irisdina and the others were at a loss for words for a moment. At that moment, something crimson came into the corner of their vision.

Wondering what it was, Irisdina peeked, and in a gap in the fallen trees, she saw Lisa, crouching with her face twisted in pain.

 

"! Lisa-kun, are you okay?"

 

"Ugh, cough, cough!"

 

As Lisa coughed, a red liquid scattered from her mouth.

Her complexion was ashen, and she had no color in her face at all. She was clearly seriously injured.

 

"This is bad! We need to heal her immediately!"

 

"Y-Yeah!"

 

"Got it."

 

Mars and Feo carried Lisa's body out from the gap in the trees, and the three of them, Irisdina, Tima, and Shina, cast a recovery magic on her.

A gentle light enveloped Lisa's body. However, Lisa did not move an inch.

 

"No good, it has almost no effect!"

 

"Kuh... Are her internal organs damaged? She's quite weakened!"

 

At Lisa's unchanged ashen complexion, Irisdina and the others let out voices of impatience.

Perhaps her internal organs had been deeply wounded, as she had lost more life force than expected.

Recovery magic heals wounds by activating the injured person's life force, but if the person themselves is weakened, it will not have a sufficient effect.

At this rate, Lisa would die of weakness before her wounds could heal.

Such a tension began to fill the space between the three of them. At that moment, Lisa's lips moved slightly.

 

"Hmm?"

 

"...me, n."

 

While being careful not to let the recovery magic be cut off, Irisdina listened to her groan.

 

"I'm sor... ry... Nozo, mu."

 

What she heard was an apology to Nozomu.

Even while having lost consciousness and being on the verge of death, she was just continuing to utter words to her former beloved.

 

"For not being able to... believe in you... I'm sor... ry..."

 

Her plea, even smaller than the rustling of the wind. At those words, Irisdina's heart was uncontrollably stirred.

A pain as if her heart were being squeezed in a vise.

Her lips were naturally sealed tight, and if anything, she wanted to slap that ashen face and shower her with insults.

At the same time, she felt a revulsion at herself for thinking such a filthy thing.

Although she had been trying to think only of Nozomu until just before, her ugly jealousy was so quickly invading her heart.

Irisdina turned her gaze to Shina, who was continuing to use recovery magic in front of her.

The elf girl, while frowning at Lisa's worsening condition, was desperately continuing to use magic to heal her body.

In her eyes, there were no negative emotions such as jealousy or pity at all. She was just desperately struggling to save the life in front of her.

At her overly pure figure, Irisdina was impressed, and at the same time, she was made aware of her own pettiness.

 

(I'm still as pathetic as ever... but)

 

But she would no longer be trapped by that heart.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

 

"Phew..."

 

It was true that there were times when she would belittle herself as an ugly person. She could not think of him as purely as Shina, nor could she completely suppress the rage that welled up against Lisa.

Every time she became aware of her own desires, she was tormented by an indescribable sense of inferiority. Because she was just like those nobles she had detested.

Still, when she closed her eyes, the figure of him, smiling with a troubled look, came to the back of her eyelids.

The first boy of the opposite sex she had been able to open her heart to. Just that alone made the turmoil in her chest grow calm.

Before she knew it, the mud that had been stagnating in the depths of her chest had been completely washed away.

 

"Cough, cough!"

 

"! This is bad, her pulse is getting weaker!"

 

From Lisa's coughing mouth, red things scattered again, and Irisdina's consciousness was suddenly pulled back to reality.

She fired up her consciousness, which had been on the verge of relaxing, and poured all her magic power into the formula.

There were certainly complicated feelings. But for now, she wanted Lisa to live. For Nozomu's sake as well.

But as if to betray her feelings, from the palm of her hand that was touching her, Lisa's body temperature was gradually being lost.

 

"Kuh! Get a grip! What do you think Nozomu will think if you die here! Are you planning on throwing him back into the depths of despair again!?"

 

She raised her voice as if pleading, but her life was surely fading.

They couldn't save her with their own power. Just as she was about to be swallowed by that awareness, a person suddenly called out to her. It was Zonne.

 

"I will take over."

 

Zonne cut in between Irisdina and the others and held out his hand.

A deployed white magic circle. The elemental essence that had overflowed from the old man's body was poured into Lisa's body through the magic circle.

Then, Lisa's complexion, which had been ashen until just before, gradually began to regain its color.

 

"I am directly converting my elemental essence into life force and giving it to her, while also healing the wounds on her internal organs. With this, she should wake up in a few minutes."

 

"That's amazing, old man..."

 

"I can't have her die on me. By the way, where is the brat..."

 

At his overwhelming skill, Mars let out a cry of admiration. But Zonne, without any particular concern, immediately began to look around.

A gray world, devoid of life. Nozomu and Azel should have been here, but...

 

"Ooooooooooh!"

 

The next moment, a scream echoed through the gray forest.

At the same time, a gust of wind raged, and the ground shook with a thunderous boom.

 

"Kuh!"

 

"What, an earthquake!?"

 

Furthermore, from the depths of the lush trees, a light that could burn the eyes burst forth.

Zonne, who had seen that light, twisted his expression as if he had bitten into a bitter bug.

 

"...It seems the dragon-sealing barrier has been activated."

 

"Was it that Azel?"

 

"No, this is..."

 

The activation of the dragon-sealing barrier. If one were to believe Zonne's words, that meant that Nozomu had been captured by Azel.

If Azel's objective was to seal Tiamat, then Nozomu would not get away unscathed either.

At the increasingly desperate situation, a deep color of impatience appeared on the faces of Irisdina and the others.

 

"Irisdina-san and the others, please go to Nozomu-kun. The old man and I will look after Lisa-san."

 

"Tom-kun..."

 

"Sorry. I can't move until this young lady's treatment is finished. Just buy me a few minutes, somehow."

 

"B-But..."

 

The words of Tom and Zonne, urging them to go on ahead.

Irisdina, as if she had hesitated for a moment, turned her gaze to the fallen Lisa.

But she immediately raised her face and looked straight into the depths of the forest.

 

"...Understood. Please take care of her. Somia, you will stay here with Zonne-dono."

 

"B-But..."

 

"Anri-sensei is not here this time. It is safer to stay here."

 

While harboring a slight hesitation and impatience in her chest, Irisdina admonished Somia and stood up, looking at the depths of the forest where she had seen the light.

 

"Mimuru, don't do anything reckless."

 

"I know. It's okay!"

 

"Mars-kun too..."

 

"Yeah, I won't do anything reckless with no chance of winning."

 

"Young lady, take this."

 

"Eh? Kya!"

 

From the back of Irisdina, who was about to run off, Zonne had thrown something.

When she checked what she had caught in a hurry, it was a hexagonal crystal as clear as quartz.

On its surface, a geometric pattern was densely carved, and that pattern was somehow very similar to the multiple formation formula that the old man in front of her used.

 

"What's this?"

 

"What, it's a kind of... amulet to protect you all. If Azel starts to mess with you, trying to stop the brat, you should throw it at her. It should buy you some time. Azel is a young girl, but her power is by no means something that can be ignored. It's like a charm, but it's better than nothing."

 

"Is it really effective?"

 

"I've used a part of my soul in it. It's a hastily made item, but I guarantee its effectiveness to some extent."

 

"A part of your soul... are you okay?"

 

He was not okay. If they were in the category of spirits, they might be okay compared to humans. But they were also beings who had their roots in their own souls.

If they continued to divide their own soul, not only their abilities but also their memories would be impaired. And in the worst case, they would even lose their ego and become a mere wandering existence.

But Zonne shook his head, as if to say that was fine.

 

"I don't expect to be trusted myself at this point, but I must still show my sincerity. For that, this is not something to hesitate about."

 

"...Understood. Please take care of Lisa-kun."

 

Irisdina gripped the handed-over amulet with a grave expression.

Although she had various thoughts, at the very least, this old man was trying to face Irisdina and the others with a sincere feeling.

Then, she swore in her heart again that they would do what they could to the best of their ability.

 

"And besides, the dragon-sealing barrier, due to its nature, is a barrier that has been enhanced to its limit to interfere inward. On the other hand, it is surprisingly fragile to interference from the outside. If you use that amulet skillfully, you should be able to break the dragon-sealing barrier that has been placed on the brat."

 

After nodding at Zonne's advice, Irisdina and the others ran into the depths of the forest without any hesitation.

Ahead of them was a legendary existence with a power that surpassed human knowledge, the same as that old man. While suppressing their increasingly rough breathing, Irisdina and the others hurried to Nozomu's side.

Ignoring the small branches that were slapping them, they advanced, and eventually came out to an open place.

 

"That is...!"

 

"Nozomu!?"

 

What they saw was Nozomu, who was restrained by a white light with both his eyes dyed red, and a white dragon with one wing torn and a laceration carved into its body. And a shining crystal was floating as if to cut in between the glaring Nozomu and Azel.

The moment they saw Nozomu's red-dyed eyes, a bad premonition ran down the spines of Irisdina and the others.

 

"Nozomu!? No... this killing intent is..."

 

What came to mind was the figure of Nozomu, who had almost been swallowed by Tiamat before. Remembering that scene, where he had raised his vicious blade to bury everything in his sight, Irisdina and the others couldn't help but stop in their tracks.

Furthermore, the killing intent that was being indiscriminately released from Nozomu's body to his surroundings, and the chill that was like an ice arrow being thrust into their spines, was further fanning the anxiety of Irisdina and the others.

 

"Oooooooooooooooooooooooh!"

 

Along with a scream that seemed to shake the atmosphere, an enormous amount of ki was released from Nozomu's body.

A scorching ki reminiscent of a volcano. However, the erupted power immediately scattered, and there was no effect on the formation that was restraining him.

Furthermore, from the body of Azel, who had been looking down on the restrained Nozomu, a white shining elemental essence gushed out and flowed into the crystal floating in the air.

At the same time, the light emitted by the formation that was restraining Nozomu began to shine even brighter.

A somehow ominous presence. At the same time, a magic circle that could cover the entire heavens was deployed with the crystal floating in the middle as its center, and a rumbling sound that seemed to be crawling underground began to echo.

Spurred on by a chill that was like an insect crawling up her spine, Irisdina found herself raising her voice while kneading her magic power.

 

" Stop right there!"

 

Along with the echoing loud voice, a dozen or so magic bullets and ki blasts rushed at Azel's back.

-----

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