Volume 6
Finale
"Kya!?"
Shina and the others
were hit by a sudden sensation of floating, and they felt their consciousness,
which had been connected to Nozomu just moments before, rapidly receding.
Enveloped in light, they
found themselves standing frozen in the real world.
"What in the
world..."
"I'm sorry, for
some reason the path with Nozomu-kun was suddenly cut off..."
"Hmm, it seems to
be caused by something the brat did... But that was..."
Shina and the others
were bewildered at being abruptly pulled back to reality. Zonne had his hand on
his chin, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Irisdina
and Inda were collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily, with beads of sweat
breaking out on their faces.
"Big Sister, are
you okay?"
"Hah, hah...
I-I'm... fine..."
It was likely the
effect of having been deeply synchronized with Nozomu and sharing his sense of
pain. Irisdina tried to return a smile to her worried sister, but the remnants
of the pain made her face twitch, and she couldn't smile properly.
"Inda-sensei~,
let me lend you a shoulder~"
"S-Sorry..."
Inda also mustered up
some strength and tried to stand up, but her legs were trembling like a newborn
fawn's, and she couldn't stand properly.
She finally managed to
stand by borrowing Anri's shoulder, but she couldn't put any strength in her
legs and ended up hanging from Anri.
Jihad, as expected,
was standing properly on his own two feet, but beads of cold sweat were on his
forehead, and his breathing was quite ragged.
"Indeed... It was
a pain that's unthinkable under normal circumstances. I'd rather not experience
that again..."
It seemed the pain had
taken a considerable toll on Jihad as well. His usually low, calm voice was now
slightly strained. Still, the fact that he could respond properly showed a
clear difference in "class" from the other two.
Jihad took a deep
breath once and turned a meaningful gaze towards Irisdina and the others.
"By the way, it
seems that not only this old man, but you all also have secrets from us
regarding Nozomu-kun..."
"Ugh..."
Tension ran through
Irisdina and the others as they received Jihad's piercing gaze.
Nozomu himself
harbored a troublesome existence comparable to Abyss Grief.
It was true that the
situation was still unpredictable and critical, but Irisdina and the others had
let slip words that would only arouse suspicion.
"Release of
ability suppression... was it? I've never heard of such a thing."
At Jihad's words,
Irisdina and the others felt a suffocating tightness in their chests.
While looking at their
stiff expressions, Jihad continued to press further.
"I'm also curious
about the word 'it' that the old man over there said. It seems to refer to an
existence different from Abyss Grief..."
"Hmm? Did I say
such a thing?"
Jihad glanced sideways
at Zonne.
He was clearly being
given a reproachful look, but Zonne was looking off in another direction as if
it were a gentle breeze, whistling a tune.
Perhaps giving up on
getting information from the old man, Jihad turned his gaze back to Irisdina
and the others.
"Won't you tell
me?"
"If Nozomu-kun
allows it, but... We can't speak on our own authority."
Neither Jihad nor
Irisdina and the others changed their expressions, their eyes locked on each
other.
Silence flowed between
them.
Jihad turned his gaze
from Irisdina and the others, who showed no signs of backing down, and looked
at Anri, who also seemed to know the situation, but she too just smiled cheerfully
and showed no signs of responding.
Faced with a situation
where he was completely shut out, Jihad honestly felt like sighing.
He considered forcing
it out of them, but his personnel were scarce, and the die had already been
cast. In this current situation, Irisdina and the others were valuable assets,
and it was not desirable to needlessly buy their dissatisfaction or resentment.
"But he's not an
enemy of the academy."
"So it would
seem. At the very least, he doesn't seem to have the dexterous personality to
pull off such an elaborate scheme."
Although his time with
Nozomu was short, Jihad somehow knew that he was not the type of person who
excelled at scheming.
Nozomu Bountis, at the
very least, did not have a personality that would show off his power. Jihad
didn't know what his power was, but the troublesome ones would be the people
around who would start making a fuss upon learning of its existence.
"...Well, it
can't be helped. I'll try asking him later."
In any case, the most
important thing now was to deal with Abyss Grief. Renewing his focus, he turned
to face the deployed Predation Barrier.
Irisdina and the
others let out a sigh of relief that Jihad's questioning had ended, and like
him, they turned their eyes to the Predation Barrier.
The barrier, with its
sickening colors, was still deployed. There was no change in its appearance.
"Is nothing
happening?"
"No, that's
unlikely. It seems the brat did something at the end..."
As if in response to
Zonne's words, a change appeared in the barrier.
The entire barrier
pulsed as if it were trembling, and its surface began to writhe.
The Predation Barrier,
flickering and continuing to tremble as if in fear. Witnessing this, Jihad
slowly readied his "Jaw-Breaker."
"It's
begun..."
"Tima."
"Yeah, I
know."
Following Jihad, Mars
and Tima took their stances. Ki and magic power began to converge on their
respective weapons.
What they would
unleash was pure ki and magic power. They didn't particularly favor any
attribute.
What was needed was
pure breaking power. To pierce through the thick wall of the Predation Barrier
and create a single path for Nozomu and the others trapped inside.
The air around them
began to scream as the power was condensed into a single point.
"Guuuh!"
"Mars-kun... are
you okay?"
Mars, who was trying
to use the advanced Magic-Ki Combination Technique that requires a high degree
of control, grimaced. Sweat was also beading on the forehead of Tima, who was
concerned about him.
"Y-Yeah. I'm
fine. I'll do it!"
Mars hadn't used this
technique since it went out of control during the special comprehensive
exercise. He had learned firsthand that it was still beyond him.
Since then, Mars had
been practicing the control of magic, which he was not good at, with Tima.
Still, he had not yet
reached the point where he could completely control this Magic-Ki Combination
Technique. But he had decided to unseal this technique here and now to save his
friend.
"...Here I
go!"
"Yes!"
"Anytime you're
ready!"
With Jihad's call,
everyone synchronized their breathing and swung their weapons at once. The next
moment, the unleashed power bared its fangs at the Predation Barrier all at
once.
The torrent of
released power gouged the ground and pierced the Predation Barrier like a spear.
A flash of light burst
with a roar.
As their vision was
blocked by the rising cloud of dust, Irisdina and the others suppressed their
impatience and stared intently at the other side of the dust cloud.
***
Inside the Predation
Barrier, enveloped by the wall of flesh, Ken and Nozomu faced each other for a
third time.
As Ken raised his
transformed right arm, the black minions appeared from the wall of flesh again.
"ENOUGH OF
THIS...!"
With their single red
eyes glittering, the minions leaped at Nozomu at once.
But Nozomu, ignoring
the demonic beasts that were rushing towards him like a tsunami, slammed the
last of his ki into his feet and accelerated further.
In addition to the
excessive use of ki, the damage inflicted on his body and spirit erupted at
once, and Nozomu's body was hit by a sudden wave of fatigue.
His vision darkened at
once. It was impossible to break through those minions in this state.
In this desperate
situation, Nozomu had unconsciously thrust out his right arm.
The next moment, what
jumped into Ken's eyes was the sight of shining white chains shooting out from
Nozomu's right arm in all directions and piercing the wall of flesh.
"Gyagaaa!"
"Gugueee..."
Letting out cries of
anguish, the figures of the black minions crumbled like mud dolls.
Furthermore, from the
places where the chains had pierced, the reddish-black wall of flesh began to
peel off one after another.
The crumbling pieces
of the wall of flesh turned gray and crumbled into sand before disappearing.
"WH-WHAT IS
THIS?!"
The Predation Barrier,
which should have been eroding and devouring its opponent, was instead being
erased by Nozomu's chains.
Ken's face showed
confusion at the situation unfolding before him. But he immediately realized
the cause and slammed his fierce killing intent into Nozomu.
"YOU
BASTARD...!"
He raised his right
arm, which was integrated with the segmented sword, and put in enough force to
leave not even a piece of flesh behind, swinging it down at Nozomu.
The segmented sword,
whipping through the air, closed in to sink its fangs, but still, Nozomu did
not stop.
Nozomu could no longer
evade Ken's "Crawling Serpent's Fang," nor did he have a way to
defend against it. He had no choice but to break through.
The moment it seemed
the jet-black snake would slice through Nozomu's body, a light burst forth.
A chain of light
wrapped around Ken's right arm. The swarm of chains that had been ravaging the
Predation Barrier had changed their direction and begun to rush towards Ken.
"M-my power...
Gaaah!"
The moment he was
entangled in the shining chains, power rapidly drained from Ken's body.
The segmented sword
faded in color. The "Crawling Serpent's Fang," which had been
emitting an intimidating pressure that could freeze one's spine, eventually
crumbled like a clod of earth and returned to a reddish-black, ugly right arm.
And in that time,
Nozomu had closed the distance to be right in front of Ken.
"You! Gah!"
Nozomu's fist sank
deep into Ken's stomach.
Before a mere human
punch, which should have been no more than a mosquito bite, the being who
should have obtained the power of an overwhelming demonic beast folded over.
Bent into a V-shape, a
returning hook slammed into Ken's jaw-dropped cheek.
Ken's neck was whipped
to the side as if it had been pulled out. Nozomu, having swung through with his
fist, did a full turn. A roundhouse kick with even more momentum assaulted
Ken's neck.
"Bugah!"
Ken's neck was twisted
again. Nozomu's momentum did not stop. Having swung his leg through, Nozomu
added another rotation, and his elbow sank deep into the side of the staggering
Ken.
"Gegaaa!"
The impact once again
ravaged Ken's internal organs, and Ken's face stiffened as he gagged.
"Haaaaaaaaah!"
Nozomu did not stop.
From an elbow strike,
he used a palm strike to send Ken's chin flying up and slammed another punch
into his open torso. Furthermore, he broke the opponent's stance with a kick to
the side of the knee linked with the movement of his core, stomped on the instep
of the leg that was still in human form, and drove a knife-hand into Ken's
throat.
Nozomu's strikes
continued to be driven into Ken's vital points without a gap. There was no
wasted movement, and he assailed Ken as if dancing.
Ritual Martial Art
"Wheel of Reincarnation"
The magic power that
had begun to converge on Nozomu's body swirled and converged on him,
dramatically increasing his physical abilities. For Nozomu, who had used up
almost all his ki, this was the only technique he had left.
The storm of punches
increased its momentum further, assaulting Ken like a tempest.
On the other hand, Ken
couldn't move properly due to the chains entangled all over his body. The
feeling of exhaustion that assaulted his entire body was worse than anything
Ken had ever felt before.
Naturally, there was
no way Ken in such a state could defend against Nozomu's Wheel of Reincarnation.
Ken's body screamed as
Nozomu's strikes rained down on him one after another.
"Don't get...
carried away...!"
But Ken had not given
up.
Realizing the true
nature of the technique from the magic power converging on Nozomu's body, he
easily dodged Nozomu's outstretched fist.
The weakness of Wheel
of Reincarnation was that its limited forms made it easy to predict.
As if in return, Ken
slammed his left fist into Nozomu's cheek.
"Guh!?"
As Nozomu staggered
back from the impact, Ken now swung his transformed right arm.
Ken's abnormally
bloated right arm was swung down as if to crush a bothersome gnat.
The momentum was
incomparably duller than before, but its massive weight could by no means be
ignored. At this rate, Nozomu would be crushed flat like a toad.
"Hah, hah,
hah...!"
Breathing heavily in
his hazy consciousness, Nozomu kicked off the ground without a care for his
appearance and pushed his body forward.
He somehow managed to
evade Ken's down-swung right arm, but with too much momentum, Nozomu ended up
crashing into Ken's chest.
But this time, Ken's
right arm wrapped around Nozomu's stopped body.
"NOW YOU CAN'T
ESCAPE!"
With a creaking sound,
Ken tightened his grip on Nozomu's body in a backbreaker-like hold.
The enhancement magic
applied to Nozomu's body by Wheel of Reincarnation was rapidly losing its
effect.
Along with the sound
of his bones creaking, his blood grew hot as if boiling, and his vision turned
completely red.
"Gu-gugah..."
"BE CRUSHED! YOU
NUISANCE!"
"!"
Nozomu braced his
feet, put strength into his hips, and while twisting, he concentrated all his
body's power and slammed his shoulder into Ken's chest with all his might.
"Vibration"
A blow from pure
martial arts, not relying on ki. A technique that directly permeates the
opponent's internal organs with a shockwave was slammed into Ken's chest.
The effect of the
enhancement magic from Wheel of Reincarnation still remained, and an impact as
if being hit by a hammer ravaged Ken's internal organs.
"Gih!?
Gaaah!"
The shock running
through his body separated Ken's body from his will, stopping his movements for
a moment.
Without a moment's
delay, Nozomu concentrated all his remaining magic power into his palms and
held them at his hip.
And then, while
thrusting out both palms, he released the concentrated magic power in a single
direction.
"Guuh!"
"Geuaaah!"
The torrent of
released magic power sent Ken's body flying and slammed it into the meat wall.
At the same time, the uncontrolled magic power caused a laceration to run down
Nozomu's arm.
Along with the magic
light, fresh blood danced.
Nozomu, unconcerned,
grabbed the hilt of his sheathed katana, drew it, and slashed at the black
sphere that enveloped Lisa.
With a splashing
sound, the black sphere burst, and Lisa's body was thrown out.
Nozomu hurriedly
caught Lisa's body, and the chains extending from his arm wrapped around her
body. As if to gently embrace Lisa's soul.
When Nozomu placed his
hand on Lisa's mouth, he could feel a faint breath hitting his palm rhythmically.
Her gently rising and falling chest indicated that the thread of her life was
not yet cut.
"Thank
goodness..."
A sigh of relief
escaped Nozomu's mouth. But before he could soak in his relief, a tearing roar
echoed within the barrier.
"Aaaaaah! GIVE
HER BACK! GIVE MY LISAAAAAA BACK!"
Scattering rotten
flesh, Ken stood up.
At that moment, a
shock ran through the entire barrier.
"Wh-What!?"
"Guuuuh!?"
Unable to stand on the
suddenly rampaging ground, both Nozomu and Ken couldn't help but fall to their
knees.
The vibrations running
through the surroundings ravaged the already collapsing barrier.
The screams squeezed
from the mouths of the countless beasts incorporated into the meat wall. Along
with the screams that tore at the ears like a cacophony, cracks appeared in the
meat wall, and light began to illuminate the dimly lit barrier.
Without thinking,
Nozomu picked up Lisa and kicked off the ground. His destination was the other
side of the light peeking through the cracks.
"Waaaaait! Don't
take Lisa, don't take her awaaaaay!"
Ken's roar could be
heard from behind. No, it might have been closer to a plea than a roar.
Although he had gone
about it the wrong way, there was no doubt that Ken had single-mindedly loved
Lisa.
Still, Nozomu did not
stop.
Even while hearing
Ken's roar, he ran single-mindedly towards the light.
And the moment Nozomu
threw himself to the other side of the light, the scenery before him completely
changed.
With a feeling of
breaking through, the wind caressed Nozomu's cheek.
The cityscape
illuminated by the light of the stars shining in the night sky. And his
comrades who had been calling for him were showing expressions of surprise and
relief.
"Hah, hah,
hah..."
Ragged breaths
overflowed endlessly from his mouth, and his heart was still beating so hard it
felt like it would burst.
Nozomu looked down at
Lisa in his arms.
Lisa, who was limp and
had not regained consciousness. Her face had lost all color, and her body was
as cold as ice.
"Li-sa..."
As if reacting to her
name being leaked from Nozomu's mouth, Lisa's eyes opened slightly. Then,
Lisa's lips moved faintly.
What in the world was
she saying? In his thoughts, which were clouded by the fatigue and intense pain
that assaulted his entire body, Nozomu brought his face close to the lips of
Lisa in his arms.
At that moment, Lisa's
hand, which had been hanging limply, tightly gripped the hem of Nozomu's
clothes.
"I'm sorry.
Nozomu, I'm sorry..."
"Lisa..."
Nozomu's arm was
pulled with a strength that was unthinkable for a weakened person.
Lisa's eyes were
unfocused. She was repeating her apology to Nozomu in a somewhat vacant tone.
Eventually, the
strength left the hand that was gripping Nozomu's clothes, and Lisa's body went
limp like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Nozomu!"
"Were you okay,
you bastard!"
"Good grief, I
was worried when the path suddenly got cut."
One after another, his
comrades rushed over to Nozomu.
But Nozomu remained
silent and looked down at the hem of his clothes, then slowly laid Lisa's body
on the ground and covered her with his jacket.
The hem of his clothes
that Lisa had been gripping. A deep crease was clearly etched there.
Irisdina and the
others silently watched Nozomu, who was staring at the unconscious Lisa.
His back was by no
means filled with joy. But it wasn't just sadness or emptiness either.
It was a back that
couldn't help but make one feel a surge of emotion from the chest.
"Nozomu..."
"Nozomu-kun..."
"Nozomu-san..."
His name naturally
came from their mouths. But before he could answer their calls, a tearing
scream echoed within the isolation barrier.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Tch! Abyss
Grief!"
Along with a cracking
sound like the air splitting, the Predation Barrier, which had been torn to
shreds, completely vanished. The transformed Ken appeared.
Perhaps because he had
lost Lisa and his host, Ken, had become unstable, Ken's transformed body had
wounds all over, and his right arm's skin was peeling off like dry mud.
At his overly surreal
form, Irisdina and the others widened their eyes.
"Lisa, Lisa,
Lisa..."
Muttering Lisa's name
repeatedly like a broken doll, Ken continued to search for Lisa.
Eventually, after
confirming her figure lying beside Nozomu, he began to walk towards Lisa with
unsteady steps.
"He's a really
persistent one."
"But from the
looks of it, he won't last long. Let's end this quickly."
"Yeah, let's just
end it... Nozomu?"
Jihad and the others,
readying their weapons and about to step forward, but Nozomu stepped forward as
if to block them.
"Anri-sensei,
please take care of Lisa..."
"Nozomu-kun..."
Nozomu slowly
advanced, gripping the invisible chains that were wrapped around his body.
"Lisa,
Lisa..."
Gigigi!
Gyagauu!
Perhaps not even
seeing Nozomu's figure anymore, Ken just continued to seek his beloved.
But contrary to his
will, his transformed right arm seemed to be in a panic.
RUN, RUN, RUN!
The crimson eye
trembled irregularly. Its gaze was directed at Nozomu, Jihad, and the others
waiting behind them. The emotion reflected in the depths of that eye was pure
fear.
The battle was as good
as decided. Lisa, the cornerstone essential for the host's stability, had been
recaptured, and there were still many uninjured comrades on their side.
Abyss Grief probably
understood that as well. It was desperately calling for its host to retreat in
order to somehow escape this place.
But Ken showed no
signs of listening to what Abyss Grief was saying.
He grabbed the crimson
eye that had opened on his right arm with his left and began to walk, dragging
his arm.
"Ken..."
At the sight of Ken
seeking Lisa to such an extent, Nozomu could no longer find any words to say.
Let’s just end it.
With that will in his heart, he tore off the chains that bound him.
"Guu...!"
Gaaaaaaaaaah!!
The unleashed power of
Tiamat raged, and the giant dragon's hatred tried to crush Nozomu's spirit. The
immense power couldn't be contained within Nozomu's body and was randomly
released in all directions, swirling like a tornado.
Gigih!?
Abyss Grief's crimson
eye widened. Faced with the overwhelming power being slammed into it, its
fundamental fear was further amplified.
"Wh-What is...
this..."
"...!?"
On the other hand,
faced with Nozomu's suddenly released power, Inda stood stunned. Jihad also
showed a surprised expression for a moment, but he quickly regained his
composure and watched the course of events with a stern expression.
Faced with the torrent
of ki being slammed into him, Ken's eyes, which had been fixated only on Lisa
lying on the ground, finally caught sight of Nozomu. His face gradually
stiffened, and a clear will began to return to his eyes.
The panicked Abyss
Grief was desperately flailing about, trying to escape this place, but Ken
completely ignored the warning from his right arm and continued to heighten his
fighting spirit towards Nozomu.
Nozomu, who was
emitting an incredible amount of ki, and Ken, who harbored a monster in his
right arm. Every time the two took a step, the tense atmosphere increased its
intensity.
RUN, HURRY UP
AND RUN! IF THIS GOES ON, YOU'LL DIE! YOU'LL DIE!
"Don't get in
my... way...!"
Gi-giguga...!
Ken frowned at the
Abyss Grief roaring in his ear and snapped at it, and with a trembling voice,
his rampaging right arm became quiet.
Having forcibly
suppressed Abyss Grief, Ken gave his right arm a swing as if to check its
condition, and a sound of the air being torn echoed.
"Here I
go..."
The one who moved
first was Ken.
An explosive sound
echoed. The physical ability born from becoming a monster. Combining that with
body strengthening by magic, he attacked Nozomu at a tremendous speed.
He filled his
transformed right arm with magic power to harden it. He strengthened it in the
manner of a magic sword and swung it down with the intent to cut through
Nozomu's body.
Against Ken, who was
charging while scattering fragments of the shattered floor stones, Nozomu met
him head-on.
He held up his
sheathed katana and slammed the ki that had swollen to its maximum into it. The
next moment, Ken's magic sword and Nozomu's scabbard clashed.
The burst air threw a
shockwave in all directions, ravaging the surroundings.
Irisdina and the
others couldn't help but cover their faces from the slamming wind, but the two
facing each other were locked in a firm deadlock.
"Guuuuuuh!"
"Uuuuuh!"
Gritting their teeth,
the two squeezed out all their strength. But which one had the upper hand was
eloquently told by the situation before them.
Nozomu's feet were
firmly planted on the ground, and he hadn't taken a single step back.
On the other hand,
Ken's blow, which had even the momentum of his charge on top of it, had been
completely stopped by Nozomu.
Ken squeezed out all
his remaining magic power and boosted his body to try and push Nozomu back. But
even so, he couldn't push him back.
"D-Damn iiiit!
Gah! Cough!"
Ken let out a voice of
regret. But the excessive use of magic turned its fangs on Ken's own body.
The backlash of the excessive
enhancement magic assaulted Ken's already damaged internal organs, and the
pressure on Nozomu's arm slackened for a moment.
"! Haaaaah!"
The next moment,
Nozomu repelled Ken's magic sword with a sharp cry.
A slight opening was
created between the two. Ken, pushed back, with his eyes wide open, and Nozomu,
gripping the hilt of his sheathed katana.
A light dyed in five
colors overflowed from Nozomu's body.
The manifestation of
an overly alien power. Not only the surrounding atmosphere, but even Zonne's
barrier that had been covering the area was creaking and screaming.
The released
five-colored lights all rushed into Nozomu's katana, shining with a brilliant
light.
Nozomu, trying to end
the past, and Ken, trying to continue it. Their gazes crossed.
Illuminated by the
brilliant flash of light, Nozomu drew his katana at once.
Phantom - Flash -
The unleashed secret
art, swirling with five-colored light, flashed across Ken's right arm. Literally
erased its existence without a trace.
"Ah..."
In the midst of the
dancing remnants of light, Ken let out a dazed voice.
Nozomu's blow had not
only cut off Ken's arm but had also sliced through the isolation barrier that
Zonne had set up.
In the ensuing
silence, Ken stared blankly at his own vanished right arm. Not a shred of the
power he had so desired remained there.
Strength drained from
Ken's entire body. A feeling as if he were on cold ice and a sense of loss were
assaulting his body.
"Lisa..."
His consciousness was
fading. In his blurring vision, Ken reached out to his beloved.
But his hand did not
touch her, and eventually, it lost its strength and fell to the ground with a
thud.
"Nozomu..."
"Nozomu-kun..."
Irisdina and Shina
called out to the back of Nozomu, who stood with his bare katana in hand. The
released power of Tiamat had subsided at some point, and the silence of the
night had returned to the area.
But Nozomu did not
sheathe his katana and just stared at the fallen Ken.
The thoughts that came
and went in Nozomu's chest. A torrent of heavy, intense emotions with no discernible
color.
An opponent with whom
he had once shared the same feelings. Even though they had gone their separate
ways at some point, those feelings were not something that could be lumped
together.
Just suppressing the
pain in his chest, Nozomu placed his hand on his chest and closed his eyes as
if to mourn Ken.
Irisdina and the
others silently watched him.
At that moment, as if
his tense spirit had snapped, his body swayed.
In a panic, his
comrades rushed to his side and supported his body. From his eyes, a single
tear flowed.
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