Volume 7
Chapter 10
A while after waking up, Nozomu was discharged from the hospital without any issues.
No particular
abnormalities were found in his body, and a detailed examination via the
contract path also showed no problems, so he was able to be discharged much
earlier than expected.
Immediately after his
discharge, he was warmly welcomed by his classmates. The story of Nozomu's
heroic deeds in the recent incident had spread throughout the academy.
His classmates greeted
his discharge with smiles and offered words of congratulations one after
another.
During break time, he
was also greeted with joyful shouts from the underclassmen of the 1st
and 2nd-ranks and was mobbed.
Due to his valiant
fight in the mock battle with Jihad and his actions in the recent incident, the
rumors about Nozomu that Ken had spread had been completely erased.
And after his
discharge, Nozomu first began to retrain his dulled body with thorough running
and basic training, and was trying to catch up on his studies by taking
remedial lessons with Anri.
A busy daily life that
began immediately after his discharge.
He would wake up early
in the morning to train, go to school for classes, and after school, he would
do Anri's remedial lessons until late at night.
Anri, who was
enthusiastic about Nozomu's remedial lessons, even came all the way to the
boys' dormitory to tutor him.
Of course, it's a huge
digression that because of that, a male student who had made lewd assumptions
about their relationship was consumed with jealousy and hatred and staged a
large-scale protest in front of Nozomu's room.
According to the male
students, it was something along the lines of "Protest against immoral
conduct by a teacher towards a student!", "Private lessons should be
given to everyone equally!", and "Anri-sensei! Give me special
lessons too!"
Naturally, that
large-scale protest was suppressed by the dorm head, and everyone was made to
sit in seiza in front of the dorm
gate all night, but whether or not a certain fox was secretly pulling the
strings behind the scenes is another story...
In any case, Nozomu's
daily life had undergone a major change.
Furthermore, Nozomu
began to be invited by many students to form a party.
Underclassmen,
including Eldor, also asked him for guidance one after another, and to be
honest, Nozomu was in a state of chaos in this drastically changed environment.
He didn't mind forming
a party. However, at Irisdina's suggestion that the number of applicants was
too large and that some students would probably complain if they couldn't join,
it was decided to postpone it until his remedial lessons were over.
But since simple
guidance didn't take much time, he would often talk about various things, such
as his experiences in the forest, at the edge of the schoolyard during lunch
break.
Among the gathered
underclassmen, there were also underclassmen and classmates who asked for
guidance in physical arts such as swordsmanship.
In particular, the
ones who had requested a match with Nozomu were Eldor and his group from the 1st-year,
whom he had saved before.
Every day around the
end of lunch, they would come to Nozomu and hand him a wooden sword, saying,
"Please!"
To be honest, Nozomu
was bewildered. He himself didn't think he was very good at teaching. He had no
experience teaching people.
And although Nozomu's
skill in swordsmanship was outstanding, his skill in arts such as spearmanship
and archery was not much different from other students. In fact, it was his
weak point.
His own movements were
completely biased towards the Mikagura-ryu style of swordsmanship. So Nozomu
initially thought of gently refusing those requests.
But they were so
earnest in their requests, and with the opinion of Mars and the others that
"Isn't it fine to just take the underclassmen's swords and tell them what
you feel?", in the end, Nozomu decided to have a match with them during
his free time at lunch break.
"Well then,
Nozomu-senpai! If you please!"
"Well, I don't
mind, but... Eldor-kun, aren't you a little too fired up?"
"Of course! The
opportunity to have a match with Nozomu-senpai is not something that comes
often!"
"I-I see..."
The match with Nozomu
that had come to be held during lunch break.
Eldor held the shield
in his left hand in front of him, a wooden sword in his right, and was
directing sparkling eyes at Nozomu.
The demeanor he had
before had completely vanished, replaced by the cheerful air of a young man.
On the other hand, in
response to the extremely fired-up Eldor, Nozomu was just giving a wry smile.
Although the way
others looked at him had changed, his own self-evaluation had not particularly
changed.
However, there was not
a single opening in his stance.
Nozomu was holding the
hilt of his sword with a relaxed grip, as if grasping cotton, but his
moderately relaxed body was giving off an intimidating pressure like a leopard.
Since he himself had a
bewildered expression, Eldor was thrilled by the gap, and his fighting spirit
was heightened.
Eldor had been
directing his fighting spirit at the senior in front of him without hiding it
from the beginning, but the person in question didn't seem to mind at all and
was parrying his fighting spirit like a willow.
The strength of Nozomu
that could only be understood by facing him seriously like this.
Eldor felt his fine
hairs stand on end with a tingling sensation, and his breathing became shallow
and fast.
"...Here I
come!"
Eldor swallowed hard
and held his breath, then stepped in towards Nozomu at once.
He held his shield in
front of him, hiding his one-handed sword behind his body, and closed the
distance at once with Flash Step.
On the other hand,
Nozomu had been holding his wooden sword in a middle guard stance from the
beginning and hadn't moved an inch.
The bewildered
expression he had been wearing until just before had disappeared the moment
Eldor stepped in, and he was already looking at the approaching shield with
clear eyes.
Eldor, while covering
Nozomu's vision with his raised shield, swung down the wooden sword in his
right hand at his opponent's shoulder.
The next moment, Clack!
the sound of wood hitting wood echoed in the area.
Eldor's diagonally
swung wooden sword was deflected, and his body flowed to Nozomu's side.
Nozomu used the
momentum of the parry to spin his body and deliver a reverse diagonal slash to
Eldor.
"Kuh!"
Eldor also spun his
body and placed the shield in his left hand in the path of Nozomu's sword
strike. But unlike Nozomu's refined movements, his movements were somewhat
clumsy.
A hard sound echoed in
the area again.
Eldor, who had somehow
managed to block Nozomu's blow, already had a stern expression on his face.
"Oh, it was
blocked."
On the other hand,
Nozomu felt nothing special about his sword being blocked.
He continued to
observe, analyze, and judge Eldor's movements many times in less than a second.
Nozomu tilted his head
slightly. The next moment, Eldor's wooden sword, which had been swung up as if
in a counterattack, passed in front of Nozomu's eyes, leaving a gap of less
than a millimeter.
Furthermore, Eldor
swung back his raised wooden sword and brought it down on Nozomu's head.
Indeed, each and every
blow was a good sword strike with sufficient weight behind it. But the
transition to the next move was still clumsy.
Still, the fact that
he was able to place his shield before the blow hit his body, and to regain his
posture and release a counterattack with sufficient power, showed his high
physical ability.
Nozomu, while
deflecting the side of the down-swung wooden sword with his own swung wooden
sword, thought of several ways to end this match.
"Kuh!
Ooooooooh!"
Letting out a sharp
cry, Eldor began to drive his wooden sword into Nozomu one after another.
As if pushed by that
momentum, Nozomu was gradually retreating.
But Eldor's wooden
sword did not even graze Nozomu. It was being parried smoothly, as if sliding
on ice.
Furthermore, just as
Eldor was about to strengthen his offense and move forward, Nozomu moved.
He took a single step
forward in time with his opponent's advance and slid his body inside the range
of the sword.
"Kuh!"
Just like before,
Eldor tried to place his shield between Nozomu and himself. But Nozomu had
already anticipated that.
He put strength into
his hips, braced his feet, and hooked the hilt of his sword into the trajectory
of Eldor's shield.
With a grating clash,
the movements of both of them stopped for a moment.
"Kuh!?"
At close range, the
gazes of the two crossed.
It was not a range
where either could swing their weapon. To Eldor's brute strength as he tried to
pull back his shield, Nozomu was resisting with all his body's strength.
To break this slight
stalemate, Eldor reflexively tried to push Nozomu back with brute force.
"Uuu!"
Eldor suddenly
increased the pressure, trying to forcibly tear away the sword of Nozomu, who
was inferior in physical ability.
But the next moment,
Nozomu suddenly released the strength he had put into his arms.
"Wha!"
Eldor's balance, which
had lost its equilibrium, collapsed at once.
At the same time,
Nozomu used the force of Eldor pushing in again, spun around, and circled to
Eldor's side.
Furthermore, Nozomu
dropped his hips, placed his arm on Eldor's head and waist, and swung him up in
a scooping motion.
"Uwah!"
Eldor's body, to which
a sudden rotational force had been applied, did a half-turn in the air as if
doing a front flip, and was then slammed to the ground.
"Gah!?"
Furthermore, Nozomu
put ki into his wooden sword and thrust it at once at Eldor, who was groaning
from the impact.
The thrust-in wooden
sword of Nozomu grazed Eldor's temple and pierced the stone floor with a thud!.
"Hah! Hah!
Hah..."
"It's...
over."
Nozomu's declaration
of victory echoed in the silent courtyard.
The next moment, the
spectators who had been watching the match began to let out cries of
admiration, "Ooooh...".
"So, can you
stand?"
"Y-Yes. I'm
fine..."
Nozomu pulled up the
panting Eldor and brushed off the dirt and weeds from his clothes.
"Eldor-kun's
sword has enough weight in each blow, but the connection between attacks is
still weak. You should try to be more conscious of the connection between your
core movements and footwork. That will probably come with steady
practice..."
"Y-Yes..."
"Also, you
understand that a shield is a very versatile piece of equipment, right? It can
be used for intimidation and for striking. Just now, Eldor-kun, you were
blocking your opponent's vision with your shield and hiding the weapon you were
using to attack. It would be better if you could do that more
efficiently."
"I-I
understand."
Nozomu gave Eldor his
frank impressions and opinions. Although he couldn't show him detailed training
methods, he could teach him the tactics he would find unpleasant if they were
used on him.
At that moment, the bell
signaling the end of lunch break rang.
The surrounding
students who had come to watch also began to walk back to their own classrooms
at once.
Eldor bowed to Nozomu
and returned to the 1st-year classroom with his friends, and Nozomu
also headed for the 3rd-year building with Irisdina and the others.
About 10 days since
Nozomu had been discharged. This was Nozomu's current daily life.
"Come to think of
it, we're going to the forest today, aren't we..."
"Ah, that
story..."
On the way to the
classroom, Irisdina had casually said.
Actually, this
morning, Nozomu had received a message from Anri-sensei.
It was about the
remedial lessons he had been doing every day since his discharge.
"Today's
remedial lesson is postponed! We're going to do something a little special~, so
please head to the forest~!"
The designated place
was the site of Shino's cabin. It seemed that there, they would confirm various
things, including Nozomu's dragonslayer power.
Since they couldn't
have him use his power within the academy, it would be held at the deserted
site of Shino's cabin.
"Well, I thought
it would come to this eventually."
Nozomu's abilities.
Control training to be conducted in parallel with a detailed analysis of them.
With Jihad having
finished dealing with the spies who had infiltrated Arcazam, it meant that he
could now seriously devote his efforts to Nozomu's training.
Come to think of it,
the cabin that had collapsed in the previous attack by the corpse dragon was in
a state where only the bare minimum of cleaning had been done.
Although it had become
a ruin in the forest, it might be better to clean it up properly.
He was also concerned
that he hadn't had time to talk to Lisa yet.
"Iris, how's
Lisa?"
"...To be honest,
she doesn't seem to be doing very well, but she's not being verbally abused by
anyone either. As expected, the fact that you didn't loudly blame her is
probably suppressing any actions to exclude her."
Due to being too busy,
Nozomu had not had any time for himself from early morning until night.
Therefore, he had not had a chance to talk to Lisa until now.
But he had heard from
Irisdina and the others about how Lisa had been at the academy while he was
sleeping.
It seemed a lot had
happened while he was asleep, but now that Nozomu was not particularly blaming
Lisa, the wind against her seemed to be in a state of calm.
He had to make a
chance to talk to her properly soon. While thinking about that, Nozomu hurried
to the classroom.
At his back, two girls
were watching him with complicated expressions.
***
After school, Nozomu
visited his master's cabin with his comrades.
In front of the
collapsed cabin were Jihad, Inda, and Anri, and at their feet were a row of
tools he had never seen before.
"Nozomu-kun~!
Over here~!"
"Anri-sensei,
please lower your voice. Any action that would attract attention is..."
As always, Anri's
somewhat listless voice echoed.
On the other hand,
Inda, perhaps feeling stressed about being spied on, looked somewhat stiff.
"It's okay~. No
one comes to such a deep place~. Besides, we'll put up a concealment barrier,
so it's fine~."
"That's true,
but..."
"Well, it's fine.
Nozomu-kun and the others have arrived. As Anri-sensei says, there shouldn't be
a problem if we put up multiple layers of barriers. I've also prepared the
tools for that."
Jihad cut in between
the two, who were as contrasting as ever. Inda, who was a worrywart, also
seemed to be convinced for the time being, as she gave a small nod.
After confirming that,
Nozomu called out to Jihad and the others.
"Sorry for being
late."
"No, it's fine.
We also had preparations to make."
As he said that, Jihad
glanced at the various tools placed at his feet.
At a glance, most of
them were things that Nozomu couldn't understand what they were for.
Jihad casually turned
around, crouched down, and began to rummage through the pile of tools.
"Sorry, but I'll
be busy with preparations for a little while longer. For starters, Nozomu-kun,
go to Inda-sensei."
"Y-Yes...
Understood."
While glancing at
Jihad, who had started some kind of work, Nozomu and the others walked over to
Inda's side.
"Are you
ready?"
"Nozomu-kun~!
Nice to work with you~!"
"Yes. Likewise."
Unlike when she was
teaching at the academy, Inda was dressed in her adventurer clothes.
At a glance, it seemed
to be a very light, thin garment, but on its surface, a formation for
activating magic was drawn densely. Furthermore, Inda was holding a thick
grimoire in her hand. This was probably her combat attire.
Anri, who was next to
her, was also dressed in her adventurer clothes, and she had her beloved whip
on the belt at her waist.
As always, the
childishly energetic Anri's ample chest bounced softly every time she jumped.
Nozomu desperately
averted his gaze, which was about to be fixed on Anri's chest.
"Well then, for
now, let's reconfirm Nozomu-kun's magic ability. Will you all be joining us,
Irisdina-san and the others?"
"Is that
alright?"
"Yes, although
there are differences in your respective skills, the activation and maintenance
of magic is the very basics. It's meaningful to do it as a review. Of course,
you can also do other training on your own."
At those words, his
comrades also began their own magic training.
The young Somia and
Mars, who was aiming to improve his magic accuracy, would train with Nozomu.
Irisdina, for the
purpose of improving her instant deployment ability, was forming and
maintaining numerous magic bullets; Shina was releasing her magic power and conversing
with the spirits; and Tom, while examining the plants and soil around the cabin
site, was engrossed in a book he had taken out from his bag.
And while each of them
was training, Feo and Mimuru were devoted to being spectators and were earning
the disapproval of those around them.
"According to
what I've heard, you don't even have enough magic power to use beginner magic,
but we will supplement the insufficient magic power with this."
Inda took out a small
stone, about the size of a fingernail, from her chest.
The stone reflected
the light filtering through the trees and shone with a dull white color.
"Is this a magic
stone?"
"Yes, it's not a
very expensive magic stone, and it's a scrap stone that can't even be used for
experiments, but it has enough magic power to use beginner magic. Nozomu-kun,
you can control your magic power, right?"
"Yes. It's only
to the extent of circulating the magic power within my body, but since I can't
use magic, I've been doing only that."
"Very well. Then
let's begin. Please hold the magic stone."
Inda placed the magic
stone in Nozomu's palm.
"After you draw
out the magic power, next, begin the chant, and while imagining a ball of
light, please construct the formula."
As Inda told him,
Nozomu concentrated on the magic stone placed in his palm.
A faintly warm
sensation gradually spread throughout his body from a single point in his palm.
His comrades also
stopped what they were doing for a moment and were watching Nozomu intently.
"Just like that,
just like that..."
While feeling the
magic power welling up from the magic stone, Nozomu performed the chant.
When he chanted with
an image in each word, the heat that had been spreading in his palm began to
gather at a single point.
Eventually, Nozomu,
who had closed his eyes, slowly opened them.
In front of him, a
white, faintly shining sphere of light was floating.
"For now, I've
managed to form a magic bullet, but..."
"Somehow, it
looks like a candle flame. It seems like it would go out if the wind
blew..."
But the magic bullet
that Nozomu had formed was far too small. Even though he had used a magic
stone, albeit a scrap one, all he could create was a sphere of light smaller
than the tip of his fingernail.
To be frank, the light
of a firefly, which is said to be fleeting, was still more powerful.
"It seems most of
the magic power used has dissipated. This time, let's try making an ice
ball."
Similarly, he now
tried to form an ice bullet.
Just like before, he
drew out the magic power of the magic stone and constructed the formula with a
chant.
He took his time,
carefully checking the chant as he formed the ice bullet. As for the result...
"This time, it's
an ice ball like sleet..."
Rather than an ice
bullet, a sherbet-like object that would be better called a dessert was crushed
in Nozomu's palm.
"Ah, come to
think of it, they were selling a sweet like this at a stall the other day. I
think it was called 'shaved ice'? They were selling it with squeezed fruit
juice poured over it, and it's delicious now that it's getting hot~."
"..."
Mimuru's frank
impression pierced Nozomu's chest like an arrow.
It was true that just
from its appearance, it would look delicious with sugar water or honey poured
over it, but to be honest, he was not happy about it at all in this situation.
And next to him,
Somia, who was doing her own practice, had easily generated an ice ball about
the size of a person's head. It was a splendid magic for a girl of her age.
She, not to be outdone
by her sister, was also talented and a hard worker, so he could understand that
she could form a large ice ball.
But to be honest,
Nozomu's tears were on the verge of spilling at his own magic skill, which was
losing even to an 11-year-old girl.
After that, he tried
various beginner magics, but the results were disastrous.
The wind bullet became
a gentle breeze as the wind couldn't gather, the fire bullet became a candle
flame similar to the light bullet, and the formation of the stone bullet became
sand without fully becoming a stone.
"As for the
result... to be honest, an ordinary student from Ecross can use magic
better."
"Guh!"
As if to finish off
such a Nozomu, Inda's evaluation was handed down.
Inda's impression was
somewhat reserved, but frank. A new arrow pierced Nozomu's chest.
"In Nozomu-kun's
case, it seems there is a problem with the construction of the formula rather
than the control of magic power. It seems that Nozomu-kun does not have an
aptitude for the chant formula. It may be due to the fact that he has not been
able to practice magic properly until now, or he may fundamentally lack the
aptitude..."
It was true that
Nozomu had not been able to practice magic at all until now. He had passed the
magic exams, to be honest, with a paper test on a re-examination.
Of course, it could
also be said that because of that, he had been able to devote all his efforts
to the training of swordsmanship.
"Conversely, if
it's a formation formula, there shouldn't be much of a problem. If you can
supplement the insufficient magic power, you should be able to use magic of
about an intermediate level with training, even with a formation formula."
He had absolutely no
aptitude for the chant formula. However, regarding the formation formula, there
would probably not be much of a problem, was Inda's opinion.
This was probably
because the formation formula relied on the magic circle to control the formula.
If he could somehow manage even his insufficient magic power, there was a
possibility that Nozomu could also use magic normally.
"Supplementing
the insufficient magic power..."
"A typical method
is to use a magic stone, as we did this time."
Indeed, supplementing
insufficient magic power with a magic stone was a method seen all over the
continent.
However, magic stones
were basically expensive. It wasn't that he couldn't afford them at all, but
when it came to expensive ones, Nozomu's wallet could by no means afford them.
"Can't I use
something like the ritual martial arts?"
The first thing that
came to Nozomu's mind was the Mikagura-ryu technique, "Wheel of
Reincarnation."
That was a technique
that performed enhancement magic while gathering the surrounding magic power.
With this, he might be able to supplement his insufficient magic power.
But Nozomu's opinion
was flatly denied.
"It would be
impossible for the current Nozomu-kun. That technique relies on body movements
to control the formula, but the effect of the enhancement magic remains even if
it is interrupted, and you must quickly switch your consciousness to another
formula and control it. To put it another way, it's like continuously jumping
from one full-speed carriage to another."
The simultaneous use
of magic is one of the advanced techniques.
What is especially
necessary is the parallel processing of formulas. It was a field of formulas
that Nozomu was not good at.
"Nozomu-kun used
the ritual martial arts to deflect the 'Jaw-Breaker' in his mock battle with
Jihad-sensei, but at that time, he couldn't control the magic power and
suffered a laceration. That was just from the surplus magic power that wasn't
used in the formula.
Do you have the
confidence to perform another formula control at the same time as that,
Nozomu-kun?"
"...I
don't."
There was no way
Nozomu's magic skill, which was inferior even to the students of Ecross, could
perform the simultaneous use of magic.
Nozomu dropped his
shoulders in disappointment and let out a dejected voice.
"Well, that will
depend on your future training. For now, you should concentrate on getting used
to controlling formulas and mastering formation formulas."
"I-I
understand..."
"Now then, it
seems Jihad-sensei's preparations are ready, so let's start the real
thing..."
"...Yes."
Changing his mood, he
went to Jihad, who had already finished his preparations.
A large device, about
the size of an armful. On its flat top, like a table, a complex magic circle
was drawn, and on that magic circle, five brightly colored stones were placed
in a concentric circle.
It was undoubtedly
some kind of magic tool. However, Nozomu had no idea what kind of thing it was.
"Now then, from
now on, you will release your ability suppression and fight us. Your opponents
will be me, Inda-joshi, and Anri-joshi. This is a reconfirmation of your
dragonslayer power."
"Th-Three against
one!?"
At Jihad's
declaration, Nozomu couldn't help but let out a cry of astonishment.
Jihad, who was one of
the only dozen or so S-ranks on the continent, and Anri, who was undoubtedly in
the upper echelons of A-rank.
Nozomu didn't know
much about Inda's abilities, but there was no way the person who served as
Jihad's right-hand man could be weaker than Anri.
To face such three
people at once was like leaping in front of a pack of cyclopes unarmed. It was
a trifecta of impossible, reckless, and foolhardy.
"Considering your
identity, it is a natural measure. In fact, we may be lacking in
strength."
Perhaps sensing
Nozomu's true feelings, Jihad was smiling a strangely nice smile.
At his words, Nozomu
couldn't help but mutter, "No, no, you have excessive force...".
"Well then. Let's
begin."
Jihad quickly threw
Nozomu's true feelings to the side and held his hand over the device at his
feet.
The next moment, a
magic light ran through the magic circle drawn on the device.
At the same time, the
five stones on the table, the "Five-Scale Stones" that Jihad had
received from Zonne, began to shine, and a powerful force field was deployed.
"A magic tool I
obtained from a certain source, it creates a powerful concealment
barrier."
"And~, we'll also
put up a barrier~."
As if to cover the
barrier deployed by the magic tool, Anri deployed another barrier.
After the barrier was
deployed, Jihad drew the greatsword "Jaw-Breaker" that he was
carrying on his back.
From his fortress-like
large frame, a slowly chilling aura began to drift.
Inda and the others,
who were waiting behind Jihad, also readied their respective weapons. Anri took
her beloved whip in her hand, and Inda held her hand over the grimoire in her
hand.
Nozomu also dropped
his hips and placed his hand on the hilt of his sheathed katana.
"Hmm?"
But at that moment,
Nozomu felt a strange sensation. A strange feeling, as if they were being watched.
"Nozomu-kun~. Is
something wrong~?"
"No, it's just
that... I feel a sense of wrongness..."
At Nozomu, who was
tilting his head, Anri called out in a drawn-out voice.
"We have put up a
considerably strong barrier this time. You are probably feeling its effects.
Are you ready? We're starting."
"Ah, y-yes!"
Temporarily pushing
the feeling of wrongness to the corner of his mind, Nozomu concentrated on what
was in front of him.
"Well then, here
I come."
And the mock battle
began.
The one who made the
first move was Inda, who was waiting behind Jihad.
In an instant, she
created a fireball about the size of a person's upper body and launched it at
Nozomu.
Nozomu hurriedly
jumped sideways and left the spot.
The next moment, the
fireball hit the ground. With a roar, it burned the ground and scattered sparks
and a shockwave in all directions.
Swallowed by the
shockwave, Nozomu, who had rolled on the ground, quickly got up.
But by that time, Inda
had already created her next fireball.
"S-So fast!"
Inda's magic was shot
again, and Nozomu was swallowed by the impact of the landing.
Furthermore, Inda
began to shower Nozomu with intermediate magics such as "Icicle
Dance," "Piercing Rock Dance," and "Ravenous Beast of the
Wind Tunnel" without hesitation.
Its deployment speed
was comparable to Irisdina's instant deployment.
"Doaaaaaaah!"
Nozomu's scream, as he
continued to be swallowed by the vortex of magic, echoed through the site of
Shino's cabin.
At first glance, an
abnormal sight. However, until a few months ago, it was a sight that was seen
on a daily basis.
After shooting a
certain amount of magic, Inda temporarily stopped her attack.
Around where Nozomu
had been, a cloud of dust was swirling from the landing of the magic.
"Ptooey, ptooey!
Ugh, my mouth is full of grit..."
From within that dust
cloud, Nozomu appeared, spitting out the dirt that had gotten into his mouth.
"I shot them with
quite a bit of seriousness, but as expected, you're unharmed."
"I'm not
unharmed! I'm covered in scrapes all over!"
"An ordinary
student would have fainted at the second shot."
"...For that, I
feel like there was no hesitation in the magic from the third shot onward,
though?"
"It's clear that
your skill is a cut above the other students. Rather, this training is part of
the training that assumes a situation where you are forced to use 'that power,'
you know?"
"Indeed..."
Indeed, this training
was for the control of the "dragon's power" that Nozomu had taken in,
and for that purpose, they had prepared such a place and had gathered this much
of the academy's top fighting force.
The preemptive attack
from before was probably to reproduce a situation where Nozomu had no choice
but to release his ability suppression.
"Phew..."
Nozomu slowly exhaled
and relaxed his entire body. In his eyes, the invisible chains wrapped around
his body floated up dimly.
Nozomu gripped those
chains tightly.
"Nozomu! Do it
for real!"
"It's a rare
opportunity! Fight with the intention of blowing us all away!"
"Inda-sensei's
magic is focused on the number of attacks! If you keep your distance
carelessly, you'll be swallowed by her momentum!"
"Nozomu-sa~n. Do
your best~!"
The cheers of his
comrades could be heard.
A heat that welled up
from the depths of his chest. Nozomu's lips naturally relaxed.
His fighting spirit
was rising. In response, Jihad's eyes narrowed.
"Here I
come..."
Along with a definite
resolve and a quiet voice, Nozomu pulled the hand that was gripping the
invisible chains with all his might.
The next moment, along
with a sound like shattering glass, an explosive power was released from
Nozomu's entire body in all directions.
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