Volume 7
Chapter 11
The infirmary, after school.
In this room, filled
with the pungent smell of disinfectant, the school nurse, Norun, was checking
and replenishing the stock of medicines used to treat students.
Several wooden boxes
filled with medicines had been brought into the room, and the quantity was so
large that it filled a corner of the infirmary.
Norun checked the
contents of the wooden boxes and put them on the shelves one after another.
But beside her were
the figures of two girls who were not usually in this room.
"Norun-sensei,
where should I put this medicine?"
"Ah, put that on
top of the shelf. I need to check it later."
For some reason, Lisa
and Camilla were helping Norun in the infirmary.
It was a sight they
had never seen before, but it strangely felt natural.
It all started right
after Nozomu was discharged from the hospital.
Lisa was watching from
a distance with sad eyes as Nozomu was being welcomed and mobbed by his
classmates.
The beginning of it all
was when Norun found Lisa like that.
"Hey, student
over there, if you're free, could you give me a hand? To be honest, I'm so busy
I could use any help I can get."
"Eh?"
Norun took the hand of
the dazed Lisa, who had been suddenly spoken to, and pulled her into the
infirmary.
Camilla also ended up
helping in the infirmary, following Lisa, and for the past week or so, the
three of them have been handling the duties of the infirmary.
When the two of them
first started helping, Camilla aside, Lisa had a stiff expression and wouldn't
talk at all.
But as they worked in
silence, and also because she had treated her when she had fainted after her
mock battle with Irisdina before, they had started to have a conversation,
albeit a short one.
"But why are
there so many medicine bottles?"
Lisa grumbled as she
looked at the wooden boxes that were still occupying a corner of the infirmary.
To be honest, the
number of wooden boxes had actually decreased. Until a week ago, the wooden
boxes had completely filled half of the infirmary.
"Apparently,
there was some kind of mistake when the order was placed. Because of that, the
medicines for treatment and the medicines for experiments got all mixed up.
Hah... honestly, I wish they would check the products properly..."
"I-I see..."
Although Norun was
speaking in a friendly manner, there was still a certain stiffness in Lisa's
voice.
The three of them
returned to their work, silently sorting through the medicine bottles. But
Norun had noticed that Lisa would occasionally glance at her, as if she wanted
to ask something.
"So, is what you
want to ask the usual thing?"
"Eh, umm..."
Lisa was bewildered at
being suddenly questioned. So that she wouldn't see, Norun hid the smile that
had appeared on her lips.
She knew very well
what she wanted to ask. It was about Nozomu, who had been bedridden until about
a week ago.
"He's fine. There
don't seem to be any particular effects on his body."
Norun was in charge of
managing the health of the students within the academy.
Especially with regard
to Nozomu, due to the importance of the power that resided in him, and the fact
that she had known the circumstances from the beginning, she had been
frequently checking on his physical condition.
Perhaps that was why.
When Lisa came to help in the infirmary almost every day, she would try to ask
Norun about him indirectly.
It seemed she still
couldn't face Nozomu head-on. But she was probably worried sick about him.
"If you're that
concerned, why don't you just talk to him?"
"..."
At Norun's words,
Lisa's expression darkened, and she looked down.
It seemed she still
couldn't take a step forward due to her guilt towards him.
This might not be a
very good trend.
Considering her past
conflict with Nozomu, Lisa was originally a girl who was prone to making
assumptions. She wasn't good at changing her mood. There was a not
insignificant possibility that she would be unable to do anything and would be
paralyzed by self-reproach.
And her position at
the academy was extremely delicate.
It was better if fewer
people knew Nozomu Bountis's secret, but Lisa's existence also held an
important position for Nozomu.
She was an existence
that could not be carelessly told the secret, but also could not be left alone.
And there was also the
matter of the attempted assault by the young lady of the Tald family.
Although a Hoshikage
surveillance operative was assigned to her, it was only as a shadow. It was not
an existence that could provide emotional support for her.
"At the very
least, Nozomu-kun should be wanting to talk to you."
Then, she would have
to support her even a little.
Lisa also had a best
friend named Camilla, but she was originally on Lisa's side. There would
probably also be a need for an existence to pull Lisa's hand from Nozomu's
side.
(I was planning to
check on Lisa-kun's condition anyway, and it would probably be better for
Nozomu-kun as well.)
While thinking so,
Norun continued to speak in as gentle a tone as possible.
"There's no doubt
that Nozomu-kun is busy with various things right now. But he'll calm down
after some time, so why don't you make a chance to talk to him properly
then?"
"..."
Camilla also
temporarily stopped her work and was watching their conversation. As Lisa's
best friend, she also wanted her to get back on her feet somehow.
In fact, the fact that
Lisa was still at the academy was largely due to Camilla's help.
Now that many of the
academy's students were looking at Lisa with cold eyes, if it weren't for
Camilla's presence, Lisa might not have been able to even leave her own room.
Camilla also sincerely
wished for the relationship between Nozomu and Lisa to improve.
But Lisa's expression
was still not good.
"It's true that
even if you apologize, Nozomu-kun's two years won't disappear. But to be
honest, if this continues, your connection with him will only continue to fade.
After all, Irisdina-kun and the others are by his side now."
She deliberately
emphasized the presence of Irisdina and the others, giving Lisa a little push.
Of course, there was
no way Nozomu would neglect Lisa, but Norun thought that if she stimulated the
impatience that Lisa was secretly harboring a little, she might be able to
move.
Finally, as if to
deliver the final blow, Norun turned the conversation to Camilla.
"Camilla-kun,
when you spoke with him before, what was Nozomu-kun like?"
"What was he
like... He was just desperate. He wanted to save Lisa..."
Yes. In the end, that
was what mattered most.
That Nozomu had wished
for her safety, transcending hatred and resentment.
"If you want, I
can act as an intermediary. I'll have to be in charge of setting the place,
but..."
"...I
understand."
"Hmm?"
"Could you...
please do that?"
Norun was inwardly
surprised at the somewhat unexpected words.
Since she was the type
to worry, she had thought it would take a little more time.
"Lisa, are you
sure?"
To Camilla, who was
asking with concern, Lisa gave a small nod.
Upon closer
inspection, Lisa's fingertips were trembling slightly. She hadn't been able to
completely erase her fear.
What kind of face
should she make when she stood before Nozomu? In the first place, did she even
have such a right?
The cold wind that
blew in her heart was still eroding her.
"I still haven't
properly steeled myself, but I don't want to waste Nozomu's feelings."
But in the depths of
Lisa's chest, a small ember was certainly breathing.
A small light, on the
verge of going out. However, that fire was still certainly giving her courage.
Such a weak, yet
strong flame. The one who had lit it was undoubtedly him.
The will of Nozomu,
who had saved her at the risk of his own life.
And what he had wished
for Lisa, even while suppressing his own hatred.
She wanted to look
away, to pretend it hadn't happened.
But the small ember
that Nozomu had lit in Lisa's chest did not go out even in the storm that raged
in her heart.
"Understood. I
think Nozomu-kun will also calm down in about a week, so I'll set up an
opportunity around that time. I'll let you know when the details are sorted
out."
"Thank you,
please do."
Lisa gave a small bow.
In her eyes, as she
raised her face, a definite light dwelled.
***
In the forest, dyed by
the sunset, a localized storm was raging.
A torrent of power
that could by no means be handled by a human body. In its center, Nozomu was
gritting his teeth.
The overflowing ki
became a vortex of wind, kicking up the surrounding leaves.
The power of Tiamat,
which had overflowed the moment he tore off the chains that bound him.
An unprecedented
pressure assaulted his body and soul, and along with the pain, it was chipping
away at Nozomu's consciousness.
"Guuh!?"
"Gugigigiggiigi!"
While chattering his
teeth, Tiamat was rampaging, trying to tear through Nozomu's body.
At the same time,
Tiamat's fierce rage began to invade Nozomu's spirit.
It was, to put it
another way, a sensation as if his whole body were being burned by magma.
As if influenced by
Tiamat's bottomless hatred, Nozomu was feeling an anger that was welling up
from his gut.
"Kuh!?
Uuuuh..."
He calmed his
breathing, closed his eyes tightly, and pictured the faces of his watching
comrades on the back of his eyelids.
At that moment,
Nozomu's spirit, which had been on the verge of synchronizing with Tiamat's
hatred, was suddenly cut off.
Tiamat was still
rampaging. But unlike before, Nozomu's spirit was surprisingly clear.
"Hah, hah...
phew."
He took a deep breath
once and turned his attention to Jihad and the others in front of him.
Jihad readied his
greatsword, and Anri raised her whip. Inda had once again created a giant
fireball.
His body was fine. His
heart was also calm, for now.
Perhaps due to the
vast amount of ki that had spread throughout his body, not only the beating of
his heart, but also the sound of the rustling of the dancing leaves was clearly
audible to Nozomu.
"Here I
come."
Nozomu stepped in
forcefully with "Flash Step." At the same time, Inda released a
fireball.
Combined with his own
increased speed, the approaching fireball quickly filled Nozomu's vision.
But that fireball did
not catch Nozomu's body.
Nozomu passed by the
side of the fireball as if slipping through it with "Flash Step - Curving
Dance -". Without slowing down at all, he charged at Inda.
"!"
Deceived by the
difference in speed from the usual Nozomu, Inda's magic deployment was delayed
for a moment.
But as if to cover
that opening, a giant shadow stood in front of Nozomu.
"Nuuuun!"
A greatsword like a
block of rock was swung down at Nozomu.
The Jaw-Breaker,
approaching while cutting through the atmosphere. Nozomu used "Flash Step
- Curving Dance -" again, trying to escape its trajectory.
However, Jihad had
also anticipated Nozomu's action.
Having read the
destination of "Flash Step - Curving Dance -" in advance, he bent the
trajectory of the down-swung greatsword by 90 degrees and swung it to mow down
Nozomu's torso.
A reckless move that
would have torn his body apart. But his natural physique and enormous ki made
that recklessness possible.
"Shh!"
Jihad's blow had
surely caught Nozomu's body. But that greatsword did not catch Nozomu's body.
Nozomu's upward slash,
with the momentum of Flash Step behind it, sent the belly of the greatsword
flying up, deflecting its trajectory.
"Haaaaah!"
As if in return,
Nozomu unleashed a diagonal slash.
Jihad pulled back his
swung-through greatsword and held it like a shield, trying to block Nozomu's
slash.
He strengthened his
own body and weapon with all his might and prepared for the impact.
"Nuuuh!"
However, its power was
far stronger than he had anticipated. At the unexpected pressure, Jihad
couldn't help but let out a groan.
A blow incomparable to
the time they had crossed blades in the Martial Arts Garden. A tremendous
pressure was applied to both of Jihad's arms.
"Hmph! Zei!
Haaah!"
Nozomu slammed one
slash after another, a second, a third, into the greatsword that was held
before him.
The glittering blade
chipped away at the ki imbued in the Jaw-Breaker, and the scattering ki
dispersed into the twilight sky.
"Kuuuh!
Zeaaaaaah!"
If this went on, he
would be overwhelmed. Judging so, Jihad poured more ki than his limit into both
his arms that were supporting the Jaw-Breaker, and pushed in at once, slipping
through the gap in Nozomu's slashes.
The weight of his
weapon and body. Both were in Jihad's favor.
Nozomu's body was sent
flying by Jihad's giant frame, and the distance between the two opened
slightly.
A moment of pause. In
that time, Jihad swept the Jaw-Breaker with all his might.
"Nuuuun!"
The greatsword,
roaring as it approached Nozomu. Nozomu was still floating in the air from the
impact of being sent flying. He couldn't dodge with "Flash Step - Curving
Dance -" as before.
Jihad's sword strike
had surely caught the moment Nozomu would land.
"Hmph!"
But Jihad's slash was
once again dodged by Nozomu.
The moment he landed,
Nozomu placed his katana in the path of Jihad's sword strike and at the same
time, relaxed the strength in both his legs.
The raised katana
softly blocked Jihad's sword, and Nozomu's body, while sinking to the ground,
veered from the trajectory of the greatsword.
Nozomu, who had dodged
the fatal blow by lowering his posture so low his face was touching the ground.
However, by that time, a follow-up attack had already been released.
"!"
A small black shadow
in the corner of his vision. The moment he saw it, Nozomu instinctively put
strength into both his legs and jumped back from that spot.
The moment Nozomu
jumped away, a sharp Bang! sounded, and the ground where Nozomu had been was
blown away.
"Fua! He dodged
it!"
What jumped into
Nozomu's eyes was the figure of Anri, who had circled to the side from Jihad's
shadow.
Contrary to her
laid-back tone, the fact that she had managed to get into a position where she
could attack was quite cunning.
The pursuit of Nozomu
was not just that. This time, a crimson shining magic circle was formed at
Nozomu's feet.
"Tch!"
Feeling the danger,
Nozomu jumped from that spot again. The moment Nozomu jumped, a volcano-like
flame rose from the magic circle.
Behind Jihad, Inda had
once again opened her grimoire and was preparing to pursue.
"Not yet.
Anri-sensei, pursue!"
"O~kay! Leave it
to me~"
A fierce pursuit from
the two teachers assaulted Nozomu.
What Inda excelled at
was continuous magic using formation formulas.
Countless magic
circles were drawn in the grimoire she carried, and by pouring magic power into
the circle of the magic she used, she could quickly switch between various
types of magic.
But what was most
surprising was probably Inda's skill in controlling so many diverse formulas.
It was something that
a student could by no means do. A barrage of magic that would be extremely
difficult even for a court magician.
Furthermore, as if to
fill that gap, Anri's ki blasts and whip assaulted Nozomu.
A coordinated attack
by a high-ranking A-rank. But Nozomu had completely weathered that attack.
With his outstanding
physical ability and concentration, he dodged Inda's magic, and while
deflecting Anri's whip and ki blasts with his sheathed katana, he cut his way
straight towards the two in the midst of the storm of onslaught.
"Kuh! How
absurd!"
"Inda-sensei~!
Don't let up~!"
"I know!"
In this short time,
Inda had also understood Nozomu's absurdity. If she were to take even half a
step back, she would be instantly swallowed by his momentum.
But with Inda and the
others' attacks, even stopping Nozomu was not an easy task.
"Ooooooooooh!"
Along with a sharp
cry, Nozomu accelerated further.
A thunderous boom
echoed, and the ground at Nozomu's feet exploded. Gaining a tremendous
acceleration, he closed the distance at once.
Ahead of him was
Anri-sensei, who was raising her whip with her right hand and generating a ki
blast with her left.
"Ueh!?"
Nozomu, who had closed
the distance with tremendous speed, threw a kick at Anri's torso with the
momentum of his charge.
Anri reflexively
pulled out the baton on her thigh with her left hand to try and block Nozomu's
kick, but there was no way that could block a blow from the current Nozomu.
"Fukyaaaau!"
Anri's body was sent
flying like a leaf and disappeared into the depths of the bushes.
While worrying about
Anri's well-being, saying, "Is she okay?", Nozomu immediately turned
his attention to his next target.
The one in his line of
sight was, of course, the troublesome Inda with her continuous magic.
He activated Flash
Step again. He assaulted Inda like a gust of wind.
Inda somehow managed
to shoot various magics to keep Nozomu from getting close, but all of them were
dodged by Nozomu's "Flash Step - Curving Dance -."
"Got you!"
"I won't let
you."
But Jihad once again
stood in front of Nozomu.
While cutting into
Nozomu's path, he read the trajectory of Nozomu's "Flash Step - Curving
Dance -" and swung his Jaw-Breaker.
"Kuh!"
"Muu!"
Along with a
high-pitched clash, Nozomu and Jihad were firmly locked together.
Jihad's muscles
bulged, and more ki than ever before was released from Nozomu's body.
The two of them,
locked together, did not move. The clashing "Mumei" and "Jaw-Breaker"
scattered sparks, and the clashing ki made the atmosphere so tense it seemed it
would explode.
"!"
"Haaah!"
Eventually, as if
pushed apart by the atmosphere that had reached its limit, the bodies of the
two were slightly thrown back.
Nozomu and Jihad
quickly regained their posture from being pushed back and swung their
respective weapons.
The swept-out
greatsword and katana. The two clashed weapons, while deflecting each other's
trajectory, flowed in opposite directions.
Jihad spun his body without
killing the momentum of his greatsword. He changed the trajectory of his
greatsword without any waste and swung it down at Nozomu.
Nozomu also gripped
the ground with the toes of both his feet, instantly swung his katana back, and
swung it up at Jihad.
The slashes of the two
clashed with a high-pitched sound, once again deflecting the opponent's blade's
trajectory, and each other's blades slightly scattered the opponent's hair.
"Zeyaaaah!"
"Haaaaah!"
A returning blade, a
continuous clash.
Between the two, two
blades clashed, scattering fierce sparks.
"It's been a
while since I've felt this."
How long had it been
since he had swung his sword with all his might? At his own rising fighting
spirit, the corners of Jihad's mouth were slightly relaxed.
Jihad, who wielded his
own body as if it were a part of his greatsword.
Nozomu, who used even
a blade that could rival a dragon's blow for evasion, and who dodged one after
another with his natural masterful technique.
The ultimate sword of
power and the ultimate sword of flexibility. A sword dance of the highest
caliber on the continent.
A battle as if told in
a heroic tale was unfolding in a deserted, ruined house.
Inda, who was supposed
to be providing support, had at some point forgotten to support and was
captivated by the exchange of masterful techniques before her.
"Kuh!"
Nozomu's face twisted
slightly in pain. The excessive power running through his entire body was
beginning to injure Nozomu's body.
Jihad's skill, the
Tangall-made greatsword that boasted an extraordinary weight. They were
realizing a power that was unrivaled on the continent.
That one blow was
extremely difficult to parry even for the power-released Nozomu.
But it was also Nozomu
who had begun to break the balance of that sword fight.
Little by little, with
shuffling steps, he was advancing through the tornado created by the
greatsword.
"Nuu!"
Jihad's eyes widened.
He was no longer
holding back. The beloved sword he swung with all his might could undoubtedly
fell even a corpse dragon in a single blow.
But still, he couldn't
stop this student.
At the same time as he
was impressed, the words of that old man came back to Jihad's mind.
"If it
comes to it, I don't mind reducing this city to ashes."
Even if Nozomu Bountis
himself had no such intention, the boy in front of him had come to possess such
a danger.
With each blow they
exchanged, he realized that word anew.
If it came to it, he
was the only one who could stop him.
To do that, he had
begun to think that he might need to surpass his own limits and face this
student's power.
"!"
Blood danced from
Nozomu's arm. The wounds running through Nozomu's body were gradually
increasing.
But in exchange for
that, Nozomu had finally entered his sword's range.
"Hmph!"
A single blow. Not to
parry the opponent's sword, but to attack himself.
And Nozomu, the moment
he had driven his katana in, had reached for the scabbard that was still at his
waist with one hand.
"Haaah!"
Nozomu went on the
offensive at once.
He poured an enormous
amount of ki into both the weapons in his hands, his katana and his scabbard,
and began to drive them at Jihad.
Slashes and strikes
that were unleashed continuously from both his arms. The ki-imbued weapons
assaulted Jihad like a meteor shower.
Jihad raised his
greatsword and sent all his ki into it.
Through the
greatsword, an impact and pressure that could numb his arms assaulted him one
after another.
"Nuuuuh!"
Jihad's giant frame
was gradually being pushed back while scraping the ground.
The offense was
reversed. Jihad, who had been on the offensive until just before, now had to
turn to defense.
If this went on, he
would be pushed back. Judging so, Jihad raised all his ki at once and made it
explode.
"Kaaaaah!"
Jihad's extraordinary
ki was released in all directions, and Nozomu's offense was slightly weakened
by the impact.
Furthermore, Jihad's
fist slipped through a gap and pierced Nozomu's cheek.
"Gah!"
A sound that didn't
seem like a person hitting a person echoed.
Nozomu's body, which
had been hit on the cheek with a strong impact, was sent flying several meters
and rolled on the ground.
Nozomu, in his mind
that had gone white for a moment, reflexively broke his fall and jumped up to
stand.
However, aiming for
that slight opening, Inda had resumed her support.
"There!"
She poured magic power
into the grimoire in her hand and activated a formula. Wooden vines appeared
from Nozomu's feet and restrained his limbs along with his weapon.
"Not yet!"
Inda activated a
further follow-up formula. She created a giant fireball and launched it at
Nozomu.
"Haaah!"
Nozomu made the ki
imbued in his katana and scabbard explode.
Ki Technique
"Dust Severance."
Countless blades of ki
blew away Inda's restraints all at once.
Furthermore, Nozomu
drew a circle in the air with his katana and formed a membrane of ki.
Ki Technique "Fan
Sail Lotus"
Nozomu's ki membrane,
like a ship's sail catching the wind, softly caught the fireball that Inda had
released.
Furthermore, as if in
return, Nozomu hit the bent ki membrane with the scabbard in his left hand and
sent the fireball back at Inda.
"Wha!?"
A giant fireball that
had reversed its direction by 180 degrees and was returning.
Perhaps not expecting
her own magic to be returned, a cry of confusion leaked from Inda's mouth.
Still, her response
was as expected. She quickly activated the defensive magic carved into her
clothes and completely blocked the repelled fireball.
"Kuh, my vision
is..."
But her vision was
blocked by the flame that had burst from the defensive barrier.
This was not good.
Judging so, she tried to prepare a formula again, but... it was already too
late.
"Hmph!"
"Wha!"
Cutting through the
burst flame, Nozomu appeared before Inda's eyes. On the katana he held in his
hand, an ultra-compressed ki blade was already attached.
Inda reflexively
poured magic power into her defensive barrier to increase its strength, but
Nozomu sliced through Inda's defensive magic like paper in a single stroke.
Furthermore, Nozomu
slammed the ki technique "Vibration Cannon" into Inda's stomach.
At the strong
shockwave, Inda was sent flying without even a cry, and was slammed to the
ground without being able to break her fall.
Inda tried to stand up
somehow, but she could only cough from the impact, unable to breathe properly.
That's two.
Nozomu turned to face
the last remaining one, Jihad.
"A half-hearted
approach won't do..."
As he muttered that,
Jihad casually unfastened the clasps of the armor he was wearing.
With a clatter,
Jihad's armor fell apart and rolled on the ground.
His exposed physique.
Even though it should have become smaller with the armor removed, to Nozomu,
Jihad's body looked larger than before.
"That state,
there is no doubt that an enhancement beyond the limit is constantly being
applied. To face you, I will also need to surpass my own limits."
As he muttered that,
Jihad held his greatsword as if to carry it and dropped his hips.
His log-like legs
firmly gripped the earth, and his rare giant frame and greatsword pierced the
heavens.
It was a sight
reminiscent of a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"This will be the
final blow. Steel yourself. Don't die..."
More ki than ever
before was released from Jihad's entire body.
The leaking ki drew a
spiral around Jihad, kicking up the leaves of the trees and scraping the earth.
"Nuuuuh..."
A tremendous pressure
that felt as if his blood were boiling. His entire skin was prickling, and his
heart was pounding violently.
His muscles bulged,
and the hilt of the Jaw-Breaker he was gripping began to let out a creaking
scream.
His expression, with
his teeth gritted, was like that of a demon. There was not a shred of the word
"holding back" to be found.
"!"
Feeling the fierce
intimidating pressure, Nozomu sheathed his drawn katana and dropped his hips.
The blow that Jihad
was about to release would probably be more intense than anything Nozomu had
ever experienced.
But it was easy to
predict what kind of blow it would be.
"!"
Along with the pain, a
laceration ran through Nozomu's body again.
The pain of his body
being destroyed by the excessive power was gradually spreading throughout his
body.
It was not good to
prolong this any further.
Nozomu also decided to
end it with this one blow.
"Phew..."
He let out a deep
breath once and relaxed his entire body.
Unnecessary tension
would dull the precision of his technique.
Until the very moment
he drew his blade, Nozomu would relax his entire body as much as possible.
From his shoulders
that supported his neck, to both his arms, and then from his hips to his lower
body.
He relaxed his
muscles, opened his blood vessels, and sent fresh blood to every corner of his
body.
In line with that, he
also relaxed his entire body's ki as much as possible.
The bloated, excessive
ki. Nozomu turned all his consciousness to that power and brought it under his
control as much as possible.
Still, the ki that he
couldn't control continued to wound his body.
"Hah,
hah..."
"Nuuuuuuh..."
Nozomu was panting,
and Jihad continued to send more ki than ever before into his raised
greatsword.
The ki released by the
two clashed at the midpoint between them, and the atmosphere screamed.
But suddenly, that
storm came to an end.
"..."
"..."
A sudden silence. The
storm that had been roaring until just before had vanished, and only silence
dominated the area.
Nozomu, standing with
his sheathed "Mumei" in his left hand, and his right hand along the
hilt.
Jihad, frozen like a
statue with his greatsword raised, shining like the sun.
A time that felt like
both a few seconds and an eternity flowed between the two.
"...Here I
come."
Jihad moved.
The raised greatsword
was swung down like a comet falling from the heavens, and at the same time, a
giant blade of ki appeared.
Ki Technique "One-Slash."
An extremely thick
blade of ki raced while splitting the earth. Furthermore, the vacuum blade that
was clinging to the surroundings of the ki blade pulverized the fragments of
the split earth into dust.
To Nozomu's eyes, it
truly looked like a giant wall approaching.
A castle wall born
from a single vertical blade of light. A blow incomparable to the "One-Slash"
he had shown in the Martial Arts Garden before.
It was no longer a
"slash" to defeat an individual, but a "weapon" to
annihilate an army.
At that moment,
Nozomu's consciousness switched.
A vision where sound
and color had vanished.
In the midst of
everything moving in slow motion, Nozomu instantly awakened his relaxed muscles
and poured all his ki into his right foot, strengthening it to the extreme.
From his stepped-in
right foot, to his hips, to his arms, he connected his movements without any
waste, and at the same time, he successively transferred the extreme
strengthening to all the interlocking muscles.
His target was the
giant blade of ki that was closing in on him.
"Haaah!"
He released the guard
and drew his katana.
A single flash.
The next moment,
Jihad's One-Slash pulverized the forest that was in its path.
"Waaaaah!"
"Kyaaaaah!"
At the flash of light,
the roar, and the slamming gust of wind, Irisdina and the others couldn't help
but scream.
The white light burned
their eyes, and the wind slammed sand and stones against them.
Eventually, a silence
returned again.
When Irisdina and the
others timidly opened their eyes, an unbelievable sight spread before them.
"..."
Someone let out a
breath.
At the sight before
them, everyone was at a loss for words.
A single scar carved
into the earth. The ground, which had been gouged out deeply like a moat, was
followed by a straight line of pulverized, uneven ground that cut through the
forest.
And in the middle of
that cut-open forest, Nozomu stood with his drawn katana hanging limply.
The single scar carved
into the ground had split in two in front of Nozomu and was flowing behind him.
Nozomu's "Phantom
- Flash -" had certainly cut through Jihad's "One-Slash."
However, he couldn't
prevent the aftereffects of "One-Slash," and Nozomu was also unable
to pursue any further.
Although Jihad's
expression did not change, he inwardly felt like letting out a sigh.
Nozomu also put his
own restraints back on and was surprised when he turned around.
"Uwah... a moat
has formed in the middle of the forest."
Nozomu, who had sliced
through the blow of Jihad, who had been pulverizing all sorts of demonic beasts
10 years ago.
And Jihad, who had
fought head-on with the power-released Nozomu.
As if on cue, the two
of them opened their mouths at the same time.
"This is
ridiculous..." "This is absurd."
It was the moment when
Nozomu's and Jihad's exasperated voices overlapped by a strange coincidence.
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