Volume 7
Chapter 20
Inside the infirmary of Solminati Academy. In this room filled with the scent of disinfectant, Irisdina and the others were listening to Norn's explanation.
"So, Norn-sensei,
you made such a request to get Nozomu and Lisa-kun alone together?"
"Yes, if I
didn't, it seemed like it would just drag on and on. There are times when it's
better to wait, but it's been over two weeks since that incident. Isn't it
about time they had a face-to-face talk?"
Norn answered
Irisdina's question frankly.
It was true that it
was about time for both Nozomu and Lisa to settle their past misunderstandings.
No after-effects were
seen on Nozomu's body, and Lisa's spirit, which had been unstable for a time,
was also stabilizing.
"That's true.
It's about time Nozomu made a decision."
"The red-haired
princess will probably bow her head to Nozomu with the force of a dogeza. The problem is..."
"What kind of
answer Nozomu-kun will give, I suppose."
Mars, who had been
listening to Norn's story, nodded in understanding, and Feo and Tom calmly
predicted the future of the two.
At Tom's words,
Irisdina suddenly looked out the window.
In her line of sight,
she could see the cityscape of Arcazam.
"Ai..."
"I know. I
know..."
To her best friend's
worried voice, Irisdina answered with a voice as if she were squeezing it out.
She understood. That
those two needed to face each other.
Since Irisdina and the
others were not the parties involved, in the end, they had no right to
interfere in the problem between Nozomu and Lisa. It was a fact that they had
done nothing during the time when Nozomu was having the hardest time.
At that time, when
Lisa was on the verge of self-harm, Irisdina was not able to remain calm and
had ended up in a rage, but the current Irisdina was firmly suppressing her
feelings for Lisa in her heart.
But her eyes as she
looked out the window were somewhat sad.
On the other hand, Shina,
while listening to Norn and the others' story, was nonchalantly tending to her
own bow.
She lightly wiped the
bow with a cloth to remove the moisture and held it up to check for any warping
or scratches on the bow itself.
A bow is a very
delicate weapon, and if you neglect its maintenance, it will quickly become
useless. If you leave the string strung, it will also damage the bow, so it was
now unstrung and placed on a nearby stand.
There was no
stagnation in her work as she efficiently performed the maintenance. She really
didn't seem to be worried about Nozomu and Lisa.
"By the way, you
don't seem very concerned, Shina-kun."
"You think so? No
matter what answer Nozomu-kun gives, our relationship won't change, will
it?"
"!?"
At Shina's unconcerned
attitude and words, Irisdina's eyes widened as if she had been struck in the
chest.
Although Shina's words
sounded dismissive at first glance, Irisdina had felt her feelings for Nozomu
in those words.
In Irisdina's heart,
there was a constant swirling anxiety that if Nozomu and Lisa were to get back
together, he might disappear from their lives.
But even if that were
the case, the bond they had formed would not disappear.
The elf girl in front
of her was saying so, and on top of respecting Nozomu's will, she intended to
face him head-on.
"I see... you are
strong."
Before she knew it,
Irisdina had naturally let out a voice of admiration.
On the other hand, Shina
was tilting her head in confusion at the impressed-looking Irisdina.
"You think so? I
think it's simply because the time I've spent with him is short..."
"Hah...
you..."
At Shina's reaction,
Irisdina let out a sigh, but for some reason, the corners of her mouth had
naturally relaxed.
"That's right, I
need to get a grip too..."
Once again, Irisdina
turned her eyes out the window.
Her eyes, which had
been dark with impatience until just before, now looked somewhat calmer.
"Well. As for
Nozomu, we have no choice but to put it aside for now. As Shina says, no matter
what answer he gives, nothing will change."
"Good grief, Mars
is so simple~~. As expected of a muscle brain!"
"What do you mean
by that, hey..."
Mars gave a sidelong
glance at Feo, who had started to tease him, and casually reached out his hand.
Feo dodged that hand
with a flutter, and the irritated Mars, with a vein popping on his forehead,
began to chase after Feo.
Here we go again. Shina
and Mimuru wore exasperated expressions, while Tima and Tom were flustered and
panicking.
Somia, who was
watching the course of events, sent a look to her sister as if to ask if she
didn't have to stop them, but Irisdina only shrugged her shoulders.
In the end, Norn-sensei
got angry, saying not to make a racket in the infirmary, and her fist came down
on the heads of the two.
Norn-sensei, standing
with her hands on her hips in front of the two who were crouching and holding
their heads. From now on, a storm of her lecture would probably assault the
two.
Before they knew it,
the tension from before had disappeared, and a calm atmosphere filled the
infirmary.
"Good grief, you
two, this is an infirmary, so..."
The moment Norn was
about to start her lecture to the two who were crouching and holding their
heads, a light suddenly began to overflow from a corner of the infirmary.
At the sudden event,
Irisdina and the others' eyes widened.
"Wh-What is
this!?"
What had appeared was
a lump of pure white light. The sphere of light, which had been the size of a
palm, was gradually increasing in size.
"I-I don't know!
Everyone, get away!"
Irisdina and the
others hurriedly took a distance from the sphere of light and braced themselves.
They deployed their formulas so that they could activate their magic at any
time.
Irisdina floated
multiple spheres of magic power around her, and Tima, Tom, Feo, and Norn put
their barrier magic formulas on standby.
Shina nocked an arrow
to the bow she had just been maintaining and imbued it with magic power, and
Mars clad his fists in a blade of wind.
"B-Big Sister.
What in the world is that?"
"I don't know.
But I can feel an amount of magic power that is unimaginable from its
appearance."
"It seems
dangerous to carelessly interfere..."
Somia, while hiding
behind her sister, let out an anxious voice. Irisdina also had no words to
answer her sister's question.
While glaring at the
sphere of light that had suddenly appeared in the infirmary, Irisdina swallowed
hard.
In her estimation, the
magic power contained in the sphere of light in front of her was more than
enough to blow away this infirmary. If it were to explode, it would not end
well.
Sweat was also beading
on the forehead of Norn, who was preparing a barrier next to her.
The sphere of light
that had been floating in the air swelled at once and increased its brilliance
at once.
At that moment, the
four of them, Norn and the others, deployed their barrier magic at once. As if
to protect both themselves and the people outside, they laid a double barrier
magic inside the infirmary and around themselves.
Irisdina, Shina, and
Mars, from inside the barrier, strained their eyes to identify the source of
the light and braced themselves so that they could release their techniques at
any time.
And as if the
expanding sphere of light had reached its limit, it released an explosive flash
of light.
A flash of light that
could burn the retinas. However, contrary to the amount of light, there was no
impact as Irisdina had feared.
"Hah, hah, thank
goodness, I was able to come back."
"Y-You
are..."
In its place, an old
man with white hair appeared before them. At Zonne, who was dropping his
shoulders while breathing heavily, Irisdina and the others' eyes widened.
At the appearance of
the person whose whereabouts had been unknown since the previous incident, they
could not hide their astonishment and confusion.
On the other hand,
Zonne, who had found Irisdina's face, had a broad smile on his face, oblivious
to their feelings.
"Oh! Young lady,
to be able to meet you in a place like this, I'm so moved! Could this be
fate~~! Wait, this is no time for such foolishness!"
Zonne, who had been
performing a solo comedy routine, suddenly sat down on the floor in front of
Irisdina and the others and rubbed his head on the floor.
"I'm sorry! Young
ladies, please lend me your strength!"
At the sudden dogeza and plea from the old man, their
confusion deepened even further.
Irisdina and the others,
not knowing what was what anymore, just stared down at the old man in front of
them in a daze.
"...So, old man,
why have you contacted us?"
Norn, who was the
first to calm down, stepped forward and questioned Zonne. Her tone was
extremely flat, and a strong sense of caution could be seen in her eyes as she
looked down at the old man.
The extraordinary
ability that the old man had shown in the previous incident. The mysterious old
man who had completely shaken off the pursuit of "Starlight" after that.
It was natural for Norn to be cautious.
"Let me be
direct. Who in the world are you, and what is your purpose in contacting
us?"
Zonne's identity and
purpose. At the very least, this had to be made clear.
Norn and Irisdina and
the others held their breath and waited for the old man's reply.
"...I am a member
of the White Dragon clan, and the observer of the Dragon of Destruction. I have
come to this land in pursuit of Tiamat, who has escaped from her seal."
Zonne, who had slowly
raised his face, puffed out his chest and, while meeting the gazes of Irisdina
and the others head-on, answered without a pause.
"The reason I
have shown myself this time is to request the assistance of you young ladies.
The feud between my clan and the Dragon of Destruction. The ominous sign that
stems from that is currently befalling Nozomu Bountis."
"...And what is
that ominous sign?"
"My unworthy
granddaughter is plotting to dispose of Tiamat, who has escaped from her seal.
She has probably already thrust her blade at the brat's throat."
"You...!"
Mars's hand almost
reached out to the old man. Irisdina and the others, who had been looking
confused, also became agitated upon hearing of Nozomu's crisis.
"In the
worst-case scenario, the brat will be killed, and Tiamat will be revived. If
that happens, it will be out of our hands. That is precisely why! I want you to
lend me your strength!"
Perhaps sensing their
anger, Zonne once again put his head to the floor and pleaded.
"...Do you think
we will trust you?"
"I know I'm
saying something convenient for myself now! The fact that it has come to this
is also my fault for being too lenient! That is precisely why I want you to
give me a chance to make up for it!"
He was desperately begging
for the assistance of Irisdina and the others, to the point where it seemed he
might commit seppuku on the spot.
There was not a shred
of his usual arrogant and insolent atmosphere.
"Old man, can't
you stop your own granddaughter?"
"Azel alone is not
a problem. However, Tiamat holds a strong grudge against the White Dragon clan.
Especially against me, the observer. If I were to carelessly show myself, there
is no doubt that the Tiamat lurking within the brat would rampage. Depending on
the brat's condition, it could lead to the worst possible situation."
According to Zonne's
story, Tiamat seemed to hold an abnormal amount of hostility towards the White
Dragon clan.
It was not strange
that she would be seething with an extraordinary hatred for Zonne, who called
himself an observer.
That was precisely why
he wanted to ask for the assistance of Irisdina and the others, who had brought
Nozomu back to his senses before.
"Please. To not
repeat the tragedy any more, please lend me your strength..."
That plea, which he
had squeezed out, was ringing in the depths of Irisdina and the others' ears.
***
Azel, the white dragon
with her mysterious chalk-white scales glittering, and Nozomu, who was
releasing a dangerous ki from his entire body.
The two, who were
facing each other in a gray world devoid of life, were glaring at each other
while clashing with a clear killing intent.
Nozomu raised his katana
and activated Flash Step. Like a leopard running on the ground, he advanced
straight at Azel.
In response, Azel
slammed down countless light arrows as if to block Nozomu's path.
"Hmph!"
But Nozomu could no
longer be stopped by that.
He dodged the
approaching light arrows with Flash Step - Curving Dance -, and sometimes
brushed them aside, steadily closing the distance to Azel.
However, Azel, who had
revealed her true form, also made another move so as not to let Nozomu advance.
"!"
Suddenly, the ground
at Nozomu's feet began to glow.
Immediately after,
countless spears of light thrust out from the ground, and their tips closed in,
as if to pierce Nozomu.
Nozomu immediately
jumped. He tried to escape from the tips of the spears while twisting his body
in the air.
The spears that had
jumped out from the ground had grazed Nozomu's body, but they had not been able
to pierce him and had thrust into empty air. The landed Nozomu immediately
tried to run toward Azel again.
"Not yet!"
Azel's offensive did
not stop.
She formed countless
light bullets in the sky. At the same time as she shot them at Nozomu, she shot
spears of light from the ground again.
A wave of attacks from
the sky and the ground. If he were to jump as before, he would be swallowed by
the light bullets, and if he were to run on the ground, he would be pierced by
the spears.
A swarm of light
bullets that could cover the sky, and an army of spears that was closing in on
Nozomu like a forest of spears.
It was a reenactment
of a natural disaster that could easily swallow a puny human. At this rate,
Nozomu would be swallowed by the army of light and not even a single piece of
his flesh would remain.
But...
"Too slow!"
Nozomu cut down such a
natural disaster with a single word.
He raised his right
arm and slammed it to the ground. The next moment, a torrent of light appeared
from his feet.
Ki Technique "Annihilation
Light Impact"
A ki technique with
the largest effective range among Nozomu's techniques.
The torrent of light
that rose to the sky pulverized the spears that had extended from the ground,
and swallowed the light bullets that fell from the sky, turning them into the
dust of the elemental essence.
But for Nozomu, who
was pushing his limits, this technique was also a double-edged sword.
"Guuuuuuuuuuh!"
A laceration running
through his arm, and gushing blood. The use of an enormous amount of ki easily
wounded Nozomu's body.
A pain so intense that
he wanted to cut off his arm, but that pain was soon swallowed by his anger,
and he no longer felt it.
Cutting through the
white elemental essence that was scattering like mist, Nozomu charged at Azel's
neck.
"Tch!"
Azel clicked her
tongue and flapped her wings.
Nozomu, with a slight
impatience in his angry eyes, accelerated further with a deafening roar.
If she were to escape
into the air, Nozomu would lose his means of attack at once. Azel probably also
understood that.
Nozomu was running
like a gust of wind. However, before his blade could catch Azel, she had flown
into the air.
"Damn it!"
The two crossed paths
as if to switch their positions. One was turning around while scraping the
ground, and the other was turning around brilliantly in the air.
Immediately after,
Azel formed countless light arrows in the sky and released them.
Countless lights,
spreading as if to cover Nozomu and closing in. The moment he saw the swarm of
light arrows that were attacking like a meteor shower, Nozomu had
unhesitatingly gone into an evasive action.
"Shh!"
Nozomu activated Flash
Step again. He jumped into the nearby forest.
Immediately after, the
swarm of light arrows landed. It pierced through the gray-dyed trees and
stirred up a large amount of dirt and sand.
The overlapping
explosions shook the colorless atmosphere and carved countless scars into the
ground.
And the quiet silence
that came after all the light arrows had rained down.
Azel was quietly, but
with a stern gaze, glaring at the billowing cloud of dust.
"!"
Cutting through the
billowing cloud of dust, a single blade flew at Azel's neck.
Azel quickly swung her
forearm and knocked away the flying ki blade.
Although the ki blade
had sent a few of Azel's scales flying, it scattered like mist. Immediately
after, from within the cloud of dust, an unharmed Nozomu jumped out.
"Tch! The
distance is too great!"
While cursing at
Azel's state, who did not seem to feel any pain, Nozomu did not stop and swung
his katana one after another. With each swing, an extremely thin blade bared
its fangs at Azel.
Although Azel, while
flapping her wings, was brilliantly dancing in the air and continuing to evade
Nozomu's Phantom, due to her enlarged figure, she was hit a few times.
However, with Nozomu's
Phantom, it was only to the extent of tearing off a few scales, and he was not
able to inflict much damage.
Originally, the range
of Phantom was at most a dozen meters. No matter how much Nozomu's ki had
increased, just by shooting it one after another like this, it was extremely
difficult to inflict a fatal blow on a dragon.
"Guuh!"
Every time Nozomu shot
a Phantom, the lacerations on his arm increased. If he were to put all his ki
into each and every stroke, that would inevitably happen.
At the lack of effect,
Nozomu's lips were twisted in frustration.
Of course, the fact
that he was able to inflict a wound on a legendary dragon in the first place
was a testament to the abnormality of his ki technique's power.
However, Azel's
expression was also not relaxed. Nozomu's Phantom, which was imbued with an
extraordinary amount of ki, was not a major threat, but it had enough power to
not be ignored.
"Ugh! How
annoying!"
Azel deployed a
barrier with a roar, repelled Nozomu's Phantom, and once again formed countless
light arrows and shot them out.
Nozomu also
immediately went into an evasive action.
He ran around in every
direction with Flash Step - Curving Dance - while swinging his katana, knocking
down the approaching light arrows.
The kicked-up dirt and
sand and the countless scars carved into the ground. A tree, which had been
broken in half by the carpet bombing of light arrows, danced in the air, and
Nozomu used even that tree as a shield, weathering Azel's fierce attack.
Furthermore, when Azel
opened her mouth, a light began to contract.
That scene was also
clearly reflected in Nozomu's eyes.
She was preparing an
attack that was clearly incomparable to the light arrows until now. He could
also predict what kind of attack it would be.
"Take this!"
Immediately after, a
giant breath was released from Azel's mouth along with a roar.
The released breath,
while swallowing the light arrows she had released herself, charged straight at
Nozomu.
Nozomu immediately
activated Flash Step - Curving Dance -. While changing his course so as not to
kill his speed at all, he jumped back from that spot with an explosive
acceleration.
The next moment,
Azel's breath landed, and the released shockwave and torrent of elemental
essence bared its fangs at all things in the surroundings.
Nozomu, while staring
at the approaching storm of light, swung his katana in a circle.
Ki Technique "Fan
Sail Lotus"
A membrane imbued with
an extraordinary amount of ki softly caught the shockwave that was baring its
fangs at Nozomu.
At the same time,
Nozomu kicked the membrane that had bent from catching the shockwave and at
once escaped from the destructive range of the breath.
But perhaps because
the power of Azel's breath was stronger than expected, Nozomu's body was hit by
the aftereffects of the explosion and was sent flying with great force, like a
withered leaf in the wind.
"Tch!"
Nozomu clicked his
tongue and tried to somehow regain his posture.
He stretched out his
hand with all his might and grabbed the trunk of a tree that had grazed him
nearby.
He tried to forcibly
control his body, which was about to be carried away by inertia, with his
increased muscle strength and body strengthening. However, with his wounded
arm, he could not stop the momentum satisfactorily, and his hand left the
trunk.
Nozomu had no choice
but to land while twisting his body in the air. He tried to kill his speed
while scraping the ground. However, when he reflexively looked up at the sky, a
light had gathered in Azel's mouth again.
"Caught
you!"
Azel's declaration,
released with conviction.
Azel, who had already
prepared to pursue, and Nozomu, who had not yet been able to kill his speed. It
was clear which one was in a more advantageous situation.
The next moment, a
breath of white light was shot out from Azel's mouth again.
The giant breath,
while firmly locking the prey below, was racing towards Nozomu like a comet.
"..."
But in Nozomu's eyes,
there was not a shred of fear of death, and a flame of hatred was shining red
and brilliant.
A passion like magma
was scorching Nozomu's entire body.
What came to mind was
the figure of Lisa, who had been blown away by Azel. He felt an indescribable
anger at Azel, who had hurt her, and at himself, who had not been able to
prevent it.
"How dare you
hurt Lisa!"
"How dare
you betray me!"
The voices of the two,
overlapping in their chests.
Anger became the
tinder, and then the firewood, and the two flames that had flared up, while
intertwining with each other, increased their momentum even more.
The breath that Azel
had released had completely caught Nozomu. Even if he were to leave this place
without a care for his appearance, it would be difficult to completely avoid
it.
And besides, the trees
of the forest were growing thickly around Nozomu. There were too many obstacles
to escape at once with Flash Step.
"..."
Evasion was difficult.
Even if he were to completely evade it, as long as Azel was in the air,
Nozomu's attacks would inevitably lack a decisive blow, so he would be worn
down.
To use the method he
had used to bring down the corpse dragon before, Azel's altitude was too high.
There was no support
to drive the opponent to a low altitude now. Even if he were to repel the
opponent's breath, it would probably be dodged.
Then...
"Hmph!"
While letting out a
short breath, Nozomu relaxed the strength in his legs. The brake that had been
killing the momentum of being blown away was gone, and his upper body just
flowed. At the same time, in Nozomu's tilting vision, the gray ground was
approaching.
"Shh!"
The next moment,
Nozomu jumped with all his might. He changed the direction of his body in the
manner of a side flip and landed on the trunk of a tree that had been growing
in his path.
"Haaaaaah!"
Along with a sharp
cry, he concentrated ki in both his legs.
He activated Flash
Step. While breaking the trunk of the tree he had used as a launching pad,
Nozomu's body was launched into the air, and he jumped over Azel's breath.
"! You nimble
little thing!"
At the sight of
Nozomu, who had completely evaded the breath, Azel let out an irritated voice.
She probably thought she had finished him off with the previous breath.
Azel formed countless
light bullets around herself.
Nozomu was a human. He
did not possess the ability to dance in the air.
Perhaps convinced of
her victory, a smile appeared on Azel's lips. But the next moment, her
expression froze.
Nozomu twisted his
body in the manner of a somersault, and while upside down in the air, he swung
his katana in a circle again.
Below Nozomu, the ki
technique "Fan Sail Lotus" appeared. Immediately after, under the
jumped Nozomu, Azel's breath landed.
The explosion of the
breath, while scattering a shockwave in all directions, blew the gray rubble to
dust.
Furthermore, the
diffused shockwave clashed with Nozomu's "Fan Sail Lotus."
A ki membrane that
bent, literally like a sail that had caught the wind. Immediately after, Nozomu
slammed ki into his feet to their limit and kicked off the ki membrane at his
feet with all his might.
Along with an
ear-splitting explosion, the ki membrane burst, and Nozomu's body jumped up
into the sky again. Ahead of him was the white-scaled dragon.
"Wha!?"
"Uoooooooooooh!"
If you can't bring the
opponent down to the ground, then all you have to do is "jump" to
where the opponent is.
Nozomu was advancing
straight at Azel like a javelin. His katana was once again imbued with an
enormous amount of ki.
Azel, who had not
expected a human to jump in the air. By the time she noticed, Nozomu was
already closing in on her.
Azel reflexively
layered the barrier she was wearing even more, forming a countless number of
multiple barriers.
A five-colored light
appeared from Nozomu's body. It flowed into the "Mumei" katana he was
carrying as if swirling, and the shining blade was dyed in a color of chaos.
It was, indeed, the
chaotic power that Tiamat possessed.
"Be
severed!"
The moment Nozomu
swung the katana he held in his hand, Azel's barrier was cut in an instant.
The countless barriers
that had been cut like paper scattered futilely and disappeared into the gray
sky as dust.
"I-Impossible!
For a mere human to master that power..."
While Azel was
stunned, Nozomu had quickly unleashed his second blade. A ki blade that had
exploded along the sword line became countless blades and bared its fangs at
Azel's wing.
"Dust
Severance"
Azel's right wing was
torn to shreds by the exploded countless ki blades, and its function was
completely taken away.
"Kuuuh! Y-You!"
Azel's body had begun
to fall according to gravity. She forcibly twisted her body and tried to sweep
Nozomu away with her forearm.
But Nozomu, conversely
using the fact that he couldn't brace himself in the air, completely dodged the
momentum of Azel's swept-out forearm.
"Kyah!"
Having lost one wing,
and furthermore, by forcibly trying to attack Nozomu, Azel had completely lost
her posture. Not missing that opening, Nozomu swung his katana further.
"Shh!"
The blade of chaos
deeply cut into Azel's body, scattering fresh blood.
Nozomu's blade had
easily cut through the armor of the white dragon, which had not let any attack
through.
Furthermore, Nozomu
continued to swing his katana two or three times in a row. With each swing, a
laceration ran through Azel's body.
"Guh, gah! You
son of a...!"
"!"
But Azel, not to be
outdone, shot the swarm of light arrows that she had left in the air at Nozomu.
Like a hawk that had
found its prey, a rain of light descended from the heavens. Ahead of it were,
of course, Nozomu and Azel.
Compared to Azel, who
was clad in the armor known as dragon scales, Nozomu’s skin was like a jelly.
Of course, it was clear which one would suffer a more serious wound.
"...Hmph!"
Azel was trying to
eliminate Nozomu even if it meant being caught in a suicide attack. But Nozomu
kicked Azel's body and leaped into the approaching light arrows himself.
He drew the scabbard
that was at his waist, and while spinning like a top in the air, he intercepted
the approaching light arrows with his katana and scabbard.
At the same time, the
ki technique "Dust Severance" was activated from his katana and
scabbard. He created a thick wall of chaos in front of him and intercepted the
approaching light arrows one after another.
Despite surrendering
himself to passion, his swordsmanship was sharp. His movements were nothing
short of abnormal.
"Guuuuuuh!"
But Nozomu's body was
also screaming. The overflowing, inexhaustible power was further eroding his
body. Every time he swung both his hands, the muscles in both his arms were
torn, and his skin was split, and blood continued to gush out.
But Nozomu, who was
being carried away by his passion, did not stop. The synchronized hatred of
Nozomu and Tiamat continued to rise without limit, and his sense of pain was
already as good as gone.
He felt the pain. But
that was not a reason to stop.
At Nozomu, who had
mowed down all the approaching light arrows while being torn apart and
bleeding, Azel trembled in astonishment.
"N-No way...
Gah!"
The next moment, her
body was slammed to the ground with great force. With the pain and shock
running through her entire body, her consciousness was dyed a pure white for a
moment.
"Ooooooooooooh!"
From above the
groaning Azel, Nozomu was charging in with his katana raised. He had imbued the
blade he held with an enormous amount of ki and anger and was trying to finish
off Azel.
Nozomu, who had jumped
three times in the air, was also currently falling from a considerable height.
If he were to be slammed to the ground as he was, he too would not escape
unharmed.
But Nozomu, who was
swallowed by his anger, was no longer thinking about landing.
He imbued the tip of
his blade with a killing intent that could scorch his body and charged at the
fallen Azel.
"This is the
end!"
A five-colored elemental
essence overflowed explosively from Nozomu's body.
Nozomu and Tiamat. The
power that had overflowed as if in sympathy with the anger of the two swirled
and flowed into the blade of "Mumei," dyeing that blade in a color of
even greater hatred.
A blade was about to
reap Azel's life while emitting a chaotic light that seemed to devour all. But
just before its tip could catch Azel, an enormous light enveloped Nozomu and
Azel.
Immediately after, an
impact ran through, and Nozomu's body was softly repelled.
"Gah!?"
The repelled Nozomu
broke his fall, and as he somehow regained his posture, a strange thing came
into his view.
A white crystal with a
shining ornament trapped within it. As if appealing something, it was floating
between Nozomu and Azel.
"Tch, don't
interfere!"
Nozomu, who was being
swallowed by his anger, raised his katana without a care and tried to cut down
Azel along with the crystal.
But the next moment,
as the crystal shone with a particularly bright light, a corner of the
gray-dyed ground suddenly exploded.
"Wha!?"
From within the
scattering dirt and sand, countless white shining things jumped out.
Those paper-thin,
rectangular-shaped pieces of paper flew around Nozomu as if to surround him,
and then fell to the surrounding ground one after another.
At the same time, a
shining magic circle appeared around Nozomu. Countless lights that jumped out
from the magic circle clung to Nozomu's body as if to hold him down.
"Guuh,
gaaah..."
"Uuuuuh..."
Immediately after, an
intense fatigue assaulted Nozomu's entire body. As if the heat were being
stolen from the core of his body, his strength drained away.
Nozomu, whose strength
had left his knees, fell to the ground, supporting himself with his hands. In
front of him, Azel was slowly standing up while letting out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you,
Father."
Azel respectfully
bowed her head to the crystal floating in the air.
"Mika-eeeeel!"
Tiamat let out a cry
of resentment that seemed to echo from the depths of hell. Her consciousness
was no longer on Azel, but was directed at the small crystal floating in front
of her.
-----
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