Volume 7
Chapter 24
The appearance of Lisa, her crimson hair fluttering, made Irisdina and the others widen their eyes in unison. The deathly pallor from before was completely gone from her face.
"A-Are you...
okay?"
"Ah, yes. You
saved us..."
To Lisa's spirited
question, Irisdina couldn't help but return a curt thanks.
A subtle atmosphere
flowed between the two. For Lisa, the beautiful black-haired woman in front of
her was someone she had caused a lot of trouble for, and the girl who was now
thought to be closest to Nozomu.
As for Irisdina,
although she had decided to put aside her own jealousy for now, she also felt a
sense of guilt towards Lisa for having spewed various insults due to her own
immaturity.
As they both had
various thoughts about each other, when they came face to face, their mouths
didn't seem to move properly.
However, this was not
a situation where they had the luxury of worrying about such things.
""Ooooooooooooooooh!""
Along with Nozomu's
roar, a torrent of ki raged.
Although he was
interrupted by a sudden attack, his rage-filled gaze was still directed at
Michael, who was being held by Shina.
"This is
bad!"
As if slipping through
the gap while Irisdina and the others were distracted by the intruding Lisa,
Nozomu leaped at Shina.
The three of them,
Mars, Mimuru, and Feo, reflexively stepped forward.
But the next moment,
as if to block Nozomu's path, countless arrows of light fell from the sky.
With a deafening roar,
the arrows of light kicked up a cloud of dust.
In a matter of
seconds, a swarm of what seemed to be hundreds or even thousands of light
bullets rained down indiscriminately in the space between Nozomu and Irisdina
and the others.
"Noaaaaaaah!"
"Hieeeeeeeeeh!"
The ones who were
tossed about by the raging shockwave were the trio of Mars and the others, who
had jumped forward in the heat of the moment.
Tossed into the air,
they spun around and were thrown down at the feet of Irisdina and the others
with a splat.
"Good grief, you
young ladies and lads are all too reckless..."
The one who had
appeared from the depths of the thicket was Zonne, who had been treating Lisa.
Behind him were the
figures of Tom and Somia.
"You're the
reckless one! Are you trying to kill us, you old geezer!"
"It's burned! My
tail is burned! I've been scarred by this old piece of junk!~"
"H-Hey,
'piece of junk'... Isn't that a bit harsh?~"
Mars and Mimuru, who was
blown away as collateral damage, complained to Zonne one after another.
"Is everyone
okay?"
"Big Sister, are
you okay!? I'll heal your wounds right away!"
"Even
Somia..."
Somia ran over to her
sister's side and, although clumsily, began to cast healing magic on her.
In fact, when Irisdina
and Mars was blown away by Nozomu's Vibration
Cannon, they had hit their bodies all over and had suffered cuts in various
places.
The faint light that
shone from Somia's palm enveloped the two of them and began to close their
wounds.
Perhaps because she
had been quite devoted to her training, influenced by Nozomu recently, Somia's
proficiency in magic had also been gradually improving.
"Feo-kun, wake
up! We have to fix Irisdina-san's broken formula!"
"Fuep! Ueeeh...
my mouth is full of grit... It tastes as bad as the cooking of a certain
wildcat tribe..."
"Hmph, how rude!
Tom always eats my cooking deliciously~! Besides, you're always eating rocks,
so you should be fine. If anything, you should be getting stronger,
right?"
"You damn
she-cat..."
"F-Feo-kun, I'll
talk to Mimuru properly later... Mimuru, if you say any more strange things...
you'll be punished later."
"P-Punished!?
Wh-What will Tom do to me... C-Could it be, that kind of thing and this kind of
thing... Nooo~!"
I wonder what Mimuru
had imagined at the word "punishment." The way she was writhing and
contorting her body was strangely painful to watch.
Feo, who had been
grimacing until just before, was also now looking away uncomfortably.
"Ah, the one who
will be doing the punishing is the victim, Feo-kun, you know?"
"Eh? Me?"
"Aaaaan! You
bastard! What do you mean by getting in between me and Tom!"
From a sudden shyness,
she had turned into an Asura-like rage, and Mimuru was twisting Feo's collar
and lifting his entire body.
Her fur was standing
on end, and her tail, which she had said was scarred just before, was also
standing up straight.
"Did I do
something wrong?"
"Funyaaaaah!
Nya-nya! Fushaaaaah!"
"Please use human
words..."
It seemed there was no
reason left in her head. Not only reason, but no human language either.
While rattling on in
cat language, she was baring her sharp fangs and swinging the lifted Feo
around.
"The carbonated
liquor incident at the Ox-Head Pavilion the other day. And also..."
"It was my fault.
Please, I beg you, appease the raging cat god."
As Tom began to
recount Feo's deeds while folding his fingers one by one, the fox-tailed young
man readily raised the white flag.
"Alright, that's
enough of the comedy routine. Feo-kun, please repair Irisdina-san's formula.
Mimuru... let's be a little quiet, shall we?"
"Nya-nya?"
When Tom casually
stroked Mimuru's throat, Mimuru tossed away the Feo she had been holding and
began to rub her own body against Tom's stroking hand with a purr.
The thrown-to-the-ground
Feo let out a muffled "Gueh!", but Mimuru, without a care, was
snuggling up to her lover, purring.
She was just like a
cat that had smelled catnip.
On the other hand,
Zonne, with slow steps, passed by Irisdina's side and then glared at the end of
the kicked-up dust cloud.
The kicked-up dust
cloud gradually cleared, and Nozomu, with his eyes dyed in anger, appeared.
"Old man..."
"Now then, ask
that cat-petting boy for the details. For the time being, leave it to me. I
can't exert much power right now, but I'll still manage to hold the brat down
somehow."
Zonne, who had taken a
step forward, and Nozomu faced each other.
Nozomu's gaze, which
had been directed at the Michael that Shina had been holding, was now turned to
Zonne.
""Oooooooooooooooooooooooh!""
Nozomu and Tiamat. The
overlapping roars of resentment of the two were directed at Zonne.
For the first time
since Michael had appeared before Nozomu and Tiamat, they had clearly changed
the target of their hatred. That fact once again highlighted that this old man
also had a deep connection with Tiamat.
""Solaraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!""
"It's been a
while since I've been called by that name. That's right. I am also one of your
sworn enemies. In your anger, turn that blade on me."
An enormous amount of elemental
essence gushed out from Zonne's body, and while swirling, it formed a
mandala-patterned multiple formation. At the same time, Nozomu activated Flash
Step with a roar and tried to close the distance in a single leap.
Arrows of light were
formed in the air in an instant. The light arrows, formed in a number far
greater than Azel's, were shot at Nozomu at once.
And not just once. The
released swarm of light was formed again the next moment and was shot at Nozomu
a second and a third time.
A swarm of light that
could cover the vision, attacking again and again. It was just like a surging
tsunami.
""!?""
Nozomu immediately
jumped with all his might and dodged the first blow, but the swarm of light
arrows that was rushing at him like a raging wave was closing in in an instant.
Perhaps realizing that
he couldn't dodge them properly, Nozomu quickly swung his katana and formed a
ki membrane in front of him. He then lightly jumped and placed both his feet on
the ki membrane, and in time with the landing of the light arrows, he jumped,
at once escaping from the range of the light arrows.
Furthermore, he
concentrated ki in his left hand and slammed it to the ground at the same time
as he landed.
"Muu!"
Ki Technique "Annihilation Light Impact"
The ki technique that
he was about to release at Irisdina and the others just before was now
assaulting Zonne from his feet.
But when Zonne quickly
waved his hand, a multiple barrier was formed at his feet in an instant.
The clashing torrent
of ki and the wall of elemental essence. The ki that was pushed out by the
barrier blew away the dirt at the old man's feet, and the barriers that could
not withstand it returned to the dust of light, one by one.
Eventually, at the
same time as the last barrier was shattered, the torrent of ki that had been
gushing from the ground also subsided.
The surrounding ground
had already been gouged out over a dozen meters and had turned into a crater.
The kicked-up dirt and
sand were dancing in the surroundings, once again hiding the figures of the
two.
Was it Nozomu, who had
created such a crater with just the aftereffects of his ki technique, who was
amazing, or was it the old man, who had completely blocked such a ki technique?
But either way, there
was no way Nozomu would let this opportunity pass.
"!"
Breaking through the
cloud of dust, Nozomu closed in on Zonne's right side at once.
His opponent was an
existence greater than Azel. If he were to let him take the pace, he would be
swallowed in an instant. But just charging head-on would only get him brushed
aside. That was the reason for his action.
However, naturally,
that action was completely transparent to Zonne.
"Even without
borrowing the power of the spirits, I can see through an action of that
level."
When Zonne swung his
arm once, a magic circle was formed so as to surround Nozomu, and chains of
light rushed at Nozomu from all directions.
This chain was just a
binding magic. Unlike the dragon-sealing barrier, it did not have any special
effect on Tiamat.
Still, being stopped
was fatal for Nozomu. Especially against an opponent who was capable of a
large-scale, wide-range attack.
Nozomu, while dodging
the chains of light that were closing in on him from all directions with
"Flash Step - Curving Dance -," was stepping forward and forward,
trying to close the distance to Zonne.
But the chains of
light were as persistent as a snake and were gradually closing in on Nozomu
from behind.
Furthermore, Nozomu's
front suddenly exploded, and multiple spears of light were thrust out.
Although similar to
Azel, who also mastered multiple formations, Zonne was manipulating multiple
different types of magic at the same time. Furthermore, the number of each and
every magic was not to be trifled with.
He was clearly a user
of a higher level than Azel.
The spears that had
thrust out from the ground were blocking Nozomu's path.
Nozomu, with his path
blocked by spears of light in front and chains of light behind, had his escape
route sealed. Furthermore, Zonne formed a particularly large multiple formation
in front of his own eyes. After sending all his elemental essence into it, he
released a giant beam of light, as if to deliver the finishing blow.
The beam of light,
which was approaching while gouging the ground and blowing away the fallen
trees.
It was a blow that
could by no means be blocked. With no escape route, an opponent who could not
use barrier magic could not block it. Yes, if the opponent were not Nozomu.
""Haaaaaaaaah!""
A five-colored elemental
essence gushed out from Nozomu's entire body. While swirling, it flowed into
the weapon Nozomu was carrying, dyeing its blade in a color of chaos.
Furthermore, Nozomu
sheathed the chaos-dyed blade and then swung it up in a swift flash.
A single flash of
light dyed in five colors ran through. The bisected beam of light blew away the
chains that was closing in on Nozomu from behind.
What could be seen on
the other side of the beam of light that was flowing behind Nozomu was the
figure of the grimacing old man. Furthermore, Nozomu jumped into the gap of the
sliced beam of light.
The spears of light
that was blocking Nozomu's front, and the chains of light that was closing in
on him from behind, had already been blown away by Zonne's beam of light.
Nozomu, who had closed
the distance in an instant, swung his katana down at Zonne's head.
"Mmph!"
Zonne raised both his
hands, and the elemental essence that had overflowed from his body gathered and
created a single staff of light.
Nozomu's blade and
Zonne's staff of light clashed.
Immediately after,
along with a thunderous boom, a shockwave was released in all directions.
""!?""
"Guuuuuuh."
Zonne had blocked the
slash of the momentum-filled Nozomu head-on.
A clear color of
agitation was mixed in with the rage-filled Nozomu's eyes.
Zonne, while dropping
his hips, spun his staff of light around, and while letting Nozomu's force flow
behind him, he threw Nozomu’s body into the air.
Furthermore, Zonne
pointed the tip of his staff at the Nozomu who was thrown into the air.
Nozomu reflexively
twisted his body and swung his katana in the air. Immediately after, a light
bullet was released from the tip of the staff that Zonne had raised.
Nozomu’s katana sliced
through the released light bullet, dissipating it.
"Tch. So it was
no good."
The landed Nozomu did
not step in again and glared at Zonne with a wary stance.
On the other hand,
Zonne spun his staff of light around with a triumphant smile.
"Surprised? I've
lived for tens of thousands of years, after all. It's not strange for me to
have learned one or two human techniques, is it?"
The previous technique
was undoubtedly not that of a four-legged beast, nor was it the work of a
spirit. It was the technique of a bipedal human.
And it was of the
highest quality. How many people on this continent could parry and deal with
the slash of the power-released Nozomu and then counterattack?
Come to think of it,
his opponent was a living history that had been watching this continent since
ancient times. This level of skill might be nothing to him.
""Guuuuuuh...""
"Now then, will
you come at me?"
Zonne held the tip of
his staff down and took a stance. It seemed he intended to continue the close
combat as it was.
The distance between
the two was not even 10 meters. Nozomu would probably be able to step in before
Zonne could deploy a formula.
While smiling at
Nozomu, Zonne was suppressing the impatience that was welling up inside him.
"The
dragon-sealing barrier, which consumes a great deal of the ley lines, can no
longer be used. In this situation, to return to my original form against the brat
would only worsen the situation... In the first place, he probably wouldn't
give me the time, and I don't have the spare energy to do so..."
Zonne was now
shouldering many other disadvantageous factors and it was difficult for him to
return to his original dragon form.
First, the
dragon-sealing barrier could no longer be used.
Because Azel had
deployed it once, the formula that Zonne had previously set up had collapsed.
Furthermore, since the dragon-sealing barrier consumes a great deal of the ley
lines, it was also difficult to set up the formula again. This was another
demerit of the dragon-sealing barrier, which was fragile to external
interference.
In the first place,
there was no way a barrier that could seal even Tiamat would have no flaws.
Second, he could not
take on the form of a dragon at present. This was because he had given up a
part of his own soul to seal Azel, and his power had been considerably
depleted.
While the dragon race
possessed great power, their existence was bound to their physical bodies. In a
human body, there was inevitably a limit to their maximum output.
And to reconstruct
their physical bodies also required a great deal of power compared to other
spirits, making them a rather fuel-inefficient species.
Of course, even if he
could return to his dragon form, the current Nozomu, who had seen Azel's
transformation once, would probably not allow it.
"Although there
is no problem with the upper limit of the power I can use in this body, it will
be a difficult task to suppress this brat with it..."
What was fortunate was
the point that Nozomu was also considerably exhausted from the continuous
battles.
Although it seemed he
was able to fight thanks to the supply of power from Tiamat, his physical body
was quite exhausted, and it was beginning to show in his movements.
In fact, the speed of Nozomu's
step-in just now was not as great as when he had sent the corpse dragon at Nozomu
before.
But the fact that his
physical limit was near also meant that while it was easier to fight, Tiamat's
revival was also approaching.
Even as they were
facing each other, as if to show that fact, blood was flowing endlessly from Nozomu's
body.
"Still, the brat
from before should have already had his body collapse. As expected, he is
adapting to Tiamat's power. And at a phenomenal speed..."
""Ooooooooooooooooh""
"Tch! As
expected, there's no way he'll back down while being consumed by his
anger!"
Nozomu sheathed his
drawn katana and, while letting out a roar, charged at Zonne.
He covered a distance
of 10 meters in less than half a second and caught Zonne in his blade's range.
He released the guard
and drew his katana.
The "Phantom"
that was released along with the chaotic light clashed with the staff of light
that Zonne had raised. It chipped away at the elemental essence that formed the
staff and scattered a white shining phosphorescence.
Furthermore, Nozomu
quickly released a returning blow.
The "Phantom - Return -" that was
released as if to sweep from the opposite side. Its target was the staff of
light that Zonne held. It was driven in accurately, at the exact same position
as the Phantom he had just driven in.
A flashing light burst
from the staff that Zonne had raised, and at the same time, an unpleasant
cracking sound echoed.
"Kuh, the staff!?
As expected, its power and our (the spirits') power are not compatible!"
Although they were
both the power of the spirits, the direction of the power of Zonne and Tiamat
was completely opposite.
Because he had taken
in powers of different directions without order, the essence of the power that
Tiamat possessed had become "destruction and chaos."
On the other hand, the
power that Zonne possessed was the "white" power that originated from
light. A symbol of order.
Precisely because they
were opposites, the power of white sealed Tiamat, and the power of chaos
painted over Zonne's power.
Of course, if it were
another dragon race, they might have been taken in by Tiamat's power instead.
When you think about it, it was better that it just ended at "not being
compatible."
Zonne quickly gathered
the elemental essence and repaired the damaged staff of light.
However, there was no
way Nozomu would miss this opening.
He quickly went on the
offensive, trying to push Zonne back with a barrage of attacks.
And all of them were
aimed at the same position on the staff of light. It was clearly an action
taken after having seen through Zonne's agitation.
Furthermore, if his
consciousness were to become too focused on the staff for even a moment, Nozomu
would quickly switch his target and aim for his body.
"Nuo!?"
Zonne dodged Nozomu’s
katana, which was trying to sweep at his legs, by jumping back.
Furthermore, this
time, he had come at him with a straight downward cut from an upper stance,
trying to split Zonne along with his staff. Of course, he was also firmly
aiming at the raised staff.
"Nuuuh... Despite
being dyed in anger, when it comes to battle, he's far too 'clever'!"
Zonne shot a single
light bullet that he had made from Nozomu's side, and after diverting Nozomu’s
attention, he stepped in himself and swept his staff of light.
Even while receiving
Nozomu's overwhelming intimidating pressure, the fact that he could firmly
brace himself and fight head-on showed that this old man was also more than
"overwhelming."
In response to the
swung staff of light, Nozomu also, as if in return, returned the extreme blade
he held in his hand. The sound of the clashing katana and staff of light echoed
again and again in the gray forest.
***
"Amazing..."
Mars and the others
were watching the battle between Nozomu and Zonne with dazed expressions.
Although they had had
a glimpse of Zonne's abilities during the assault incident caused by Ken,
seeing it laid bare before them like this, they were honestly at a loss for
words.
In front of the dazed
Mars and the others, Tom stepped forward.
"Everyone,
listen. If things go well, we might be able to bring Nozomu-kun back to
normal."
"Really?"
"Yeah. That being
said, it's not something that can be called a tactic. It's just a story of
slamming a super high-powered magic into his left chest and stopping his heart
for a moment..."
"Pfft!?"
Tom's proposal was
extremely simple. And its content was ridiculous. At his out-of-this-world
proposal, Mars couldn't help but burst out laughing.
It was true that if
the heart stopped and blood stopped circulating, a person would lose
consciousness. If that happened, the synchronization between Nozomu and Tiamat
would inevitably be cut.
Considering the effect
on the subsequent resuscitation measures, he could also understand that he had
limited the means used for the attack to pure magic, which had little effect on
the body.
However, one misstep,
and it was also a means that could kill Nozomu.
At that fact, Irisdina
and the others also had expressions as if they had bitten into a bitter bug.
"According to the
old man, to cut the synchronization between Nozomu-kun and Tiamat, we need to
give him a considerable shock."
"So you're saying
it won't work unless we go that far..."
"Yeah. If our
voice isn't reaching him even with the contract with Shina, then we have no
choice but to force him back to normal. Knowing all the risks..."
At the fact that was
all too clear, Irisdina clenched her hands.
Nozomu, who had
somehow been maintaining his ego while treading on thin ice. They knew the
danger when that balance was broken. No, perhaps they had only thought they had
known.
In front of them was
the figure of Nozomu, continuing to swing his katana while bleeding from all
over his body.
"...Understood,
let's do it."
"Ai, are you
serious!?"
"There's no other
way. And we're short on time."
She ignored Tima's
voice, who had let out a cry, and gripped the hilt of her rapier.
What Irisdina said was
true. A considerable amount of time had already passed since Nozomu had
released his power. There was not a moment to lose.
"So, how are we
going to slam magic power into Nozomu's left chest?"
"Mars-kun and the
others will support the front line, and we'll support from the back. Basically,
the way we'll do it is no different from the method you all were using just
now, Mars-kun."
At that moment, Lisa,
who had been listening in silence, opened her mouth.
"I'll do it too.
Let me help."
"Are you sure? In
the worst case, you could be killed by Nozomu."
"I have to draw a
line properly. To be honest, I don't know what I can do, but I can't just stand
here and watch this situation!"
While clenching her
fists so hard it seemed the bones in her hand would break, Lisa revealed her
feelings.
"I was saved by
Nozomu. I've always been saved. So if I run away here, I really won't be able
to stand up again! I'll be throwing away Nozomu's feelings into the gutter
again! So please, I'm asking you..."
While tearing up, Lisa
bowed her head and pleaded.
She, who had continued
to hurt him, might not even have the right to be in this place.
Still, she didn't want
to run away here. She wanted to be of help to him in any way she could.
"Tom-kun..."
"I know. I'm also
thinking about her. Shina, somehow, make that broken bow usable."
"Got it."
"Feo-kun, I'm
counting on you to repair the broken formula."
"Yes, yes.
Understood..."
Tom and Irisdina gave
instructions one after another, and everyone else began to move quickly.
Shina cut a lock of
her own hair with a knife in place of the broken string, bundled it, and hooked
the string loop on the upper part of the bow.
Her hair, contrary to
its appearance, was strong, and magic power flowed through it well.
Also, although it was
a trivial amount that was by no means comparable to a magic stone, it also had
the property of storing her own magic power, and women who used magic often had
long hair, taking into account the trouble of maintenance and other things.
Conversely, those like
Tima, who had too much magic power and couldn't control it, only grew their
hair to about their shoulders.
Feo also took out four
talismans from his pocket and layered them, carving a formula.
While everyone was
beginning to move, Lisa and Irisdina were staring at each other.
Irisdina couldn't help
but let out a sigh. Because she had seen a light that glittered like a ruby in
the depths of Lisa's wavering eyes.
A strong will to move
forward, while harboring regret, repentance, and hesitation. That was,
strangely, very similar to the person she had feelings for.
"Lisa-kun, who
has no weapon, please support Feo-kun and the others. They are defenseless
while controlling the formula."
"Got it, thank
you..."
"It's nothing to
be thanked for. I also have the same feeling of wanting him to come back. And
besides..."
"And
besides...?"
"No, it's
nothing. For now..."
Her crimson hair, as
she tilted her head, flowed gently in the wind.
Although she had been
like a sandcastle on the verge of collapsing until just a short while ago, now
she was looking straight ahead.
Was her ability to
change in such a short time due to the strength she had hidden within herself,
or was it his influence?
Envious. Irisdina
swallowed the words that had come up to her throat.
She had decided to put
it aside for now. Both her own jealousy, and her concern about where his
feelings were directed.
She gently placed her
left hand on her chest.
What she remembered
were the words she had said to Nozomu in that forest.
I want to be
by your side. I want you to be by my side.
There was no lie in
those feelings. She reconfirmed the feelings she had become aware of and
confirmed in that forest.
So as not to be swept
away by the negative emotion that nested in her own heart.
"Alright!
Irisdina-san, the preparations are complete!"
"Let's go!"
"Yeah!"
Black and crimson. The
two magic powers raged.
Along with Tom's call,
the two who were lined up side by side ran towards the raging storm.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Geral Aponso
MaxKne
[Gold]
B random
DavidA
Nepheos
ShitaiNoKootoRyuu
[Silver]
Creris
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Good or Hype
Matthew Fraser
Anton Lim
Ctdela
Curious Panda
nick nasca
SD Fox
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
