Volume 8
Chapter 15
The Opening Festival.
It was not only
Solminati Academy's open campus but also a major event for the students.
On that day, the
academy was opened to the public during the daytime, and various people from
both inside and outside visited the academy.
The students, too,
were attending classes with more spirit than usual, trying to appeal their own
abilities on this occasion.
In each training
ground set up within the academy, a total of about fifty people had gathered in
groups, and a joint class was being held.
Since it was the
middle of the opening festival, not only general visitors but also well-dressed
dignitaries were mixed in around the training grounds.
The general
spectators, while watching the training scenery of the students that they could
not usually see, were pointing fingers and sometimes raising their voices in
cheers.
In the other adjacent
training grounds as well, multiple groups were working hard at their training,
bathed in the gazes of the visitors in the same way.
One such training
ground. The participants were third-year students, but among them, there was
one who stood out.
Lisa Hounds.
A top-class user even
among the third years, a red-haired girl who masterfully wielded twin swords and
a fire magic that boasted outstanding power.
She was now conducting
a mock battle against five third-rank students.
"Teeeeeei!"
"Hmph!"
"Uwah!"
Lisa easily parried
the longsword of the student who had attacked her with all his might from the
side with the sword in her right hand.
A powerful sword
strike that was unimaginable from her slender, feminine arms.
Her physical
abilities, which had been dramatically increased by her ability "Nivea’s Demonic Hand," were giving
her the physical strength of a Cyclops.
However, the other
students would not just be repelled and be done with it.
In the opening when
Lisa had swept her curved sword, the students who had been waiting in the rear fired
a volley of dozens of magic bullets.
A number of magic
bullets that was far too many to be shot at a single person. But Lisa held up
the dagger she carried in her left hand and formed a huge mass of fire. She
shot it at the approaching swarm of magic bullets.
The fired mass of fire
exploded while swallowing the numerous approaching magic bullets. The released
shockwave blew away the students who had been waiting in the rear.
The students who had
been sent flying were slammed to the ground a few seconds later, letting out
pained voices.
A far too one-sided
development.
It was not that the
third-rank students were weak.
They were also
students who had trained at this academy, and during the special comprehensive
exercise, they had achieved results that had placed them in the upper ranks.
However, because this
girl's abilities were so outstanding, they were completely unable to suppress
her.
"What's wrong? Is
that all?"
While toying with the
twin swords in her hands, Lisa had a cheerful smile on her lips.
When the assault
incident caused by Ken had become public, she had been tormented by her own
mistake and guilt and had been as gaunt as a withered tree.
Although Lisa had for
a time lost sight of herself, she now did not show a shred of the weakness from
that time.
Her figure, as she
faced her dream once more and ran straight ahead, was as lively as a newly
sprouted bud and was overflowing with life force.
"U-Uuh..."
On the other hand, the
students who had been facing Lisa were all cowering. They were dejected at the
overwhelming difference in their abilities.
"Come on, if you
get discouraged over something like this, you won't be able to make it in the
future."
"Lisa, you're
going too fast. Everyone is completely overwhelmed."
Camilla, who had been waiting
behind Lisa, was sighing.
Although Camilla had
been on standby so that she could chant magic at any time to protect the back
of her partner, Lisa, since Lisa had shown an overflowing vitality and had
trampled her opponents, she had had nothing to do.
"Even if it's a
mock battle, there's no point in holding back, is there? A real battle is
nothing like this."
"Still, you're
overdoing it. Even if it's the day of the opening festival, to use Nivea’s Demonic Hand and go all out from
the beginning..."
Originally, Lisa's
physical and magical specs were enough to maintain a sufficient advantage even
when facing multiple upper-class students.
On the other hand, Nivea’s Demonic Hand, which doubled the
effect of magic, had restrictions on its number of uses and standby time, and
was originally something to be used only at the decisive moment.
For that reason,
Lisa's basic tactic until now had been to maintain her advantage with her
superior abilities, identify the opponent's openings, and use Nivea’s Demonic Hand at the right moment
to trample the opponent at once with a raging offensive.
However, the current
her was not thinking about her own spare energy or the future and was going all
out to defeat her opponent from the very beginning.
Although Camilla also
knew that Lisa had been working hard with renewed determination in her studies
and training since she had made up with Nozomu, she was also getting a little
worried.
"It doesn't
matter whether it's the opening festival or not. I want to thoroughly raise my
limits while I can. It would be an absolute waste not to do it while I can
still fail."
On the other hand,
Lisa, who had been told off, dismissed Camila's concern in a lighthearted
manner.
As for her, she wanted
to extend her own limits as much as possible while she could. For that reason,
she was putting all her effort into any training or mock battle.
In particular, what
Lisa was focusing on was the training of her own ability, "Nivea’s Demonic Hand."
Nivea’s Demonic
Hand had the potential to deliver a sufficient blow to a superior opponent
depending on how it was used.
That could be seen
from the fact that it had become the final blow to stop the rampaging Nozomu
during the Azel attack incident.
And precisely because
she had discovered the possibility that she could become even stronger, Lisa
was actively using this Nivea’s Demonic
Hand and was trying to train it once more.
Although she would
sometimes fail and run out of magic power, or faint from the recoil, she had no
intention of stopping. Because even if she fainted, she could receive
sufficient aftercare within the academy.
An environment where
she could try again even if she failed was precious. And now that she was in
the environment of the academy, where she was allowed to fail, it was natural
for her to be so fired up.
"And besides, I
don't want to regret anymore. That's why I will run through my current limits
with all my might. That is the 'adventure' that I am challenging now."
More than anything,
what was encouraging Lisa was the admonition of not wanting to repeat the two
years she had been standing still in her escape.
And it was the feeling
of not wanting to waste the feelings of Nozomu, who had swallowed his grudges
and hatred until the end and had shown her the way.
For that purpose, she
would re-forge her own "core." With that goal in her heart, she swung
the twin swords she held in her hands with a swoosh!
A hot emotion was
driving her now.
A smile appeared on
Lisa's lips as she spoke of her challenge to her own limits, and not a shred of
the gloom that she had shown for a time could be felt.
At her lively smile,
like a clear sky, not only Camilla, not only the dejected third-rank students,
but also the visitors who had come to the training ground were captivated in
spite of themselves.
"So, who is my
next opponent?"
"Then, how about
us?"
A third party's voice
echoed through the training ground.
The one who had
answered Lisa's words, who had changed her cheerful smile into a challenging
smile, was a wildcat girl belonging to the second rank.
Next to her was also
the figure of an elf with a grave expression.
"Mimuru-san and Shina-san..."
"Hehe, there's no
room to doubt the red-haired princess's abilities, but if you're not careful,
I'll get you with a stab."
"I have no
intention of being careless, you know? Rather, you're not an insufficient
opponent."
"That's the
spirit!"
While twirling her
beloved dagger, Mimuru directed a smile full of fighting spirit at Lisa.
On the other hand,
Lisa also readied her twin swords as if in response to Mimuru's fighting
spirit.
The instructor in
charge of the class raised his hand and gave the signal to start.
"Hmph!"
The one who took the
first move was Mimuru.
She quickly
strengthened her body with ki and activated Flash Step. With the agility
peculiar to beastmen as her weapon, she tried to close the distance to Lisa at
once.
However, Lisa also
responded quickly.
While holding the
sword in her left hand in a reverse grip, she finished her chant and created a
fire bullet. And she shot the fire bullet at the charging Mimuru, who was like
a leopard.
The released fire
bullet was accurately targeting Mimuru.
Furthermore, Lisa used
Nivea’s Demonic Hand. The fire bullet,
which had only been the size of a palm, at once swelled to the size of a head.
On the other hand,
Mimuru, without paying any attention to the approaching fire bullet, was just
advancing forward.
It was, after all, a
feint. Since Lisa was using Nivea’s Demonic
Hand, its power was probably considerable, but Mimuru understood that her
best friend who was waiting behind her would be able to deal with something of
this level without any problem.
"Shina, I'm
counting on you for the interception!"
As if in answer to
Mimuru's call, Shina, who had been waiting in the rear, released an arrow
imbued with magic power.
The released arrow
flew while trailing a blue magic light and pierced the center of the fire
bullet that was closing in on Mimuru.
Shina's skill with the
bow was something that Mimuru knew best. Also, the power of the arrow, which
had been strengthened by magic power, held a power that could even pierce a
steel shield.
No matter how much its
power had been doubled by Nivea’s Demonic
Hand, a feint-level fire bullet could be unilaterally pulverized... or so
it should have been.
"Eh?"
"Huh?"
The pierced arrow had
burned out in an instant like a dry blade of grass, and the fire bullet had hit
the straight-advancing Mimuru and had exploded.
"Ukyaaaaaah!"
Mimuru, who had been
hit by the hot wind that had been released at close range, let out a scream.
Furthermore, the
kicked-up flame had caught on her hair and had gone up in a big blaze. The
three of them, Shina, Lisa, and Camilla, hurriedly began to pat Mimuru's hair
to extinguish the fire.
Fortunately, the fire
on her hair was quickly extinguished, but Mimuru's hair had become as frizzy as
a roasted chestnut.
"Ueeeeh, my
hair~"
"U-Umm, I'm
sorry. It seems I made a little mistake..."
To Mimuru, who was
lamenting her partially ashen hair, Camilla began to cast healing magic.
As expected, her ashen
hair could not be restored, but the burns that Mimuru had sustained on her face
quickly disappeared without a trace.
It was fortunate that
it had been a feint-level fire bullet, even if its power had been enhanced.
"What in the
world happened~. With Shina's bow, that magic should have been no problem at
all~"
"That's right.
Her aim was accurate, and the arrow had pierced the center of my fire bullet
properly... Are you not feeling well?"
"Umm..."
While being dejected
at her carbonized hair, Mimuru raised her voice in doubt, and Lisa threw a
question.
On the other hand, Shina
was at a loss for words and was furtively averting her gaze.
It was a gesture that
would clearly arouse suspicion.
"Come to think of
it, the other day, I smelled blood from Shina's body... ah, I see!"
"Ugh..."
Mimuru clapped her
hands as if she had thought of something.
Shina's body trembled.
If Mimuru, who had an
eye for fun things like "having performed a Ritual of the Blood Pact with
Nozomu," were to find out, she would gleefully spread the information
throughout the academy.
If that were to
happen, then of course, it would also reach Nozomu's ears.
For Shina, who did not
want Nozomu to know the meaning of the Ritual of the Blood Pact, it was a
rather bad situation.
"Shina, why
didn't you tell me? If I had known, I wouldn't have forced you..."
However, contrary to Shina's
concern, Mimuru had a serious look on her face and had placed her hands on Shina's
shoulders.
An atmosphere of a
gentle friend who was concerned for her best friend, a complete 180 from her
usual mischievous character, made Shina hold her breath...
"It was that time
of the month, wasn't it!?"
"That's not
it!"
"Gyan!"
And she screamed
without a moment's delay.
Although she had
reflexively hit Mimuru's head when she had raised her voice, that was also
something that couldn't be helped.
As for Shina herself,
when she was worrying about her guilt and sense of shame towards Nozomu, if she
were to be hit with such an inconsiderate line, she would be bound to lash out.
"...It
wasn't?"
"Of course not!
Why would you think that! And don't talk about such things so loudly!"
Although Shina and
Mimuru were gathering a considerable amount of attention, among the gazes were
not only students but also visitors.
Some of them were
whispering to each other and chuckling.
Shina's face, upon
noticing the gazes from those around her, was dyed with shame.
It was natural to
attract attention if one were to talk about things specific to girls in a
situation where there were academy students around.
"Ugh, to be seen
like this..."
"By the way, Shina's
loud voice is also a cause for attracting attention... adadada!"
"Sh-u-t
u-p!"
While her fine, white
skin was bright red with embarrassment, Shina was pinching Mimuru's ear.
As Mimuru said, Shina's
shouting was also a factor in attracting attention from those around her, but
that was further fanning her shame.
"Even though it's
the day of the opening festival, it's quite lively, isn't it?"
"It's just that
Mimuru is too annoying. Seriously, what a nuisance."
"You think so? I
think they are good partners for each other."
Camilla, who had been
watching Mimuru and Shina from a distance, had a happy smile.
Shina, who had noticed
Mimuru's lukewarm gaze, with a look of indignation, put even more strength into
the finger that had been pinching Mimuru's ear, and then finally released her.
Mimuru, whose ear was
swollen painfully, was rubbing her pinched ear with teary eyes.
Still, as for Shina
herself, Camilla's words also seemed to be very dissatisfying.
On the other hand,
Mimuru was also pouting as if to say, "You didn't have to go that
far!"
However, there was not
a shred of gloom that would linger between the two.
At that somehow
peaceful atmosphere, Camilla's smile deepened.
"Hey, you think
so too, don't you, Lisa?"
"...Eh,
what?"
Although Camilla had
sought Lisa's agreement, the crucial Lisa was looking at the adjacent training
ground with a somewhat absent-minded look.
"Lisa, what's
wrong... ah, I see."
"Wh-What is
it..."
At the end of her gaze
was the figure of Nozomu, who was having a mock battle in the adjacent training
ground.
Perhaps he was doing a
melee training, as more than ten students were clashing mock swords while being
wary of each other.
Among them, Nozomu's presence
was, as expected, in a class of its own.
The number of students
surrounding him was five. Ironically, the same number that Lisa had been facing
just before.
Nozomu was dealing
with all of the slashes that those five were unleashing.
There was no delay in
his movements, and while becoming one with the mock sword he held in his hand,
he continued to draw a smooth curve.
While deflecting the
mock sword that had been swung down from the front to the side, he slammed the
deflected mock sword against another sword that had been swept from the side.
And he quickly circled
behind the opponent in front of him and blew the two of them away with his ki
technique "Vibration Cannon."
Furthermore, as if to
take advantage of the opening in his ki technique, he intercepted the other
three who had jumped at him in a circle, using the recoil of the shockwave he
had released, and quickly turning his body.
With the swept-out
mock sword, he had bisected all of the simultaneously swung-down mock swords.
At that sight, not only
the students who had been his opponents, but also the visitors and Camilla and
the others who had been watching from a distance couldn't help but freeze.
"As always, it's
absurd, or rather... To cut through iron with a mock sword whose blade has been
blunted so as not to cut, just how high-density is his ki blade?"
"He's completely
destroying the meaning of a mock sword, isn't he~"
Camilla and Mimuru let
out voices of admiration and exasperation.
On the other hand,
Lisa had a grave face and was staring intently at Nozomu.
"Hmm? What's
wrong, Lisa, why are you making such a face?"
"U-Um, I just
feel a little strange..."
Along with a halting
word, Lisa put her hand to her mouth and fell silent.
However, Mimuru, who
had no idea about the sense of unease that Lisa felt from Nozomu, tilted her
head.
"Strange? Well,
it's true that Nozomu's swordsmanship is abnormal."
"That's not it, it's
just that, somehow, I feel unease... What do you feel, Shina-san?"
Unable to express the
sense of unease that was stuck in the depths of her chest well, Lisa couldn't
help but call out to the nearby Shina.
However, the
called-out Shina, perhaps not hearing Lisa's call, was staring intently at her
own hand.
On her slender, white
finger was a single, rough, reddish-black scab. It was the wound she had gotten
when she had performed the Ritual of the Blood Pact with Nozomu the other day.
"...Shina-san?"
"...Eh? Wh-What
is it?"
"What's wrong, Shina,
you're just staring at your own hand... That injury is?"
"I-It's nothing.
More importantly, what is it?"
Mimuru, who had
noticed the scar, moved closer to Shina, but the elf girl, who had shown a
flustered look, put her hand behind her back and returned a sullen expression.
"What's wrong?
Did you injure your finger?"
"Y-Yes. Just a
moment ago, during the mock battle, a splintered arrow got caught on my
finger..."
"But it's already
a scab, though?"
"U-Umm..."
Mimuru was staring at Shina,
getting so close that it seemed a sound effect would be heard.
At the probing, hot
gaze, Shina couldn't help but step back.
"Wh-What is
it..."
"As I thought,
you've been strange since last night, Shina. Just now, you usually come to
crush my skull with an iron claw like a vise, but you just pinched my ear.
Come to think of it,
the other day, when we stayed at Irisdina-san's house, I smelled blood from
your body when you came back to your room late at night... ah."
As if she had thought
of something, Mimuru clapped her hands.
"S-So that's it.
Is that how it was? I'm sorry, Shina. You must have been feeling unwell,
right?"
"Hey, what are
you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Are you okay?
Did the bleeding stop? It's hard to walk, isn't it? I'm sorry for making you
overdo it, right?"
"It's creepy how
you've suddenly become so kind. You're not misunderstanding something again,
are you?"
"You're wearing
red underwear today, aren't you!"
"Red underwear?
What's that?"
"In the East,
they say that on a auspicious day, they dye a grain called rice red and eat it.
I don't know about rice, but if it's a grain, you can substitute it with wheat
flour, can't you?"
"Auspicious, what
for?"
"Of course, for Shina
and Nozomu-kun's adultery... adadada!"
"I-I-d-i-d-n-'-t
d-o t-h-a-t!"
"Shina, my ear, my
ear is going to be torn off~~!"
Shina once again
twisted the ear of the cat beastman who had made an indecent remark with all
her might, with the intention of tearing it off.
Of course, the face of
Shina, who was pinching her best friend's ear, was as red as it could be.
As for her, since she
had made a contract with Nozomu that was more intimate than a physical
relationship, her shame was being stirred up even more than before.
"By the way, what
do you use to dye it?"
While looking at the
exchange between the two best friends, Lisa muttered.
At Lisa's question,
Mimuru was skillfully averting her gaze while having her ear pinched.
"...Chili
peppers?"
"Even though it's
auspicious, you eat something like a punishment game?"
"U-Umm..."
It seemed that Mimuru
was also not very knowledgeable about the culture of red rice in the East.
To think that she
would say such a random thing without knowing much, Shina had an exasperated
expression.
At that moment, a
white-haired female student approached from the edge of the training ground.
"Everyone, so you
were here."
"Ah, Irisdina.
Were you having a mock battle?"
"Yes, with a
4th-rank student. As for Nozomu..."
Irisdina had been
participating in the training just like Lisa and the others until just before.
She, whose hair had
turned white from the excessive use of magic power, had for a time been worried
about her health and had not participated much in practical skills such as this
kind of mock battle.
However, since it was
the day of the opening festival, she seemed to have participated in the
practical skills class.
"He was going on
a rampage against five people just now. Now he's facing the remaining
five."
"I see..."
At the end of her gaze
was the figure of Nozomu, who was cutting down his opponent's weapon just like
before.
It seemed that he was
going on a rampage, having jumped into the midst of the remaining opponents
with the Phantom from before still
clad on his blade.
In fact, the opponents
of Nozomu, who had been shown an unexpected sight such as cutting through iron
with a mock sword, were in a state of confusion. Without being able to take any
proper control, they were being trampled one-sidedly.
And Nozomu showed
almost no signs of his ki being depleted.
The Phantom was still clad on his blade, and
his body strengthening was also at a minimum.
He would show them an
unexpected situation to induce confusion, and before the opponent could regain
their posture, he would sweep them all away.
Moreover, there was
thoroughness in how he skillfully adjusted the opponents' positions, constantly
creating a one-on-one situation.
Although it could also
be said that they had fallen into a strategy that could be called a textbook
example of combat, it was a sight where one felt sorry for the students who
were being made to face an outlier of an opponent.
"However,
although I knew it, Nozomu is attracting quite a bit of attention."
"Hmm?"
To the tilting-headed
Mimuru, Irisdina gestured with her chin and indicated a corner of the training
ground.
There were
well-dressed dignitaries from various countries.
The dignitaries, while
having a small conversation with their attendants, were observing every single
move of the figure of Nozomu, who was standing in a state of alertness.
The clothes of the
dignitaries who were observing Nozomu were varied, from those wearing a
cape-like head covering, to a female knight clad in a gallant knight-style
armor, and even a beastman wearing a tuxedo and a bow tie, the differences were
diverse. That could also be said to mean that Nozomu was attracting the
attention of many people, regardless of country or race.
"From the looks
of it, there are people from the adventurer's guild, the Cremazzone Empire's
knightly order, merchants from the Sumahya Federation, and many other related
people."
"Ugh... To have
to deal with that many scouts is a pain..."
"Mimuru, don't
say such things. It's necessary for Nozomu-kun. And besides, the aim of the
scouts is Nozomu-kun. The number of people you'll have to deal with this time
isn't that many, is it?"
To the Mimuru who was
hanging her head with a dejected look, Shina gave a bitter remark.
"I know. By the
way, how about you, Shina?"
"Me, ugh..."
"What's
wrong?"
When Shina's gaze
stopped at a corner of the dignitaries, for some reason, her expression clouded
over.
Wondering what in the
world she had found, Mimuru and the others, who were beside her, followed Shina's
gaze, and there they saw a suspicious-looking pair, completely hidden in a hood
and a coat.
"Who is that
suspicious person..."
"Probably one of
the elf elders and his attendant."
"Eh? So they're
after you, Shina?"
"Probably."
Due to their exclusive
nature, elves hardly ever interact with other races.
Also, there were
hardly any stories of having seen an elf in Arcazam, and naturally, there was
no record of them having participated in this opening festival.
"Shina, you don't
look very happy?"
"Umm, right
now..."
Even though she had
found a fellow tribesman for the first time in a long time, Shina's expression
remained clouded.
Perhaps she had
something she found difficult to say, as to the silent Shina, Lisa and the
others couldn't say anything and fell silent.
As if to change the
subject, Irisdina opened her mouth.
"By the way, it
seems Shina-kun and Mimuru-kun were making a racket, but did something
happen?"
"Yeah, actually,
it's about Shina's marriage..."
"...Marriage?"
A shadow was mixed in
with Irisdina's tone.
Her elegant eyes were naturally
narrowed, and her tone was somewhat questioning.
"That's not it!
Mimuru, that's enough!"
"Eh? I don't
think that's not it~~"
The gazes of Shina and
Irisdina naturally met.
The two, who were both
feeling a sense of guilt through a certain person. Perhaps they felt an
indescribable awkwardness, as they naturally averted their eyes.
Mimuru and the others,
who were watching the state of Irisdina and Shina from the side, just tilted
their heads.
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