Ryuu Kusari no Ori

Volume 3 Chapter 7.2

Intermission, Harbinger of Bankruptcy Part 2

Translator : PolterGlast

After a short rest, as the sun that had been rising in the sky began to set, Irisdina, feeling uncomfortable, sat beside Nozomu's bed and watched his sleeping face.

What shall we talk about when he wakes up? What shall I ask him? ......

There were many things she had been too shy to ask. There were many things she wanted to talk about.

"......Nozomu."

She gently touched his cheek while muttering the name of the person sleeping in front of her.

Maybe it's because the wounds have not healed yet. His skin is still feverish to the touch.

"It was a critical situation, ...... thank god it's over."

A voice of relief leaked out. The gentle breeze blowing in through the window gently brushes their faces.

"......Irisdina-san."

Shina entered the room after she knocked on the door.

She came over next to Irisdina and looked into Nozomu's sleeping face and relaxed her cheeks in the same way.

They could feel under their skin that he was properly present and alive right here and now.

The tension that had been building up in the depths of their hearts was finally lifted.

"Nnnn......."

At that moment, Nozomu's eyelids slowly opened.

His somewhat dazed eyes reflected the faces of Irisdina and Shina who were watching him.

"Iris, Shina-san......?"

"~! Can you hear us?"

"Y-yeah. My vision seems to be okay, and I can hear just fine."

"Thank goodness......"

Irisdina and Shina breathed a sigh of relief as they found out that he was able to hear properly.

"Nozomu, are you okay now?"

"Yahho ――! Nozomu-kun. Are you still alive?"

"Mimuru, that's inappropriate. Thank God, you seem to have regained your senses."

Perhaps hearing the conversation between the three of them, Mars and the others who were in the next room opened the door and rushed in.

They, too, looked relieved to learn that Nozomu had regained his senses.

"Everyone ...... I'm sorry for making you worry."

"I'm glad you're okay. Gosh, the things you did are really bad for my heart."

"But, you've done the same thing before, remember?"

"Fufu...... Not as bad as you did though. You do realize that you've done more foolish things than I have, don't you?"

"Well, yeah......."

Seeing Shina smiling at him, Nozomu scratched his head in embarrassment.

Even Mimuru, her best friend who was present, was surprised to see her smile, which was filled with affection, and had not the slightest hint of the prickliness that she had displayed when she first met him.

"But I'm glad you're back. I'm looking forward to working with you in the future."

Shina's slender, white hand was held out to him. Although embarrassed by the affectionate gaze of the beautiful elf in front of him, Nozomu gently responded to the handshake.

"Speaking of which, where is Razward?"

When he learned that you were safe, he was sure you'd be all right, and he left. He's a bit of a whimsical fellow, so I'm sure he'll be back soon ......"

"I...see."

"Nozomu, here."

Irisdina, who was by his side, presented his treasured katana to him.

The blade peeked out from the scabbard, and a chain-like pattern could be seen on the blade.

"This katana's name is Mumei. According to Mena, it is a special katana that adapts to the characteristics of its wielder's heart."

"I see...... So, I was saved by Shishō once again."

The katana that was given to him by his master along with her feelings. A memento of his master who had kept him alive until the very last moment.

The katana that was handed to him seemed more fit in Nozomu's hand than ever before. Perhaps it had completely accepted him as its owner.

"Thank you, everyone. Truly, thank you......."

With sincere gratitude, Nozomu thanked his friends.

Irisdina gave a small nod with a big smile on her face and sat down on a chair by the bed.

She then leaned forward and peered into Nozomu's face.

"Nozomu. Could you please tell me more about yourself......?"

I want to know more about him.

With such emotion growing inside her heart, and with a tingling heat rising within her chest, Irisdina begged him to tell her his stories. The lump in her chest that had been there before was washed away surprisingly clean.

"Let's see, where do I start....... My hometown is surrounded by mountains......"

With a smile of deep affection directed at him and with his heart beating rapidly as she called out to him, Nozomu slowly began to tell his friends about his hometown.

That night. The lights in the room never cease to shine, and a peaceful moment passed by.

◆

Ken, who was walking with Lisa through the commercial district, opened his eyes wide in response to a thought sent to him by Mefi under the light of the lanterns illuminating the street.

"It failed, you say?"

An impossible outcome. He let out an uncontrollable groan from the hatred and fear that welled up inside him.

"Ken, what's wrong?"

Lisa, who was standing next to him, looked at him and asked him what was wrong. He put away the negative emotions swirling deep in his heart and replied with a smile that he always wore.

It's something he's used to. Since a long time ago. It's the mask he's been wearing since he first fell in love with Lisa.

"It's nothing, Lisa. Anyway, thank you for staying with me until this late at night."

"......Huh?"

But Lisa's reaction was different from what Ken had expected.

"Is there something wrong, Lisa?"

"U-uh, no, i-its nothing. I just had a weird imagination. I saw Ken in the forest with that guy......."

Hearing her words, Ken couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Is her memory coming back......?

"It's weird, isn't it? There's no way that could've happened."

It can't be. It's a memory manipulation done by Mefi. The magic exercised by a spirit could not possibly be broken in just a few days.

However, the uneasiness that had once welled up in him quickly swelled, and he found himself gripping Lisa's hand.

"K-Ken, what's wrong?"

"Hey, isn't it time for our relationship to move forward, as well?"

"Eh?"

He pulled Lisa's soft hand and brought her body so close to his that she could feel his breath on hers.

And then, he was about to place his own lips on hers, but ......

"......No!"

She rejected him with a piercing scream. Ken gasped at the impact on his chest.

The distance between them widened, and after a moment of silence, Lisa's face turned blue and she began to panic.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry ......"

"~, it's okay, nothing to worry about."

Despite his mending smile, Ken couldn't help but mentally sink into disappointment that it wasn't working yet again.

Ever since she and Nozomu had broken up, Lisa had been unable to have an intimate relationship with anyone.

This was especially true for romantic relationships, and it had become difficult for her to even have physical contact with the opposite sex.

Ironically, as a result of framing Nozomu and making him fall, he also inflicted great trauma on the heart of the girl he wanted to protect.

And thus, he could not truly be Lisa's partner anymore.

(Nozomu...... you're always getting in my way ......!)

It was his very own karma. But, blinded by his jealousy of Nozomu, he did not reflect on his own wrongdoings, but instead kept the flames of his misplaced anger burning.

The clouds that shroud the dark night began to rumble and crack thunder.

After taking Lisa, who has become emotionally unstable, back to the women's dormitory, Ken, with his eyes gleaming with distorted hatred, began to walk toward the school, the exact opposite of the men's dormitory.

Camilla was watching his back from the window of the dormitory, glaring at him.

Her hair, which had turned a dusky, reddish hue, was fluttering.

◆

With Feo in tow, Anri walked through the streets of Arcazam, which was still in a state of high alert, with only a few pedestrians on the streets.

"So, Anri-sensei, which store are we going to? We've already walked past the general store since a while ago......"

"It's not that far away~~. It's just around the corner, so please be patient for a bit longer~~. The peeping tom, Starlight-kun."

Anri took out a small vial from her pocket. Inside it was a blackened piece of charred paper.

It was the remnant of a talisman that Feo had used when he was spying on Nozomu. Anri had gone to the site and retrieved it after Nozomu consulted with her.

"......What the, so you noticed after all?"

Feo, who was referred to as a secret agent of Arcazam, called [Starlight], easily admitted the fact, though inwardly he was surprised.

"It was because of my investigation of this wreckage, you see~~. It was Jihad-sensei who asked you to investigate Nozomu-kun, wasn't it~~? Are you going to report back now~~?"

"Well, it's my job, after all. I mean, you even aware of my client, huh?"

Anri nodded with a smile in response to Feo's words.

Even in the Abyss Grief case, Nozomu had released the ability suppression, and it was Jihad who received the report and handled the cleanup afterwards. It's easy to figure out when one puts some thought into it.

"I'm sorry, but can you keep Nozomu-kun's secret to yourself for a little bit longer~~?"

"Why is that?"

"Because Nozomu-kun doesn't want it yet, and if things go badly, he could get caught up in an inter-organizational war regardless of his willingness~~."

Regardless of whether or not he is a Dragonslayer, which is an extraordinarily irregular existence, Nozomu is one of Anri's most important students. Therefore, she couldn't allow the people around him to move against his wishes.

"Do you understand what you just asked of me? I may look like this, but I'm an informant for the Starlight".

"But you're not completely affiliated with the organization, are you?"

"......What makes you think so?"

"If you were, you wouldn't have kept the information to yourself for the past five days~~."

There are different types of intelligence agents, from those who actually engage in illegal activities to those who simply provide information. And Feo is the latter. As an employee, he is guaranteed to be free to pursue any career path after graduation. Of course, he is obliged to maintain confidentiality.

"Well, you are right. I am just someone who provides information on whether or not there are spies who enter the school. To tell the truth, I'm just someone at the end of the line, so that's about all I do."

"Were you perhaps approaching Nozomu-kun just out of curiosity then?"

"Well, I was instructed to investigate him for the possibility of releasing ability suppression, and my curiosity was more than 80%. However, I never would have thought he would be possessing something so outrageous~~. Haa ......"

To be honest, Nozomu's existence was beyond Feo's capabilities. A legendary Dragonslayer, for one, was not something that a mere end member of the organization could do anything about.

If Feo had been a secret agent loyal to his mission, he might have immediately reported it to Jihad.

However, for him, the Starlight business is one that pays well, for which he has no intention of sticking firmly to.

This is the result of a combination of his personal character and the temperament of the fox-tailed race, but that is precisely why this matter caused him such a headache.

(Extraordinarily powerful hidden power. Moreover, his connections are also not less impressive. If I messed with him, there is no telling what the consequences would be.)

In addition to his power, the connections that Nozomu has are also something that Feo cannot ignore. Given that a member of the Franilt family, a prominent family in the kingdom of Forsina, is a close friend of Nozomu, Feo cannot take any rash action.

"Then, just leave everything to me~~. I won't let anything bad happen to you~~."

"I don't know about that. You really make me anxious......"

After being encouraged by Anri, whose tone was not quite reassuring, Feo was brought to a part of the academy's instructor's building.

In front of a particularly large and magnificent doorway was the office of the academy's director, Jihad Roundel.

"Anri-sensei, this place is......"

"Jihad-sensei, I'm coming in~~"

After knocking, Anri opened the door with a rattle, not waiting for a response from inside.

Behind the door were Jihad with a heavy atmosphere and Inda with a frown on her brow.

(Huh? Could it be that I'm in a pinch already?)

Feo, with cold sweat running down his spine, began to curse his own fate even before it became clear that he was really in trouble.

◆

He was dreaming. A hellish scenery of scorching fires and people calling for help.

Nozomu was once again the only one standing in the collapsed Arcazam.

"That dragon is at it again......"

The heat scorched his skin and the foul stench that emanated from the once-human beings scattered all around him. The hellish scene that made one want to turn away was spread out before his eyes.

However, at the same time, it was accompanied by a sensation as if a barrier was covering it.

Yes, Nozomu was now able to recognize that the scene before him was an illusion.

He silently released his ability suppression. He released all the power of Tiamat he had taken in, concentrated it in his right arm, and slammed his fist into the ground with all his might.

The released five-colored power once again laid waste to the scorching hell, crushing the fake world back to dust.

After the illusionary Arcazam was shattered, Nozomu stood by that dark lakeside. In front of him, instead of a hellish scene, a mountainous monster towered over him.

[Grrrrrrrr......]

The giant dragon glared at Nozomu with a gaze of searing rage as it roared abominably.

Tiamat spread her five-colored wings to create countless balls of light in the air.

They spread out to fill the darkened sky, twinkling like stars in the night sky.

Tiamat, who had failed to make Nozomu despair through the illusion, was now trying to destroy Nozomu's spirit by force.

Nozomu just gazed straight at the giant dragon and lowered his waist down, letting his whole body be filled with Qi.

His right arm was in extreme pain from the full force of the [Qi-jutsu・Light of Annihilation] he had just unleashed, but he didn't give heed to the pain.

The heavenly sky was covered with countless balls of murderous intent aimed at Nozomu.

A chilling sensation ran down his spine, and he felt as if he were going to be crushed by the pressure alone. Before he knew it, Nozomu's right hand was trembling slightly.

"~! What a ridiculous power ...... as usual, huh!?"

As the cold sweats ran down his back and as he listened to his own heartbeat beating at a breakneck pace, Nozomu desperately tried to muster up the spirit that was about to falter.

The difference in power between the two of them was too great. But he won't give up.

Even if his soul was reduced to ashes by the breath of that extreme flame, he would never give up.

While recalling the place where he would return to. His hands... were no longer shaking.

With their faces burned into his mind once again, Nozomu placed his hand on the katana at his waist.

[Gaaaaaaa!]

With a roaring voice, the ball of lights that filled the sky fell on Nozomu all at once.

Nozomu concentrated his mind as the mass of killing intent closed in on him, and he once again called forth the same power as the giant dragon inside of him.

Intense pain ran through his entire body, and his vision went completely white. He gritted his teeth to the point of shattering them, but even so, he struggled to keep himself conscious and kept his eyes fixed on the oncoming meteor shower of chaos.

And then he rushed toward the oncoming murderous intent of the giant dragon with a trail of five-colored light in his wake.

End of Chapter 7

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