Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no 'Kokoro'-

Volume 4 Chapter 4.4

With the Strength of Our Bonds Part 4

Translator : PolterGlast

The gigantic Qi-blade destroyed three of the four-layered magic barriers installed in the arena. Immediately afterward, the spectators' seats were struck by a shock as if they had been hit by an earthquake.

Eventually, the billowing smoke cleared up, exposing the arena to the public. Everyone was speechless at what they saw.

A deep scar was carved into the ground. The artificial trees were toppled outward, and most of them were shattered.

And on top of the collapsed artificial tree, there was the figure of Nozomu. His body, which had slumped down, did not move even a twitch.

"Ah......."'

A dull voice escaped Lisa's mouth. Her eyes were wide open and her face was pale.

While Mefi, who has been assimilated into Lisa, was shaken, Lisa's emotions, which she had been desperately trying to contain, erupted. Lisa's whole body went cold as if she had fallen into an icy lake, and only her heart was beating rapidly.

"A, aah......."

Nozomu was lying on the ground. Seeing this figure brought back memories of her father's death in Lisa's mind.

He had turned white and cold, like a wax figure. Her mother broke down in tears, and.........

"I-I have to help him!"

"Lisa!?"

Lisa shook off Ken's hand and ran. His pleading-like voice and the noise buzzing in her head were distant now, and she forgot all the anger, sadness, confusion, and conflict she'd felt toward Nozomu.

If I don't help him quickly, he's going to die!

That was the only thought that occupied her mind.

But Lisa's steps were stopped at that very moment. Two girls ran past her at once.

"Nozomu!"

"Mimuru, hurry up and fetch Norn-sensei!"

"Ah......"

Irisdina and Shina's screams pierced Lisa's ears.

Her voice leaked out with a hint of loneliness and emptiness, and the black emotion instantly quenched the overflowing impulse.

[A~aah, see? There's always someone to take your place.]

Mefi, taking advantage of Lisa's emotional breakdown, intensified her interference with Lisa's psyche. She quickly sealed up the memories that Lisa was about to recall along with the emotions.

"Why in the world did I......"

Lisa's eyes, which were filled with turmoil, once again caught Irisdina and Shina as they tried to rush to Nozomu.

Her expression was no longer the one of impatience, but a cold indifference.

(What a bunch of idiots, they're just going to be betrayed just like me anyway......)

With dismay and pity, she spun around on her heel and tried to get back to Ken and the others.

At that moment, a single tear began to well up from her glassy, vacant eyes.

(Huh? Why?)

Unintentionally, she reached out with her hand to wipe the drop that trickled down her cheek. The tear on her palm was somehow very hot.

‡

Irisdina and Shina tried to rush toward the fallen Nozomu, but their way was blocked by the last magic barrier surrounding the arena.

"Inda-sensei, please disarm the barrier quickly!"

"I know. Wait a moment."

Urged by Irisdina's desperate cries, Inda ran her finger across the control panel of the magic barrier. Norn, the infirmary doctor, was standing by the barrier with a stretcher ready to go.

Irisdina and Shina were anxiously waiting for the barrier to be lifted, restlessly pacing left and right in front of it. However, they were met with an unbelievable sight.

"Ouch~!"

"......Wha!?"

Nozomu, who had collapsed, got up on his own feet, albeit dazed and unsteady.

The uniform he was wearing was blotched with red spots in several places, and his forehead was bleeding unceasingly, perhaps caused by a rather deep cut.

"Although I held back, he should not be able to move right away......."

While everyone was speechless, Jihad's mutterings were heard in the silent arena.

The extreme Qi-blade ran past Nozomu's side, only to blow his body away. Jihad intentionally missed.

However, with such power, the aftermath alone was more than enough to inflict damage. The vacuum blades that clung to the Qi-blade ripped through Nozomu's body, and the violent storm certainly severed his consciousness.

But instead of losing consciousness, Nozomu stood up on his own feet.

His ability to sense danger, literally ingrained in his bones, moved his body precisely in the realm of reflex, where there was no room for thought. In that brief moment, he discerned the gap between the vacuum blades that clung to Jihad's [Single Strike] and twisted his body forcibly into it.

"So stubborn indeed. Should I praise your master who trained you so well, or should I take my hat off to you for having reached this level at your age? ......"

But if Nozomu had not been so, he would not have become a legendary dragon slayer, and he would not have been able to defeat one of the Six Bad Omens.

But even if the current Nozomu is still not really at his full strength, from Jihad's point of view, this student is already out of the norm.

"Haa, haa......"

Jihad was in a state of admiration akin to dismay, but Nozomu, on the other hand, did not have the luxury of responding to the praise.

His whole body trembled, and his vision began to darken and narrow. He could not hear well. His senses were no longer functioning properly due to his exhausted Qi and the damage he had sustained.

"The mock combat ends here. Both of you, put your swords away."

Inda's voice echoed through the arena. All those who had been watching this mock combat let out a deep exhale.

It was such a fierce battle that everyone present forgot to even breathe.

But Jihad still did not sheathe his treasured sword and did not turn his eyes away from Nozomu.

Nozomu, too, clutched his bloodstained scabbard, sheathed the katana he held in his right hand, and lowered his waist.

"Nozomu Bountis! The mock combat is over, stand down!"

Inda's voice echoed through the arena as though scolding him, but Nozomu did not respond to her voice at all.

Nozomu, with his outstanding concentration, has his entire attention focused on the powerful man standing in front of him. He is also in an extreme state of exhaustion due to the rapid consumption of Qi and his injuries. He is subconsciously shutting out all information that is irrelevant to the battle.

Even if he had heard it, however, Nozomu would not have backed down.

It was not only about Lisa and Ken that he had been turning away from. He has also been turning away from the school itself. In fact, Shino once pointed this out to him.

But now that he has decided to face Lisa and the others, he must also face this school as well.

If so, I must stand up with my chest puffed out until the very end.

Nozomu's eyes caught sight of the invisible chains wrapped around his body. As he gripped the chains, he noticed Irisdina and the others rushing toward the arena.

Their eyes were moist with worry. He felt sorry for making them look that way, but he was also overcome with a sense of joy.

Even though Tiamat had misled him, to the point that he had once turned his blade on them with the intent to kill them. And yet, they are still concerned about him. Just by knowing that alone, he felt power welling up from deep within his body.

I don't need to use this power after all.

Nozomu then let go of the invisible chains he had been holding.

The skills he had cultivated and the feelings he had received from those who had supported him. To answer them is not to use the violent power hidden within him.

Then, he swiftly picked up a stone that had fallen at his feet.

A crushed piece of artificial tree. A sharp piece of stone, pointed like a needle. He poured his Qi into it and compressed it.

What on earth is he planning to do? While everyone in the martial arts garden, including Jihad, wondered so, Nozomu turned around and threw the piece of stone filled with Qi.

The stone pierced through the last barrier that had become unstable due to Jihad's blow, and pierced the control panel that stood in front of Inda.

"Wha......!?"

In the next instant, the control panel began to explode in a series of small explosions, scattering sparks. The magic power that controlled the arena's barriers and environmental control lost its course and went on a rampage, destroying the formulas engraved inside the control panel.

"To think he would do such a thing......!"

Inda let out an inaudible scream, and Jihad also contorted his face.

The next moment, the forest in the arena where Nozomu and Jihad were standing suddenly collapsed and began raging like a stormy sea.

It was as if an earthquake and a storm had suddenly struck simultaneously before their eyes. The ground repeatedly rose and fell, and the magic power leaking from the arena's underground began to erupt like a geyser. The crumbling artificial trees that turned into sand were mixed with the spewing magic power and became a localized sandstorm that engulfed the arena.

"......!"

While everyone was shaken by the sudden turn of events, Nozomu kicked the ground.

"Stop right there, Nozomu Bountis!"

Faced with Nozomu, who was surging with fighting spirit as he shook aside Inda's attempts to stop him, Jihad also readjusted his giant sword and intercepted him. The [Jaw Drop] was swung out to blow away the approaching Nozomu from the flank.

"~!?"

However, Jihad's giant sword failed to reach Nozomu. Suddenly, the ground rose up in front of his eyes, stopping him. Meanwhile, Nozomu, riding on the raised ground, attacked Jihad from above. The blade being swung down was naturally infused with a Qi-blade compressed to the utmost limit.

"Kuh~!"

Jihad reflexively repelled the blade coming at him from above his head with his mithril gauntlet. The blade was so sharp that if he misjudged his timing even for a second, he could have had his arm severed. The skill with which he was able to repel it, even in the most unexpected circumstances, is remarkable. Then, Jihad swung the giant sword, which had been dug into the raised ground, forcefully toward Nozomu, who had landed on the ground. The raised ground was smashed, scattering dirt and stones.

However, the Jihad's horizontal cleave did not catch Nozomu.

"Hmm......!?"

This time, the ground beneath Jihad's feet began to cave in. His feet were caught in the sinking sand, and the horizontal cleave he swung was momentarily slowed down. In the meantime, Nozomu leaped. He escaped from the [Jaw Drop]'s blade range and disappeared into the sandstorm.

A few seconds later, Jihad turned around as quickly as he could, raising his giant sword at the Qi-blade that came at him from behind. By that time, Nozomu's blade was already before him.

A metallic clang resounded. Nozomu's [Mumei] blade slashed and tore Jihad's cheek shallowly.

"Ugh!"

A cry of anguish escaped from Jihad's mouth. He counterattacked with his blade, only to have it stopped again by the rising ground. In the meantime, Nozomu disengaged again. With Jihad, who had been caught flat-footed, in his vision, Nozomu pounced three times from the opposite side with his [Flash Step・Curved Movement].

Blades attacked one after another. Jihad cannot fully block with only his treasured sword, but somehow manages to keep blocking by using his mithril armor in conjunction with his [Qi-jutsu・Steel Body Technique].

(This guy......!)

Jihad shuddered. The arena is in a state of disarray, repeatedly rising and sinking. In a place where a normal person would not even be able to stand, Nozomu was running around freely in all directions.

The story of Nozomu, which Mena had told him, came back to his mind.

(He has no discrepancy at all between what he imagines of himself and his actual bodily control. No matter what state he is in, he can embody the best movement he can do at that moment without the slightest deviation.)

Jihad finally understood the words of his comrade-in-arms who had actually crossed blades with Nozomu.

It doesn't matter whether the ground is raging or a sandstorm covers his field of vision. He looks like a water strider running on the surface of water, a mountain goat running around a cliff, or a panther. His movements are not those of an unstable bipedal creature.

"Guh......."

Jihad was nothing more than a tortoise on the defensive. What's more, he had no means of escaping gravity. Regardless of his own will, his feet were caught in the raging ground, and his armor was carved with scratches one after the other.

(But, he is already at the end of his rope, huh?......)

A situation in which he is cornered. Even so, Jihad's excellent eyes could see through the deep color of fatigue on Nozomu's face. His complexion was already blue, and he was clearly on the verge of exhaustion.

(No, in the first place, the fact that he can fight this long with his ability under Ability Suppression is extraordinary in itself.)

In his mind, Jihad let out a sigh of lamentation for what may be the umpteenth time today, while fiercely focusing his Qi with all his might.

There was no longer any need to go easy on him. In fact, if he did poorly, he would be killed himself.

Pushing aside the sandstorm raging throughout the arena, a torrent of Qi began to billow around Jihad.

He thrust his Qi as hard as he could toward the ground with his legs which were as thick as tree trunks.

"Hmph!"

Leap. Blowing away the raging ground, Jihad reached a height of about ten meters and infused his Qi into the [Jaw Drop] he was holding.

Nozomu's face, which had been showing a deep color of fatigue on the ground, turned red with surprise. Inda, who had been struggling to control the outburst of ritual magic beside the arena, also shouted, her face twitching.

"R-Retreat! All students in the waiting area, take up defensive measures with everything you've got!"

The falling Jihad swung his giant sword down.

[Qi-jutsu・Single Strike]

Immediately afterward, with a huge explosion, the martial arts garden shook violently. The released Qi-blade smashed the arena and gouged out the engraved formula beneath it.

"Uwaaaa!"

"Kyaaaa!"

Screams erupted from the waiting area and the spectators' seats due to the impact and the large amount of dust and sand that were blown up.

Meanwhile, Jihad, amid the cloud of dust and smoke, maintained a tense expression as he readied his [Jaw Drop].

In direct contrast to the screams that flew about, the arena, which had been raging wildly earlier, was quiet as if it had been a lie. This is because the [Qi-jutsu・Single Strike] had completely destroyed the formula engraved in the martial arts garden.

Ignoring the earsplitting cries, Jihad sharpened his awareness. Immediately afterward, a shadow leaped out from the cloud of dust behind him.

"You dodged it, after all!"

Jihad's mouth hung open in a scoff as he raised his giant sword and turned around.

The previous [Single Strike] was originally a blow to destroy the ritual magic formula that had been applied to Arena. Jihad himself never thought that the aftermath of the attack would be enough to finish off this skilled swordsman.

But even so, this swordsman must have reached his limit. Even if he had managed to maintain that sharp Qi-blade, he would no longer be able to even strengthen his body.

All that was left was to parry Nozomu's last attack, strike the final blow, and be done with it.

That's what Jihad thought, but then his eyes widened at the scene that followed.

"Mu!?"

What was unleashed was not a sword imbued with Qi, but a fist. The sword, which was supposed to have been infused with Qi, was placed in the scabbard at his waist, and his fist struck Jihad's giant sword in a swinging motion.

While Jihad was surprised at the unexpected spectacle, Nozomu drew back his right hand, and this time he swung his left fist forth. With the same momentum, he rotated his body and released a spinning kick, then began to attack Jihad in a dance-like motion, using every part of his body, including elbow strikes and palm strikes.

"Hou~, splendid ...... but too weak."

The dance was based on circular movements, up, down, left, and right, linked together without pause.

However, Jihad, while impressed with Nozomu's movement itself, declared that his judgment was poor.

He might have concluded that a mere Qi-blade would not work, so he resorted to a deceptive strategy, but whatever the strategy was, the current Nozomu did not even have the minimum strength to pull it off. A bad tactic would only endanger oneself.

"Did you perhaps make a mistake in your judgment? Well, you're still young. It can't be helped-...... what?"

Jihad, who was sighing even as he blocked Nozomu's fist, tilted his head at the discomfort his hand was relaying to him. The impact he felt through the giant sword from earlier. It was still weak, but it was gradually increasing.

Looking through the giant sword, he saw Nozomu, clad in a swirling trail of light.

"This is light of magic power ....... Don't tell me, this is a ritual body art technique!?"

[Ritual Body Technique・Rebirth Revolution]

It is a special magic technique that does not belong to either the chanting method or the formation method, but is a technique that manifests magic by establishing one's own movement itself as a technique.

The martial forms themselves are established as ritual magic, and while gathering the magic power of the surroundings, they invoke an unlimited amount of reinforcement magic on one's body. Fused with Nozomu's Qi-jutsu, the effect is further enhanced.

Qi and magic, which were supposed to be opposing by nature, did not conflict with each other, but rather blended in harmony, an ultra-high level technique known as the magic-Qi combination technique.

"......I see. You got me there."

The magic power throughout the arena swirled and converged on Nozomu. The sparkling, powdery snow-like light of magic power was so magical that the scene was like diamond dust.

Nozomu's blows, felt through the giant sword, soon grew to the point that even Jihad could not ignore them, and now, his punch sounds were so intense that they seemed to resonate to the very core of his being.

"But it's regrettable."

However, that was still not enough to break through Jihad's defenses. Not that there was anything wrong with Nozomu's dance itself. The magic power that is now converging in his body is comparable to the magic power of the best mages.

However, the effect of his Ability Suppression was still significant. The effect of the reinforcement was so low compared to the magic power he clad himself in that he was unable to break through Jihad's defenses which were like castle walls.

And so, Nozomu's dance, which seemed to go on forever, came to an end.

"Haaaaa!"

Nozomu twisted his upper body greatly and swung out a spinning kick with all his strength on it.

At the same time, Jihad quickly boosted his entire body's Qi and prepared for the impact.

However, Nozomu's leg struck the ground without even hitting Jihad's [Jaw Drop].

"What!?"

A billowing cloud of dust obscured Jihad's vision. Immediately afterward, Nozomu took another step forward with all of the magic power he had gained from the ritual body technique infused in his left hand.

By interrupting the ritual body technique midway through, the magic-Qi left Nozomu's control and lashed out at the user. Although his left arm's skin was ripped and its muscles shredded, he ignored the pain and slammed his left hand against the [Jaw Drop] held up by Jihad.

Simultaneously, all of the magic-Qi that he had been suppressing with his mental power was released. The released power was like a muddy stream, swallowing Jihad's [Jaw Drop], and finally caused the huge, rock-like sword to flung upward.

"Nnnn!?"

Jihad's defenseless upper body was exposed. Nozomu immediately put his hand on the katana at his waist and stepped forward, snipping the koiguchi.

With a single, ragged breath, he put as much strength as he could into his leg, and at the same time squeezed all the Qi he had left and compressed it to the extreme. He circulated the compressed Qi through his elbows, hips, and torso, in coordination with the interlocking muscles.

Ninety percent of his fading vision was completely enveloped in darkness. it was the cost of squeezing out even more Qi from his empty body. Still, he followed his intuition and unleashed his best strike.

[Mikagura-style, Phantom・Flash]

With a flash of light, a single sword of penetration approached Jihad's torso with frightening precision.

"!!"

Jihad, however, was not intimidated. Reflexively turning his wrist, he flipped the giant sword upside down, forcing it into the trajectory of the [Phantom・Flash].

Immediately after, with a thunderous clash, a numbing shock struck Jihad's arm.

"Kuh!! Ooooooooo!!"

The blow was so powerful that it was hard to believe coming from someone who was exhausted, and an unintentional exclamation escaped his mouth.

He was even terrified of Nozomu, who had driven him to this point despite his Ability Suppression.

But this should really be the last. And just as Jihad had expected, the pressure on the giant sword loosened all at once.

At that moment, he took the opportunity to raise his blade and tried to slash Nozomu by force.

Jihad himself did not realize it, but he had already lost all sense of restraint.

"~!?"

However, Nozomu's body suddenly sank and disappeared from Jihad's sight.

[Mikagura-style・Rolling Talon]

A sword technique in which one steps forward while diverting the opponent's power to attack. Jihad, who had been distracted by [Rebirth Revolution] and [Phantom・Flash], was obviously slow to react.

(Those attacks were just diversions!?)

As Nozomu's blade loomed, diving under the giant sword, Jihad reflexively turned himself around while jumping.

It was a desperate move to get his body away from Nozomu's blade, even if only a little. A silver flash passed by his side.

*Slash*...... something flew in an arc accompanied by a sound that cut through the air. Then, red droplets danced through the air.

"Ugh!"

It was Jihad's left arm, which had been severed. He managed to avoid the blow to his torso, but one of his arms could not escape from Nozomu's attack range. The moment he realized it, he felt intense pain in his missing arm.

"Guu...... ooooooooooo!"

With a cry of rage escaping from the depths of his throat, Jihad swung his giant sword with his only remaining right hand.

A large, desperate cleave. However, Nozomu, who had used up all his strength to the limit, did not have the strength left to avoid the counterattack.

The giant sword roared out, closing in on him. But just before Jihad's blade seized Nozomu's back, a myriad of magic circles suddenly appeared between Nozomu and Jihad. The multi-layered magic circle formed a wall and intercepted Jihad's giant sword. Jihad's face was dyed with surprise.

"Both sides, please sheathe your swords!"

Immediately after that, the barrier surrounding the arena was lifted, and Irisdina and Inda rushed toward the arena in a panic.

With what little hearing remained, finally, Nozomu was able to hear Inda's restraint. He exhaled in relief and tried to raise his body. However, his whole body was unable to muster the strength to do so, and he collapsed on the spot.

The [Mumei] fell from his hand and landed on the ground, making a dry clang sound.

"Nozomu!"

"Jihad-sensei, you're bleeding......!"

"I'm fine."

Irisdina clung to Nozomu, and Indah's face tightened when she saw Jihad's severed left arm. In front of such assistant's face, Jihad contracted his muscles while focusing his Qi on his left arm. The blood that was flowing out vigorously was stopped. Then an elderly man carrying a stone cane walked over to him. It was Fadrey.

"What a fierce battle."

"Fadrey-dono. Are you the one who made that barrier?"

"Umu, I couldn't let things go on any further. So I had to intervene. I hope you both receive medical treatment immediately. Especially that student of yours, he's at his limit, isn't he?"

"I'm, fine. I'm okay......"

"His body is getting cold ....... Norn-sensei, hurry up!"

Nozomu had not lost consciousness, but his face was pale. His smile, which he wore in an effort not to cause worry, was strained, and it was clear that he was in an urgent situation.

"You've used your Qi excessively. Anyway, I should maintain your body temperature-."

"I-I'm fine, Iris. I haven't lost consciousness yet......"

"Silence! You should keep your mouth shut!"

"Jihad-dono, you need immediate medical treatment, too. You need to accompany this student."

"I understand. Inda-sensei, please take care of the rest here."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Following Nozomu who was taken away by Irisdina, Jihad also picked up his severed left arm and left the martial arts garden with Fadrey. Then, the joint class was postponed due to excessive damage from this mock combat. Inda, who was left behind, was forced to deal with the aftermath with a pale face.

‡.

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