Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no “Kokoro”-

Chapter 6.07

Nozomu was tens of seconds behind Irisdina and Feo, but he was close enough to see the battlefield with his eyes.

However, the battle situation was not good.

In Nozomu's field of vision, he could see the figure of a junior student about to be crushed by an Orc.

"Oh no!"

He immediately sent his Qi into his legs, and at the same time, stored the Qi in his katana.

In exchange for the rapid consumption of Qi, he gained instantaneous acceleration. he pushed through the bushes, and what he saw in his open field of vision was the figure of an orc with a face full of rage.

He placed his hand on the hilt of his katana and while releasing the stored Qi, he drew it.

The next moment, along the trajectory of the slash, a high-compressed blade of Qi flew at high speed, instantly slicing off the Orc's arm.

The orc, unaware that his arm had been slashed, swung down his arm, which was now only its upper arm left.

Nothing happened to Eldor, who was on his butt in front of the orc.

"Bumo?"

The orc makes a dumbfounded voice. There was no way it could kill Eldor. Its arm was already gone, and it will never return.

While the orc was dumbfounded by the loss of its arm, Nozomu had leaped into the orc's bust.

He re-filled his katana with Qi and compressed it extremely. As he ran past the orc, he swung the katana in his hand again.

The Qi technique [Phantom -Recurrence-] cut the orc's flesh and body in half, and it was lured to its demise, unaware of its own death.

As the upper and lower halves of its body crumbled and fell to the ground, Nozomu interrupted the battles between the orcs and the junior students and glared at the orcs.

"Bugyaaa!"

"Guff Guff!"

The Orcs were shouting in anger and snorting wildly. The Orcs glared at Nozomu with their bloodshot eyes.

"…………"

Nozomu, on the other hand, was standing in front of the demon beast with his feet firmly planted on the ground. Even though his entire body was exposed to the Orcs' rage and murderous intent. His eyes were fixed straight on the Orcs, and he was restraining the movements of the pig demon beasts with his silent gaze.

His opponents were the inhabitants of the wild, where power reigns. In this case, the one who was to be swallowed up by the spirit of one's opponent, even a little, will be overwhelmed one-sidedly.

"And there are multiple opponents. If they get their momentum, it's going to be nothing but trouble..."

While threatening the Orcs, Nozomu smiled a little at himself now.

He was thinking about what would happen to him if this happened before he met Irisdina and the others. Nozomu thought about it for a moment, but he couldn't imagine himself teamed up with anyone back then.

"Anyway, the problem is Eldor-kun and his party members..."

It's not good to be lost in thought, because he is on a battlefield. Nozomu regained his composure and tried to feel the presence of the juniors behind him. He could feel their eyes on his back. They seemed to be stunned somehow, but it's not a good idea to be stunned on such a battlefield.

"Hey, get a grip. Don't stay in a daze."

Nozomu called out to the juniors behind him.

To avoid irritating the orcs, he didn't shout.

To be honest, Nozomu didn't know how to talk to them to get them back on their feet.

However, his first priority was to survive, so he used his head to think of a way out of this situation.

What the frightened juniors need now is a clear and concise goal, a means to an end, and most of all, mental support.

"I will take the initiative and plunge into it. So, you should protect your injured companion."

Complex instruction may further confuse those who were agitated.

Nozomu, picturing Irisdina in his mind as a dependable senior figure for them, gave them only a few simple instructions.

However, to Eldor and his companions, this action seemed like a suicide act. Nozomu's rank, which Eldor had heard from Nozomu himself before coming to this forest, was D-. If he only looked at that rank, he would not expect Nozomu to be able to deal with the orcs at all.

"Eh~, but senpai's rank is D- ... Eh? But how come you could kill the orcs just now..."

Eldor and the others' preconceived notions about Nozomu contributed to their own confusion. Although they had seen Nozomu cut down the orcs in front of them, they were unable to calmly comprehend the reality of what had just happened.

Considering Nozomu's rank alone, there was no way he could take on that many Orcs. But Eldor and his companions saw Nozomu cutting down those orcs with just two slashes in front of them.

Eldor and his companions were only in the first year and lacked training and experience in actual combat. The disparity between their thoughts and reality made it impossible for them to think straight.

"Oh gosh... what should I do with this?..."

Nozomu slowly sheathed the katana that he had drawn while restraining the Orcs with his gaze. As he prepared himself for battle, he was inwardly pondering what to do with the juniors.

He had chosen his words with the intention of creating an Irisdina-like atmosphere to help them get back on their feet, but it seemed that he had made them uneasy instead.

It was reasonable because they only know about Nozomu's rumors and rank.

"Irisdina and Feo will be finished dealing with the orcs soon. Until then, hang in there. Got it?"

Honestly, Nozomu thought he was doing something he wasn't used to. He was used to fighting alone, so when it came to fighting with the others, it just didn't work.

Between Nozomu and the juniors, they didn't have the relationship of trusts like Irisdina and the others, nor did he have the time to plan a strategy like Jin and the others.

Because of the suddenness of the battle, the gap between Nozomu's reputation within the school and the actual battle caused even more confusion among the junior students.

Therefore, he made them aware of Irisdina and Feo, not himself.

Irisdina and Feo reflected in the corner of Nozomu's vision did not seem to have any problem.

Although they were at a disadvantage in terms of numbers, they certainly handled the Orcs' attacks and reduced the number of enemies one by one. And as the number of Orcs they were dealing with decreased, Irisdina and Feo had more opportunities to attack. It would only be a matter of time before they were finished.

"Y-yes!"

Eldor and his companions had seen how Irisdina and Feo were fighting.

Unlike Nozomu, Irisdina has a high reputation in the school. She has the charisma to lead the other students and the achievements and deep trust of the teachers.

Seeing how she fought hard, the juniors' waning spirits were gradually inspired. The strength in their voice was returning.

In times like these, she's a great mental support for them.

Nozomu clutched the scabbard that held his katana as he thought so.

His opponents were numerous and his physical strength was no match for them. But there was no way he could let the enemy pass behind him.

In order to protect his juniors, all Nozomu needed to do was to make them pay attention to him. It was not hard to imagine what would happen if their attention turned even a little towards Eldor and his companions.

Although their energy was back now, the injured and exhausted juniors would not be able to hold out against the Orcs' offensive.

In order not to let the orcs do so, .......

"Fu~ugooooo!"

While raising a strange voice, the orcs plunged into Nozomu.

It seems that the completely enraged demon beasts were trying to get rid of Nozomu in front of them.

Nozomu reached for the pouch on his waist so that the Orcs couldn't see it. He gently dropped the items he had taken to the ground.

"Fuh~!"

He took a glance at the Orcs who were closing in on him with their ugly faces distorted even more, and with a small exhale, Nozomu sent his Qi into his foot and stomped on the item with all his might as it fell to the ground.

"Bumoo~u!"

In the next moment, a bursting sound echoed through the forest.

Nozomu immediately activated his "Instant Move". With his katana still sheathed, he plunged headfirst into the crowd of Orcs.

Nozomu took out a sound ball from his pouch and crushed it. The Orcs, startled by the ear-piercing sound of the explosion, slowed down their movements for a moment.

Nozomu ran in a straight line towards the Orcs who had cowered in surprise at the sound of the explosion.

However, his speed was not as fast as Irisdina and Feo's.

The Orcs surpassed Nozomu in both size and physical strength. The only thing that Eldor could imagine was Nozomu charging head-on into the Orcs and being crushed by the demon beasts.

The orcs, who had quickly recovered from their confusion, rushed forward and rushed at Nozomu, who made the unpleasant noise.

The distance between the sprinting Nozomu and the orc in the lead shortened at once.

The orc's club was swung down at the brain of the approaching prey. It's a good idea to keep an eye on the movement of the club as it approaches.

While keeping track of the approaching club's movements, Nozomu enveloped the sheathed katana with Qi three times.

At the same time, the direction of travel was shifted diagonally forward with [Instant Move -Curve Dance-], and then the blade that was pulled out was launched at the side of the club that was being shot down towards Nozomu.

Normally, one would think that the Orcs, with their superior strength and weight, would be able to defeat Nozomu one-sidedly.

But what Eldor saw was the top half of a club that had been cut in half in an instant and was flying through the air.

"Zei~!"

Nozomu's katana was sucked into the orc's torso and immediately overturned it and launched another slash. Two slashes were crossing each other.

"Guh~, pugyau ..."

After a moment, the orc that ran past him collapsed while spitting blood. An "X" letter cut was deeply etched into the belly of the demon beast. It was obviously a fatal injury.

Without killing the momentum of his [Instant Move], Nozomu plunged straight into the crowd of Orcs.

"Gaaa!"

"Buu!"

The Orcs swung their weapons down on Nozomu one after another.

An attack density that could only be achieved with their overwhelming numbers. Nozomu's eyes widened as he tried to discern the attacks of the orcs that were coming at him from all directions.

"Fuh~!!"

The moment he entered the orcs' attack range, Nozomu used his [Instant Move -Curve Dance-] to draw a complex curving movement.

However, in his current state without releasing the Ability Suppression, he was unable to perform the overwhelming maneuvers that he used to use against the Cyclopses.

In fact, some of the clubs that were swung down reached Nozomu's body.

"Kuh~!!"

Nozomu tried his best to parry the club that was approaching his body.

Using the momentum of the rotational movement of the whole body due to [Instant Move -Curve Dance-] and the bending peculiar to the shape of the katana blade, the orbit of the clubs was deflected.

Every time he tried to parry it, Nozomu's arms would feel the pressure on them, and every muscle in his body would scream.

However, the Orc's blow was no match for a B-ranked Cyclops, let alone an A-ranked Cyclops. It was possible to handle it if all the muscles of his body were linked without waste.

The orc's blow did not reach Nozomu's body and cut through the empty air. If a single blow were to hit him, in this situation where he was surrounded, other attacks would follow.

And once the attack reached him, even if he managed to get through it unscathed, his movement speed would inevitably be slowing down. If that happened, he would be exposed to even more intense attacks.

In fact, the density of the Orcs' attacks increased even further during the time that he was able to parry them off.

"Kuh~!"

Another orc's stone axe passed right in front of Nozomu's face. He managed to twist his neck to avoid it, but honestly, it was not a good idea to take too much time like this. He can still handle it, but if he took too much time, the Orcs may turn their attention to the junior students.

Nozomu clicked his tongue and focused all his attention on the movements of the orcs around him. His vision lost its color and the flow of time slowed down.

With extreme concentration, Nozomu's eyes could clearly see the trajectory of the axe that had attacked him.

While putting his Qi into the katana in his hand, Nozomu swung his katana towards the side of the axe that was about to be swept away.

The orc's stone axe was cut in half with a high-pitched sound as Nozomu accurately hit the swinging axe.

The Orc was stunned to find that its axe, which was supposed to turn Nozomu into minced meat, was cut in half. In the meantime, Nozomu swung his katana, which had been enveloped with [Phantom -Clad-], towards the orc.

The orc's body collapsed a second later. But Nozomu didn't think twice about the demon beast he had just cut down and was already aiming at his next opponent.

=======================================

"…………"

Eldor just stared at Nozomu with a shocked expression as Nozomu dealt with the Orcs' attacks with a paper-thin margin and inflicted fatal wounds on the Orcs.

Nozomu's current appearance was so different from the image of Nozomu Bountis that he had heard from the rumors.

Eldor was completely fascinated by the katana technique and the extremely sharpened blade that could completely block a blow from an orc that should be overwhelmingly superior in terms of physical strength.

"Amazing……"

Eldor's companion, who was tending to his friends behind Eldor, let out an exclamation of admiration. He, too, was glued to the sword dance of Nozomu and the others unfolding in front of him.

Irisdina, with her black hair fluttering in the wind, manipulated multiple magic bullets at the same time and thrust the rapier just like a flash of silver light.

The staff, accelerated by Feo's supple body movement, struck the orcs, and the talisman he threw exploded like a flash of light, burning the orcs' bodies.

And Nozomu, even though he couldn't use magic and had a disadvantage due to his Ability Suppression, was able to move with a single katana in a way that was not inferior to them.

Even though their fighting styles were different, these were the figures of people who were much higher than Eldor and his companions.

As Eldor looked at the trajectory of Nozomu's katana as it swung unhindered, he felt something hot rising from deep within his own chest.

It was a sword dance that had been honed to perfection.

As he was struck by the excitement that enveloped his entire body, Eldor forgot about the fact that he had almost been killed just a moment ago and watched in fascination.

=====================================

Nozomu's eyes caught a club being swung sideways out of the corner of his eye. He stepped in front of the Orc that had swung the club and thrust his katana towards the approaching club.

Then his katana dug into the orc's club as if it were piercing through clay and cut it in two. As it was, Nozomu's katana was piercing deep into the demon beast's arm.

"Pigyaaa! Gafu~...!"

The Orc screamed out in pain due to the pain in its arms, but before it could finish screaming, Nozomu's katana slashed off the Orc's head.

The katana technique and Qi technique were wielded without any restraint.

In order to make the Orcs focus solely on him, he needed to make them think that he was such a powerful enemy that they couldn't take their eyes off him. This was the reason why Nozomu mustered full power without considering Qi consumption at all.

"Haa!!"

He thrust the scabbard into the mouth of the Orc, who was stunned at the sight of his comrade's head being flung off and struck it with [Breaking Strike].

The Qi and shockwave that exploded in the mouth shattered the orc's skull, and its cerebrospinal fluid was scattered around.

Nozomu fully utilizes his high killing power Qi techniques, which he normally restrained himself to use at the school, and laid waste to his opponents with a series of deadly techniques.

What supported Nozomu's close combat was his tactics and unparalleled ability to control his Qi, and the Qi techniques that embody his overwhelming killing power.

Although he had not released the Ability Suppression, he was still able to keep the Orcs at bay with his katana techniques that can cut down the opponent's entire body.

"Kuh~, Sei!"

Nozomu's katana, which had been stored in its sheath, was pulled out again. Leaving behind a flash of light, the orc's body was torn apart.

However, even if he can use his [Phantom -Clad-] to attack, the efficiency of physical enhancement due to ability suppression is terrible.

The full force body strengthening without thinking ahead of the consumption. The rapid consumption of Qi brought Nozomu's body closer to its limit.

"Haa Haa……"

Nozomu's breathing was slowly becoming ragged. His heartbeat was starting to jump and he could feel the pain in his lungs.

"Bumoo!"

"~!"

A cloud of Orc's blood erupted due to Nozomu's [Phantom]. Another orc swung its huge club at Nozomu from behind as if to crush him.

The blow was swept sideways from outside Nozomu's field of vision. Nozomu reacted immediately, but his body was slightly unable to move in time and he was unable to fully parry the blow.

Nozomu's upper body floated slightly, exposing his defenseless body for a moment. Furthermore, the club turned and approached Nozomu from the opposite direction.

"Tch!"

On the contrary, Nozomu didn't try to correct his posture but instead collapsed his own posture down and relaxed his whole body

Instead of going against the impact that he had failed to parry, he decided to let his body go with the flow and bent down while twisting his upper body.

Nozomu's body fell with a thud, following the force of gravity. The next moment, the orc's club roared past his head and sank into the empty ground.

"Fuh~!"

The moment the club passed over his head, Nozomu put all his strength into his hands on the ground and swung his katana upward as he leaped up.

The orc collapsed, spurting blood, as the blow sliced through its groin, stomach, and skull.

"Haa, haa, haa..."

With his whole body drenched in the blood that was falling like rain, and with his rough breath, Nozomu took a glance at the remaining orcs as if he was glaring at them.

"Bu, bubu ..."

The orc was pressured by Nozomu and retreated. The last remaining demon beasts had completely lost its will to fight.

Nozomu was its prey. A prey that was not moving fast. He was also not very powerful. In fact, the blow from its comrades that he failed to parry earlier had caused him to lose his posture.

He was a weak prey that couldn't even catch their blow properly.

However, all of its companions who came within Nozomu's attack range were all killed and their corpses were exposed in a cruel state.

Its other comrades had also been defeated by Irisdina and Feo, and there were only a few of them left.

Unspeakable horror filled the hearts of the orc. The killing intent of the human standing in front of it became a cold blade that touched its neck.

The next thing the orc envisioned was its own head flying through the air, unable to do anything about it.

"Pi, Pigyaau!"

The vision of its own death finally brought the orc's spirit to its limit. With a cry of grief, it tried to flee the scene at once.

However, the direction the orc was going was……

"Whoa! What the hell is this!"

For some reason, Zonne, who they should have told him to wait for, was there.

"Old man!? Oh no!"

Perhaps he couldn't stand the fact that Nozomu and the others hadn't come back yet.

However, the orc was in a delirious state and didn't even notice the old man in front of it.

In any case, the demon beast was moving its legs desperately to get away from this place. If nothing was done, the orc will run into Zonne.

A hint of impatience flashed across Nozomu's face. For a human who had no way to fight, the huge body of an Orc was enough of a threat in itself.

Instant Move will not work on time. Furthermore, Zonne was in a straight line between the fleeing orc and Nozomu. If he were to use [Phantom] poorly, he will slash the old man along with the Orc.

"Kuh~!!"

When Nozomu was about to activate his [Instant Move] and to do something about it, he remembered something. His eyes caught the small blade in his waist belt.

Nozomu quickly switched his katana to his left hand and pulled out a throwing dagger, he had received from Feo, with his right hand. He immediately took a throwing stance.

He took a step forward and shifted his center of gravity forward, picturing in his mind the scene when he hit the target while remembering Feo's advice this morning.

However, to be honest, a throwing dagger alone was not enough to stop the orcs from moving. Even if the aim was accurate, a certain level of attack power was essential to stopping the orc's massive body movement.

"If it's not powerful enough, then......."

Nozomu put his Qi into the throwing dagger he held up and compressed it extremely in the way as using [Phantom]. He tried to make up for his lack of skill in dagger throwing and tried to make it powerful enough with Qi techniques.

He was paying attention to the midline and the sides of his body and swung his arms down as if he was swinging a katana.

The throwing dagger left Nozomu's arm and flew away. It spun in the air and pointed its blade at the orc's back. The blade, which was extremely compressed with Qi, stabbed into the defenseless back of the orc.

The next moment, the high-compressed Qi left Nozomu's control, and with a popping sound, the pierced blade exploded.

"Gyaau~u~u!"

The orc twisted around from the intense pain that ran down its back. There was a hole in the back of the orc that could fit several fingers.

But the orc's legs didn't stop, even as it staggered and slowed down. Its survival instinct must have won out over the pain.

"Damn it! Old man, run!"

Nozomu's loud voice echoed to the surroundings, but the orc was already right in front of the old man.

There was no way he could make it in time. Judging that, Nozomu immediately put his hands on the chains that bound him.

Putting all his strength into his arms, Nozomu tried to pull off the chains that suppressed his abilities. Strangely, he did not feel the same anxiety as before.

However, at that time, a shadow he knew well ran past him from both sides.

"Don't worry, Nozomu!"

"I'll take care of it!"

The voices of his friends came from behind him.

The next moment, more than a dozen dark chains sprouting from the ground entangled orc's body in layers. Irisdina and Feo had cleared away the Orcs they had been dealing with and rushed over.

"Gyaaaauu!"

The Orc was screaming in pain as it tried to escape from the chains, but Irisdina's [Dark Binding Chains] had completely blocked its movements in an instant.

The Orc writhed in desperation. There was no way Irisdina and Feo would give it a chance to escape. Feo, whose staff was covered with lightning, was rushing towards the orc.

"I'll finish it with this!"

Feo spun the staff above his head at high speed and swung it down at the orc's head with great force.

With a burst of lightning, the Orc's body was enveloped with lightning, and the last Orc died as its entire body was burned.

"I guess this is the end. You okay, old man?"

"Yeah, I thought I was going to die. Oh gosh, I'm glad I was saved."

Feo carried his staff on his shoulder in a trivial manner. Zonne also exhaled in a sloopy voice.

"Nozomu, are you okay?"

"Haa, haa, fu~uh ... Yeah, I'm fine. I used a little too much of my Qi, but I'm not injured."

Irisdina ran over to Nozomu and called out to him. He answered her while catching his breath.

"Well, now that we've cleaned up the orc for the time being ..."

Nozomu glanced at Eldor and his companions, who were standing there looking shocked. Of the four of them, the injured girls was still crouched on the ground.

"Anyway, let's give them a treatment first."

"That's right. Nozomu, about the potion..."

"I have it. Irisdina, I leave the students' treatment to you."

"Alright"

Nodding to each other, Nozomu and the others rushed over to the fallen girls to check on their condition.

"Are you okay?"

"U-uu……"

Nozomu called out to a collapsed schoolgirl. She is a girl with a petite physique and reddish-brown colored hair tucked to one side, reminiscent of a kitten.

The girl nodded her head in response to Nozomu's question, though her cute features were now distorted by pain. Apparently, she was conscious.

"She's conscious. The injuries are bruises and lacerations... Her bones seem to be okay. Iris, how are you doing?

"This one is similar. However, this one seems to have been hit in the ribs. The internal organs seem to be okay, though..."

Irisdina, who was examining the other girl, squinted her eyes and answered. It seemed that she was in a more serious condition than the girl Nozomu was examining. On closer inspection, her complexion was pale and she was breathing heavily.

Nozomu made the collapsed girl drink a potion, washed the injured area with clean water from the water canteen, and then bandaged it.

"If I move her poorly, it could damage her internal organs..."

However, not only the vital organs like the internal organs but also the broken bones could continue to damage the inside of the body, resulting in massive bleeding.

If he couldn't move her, he needed to at least keep her safe until the minimum amount of treatment was completed.

'Iris, continues to treat her wounds with healing magic. Feo and I'll keep an eye on the surroundings."

"Okay. I'll take care of this."

Nozomu nodded to Irisdina's words and left the girl he was treating to the others and called out to Feo.

"Let's go. Feo."

"OK, let's go."

Leaving the girl he was examining to Eldor's companions, Nozomu got up and headed for the forest.

Feo also counted the number of talismans remaining and followed Nozomu.

After Nozomu and Feo disappeared into the forest, Irisdina, who was left behind, turned her attention to Eldor and his companions who were stunned.

"Eldor, can you use magic?"

"Y-yes!"

"If so, please help me. At least I want to fix her broken ribs."

"I-I understand!"

Eldor came to his senses due to Irisdina's words.

He immediately rushed to his collapsed companions and began to help Irisdina.

Irisdina's and Eldor's hands, which were placed on the side of the schoolgirl, glowed faintly and gently wrapped around her body. Her expression gradually softened, as if the pain was receding.

The girl that Nozomu had been treating was also able to get up with the help of her friends.

"Thank goodness..."

Eldor let out a voice of relief.

He felt his shoulders, which had been stiff with impatience and tension, finally relax along with the flashes of the sword in his mind and the heartbeat deep inside his chest.