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

Chapter 7.11

The infirmary after school.

In this room, filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant, Norn, the doctor, was checking and adding the inventory of medicines used to treat students.

A number of crates filled with medicines had been brought into the room, so many that they filled an entire corner of the infirmary.

Norn checked the crates and put them on the shelves one after another.

However, two girls who were not usually in this room were seen beside her.

"Norn-sensei, where should I put these medicines?"

"Oh, put them on the shelf. I'll need to check them later."

For some reason, Lisa and Camilla were helping Norn in the infirmary.

It was an unusual sight, but they were strangely familiar with what they did.

It all started right after Nozomu was discharged from the hospital.

Lisa watched him from afar with lonely eyes as he was welcomed and jostled by his classmates.

It was Norn who spotted Lisa, and that was the beginning.

"Hey, a student over there, if you're not busy, can you help me out a bit??Frankly, I could even use a cat to help me."

"Eh?"

Norn suddenly took Lisa's hand, who was taken aback by the sudden call, and pulled her into the infirmary.

Camilla also followed Lisa to help in the infirmary, and the three of them had been working in the infirmary for the past week or so.

Aside from Camilla, when Lisa first started helping out, she kept a stiff expression on her face and did not want to say anything.

However, as they worked in a casual manner, they were able to carry on a conversation, albeit only slightly, since Norn had previously treated Lisa when she fainted in combat training with Irisdina.

"But why are there so many bottles of medicine?"

Lisa blurted out as she looked at the crates that still occupy a section of the infirmary.

To be honest, the current number of crates was on the low side. Until a week ago, the crates completely filled half of the infirmary.

"I heard that there was some kind of mistake in the ordering process. It seems there was some kind of mix-up when they ordered the medicines used for treatment and those for the experiment. I wish ...... they would at least check their products carefully ..."

"I-, Is that so..."

Norn spoke to her in an easygoing manner, but Lisa's voice still had some stiffness to it.

The three of them returned to work and silently sorted through the bottles of medicines. Norn, however, had noticed that Lisa occasionally glanced at her as if she wanted to ask her something.

"So, what you want to ask me is the usual thing?"

"U-, umm ..."

Lisa was puzzled by the sudden question. Norn hid the smile on her face so that Lisa didn't see it.

She knew exactly what she wanted to ask. It's about Nozomu, who had been bedridden until just a week ago.

"If it's him, he'll be fine. I don't see any particular effect on his body."

Norn was in charge of the physical check-up of the students at the school.

Especially regarding Nozomu, Norn frequently checked on his physical condition, partly due to the importance of the power he carried in his body and the fact that she knew his circumstances.

Perhaps that was why. When Lisa came to the infirmary every day to help out, Norn knew that Lisa was implicitly trying to ask about him.

Lisa was still not ready to face Nozomu head-on. However, she couldn't help but worry about him.

"If you're so worried, why don't you just talk to him?"

"…………"

Hearing Norn's words, Lisa's expression darkened and she looked down.

She had yet to step forward out of guilt over him.

Considering her past conflict with Nozomu, Lisa was originally a girl who was prone to making assumptions. She was not good at changing her mind. There was a small chance that she wouldn't be able to do anything and would be stuck in a state of remorse.

Besides, her position at the school right now was very delicate.

The fewer people who know about Nozomu Bountis's secret, the better, but Lisa's presence occupied an important position for Nozomu as well.

She couldn't tell her about Nozomu's secret, but she couldn't leave her in the dark either.

And there was also the recently attempted assault by the daughter of the Tardo Household.

She had Starlight by her side, but it was only meant to observe her. It was not an existence that could support her heart.

"At the very least, Nozomu would want to talk to you."

Then, she would have no choice but to support her as much as possible.

Lisa also had a close friend named Camilla, but she was originally from Lisa's side. She was also on Nozomu's side, so she would need someone else to pull Lisa's hand.

(I was originally going to check on Lisa, and it would be better for Nozomu as well.)

With this in mind, Norn continued her words in as gentle a tone as possible.

"There is no doubt that Nozomu is quite busy right now. But I'm sure things will calm down over time, so there will come a chance for you to talk to him at that time."

"…………"

Camilla stopped her work for a moment and watched the conversation between the two. As Lisa's best friend, she wanted her to get back on her feet somehow.

In fact, Camilla's help was a big part of the reason why Lisa was still able to stay at the school.

Now that many of the students at the school were turning a cold shoulder toward Lisa, she might not have been able to leave her room without Camilla's help.

Camilla also sincerely hoped that the relationship between Nozomu and Lisa would improve.

However, Lisa's expression was still not good.

"It's true that your apology won't be able to erase those two years of Nozomu's life. But to be honest, if things continue as they are, your contact with him will continue to fade away. He has Irisdina and the others by his side now."

She dared to emphasize the presence of Irisdina and the others, and gave Lisa a bit of a shock.

Of course, there was no way that Nozomu would disrespect Lisa, but Norn thought that it would be better to stimulate Lisa's inner impatience a little so that she would be able to move on.

Finally, Norn decided to talk to Camilla as the final push she needed.

"Camilla-kun, what did Nozomu look like when you talked to him before?"

"What he looked like ... He looked so desperate. He wanted ...... to help Lisa."

Yes. After all, that was what matters most.

Nozomu wished for Lisa well being beyond his own hatred and resentment.

"I can arrange it if you don't mind. But I'll leave the location to you..."

"……I understand"

"Hmm?"

"Please ... can you do it?"

Norn was inwardly surprised by the somewhat unexpected words.

She had expected it to take a little longer.

"Lisa, are you sure?"

Toward Camilla, who asked worriedly, Lisa gave a small nod.

If one looked closely, one could see that Lisa's fingertips were trembling slightly. The fear had not disappeared.

(What kind of face should I make in front of Nozomu? In the first place, am I even qualified to do so?)

The cold wind that blew in her heart was still eroding her.

"I'm not ready yet, but I don't want to waste Nozomu's feelings."

However, a small fire was certainly alive deep inside Lisa's chest.

A small light that was about to go out at any moment. But that fire was still encouraging her.

Such a weak but powerful flame. It was definitely him who lit it for her.

Nozomu's will, who risked his own life to save hers. And what he wished for Lisa, suppressing even his own hatred by turning his eyes away and pretending it never happened.

But the small spark that Nozomu lit in Lisa's heart would not be extinguished in the midst of the storm raging in her heart.

"Alright. I'm sure Nozomu-kun will settle down in a week or so, so I'll set up an opportunity to meet with him around that time. I'll let you know about the details later."

"Please take care of me"

Lisa bowed her head with a small bow.

When she raised her head up, there was a definite light in her eyes.

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

A local storm raged in the sunset-tinted forest.

A torrent of power that no human body could handle. At the center of it, Nozomu gritted his teeth.

The overflowing Qi became a whirlpool of wind that whipped up the leaves of the surrounding trees.

The power of Tiamat overflowed the moment he tore off the chains that bound him.

An unprecedented amount of pressure assaulted his body and soul, chipping away at Nozomu's consciousness along with the pain.

"Gu~u !?"

(Gugigigiggiigi !)

With clattering teeth, Tiamat rampaged as if to devour Nozomu's body.

At the same time, Tiamat's fierce rage began to erode Nozomu's spirit.

To use an analogy, it was as if his entire body was being burned by magma.

As if inspired by Tiamat's unfathomable hatred, Nozomu felt anger welling up from his gut.

"Kuh~ !? Uuu ..."

As he calmed his breathing and closed his eyes tightly, Nozomu could picture the faces of his friends as they watched him.

At that moment, Nozomu's mind, which had been on the verge of synchronizing with Tiamat's hatred, was suddenly detached from it.

Tiamat was still rampaging. But unlike before, Nozomu's spirit was surprisingly clear.

"Haa, haa ... haa"

He took a deep breath once and turned his attention to Jihad, Inda, and Anri in front of him.

Jihad held up his giant sword and Anri raised her whip. Inda was once again creating a huge mass of flames.

Nozomu's body was fine. His mind, too, was calming down now.

Perhaps due to the enormous amount of Qi that pervaded his entire body,

Nozomu could clearly hear not only his own heartbeat but also the rustle of leaves as they fluttered in the wind.

"Here I go"

Nozomu stepped forward vigorously with his [Instantanous Movement]. At the same time, Inda released a mass of flame.

Combined with his own drastic increase in speed, the approaching mass of flames quickly filled Nozomu's field of vision.

However, the mass of flames did not catch Nozomu's body.

Nozomu passed by the mass of flames with [Instantanous Movement -Curve Dance-]. Without slowing down at all, he rushed toward Inda.

"~ !?"

The difference in speed from the usual Nozomu was disorienting, and Inda's magic deployment was delayed for a moment.

However, as if to follow up on this gap, a huge shadow stood in front of Nozomu.

"Nnn !"

A giant sword like a block of rock was swung down toward Nozomu.

Jaw Drop approached, slicing through the atmosphere. Nozomu once again tried to escape from the trajectory of the sword by using [Instantanous Movement -Curve Dance-].

However, Jihad also knew what Nozomu was going to do.

He read in advance where Nozomu was going and swung his giant sword 90 degrees to knock Nozomu off.

It was a reckless move that could have twisted the user's body. However, Jihad's natural physique and his enormous Qi made this reckless move possible.

"Shoot~!"

Jihad's blow would definitely catch Nozomu's body. However, the giant sword did not catch Nozomu's body.

With the momentum of his [Instantanous Movement], Nozomu launched an upward strike with his katana toward the belly of the giant sword and deflected its trajectory.

"Haaa~!"

In return, Nozomu released a diagonal slash towards Jihad's shoulder.

Jihad pulled back the giant sword he had drawn and held it like a shield to block Nozomu's slash.

With all his might, Jihad strengthened his body and his weapon to prepare for the impact.

"Nnn~!"

However, its power was much stronger than expected. The pressure was more than he expected, and Jihad involuntarily groaned.

It was a blow that could not be compared to the previous time they had crossed blades in the martial arts garden. Tremendous pressure was applied to both of Jihad's arms.

"Fuh~! Haa~!"

Nozomu struck the giant sword raised in front of him with two, then three slashes, one after the other.

The shimmering blades cut away the Qi enveloping the Jaw Drop, and the dancing Qi scattered into the twilight sky.

"Kuh~! Zeaa~!"

At this rate, he would be overwhelmed. Judging this, Jihad poured more than the maximum amount of Qi into both of his arms that were supporting the Jaw Drop and pushed in at once, cutting through the gap between Nozomu's slashes.

The weight of his weapons and the weight of his body. Jihad had the advantage in both.

Nozomu's body was repelled by Jihad's huge body, and the gap between the two opened up slightly.

A momentary pause. And then, Jihad swung the jaw drop with all his might.

"Nnnn~!"

A giant sword approached Nozomu along with a roaring sound. Nozomu was still floating in the air from the impact of being repelled. He couldn't avoid it with [Instantanous Movement -Curve Dance-] as he did before.

Jihad's sword strike would definitely catch Nozomu at the moment he was about to land.

"Fuh !"

However, Jihad's slash couldn't reach Nozomu's body again.

At the moment of landing, Nozomu relaxed both of his legs while putting his katana into the path of Jihad's sword strike.

Nozomu's lowered his stance and his raised katana softly grazed Jihad's giant sword.

His stance was so low that his face almost touched the ground. He was about to launch a counterattack. However, by that time, a follow-up attack had already been fired at him.

"~ !?"

A small black shadow appeared at the edge of his vision. The moment he saw it, Nozomu instinctively put strength into both legs and leaped back from the place.

A moment after Nozomu jumped away, the ground where Nozomu was standing exploded with a high-pitched sound.

"Fua~! I've been evaded!"

Nozomu's eyes caught sight of Anri, who was flanking him from the shadow of Jihad.

Contrary to her laid-back tone, she was very determined to get into a position where she could attack.

However, that was not the only pursuit. This time, a crimson magic formation was formed at Nozomu's feet.

"Tch~!"

Sensing danger, Nozomu leaped from the place again. The moment Nozomu leaped, a volcanic flame rose from the magic formation.

Behind Jihad, Inda opened her grimoire again and was preparing for another attack.

"Not ready yet. Anri-sensei, give chase!"

"Yes~! Please leave it to me~"

A fierce pursuit from two teachers attacked Nozomu.

Inda's specialty was the continuous use of magic using the formation method.

The grimoire she carried had numerous magic formations drawn on it, and by pouring magic power into the magic formations, she could quickly switch between a wide variety of magic.

However, the most surprising thing was Inda's skill in controlling such a wide variety of magic spells.

A student could never have done it. Even a court magician would have difficulty performing a barrage of magic attacks.

And to fill the gap, Anri's air bullets and whip attacked Nozomu.

A coordinated attack by A ranks. However, Nozomu was able to completely shrug off the attacks.

He dodged Inda's magic with his outstanding physical ability and concentration, and while repelling Anri's whips and bullets with the katana he carried, he cut a straight line through the storm of onslaught toward the two of them.

"Kuh~! What nonsense!"

"Inda-sensei~! Don't loosen your attack~!"

"I know!"

In this short time, Inda also understood Nozomu's nonsensical power. If she were to take even half a step back, she would be swallowed up in the blink of an eye by her opponent's momentum.

However, it was no easy task for Inda and Anri to stop Nozomu's attack.

"Oooo!"

Along with his raised fighting spirit, Nozomu accelerated even more.

A roaring sound echoed, and the ground under Nozomu's feet exploded. With such a tremendous acceleration, he closed the gap at once.

Ahead of him was Anri, who was raising her whip with her right hand and generating Qi bullets with her left.

"Ue~ !?"

Nozomu closed the gap with a tremendous amount of momentum and launched a kick at Anri's torso.

Anri tried to block Nozomu's kick with her left hand by pulling out the iron rod from her thigh, but there was no way she could block Nozomu's current blow with that level of force.

"Fu- kyaa~!"

Anri's body was blown away like a leaf and disappeared behind a bush.

Nozomu wondered, "Is she going to be okay?" and while worrying about Anri's safety, he immediately turned his attention to his next target.

Naturally, his gaze fell on Inda, whose continuous magic was troublesome.

He again activated his [Instantanous Movement]. Like a gust of wind, he attacked Inda.

Inda tried to keep Nozomu away from her by firing a wide variety of magic, but all of them were evaded by Nozomu's [Instantanous Movement -Curve Dance-].

"I got you!"

"I won't let you."

However, Jihad stood in front of Nozomu again.

He interrupted Nozomu's direction of movement by reading the trajectory of Nozomu's [Instantanous Movement -Curve Dance-], and swung his Jaw Drop.

"Kuh!"

"Mmm!"

Along with a high-pitched collision sound, Nozomu and Jihad's blades lock tightly against each other.

Jihad's muscles bulged, and Nozomu's body released more Qi than ever before.

Both of them didn't move as their blades interlocked together. [Mumei] and [Jaw Drop] scattering sparks as they pushed against each other, and the atmosphere was tense as if it were going to explode.

"~ !"

"Haa!"

Eventually, both of them were swept slightly backward as if repelled by the atmosphere that had reached its limit.

Nozomu and Jihad quickly regained their stance and swung their weapons once again.

A giant sword and a katana were swung at the same time. The two clashing weapons flow in opposite directions, deflecting each other's trajectories.

Jihad made a full turn without killing the momentum. He changed the trajectory of the giant sword without wasting any time and swung it down toward Nozomu.

Nozomu gripped the ground with his toes and in an instant, he turned his katana and swung it at Jihad.

With another high-pitched collision sound, the two weapons deflected each other's trajectory, and their blades slightly grazed each other's hair.

"Zeyaa!"

"Haaa!"

Their blades cut back and forth, and the sound of a continuous clash echoed through the air.

The two blades collided and sent out violent sparks.

"I haven't felt this sensation in a long time."

How long had it been since he had wielded his sword with all his might? Jihad's mouth relaxes slightly as his fighting spirit rose.

Jihad even used his own body as a part of the giant sword.

Nozomu released slashes comparable to a dragon's strike one after another to fend off Jihad's continuous attack.

Powerful sword strikes and soft sword strikes. The best sword dance on the continent.

The battle, like something out of a heroic tale, was unfolding near an abandoned hut in the middle of nowhere.

Inda, who was supposed to be supporting Jihad, forgot to support him before she knew it, and was fascinated by the exchange of skills in front of her eyes.

"Kuh~!"

Nozomu's face contorted slightly due to the pain. The excessive force running through his entire body was beginning to feel hurt.

Jihad's sword strikes boasted extraordinary weight. Based on this factor, Jihad had achieved a power that was unparalleled on the continent.

Even Nozomu, who had unleashed his power, had great difficulty in parrying Jihad's blow.

However, it was Nozomu who began to break the balance.

Little by little, he managed to move through the tornado created by the giant sword with his feet.

"Nnn!"

Jihad's eyes widened.

He wasn't even holding back. The beloved sword that he wielded with all his might could surely make even an Undead Dragon lie down on the ground with a single blow.

But even so, he could not stop this student.

At the same time, he was amazed, the old man's words came back to Jihad's mind.

(If push comes to shove, I'm willing to burn this city to ashes.)

Even if Nozomu Bountis himself had no intention of doing so, the boy in front of him contained that degree of danger within him.

With each blow, he was reminded of those words.

When the time comes, he is the only one who can stop him.

In order to do so, he had come to believe that he would have to go beyond his own limits and face the power of this student.

"~ !"

Blood danced from Nozomu's arm. The number of wounds running down Nozomu's body was slowly beginning to increase.

However, at the cost of that, Nozomu was finally able to narrow the distance

"~ !"

A blow. Not to parry the opponent's sword, but to go for a direct attack.

And the moment Nozomu swung his katana, he stretched his other hand into the sheath, which was still on his waist.

"Haa!"

Nozomu suddenly went on the offensive.

Katana and its sheath. He poured a huge amount of Qi into both of his weapons and began attacking Jihad.

Slashes and blows were launched continuously from both arms without interruption. The Qi-enveloped weapons attacked Jihad like a meteor shower.

Jihad raised his giant sword and sent his Qi into it with all his might.

Through the giant sword, the impact and pressure that could even numb his arm came one after the other.

"Nnn !"

Jihad's huge body was gradually pushed as his feet scraped the ground.

Jihad, which had been on the offensive until a moment ago, now had to turn to the defensive.

If he did not do so, he would be pushed out. Jihad, judging this to be the case, raised all the Qi in his body and released it at once.

"Haa~!"

Jihad's extraordinary Qi was released in all directions, and the impact slightly weakened Nozomu's attack.

Furthermore, Jihad's fist launched into that gap and thrust into Nozomu's cheek.

"Gah~!"

*Thud*, a sound that one would not expect to hear from a person hitting another person, echoed through the air.

Nozomu's body, which was hit in the cheek with such a powerful impact, was blown several meters and rolled on the ground.

Nozomu reflexively rolled on the ground in his momentarily blank consciousness and stood up as if bouncing.

However, Inda had resumed her attack, taking advantage of that slight gap.

"There!"

She poured magic power into the grimoire in her hand and activated the spell. A wooden vine appeared from under Nozomu's feet and bound his limbs entirely.

"I'm not done yet"

Inda further activated a follow-up spell. She created a huge mass of flame and shot it towards Nozomu.

"Haa!"

Nozomu released the Qi in his katana and scabbard.

Qi technique [One Billion Severance].

Countless blades of Qi blew away all of Inda's restraints.

Furthermore, Nozomu drew a circle in the air with his katana, forming a film of Qi.

Qi technique [Fan Shaped Sail].

Nozomu's film of Qi gently caught the fireball released by Inda, just like the sails of a ship receiving the wind.

As a counterattack, Nozomu struck the bent film of Qi with the sheath in his left hand, knocking the fireball back toward Inda.

"Wha~ !?"

A huge fireball reversed its direction of travel 180 degrees and returned.

A voice of agitation escaped from Inda's mouth as if she didn't expect her magic to be returned.

Even so, she was still able to deal with it. She quickly activated the defensive magic engraved on her clothes and prevented the fireball from rebounding back at her.

"Kuh~, I can't see ..."

However, her vision was blocked by the bursting flames.

This was not good. Judging so, she tried to cast another spell, but it was already too late .......

"Fuh~!"

"Wha~!"

Cutting through the bursting flames, Nozomu appeared before Inda's eyes. The katana in his hand already had an extremely compressed Qi-blade attached to it.

Inda quickly poured magic power into the defensive barrier to increase its strength, but Nozomu sliced through Inda's defensive magic like paper with a single strike.

Furthermore, Nozomu then struck Inda's abdomen with a Qi technique [Cannon].

Inda was blown away by the powerful shockwave and slammed to the ground without being able to use a defensive stance.

Inda managed to stand up, but the impact left her unable to breathe properly and she could only cough.

Now there were two left.

Nozomu turned to the last remaining opponent.

"I can't do this half-heartedly...'

After he said so, Jihad suddenly unclasped the armor he was wearing.

With a rattling sound, Jihad's armor fell apart and rolled on the ground.

Jihad's bare physique. Although he should have become smaller with the armor removed, Jihad's body looked bigger to Nozomu than before.

"He is definitely in a state of constant strengthening beyond his limits. If I were to face you, I would have to push myself beyond my limits as well."

Jihad prepared his stance as he carried the giant sword.

Both of his log-like legs were firmly planted on the ground. Using his uniquely huge physique, he raised his giant sword as if piercing the sky.

It was like a volcano on the verge of erupting.

"This will be the final blow. Be careful. Don't die ..."

More Qi than ever was released from Jihad's entire body.

The leaked Qi spiraled around Jihad, rolling up the leaves and scraping the ground.

"Nnn ..."

Tremendous pressure made his blood boil. The skin of his whole body was foaming, and his heart was pounding wildly.

The muscles bulging and the handle of the Jaw Drop in his grip began to creak and scream.

The appearance of him gritting his teeth looked like a demon. There was not the slightest hint of any kind of restraint.

"~ !"

Nozomu, feeling intensely intimidated, pulled back the katana he had drawn and sheathed it back.

Perhaps the blow Jihad was about to launch now was stronger than anything Nozomu had ever experienced.

However, it was easy to predict what kind of blow it will be.

"~ !"

Along with the pain, lacerations ran through Nozomu's body again.

The pain caused by the excessive force which was destroying his body was slowly spreading throughout his body.

It's not good to prolong it any longer.

Nozomu also decided to end it with this one blow.

"Fuh~ ..."

He exhaled once and relaxed his whole body.

Excessive force dulled the precision of the technique.

Until the moment he drew his blade, Nozomu removed as much unnecessary strength from his entire body as possible.

From the shoulders supporting the neck to the arms, and from the waist to the lower half of the body.

He relaxed the muscles, opened the blood vessels, and sent fresh blood to every corner of the body.

In connection with this, the Qi of the whole body was also loosened as much as possible.

Excessive Qi that became bloated. Nozomu focused all his concentration on this power and brought it under control as much as possible.

Still, such uncontrollable Qi continued to damage his whole body.

"Haa, Haa……"

"Nnnn ..."

Nozomu leaked a rough breath, and Jihad continued to send more Qi than ever into the giant sword he had raised.

The Qi released by both of them collided at the midpoint, causing the atmosphere to scream.

However, the storm abruptly ended.

"…………"

"…………"

Sudden silence. The storm that had been roaring just a few moments ago vanished, and only silence reigned.

Nozomu stood with his left hand holding the sheathed katana [Mumei] and his right hand holding the hilt.

Jihad, holding up the giant sword that shone like the sun, was frozen in place like a statue.

A few seconds, what seemed like an eternity, flowed between them.

"…… Let's go"

Jihad moved.

The giant sword he raised was swung down like a comet falling from the sky, and at the same time, a huge Qi-blade appeared.

Qi technique [Single Stroke].

The huge blade of Qi split the earth as it moved. Furthermore, the vacuum blades surrounding the Qi-blade smashed the broken pieces of earth into tiny pieces.

To Nozomu's eyes, it looked like a gigantic wall that was closing in on him.

A wall born from a single blade of light running vertically. It was a blow that could not be compared to the [Single Stroke] that he had shown at the previous combat training.

It was no longer a "slash" to defeat an individual, but a "weapon" to annihilate an army.

At that moment, Nozomu's consciousness switched.

Sound and color disappeared from his senses.

In slow motion, all the muscles in Nozomu's body awakened at once, and he poured all his Qi into his right leg, strengthening it to the utmost.

He strengthen his muscles from his right leg to his waist and arms without wasting any movement, and at the same time, he transferred his Qi to all the interlocking muscles one after another.

His target was the huge Qi-blade approaching in front of him.

"Haaa !"

He opened the scabbard's mouth and pulled out his katana.

A flash.

The next moment, Jihad's [Single Stroke] cut the forest in the direction of travel.

"Uwaaa!"

"Kyaaa!"

The flash, roar, and gusts of wind that pummeled the area caused Irisdina and the others to scream.

White light burned their eyes and the wind blew sand and stone.

Soon, there was silence again.

Fearfully, Irisdina and the others opened their eyes and saw an unbelievable scene.

"......"

Everyone was speechless at the sight before them.

A single line of slash was carved into the earth. On either side of the deeply gouged ground like a trench, the ground, crumbling and surging, continued in a straight line through the forest.

And in the middle of it stood Nozomu with his drawn katana hanging down.

A single line of slash on the ground split in two in front of Nozomu and flowed behind him.

Nozomu's [Phantom -Flash-] had indeed cut through Jihad's [Single Stroke].

However, the aftermath of the [Single Stroke] could not be prevented, and Nozomu was also unable to pursue further.

Jihad did not change his expression, but inwardly he wanted to let out a sigh.

Nozomu, turned around while putting his shackles back on, and was surprised at the sight behind him.

"Uwa ... there's a trench forming in the forest."

Nozomu cut through Jihad's attack that had destroyed all kinds of demon beasts 10 years ago.

And Jihad fought head-on with Nozomu, who had unleashed his power.

As if it was planned, both opened their mouths at the same time.

"What nonsense..."

"What a mess..."

Oddly enough, it was the moment when Nozomu and Jihad's dismayed voices overlapped.