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

Chapter 7.20

Inside the infirmary of Solminati Academy. In this disinfectant-filled room, Irisdina and the others were listening to what was going on from Norn.

"So, Norn-sensei, you're saying that you made that request to give Nozomu and Lisa-kun some alone time together?"

"Yeah, I had to, otherwise this was just going to drag on and on. I know, sometimes it's better to give them time, but it's been more than two weeks since the incident. It's about time they had a face-to-face talk, don't you think?"

Norn simply answered Irisdina's question.

Certainly, it was time for both Nozomu and Lisa to settle their past conflicts.

Nozomu's body was free of any aftereffects, and Lisa's mental state, which had been unstable for a while, had stabilized.

"Indeed. I think it's time for Nozomu to make his decision."

"I'm sure the Red-Haired Princess will apologize while kneeling directly on the ground and bow to Nozomu. The question is ..."

"What kind of answer will Nozomu give to her?"

Mars, who had been listening to Norn, nodded approvingly, while Feo and Tom calmly predicted the future.

Hearing Tom's words, Irisdina suddenly looked out the window.

Beyond her line of sight was the cityscape of Arcazam.

"Ai ..."

"I got it. I got it, so..."

Irisdina responded to her best friend's worried voice with a squeezed voice.

She understood. She understood that those two need to face each other.

Irisdina and the others were not qualified to interfere in Nozomu's and Lisa's problems, after all, since they were not the parties involved. It was a fact that they couldn't do a thing to help Nozomu during the most difficult time of his life.

At that time, when Lisa was about to commit self-harm, Irisdina couldn't keep her composure and ended up getting very angry, but now she had firmly suppressed her feelings for Lisa in her heart.

However, her eyes looking out the window were somewhat sad.

On the other hand, Sh?na was nonchalantly tending to her bow while listening to Norn and the others.

She wiped the bow lightly with a cloth to remove any moisture and lifted it to check for any damage or scratches to the bow itself.

A bow is a very delicate weapon, and if it is not cared for properly, it will soon become useless. The string was also removed and placed on the table beside her, as leaving the string to tauten would damage the bow.

There was no stagnation in her work that was being carried out quickly and efficiently. She really didn't seem to be worried about Nozomu and Lisa.

"Even so, Sh?na, you don't seem to be too concerned about them, do you?"

"Well, no matter what answer Nozomu-kun gives, it won't change our relationship with him, right?"

"~ !?"

Irisdina's eyes widened as if she had been taken aback by Sh?na's attitude and words.

Sh?na's words sounded as if she was dismissing them as irrelevant, but Irisdina could sense in her words her feelings for Nozomu.

Irisdina's heart was filled with fear that if Nozomu and Lisa were to get back together, Nozomu might disappear from her life. Such anxiety had been swirling around in her heart for a long time.

But even if that were the case, the bond they had formed with him will not disappear. The elf girl in front of her said so and intended to respect Nozomu's wish to face Lisa straight on.

"I see ... you are strong."

Irisdina found herself spontaneously exclaiming in admiration.

Sh?na, on the other hand, tilted her head curiously at Irisdina's look of admiration.

"You think so? I think it's simply because I only spent a short time with him ..."

"Haa ..."

Irisdina let out a sigh due to Sh?na's attitude, but for some reason, it made her mouth naturally relaxed.

"Well, I should get my act together too..."

Once again, Irisdina looked out the window.

Her eyes, which earlier had been tinged with impatience, now looked somewhat calmer.

"'Well. We'll just have to put that aside for now. As Sh?na said, no matter what answer he gives, nothing will change."

"Good grief, Mars. It's nice, to be so simple ~~. As expected, of a brain-muscle!"

"What do you mean by that, hey ..."

Feo started to make fun of Mars, and Mars gave him a stern look and reached out his hand.

Feo ducked and avoided Mars' hand, and the angry Mars, with a vein popped on his forehead, began to chase after Feo.

Have they started doing it again? Sh?na and Mimuru looked aghast, while Tima and Tom looked on in bewilderment.

Somia, who was watching what was going on, looked at her sister and asked her if she should stop them, but Irisdina only shrugged her shoulders.

Eventually, Norn got mad at them for making such a fuss in the infirmary, and her fist smacked their heads.

Norn stood before them as they crouched down holding their heads. A storm aka her sermon was about to hit them.

Before they knew it, the tension from earlier had dissipated, and a calm atmosphere filled the infirmary.

"Gosh, you two, did you forget that this is in the infirmary..."

Just as Norn was about to start her preaching to the two crouching with their heads in their hands, a light suddenly began to flood from a corner of the infirmary.

Irisdina and the others opened their eyes wide at the sudden occurrence.

"W-, what is that !?"

What appeared was a pure white mass of light. The sphere of light, which was about the size of a palm, gradually increased in size.

"I-, I don't know! Anyway, everyone get away from it!"

Irisdina and the others hurriedly distance themselves from the light ball and brace themselves. They began chanting so that they could invoke magic at any time.

Irisdina deployed several magic spheres around her, while Tima, Tom, Feo, and Norn stood by with their magic barrier at the ready.

Sh?na sent magic power into the bow she had just cleaned, and Mars enveloped his fist with a blade of wind.

"Um, Ane-sama. What is going on?"

"I don't know. But I sense a magic power that I can't imagine coming from that thing."

"It seems dangerous if it gets out of hand..."

Somia, hiding behind her sister, let out an anxious voice. Irisdina, too, had no words to answer her question.

Staring at the light ball that suddenly appeared in the infirmary, Irisdina gulped.

According to her estimation, the magic power contained in the ball of light in front of her was more than enough to blow up this infirmary.

Norn, who was preparing the barrier next to Irisdina, also had sweat on her forehead.

The ball of light floating in the air expanded and shone brightly.

At that moment, Norn and the other four deployed their barrier magic all at once. As if to protect both themselves and the people outside the infirmary, they placed double barrier inside the infirmary and around themselves, respectively.

Irisdina, Sh?na, and Mars looked intently to discern the true nature of the light from within the barrier and prepared themselves to release their magic at any moment.

Then, as if the expanding light ball had reached its limit, it released a flash of light.

A flash that was so bright that it burned their eyes. However, contrary to the intensity of the light, there was none of the explosion that Irisdina had feared.

"Haa, haa, good, I'm back."

"Y-, you are ..."

Instead, an old man with gray hair appeared in front of them. Zonne was breathing roughly, his shoulders slumped, and Irisdina and the others looked at him with wide eyes.

They could not hide their astonishment and bewilderment at the appearance of a person whose whereabouts had been unknown since the previous incident.

On the other hand, when Zonne saw Irisdina's face, a big smile appeared on his face, unaware of the girls' concern.

"Oh! I'm so thrilled to meet you here, young lady! Could it be that this is fate~! I shouldn't have been acting like such a fool!"

Zonne, who had been flirting on his own, suddenly sat down on the floor in front of Irisdina and the others and rubbed his head against the floor.

"My apologies! Ladies, lend me your strength!"

The old man's sudden prostration and pleading deepened their confusion.

Irisdina and the others were no longer sure what was going on and just stared down at the old man in front of them in puzzlement.

"... So old man, why did you come in contact with us?"

Norn, who was the first to calm down, took a step forward and asked Zonne a question. Her tone was extremely flat, and her eyes, looking down at the old man, showed a strong sense of caution.

The extraordinary ability that the old man showed in the previous incident. The mysterious old man had completely shaken off the pursuit of the "Starlight" afterward. It was natural for Norn to be wary.

"Let me ask you straight to the point. Who are you and what is your purpose for contacting us?"

Zonne's identity and purpose. At the very least, this must be made clear.

Norn, Irisdina, and the others gasped after hearing the old man's reply.

"I am a member of the White Dragon Clan and the guardian of the Dragon of Destruction. I have been chasing Tiamat, who fled from where she was sealed into this place."

Zonne, who raised his face suddenly, answered without hesitation while holding his chest out and meeting the gazes of Irisdina and the others straight on.

"I have come here this time to ask for your help. The fate of my family and the dragons has an influence on this. The evil omens that stem from it are now befalling Nozomu Bountis."

"... What evil omen?"

"My ungrateful granddaughter is plotting to dispose of Tiamat, who has escaped from the seal. She probably already has her blade under the boy's throat."

"Damn you!..."

Mars almost reflexively reached out to the old man. Irisdina and the others, who had been looking at each other with a puzzled look on their faces, turned pale at once when they heard that Nozomu was in danger.

"In the worst case, the boy will be killed and Tiamat will be resurrected. If that happens, things will get out of hand. That's why! I need your help!"

Perhaps sensing their anger, Zonne put his head on the floor again and pleaded.

"... Do you really expect us to believe you?"

"I know I'm talking nonsense now! It is because of my naivete that this has happened! That's why I want you to give me a chance to make up for it!"

He was desperately pleading for the help of Irisdina and the others, so much so that he sounded desperate.

There was no trace of his usual haughty atmosphere.

"Old man, you can't stop your own granddaughter?"

"If it were only Azel, there would be no problem. But Tiamat has a strong grudge against the White Dragons, especially against me, the guardian. If I were to carelessly show myself, it is certain that Tiamat, who lurks within the boy, would go on a rampage. Depending on the boy's condition, this could lead to the worst possible situation."

According to Zonne, Tiamat had an unusual hostility toward the White Dragons.

It was reasonable that Tiamat had an extraordinary hatred towards Zonne, who called himself a guardian.

That was why he wanted to ask for the help of Irisdina and the others who managed to bring Nozomu back to his senses before.

"I beg you. I want you to help us so that we don't repeat the tragedy..."

That plea rang deep in the ears of Irisdina and the others.

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

Azel, a white dragon with shimmering mystical white scales, and Nozomu, whose entire body radiated menacing Qi.

Confronting each other in a lifeless gray world, they stared at each other with a clear intent to kill.

Nozomu raised his katana and activated his [Instantaneous Movement]. Like a leopard running on the ground, Nozomu lunged in a straight line toward Azel.

Azel, on the other hand, launched countless light arrows as if to block Nozomu's path.

"Hmph!"

However, that was not enough to stop Nozomu.

He used his [Instantanous Movement] to dodge the light arrows that were coming his way, and at times he would brush them away while steadily closing the gap between him and Azel.

However, Azel, who had revealed her true form, made another move to prevent Nozomu from advancing.

"~ !?"

Suddenly, the ground beneath Nozomu's feet began to glow.

Immediately after, countless spears of light protruded from the ground, their tips aiming to pierce Nozomu.

Nozomu immediately leaped. He twisted his body in mid-air and tied to escape from the spears.

The spears, which had come out of the ground, locked onto Nozomu's body, but failed to pierce him, and instead made him fly through the air. Nozomu landed on the ground and immediately tried to run toward Azel again.

"I'm not done yet!"

Azel's offensive never stops.

She formed countless light bullets in the sky. At the same time, she launched spears of light from the ground again.

Attacks from the sky and the ground. If Nozomu were to leap as he did before, he would be swallowed by the barrage of bullets, and if he ran on the ground, he will be pierced by the spears.

The sky was covered with light bullets, and a swarm of spears approached Nozomu.

It was a reenactment of a natural disaster that could easily swallow a tiny human being. At this rate, Nozomu would be swallowed by the swarm of light and not a single piece of flesh would remain.

But .......

"Slow !"

Nozomu cast such a natural disaster aside with a single word.

He raised his right arm and slammed it into the ground. The next moment, a torrent of light emerged from his feet.

Qi Technique [Light of Extinction]

This Qi technique has the greatest range of effects of all the techniques that Nozomu has.

The swarms of light bullets that came from the sky were swallowed up and crushed by the torrent of light that extended from the ground, turning them into the dust of the primordial elements.

However, for Nozomu, who was pushing the limits, this technique was also a double-edged sword.

"Guuuuu!"

Lacerations ran down his arm and blood spurted out. The enormous use of Qi easily injured Nozomu's body.

The pain was so intense that made him want to cut off his arm, but the pain was quickly consumed by rage and disappeared.

Nozomu rushed toward Azel's neck while cutting through the primordial elements that scattered like fog.

"Tch~!"

Azel flapped her wings as she clicked her tongue.

Nozomu accelerated further with a slight hint of frustration in his angry eyes.

If he let her escape into the air, Nozomu would lose his chance to attack at once. Probably Azel understood this too.

Nozomu was running like a gust of wind. But before his blade could reach Azel, she had already flown into the air.

"Damn it!"

The two of them intersected as if swapping positions with each other. One turned while scraping the ground, and the other spun and circled brilliantly in the air.

Immediately after, Azel formed and released countless light arrows in the sky.

Countless light arrows spread out as if covering Nozomu. The moment Nozomu saw the swarm of light arrows attacking him like a meteor shower, he took evasive action without hesitation.

"~ !"

Nozomu activated his [Instantaneous Movement] again. He dived into the forest nearby.

Immediately after, a swarm of light arrows landed. They pierced the gray-dyed trees while stirring up large quantities of soil and sand.

The sound of overlapping explosions repeatedly shook the colorless atmosphere, carving countless scars on the ground.

And then, after all the light arrows have fallen, there came a quiet silence.

Azel glared at the thick clouds of smoke with a quiet but stern gaze.

"~ !"

A flying blade of Qi cut through the thick smoke and flew toward Azel's neck.

Azel swiftly swung her forearm and knocked the flying blade of Qi away.

The blade scaped off a few of Azel's scales but dissipated like mist. Immediately after, an unscathed Nozomu jumped out of the cloud of dust.

"Tch~! Too far!"

Nozomu didn't stop his feet and swung his katana in quick succession while cursing Azel's appearance. Ultra-thin blades of Qi bared their fangs at Azel continuously.

Azel, with wings flapping in the air, continued to dodge Nozomu's attacks but because of her large figure, some of them hit her.

However, Nozomu's [Phantom] only scraped off a few scales and did not inflict much damage.

Originally, the effective range of [Phantom] was only a few dozen meters at most. No matter how much Nozomu's Qi had increased drastically, it was extremely difficult to inflict fatal damage on a dragon just by hitting it with a series of attacks like this.

"Guu!"

Every time Nozomu launched Phantom, the lacerations on his arms increased. This would inevitably happen if he put all his energy and Qi into each of his strikes.

Nozomu's mouth was distorted in frustration as his attacks seemed to be ineffective.

However, little did he know that the power of his Qi technique could already be considered extraordinary when he was able to inflict wounds on such a legendary opponent, namely a dragon.

However, Azel's expression was not relaxed either. Indeed, Nozomu's [Phantom], which was filled with extraordinary Qi, was not much of a threat to her, but it was powerful enough to the extent that it could not be ignored.

"~ ! Annoying!"

Azel deployed a barrier in an instant, repelling Nozomu's [Phantom]s, and again formed and launched countless light arrows.

Nozomu immediately took evasive action.

He swung his katana while running around with his [Instantaneous Movement -Curve Dance-] activated, knocking down the incoming light arrows.

The soil and sand flew up and countless scars were carved into the ground. A tree, that was broken in half by the carpet bombardment of light arrows, flew through the air, and Nozomu uses even the tree as a shield to survive Azel's onslaught.

Azel opened her mouth and the light began to converge.

Nozomu's eyes could clearly see the scene.

It was clear that she was preparing an attack that couldn't be compared to the light arrows Nozomu had seen up until now. He could predict what kind of attack it would be.

"Take this!"

A huge breath was released along with a roar from Azel's mouth.

The breath swallowed the arrows of light and rushed toward Nozomu in a straight line.

With his [Instantaneous Movement -Curve Dance-] activated, Nozomu immediately changed course without killing his speed at all and jumped out of the spot with explosive acceleration.

The next moment, Azel's breath landed, and the released shockwave and torrent of light elements attacked everything in the vicinity.

Nozomu swung his katana in a circular motion as he stared into the oncoming storm of light.

Qi Technique [Fan Shaped Sail]

The film of Qi filled with an extraordinary amount of Qi flexibly caught the shockwave as it bared its fangs at Nozomu.

Nozomu kicked the bent film of Qi that had caught the shockwave and at the same time, tried to quickly leave the place.

However, perhaps because the power of Azel's breath was stronger than expected, Nozomu's body was blown away by the aftermath of the explosion like a withered leaf blown by the wind.

"Tch~!"

Nozomu clicked his tongue and tried to regain his posture.

He stretched out his hand with all his might and grabbed a nearby tree trunk.

His body was about to be swept away by inertia, and he tried to forcefully control it with his drastically increased muscular strength and physical strength. However, his injured arm was not enough to stop the momentum, and his hand slipped from the tree trunk.

Nozomu had no choice but to twist his body in mid-air and forcefully land his feet on the ground. He tried to kill the speed while scraping the ground. However, when he looked up at the sky, he saw the light gathering in Azel's mouth once again.

"I got you!"

Azel declared so with conviction.

Azel, who was already in a position to pursue, and Nozomu, who had yet to kill his speed. It was clear who had the advantage.

The next moment, a breath of white light shot out from Azel's mouth again.

The huge breath, firmly aiming for its prey that was below, ran towards Nozomu as if it were a comet.

"............"

However, there was no fear of death in Nozomu's eyes, and the flames of hatred glowed red and blazing.

A sludgy, magma-like rage scorched Nozomu's entire body.

What came to his mind was Lisa's figure who was blown away by Azel. He felt indescribable anger at Azel for hurting her and at himself for failing to prevent it.

(How dare you hurt Lisa!)

(How dare you betray me!)

Two angry voices overlapped.

The anger became the fuel and the two blazing flames intertwined with each other, gaining more and more momentum.

The breath released by Azel completely caught Nozomu. Even if he took the initiative to leave the place, it would be difficult for him to avoid it completely.

Moreover, the forest trees were dense around Nozomu. There were too many obstacles to break away at once.

"............"

Evasion would be difficult. Even if he managed to evade, as long as Azel was still in the air, Nozomu's attacks would inevitably lack effectiveness.

Azel's altitude was too high to use the same method that he used to bring down the Undead Dragon before.

Currently, there was no way for him to drive the opponent to a lower altitude. Even if he was able to repel the opponent's breath, he would still lose.

If that were the case, then ...

"Fuh~!"

With a short exhale, Nozomu relaxed his legs. The legs that had decreased the momentum as he was blown away were gone, and his upper body flowed as it was. At the same time, gray ground loomed in Nozomu's tilted field of vision.

"~ !"

The next moment, Nozomu leaped with all the strength he could muster in his legs. He turned his body around in a sideways roll and landed on the trunk of a tree growing in the direction he was going.

"Haaa!"

He focused Qi on both legs while screaming to raise his fighting spirit.

He activated his [Instantaneous Movement]. While breaking the tree trunk that was used as the launch pad, Nozomu's body was launched into the air and jumped over Azel's breath.

"~! What a quick guy!"

Azel let out an impatient cry at the sight of Nozomu, who had evaded her breath. She must have thought she could finish him off with her earlier breath.

Azel formed countless light bullets around herself.

Nozomu is a human being. He does not have the ability to fly in the air.

Thinking so, Azel's mouth broke into a smile, perhaps convinced of her victory. However, the next moment, her expression froze.

Nozomu twisted his body in a somersault, and while upside down in the air, he swung his katana in a circular motion.

The Qi technique [Fan Shaped Sail] appeared beneath Nozomu.

Immediately after, Azel's breath landed under Nozomu, who leaped.

The explosion of the breath scattered shockwaves in all directions, obliterating the gray debris into pieces.

The shockwave spread further and slammed into Nozomu's [Fan Shaped Sail].

The film of Qi literally bent like a sail caught in the wind. Immediately afterward, Nozomu pushed his Qi to the limit and kicked the film of Qi under his feet with all his might.

With an ear-piercing burst of sound, the film of Qi burst, and Nozomu's body shot up into the sky. Beyond him was the White-scaled dragon.

"Wha~!?"

"Uooo!"

If he can't knock his opponent to the ground, he can "jump" to where his opponent is instead.

Nozomu thrust in a straight line toward Azel as if he were a spear. His katana was once again filled with an enormous amount of Qi.

Azel didn't expect humans to jump in the air. When she realized it, she found that Nozomu was already right in front of her.

Azel quickly activated more barriers, forming a myriad of multiple barriers.

Five colors of light emerged from Nozomu's body. It flowed into the [Mumei]'s blade he was carrying, and the shining blade was dyed in chaotic colors.

It was the very power that Tiamat possessed.

"Be cut apart!"

The moment Nozomu drew his katana, Azel's barriers were instantly severed.

The countless barriers that were cut apart just like papers dissipated into dust and vanished into the gray sky.

"T-, that's absurd! How could a human being use that power? ..."

While Azel was stunned, Nozomu was swiftly drawing his second strike. The blades of Qi that burst along the katana's trajectory turned into countless blades, tearing apart one of Azel's wings.

[One Billion Severance]

Azel's right-wing was torn to shreds by countless exploding Qi blades, completely depriving it of its function.

"Kuh~! Damn you!"

Following gravity, Azel's body began to fall. She forcibly twisted her body, in an attempt to cleave Nozomu with her forearms.

However, Nozomu took advantage of her inability to hold her ground in mid-air and was able to escape the momentum of Azel's forearm.

"Kyaa!"

The loss of one wing and the attempt to forcefully attack Nozomu caused Azel to completely lose her posture. Not missing the opportunity, Nozomu swung his katana further.

*Slash*

The blade of chaos cut deep into Azel's body, splattering fresh blood.

Nozomu's blade easily sliced through the White Dragon's armor, which was immune to any attack.

Furthermore, Nozomu kept swinging his katana again and again in quick succession. Each time, Azel's body was injured.

"Guu, gahah~! You!"

"~ !?"

But Azel, not to be outdone, shot the swarm of light arrows that she had left in the air toward Nozomu.

Like a hawk that had found its prey, a rain of light arrows descended from the sky. Naturally, Nozomu and Azel were at the end of it.

Compared to Azel, who was clad in armor called dragon scale, Nozomu's body was like a jelly. Naturally, it was obvious which of them would be seriously injured.

"... Fuh~!"

Azel tried to eliminate Nozomu, even involving herself in a self-destructive attack. However, Nozomu kicked Azel's body away and leaped towards the oncoming light arrows.

Pulling out the sheath from his waist, he intercepted the approaching light arrows with his katana and sheath while spinning like a spinning top in the air.

At the same time, the Qi technique [One Billion Severance] was activated from the sword and scabbard. They created a thick wall made of chaotic Qi in front of them and intercepted the approaching light arrows one after another.

Despite the fact that he was surrendering himself to his rage, his katana technique was still clear. His movements were nothing short of extraordinary.

"Guuu!"

However, Nozomu's body was also screaming. The inexhaustible power overflowing from his body further eroded his body. Every time he swung his hands, the muscles in his arms would tear, and blood would spurt from his skin.

However, Nozomu, driven by his rage, did not stop. The hatred of both Nozomu and Tiamat, who was in sync with each other, continued to grow without limit, and it was as if they had no sense of pain.

He felt pain. But that was no reason to stop.

Azel was struck with astonishment as Nozomu reaped all the light arrows that were coming at him, even though his entire body was torn apart and bleeding.

"N-, no way ... Gah~!"

The next moment, her body was slammed vigorously to the ground. The pain and shock that ran through her entire body momentarily turned her consciousness white.

"Oooo!"

From above Azel, who was groaning, Nozomu raised his katana and lunged at her. He was about to finish Azel off with a tremendous amount of Qi and anger in the blade he raised.

Nozomu, who had leaped three times in the air, was now falling from a considerable height. If he were to hit the ground at this rate, even he would not be safe.

However, Nozomu, who was swallowed by anger, was no longer thinking about landing.

With a scorching murderous intent, he plunged toward Azel, who had fallen to the ground.

"This is the end!"

An explosion of five colored elements overflowed from Nozomu's body.

Nozomu and Tiamat. The overflowing power, in sync with the anger of both, flowed into the blade of the [Mumei] in a whirlpool, dyeing the blade in the color of hatred.

The blade attempted to reap Azel's life while emitting the light of chaos as if it was going to devour everything. However, just before the tip of the blade reached Azel, an enormous amount of light enveloped both Nozomu and Azel.

Immediately afterward, there was a shock, and Nozomu's body was softly bounced.

"Gah~ !?"

As Nozomu, who was hit by the shock, took a defensive stance and managed to regain his posture, his eyes caught sight of something strange.

There was a white crystal with a shiny ornament trapped inside it. It floated between Nozomu and Azel as if pleading for something.

"~, Don't get in my way!"

Nozomu, who was consumed by anger, raised his katana without caring and tried to slash Azel along with the crystal.

However, in the next moment, the crystal shone even brighter, and the corner of the ground that was dyed gray suddenly exploded.

"Wha~ !?"

Numerous white, shiny things fly out of the scattered soil and sand.

The paper-thin rectangular pieces flew around Nozomu and fell one after another to the ground around him.

At the same time, a glowing magic formation appeared around Nozomu. The numerous lights emanating from the magic formation clung to Nozomu's body as if to hold him down.

(Guu, gah~ ...)

"~Ugh ..."

Immediately afterward, a feeling of intense weariness overtook Nozomu's entire body. His strength drained from him as if the heat had been drained from his soul.

His strength drained from his knees and he hit the ground with his hands and collapsed. In front of him, Azel stood up slowly while letting out a breath of relief.

"Thank you, Father."

Azel reverently bowed her head to the crystal floating in the air.

(Mika-, eeel!)

Tiamat let out a vengeful voice that sounded like it resounded from the depths of hell. Her consciousness was no longer focused on Azel, but on the small crystal floating in front of her.