Chapter 4 Part 21
"So, what are you going to do?"
Nozomu stood up and called out to Tom while searching for the presence beyond the bush where the demon beast had disappeared. Perhaps Shīna and Mimuru have finished joking with each other, they also came while being wary of the bushes.
"Wait a minute ... Shīna, I'd like to confirm. You tried to fight alone because you had some way to defeat it, right? "
"Th, that was..."
Shīna hesitates to say with an unpleasant expression, perhaps it was because she cared about them that she ran forward alone.
"Look, Shīna! Don't be like that!"
"Kyaa!"
Mimuru urged Shīna by slapping her back, and Shīna let out a cute voice.
"Umm ... I'm thinking of using spirit magic ..."
"I knew it..."
"... Eh? I'm sure I've never seen Shīna use spirit magic before... "
Tom seemed to know that Shīna's hidden hand was spirit magic, but the next moment, Mimuru interrupted with her voice.
"Yeah, I've never seen it too ... Shīna? Can you try to use it?"
"Umm ..."
Shīna got stuck in words. Perhaps she was worried about the failure of the previous contract, she looked down and was depressed.
However, at that time, a grain of light was stroking her cheek to comfort her.
"A~……"
As she raised her face, particles of light emitted by the spirits gathered around her. Each one drifts unreliably and is so small that it seems to disappear when blown, but the light that gradually gathers is somewhat gentle and warm.
"... Looks like you're alright"
"Everyone……"
She has said only selfish things for nearly 10 years, but Shīna's eyes are still moistened by the kindness of the spirits who happily accepted her.
"OK! Then..."
"Tom, It's coming! "
"Eh?"
"Giguaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!"
Tom, who was relieved to see Shīna and the spirits, tried to continue talking, but Nozomu's voice made him turned his gaze toward the bush, the black demon beast returned from the bush with a dreadful roar.
They could see the spirit's light shake and glow faintly. It seemed that the spirits were still frightened, but these particles of light did not leave Shīna’s side this time.
"Oops ~. Has it revived yet? I kicked it with all my might, so it's too early to revive ..."
"What are you talking about? It's no wonder if it's a demon beast of that level. Tom, should Mimuru and I earn you some time?"
Mimuru cursed the revival of the demon beast earlier than expected, but Nozomu calmly retorted to her words. Thanks to Mimuru and Tom, Nozomu was able to rest and regain his composure.
"Yup. That's true..."
"Okay, I'll leave that to you ..."
Tom agreed and confirmed. From the conversation between Tom and Shīna, Nozomu learns that their trump card is spirit magic and decides to earn some time.
Once the contract is signed with spirit magic, it will provide extraordinary abilities depending on the spiritual power of the spirit and the contractor. The problem is compatibility, but as far as Shīna's previous appearance, even though she hasn't signed an official contract, they can see that many spirits gather voluntarily, so compatibility won't be a problem. Besides, Tom seemed to have other ideas.
This method is much more reliable than Nozomu in releasing his Ability Suppression and relying on Tiamat's still unstable and dangerous power.
"Shīna, come over here"
"E, eh?"
Tom pulls Shīna's hand and goes back. Nozomu and Mimuru came forward to replace her.
"Mimuru. Your attack didn't work, so provoke it to distract it. Don't try to force yourself."
"It's okay! I have my own way this time!"
Based on yesterday's battle, Nozomu instructed Mimuru to use her agility and motor nerves to distract the opponent because Mimuru's attack did not go through the demon beast at all, but she smiled and said, "No problem!", and took out a linen bag from her pocket.
"That is……"
"Ei!"
As Nozomu stared at the bag she had taken out, she thrust her hand into the bag and smeared the red powder she had taken out on the blade of her knife. The knife depicts a magic circle that didn't exist yesterday.
Applying the red powder to the blade of her knife, she continuously sent her magical power into the blade. Then, when the magic formation carved on the blade glowed, the blade was dyed red and started to make a *woosh* sound.
"……I see"
Nozomu let out a voice as he was convinced of it. The truth is, she smeared her knife's blade with a fire-based catalyst that Tom used yesterday when he used magic against the black beast and then blew Nozomu up.
Nozomu remembered that it was a pretty strong catalyst, and in fact, it could be seen that the catalyst reacted to the magic power she sent in and the blade had a considerable amount of heat.
"Well, I can't work alone, but this will burn that demon beast's skin too! And here’s one more thing!"
After Mimuru said that, her body began to change. Brown fur began to grow on her slender limbs and her fingernails grew. Her face became sharper, turning into a sharp look like when a cat was aiming at its prey.
"I see, it's beastification ..."
*Beastification*
Another common ability for beastmen like Wildcats.
It awakens the blood of the beasts that sleep within them and transforms their bodies.
The changes in abilities due to physical transformation varied among beastmen and differed from race to race, but Wildcats were strengthened in agility and instantaneous enhancement.
Since it was difficult to fight the demon beast by force, it was necessary to find countermeasures by other means. Although beastification could reduce reasoning and thinking abilities depending on race, her choice was correct because there was no such drawback in Wildcat beastification.
"Garuaaa !!"
The demon beast rushed towards Nozomu and Mimuru. They also thrust in from the front and attacked the demon beast. In the center of the square, two people and one demon beast crossed.
"Take this!"
Mimuru, who had an excellent instantaneous enhancement, engaged with the demon beasts before Nozomu.
When she dodged the two approaching tails with her physical ability strengthened by beastification and Qi techniques, she thrust the blade that glowed red and swung it out at once. The blade with intense heat burned the black sludge-like skin.
"Gugyaau !!"
Perhaps the demon beast thought that Mimuru's attack wouldn't work, the demon beast was hit by an unexpected pain and bellowed, and its movement slowed down for a moment.
In that gap, Nozomu rushed in from the other side. The extremely compressed Qi is sent to the sheathed katana, and the katana is pulled out with a shrieking sound.
The released Qi technique *Phantom* cuts deeply through the skin of the demon beast. In addition, Nozomu overturns his katana to perform the Qi technique *One Billion Severance* in the same orbit as the previous Phantom.
"Gugi~yaaaa !!!"
The roar of the demon beast's agony, whose skin was torn and its insides were torn apart.
The black beast intensified the flames of hatred with countless bloodshot eyes and attacked the two who hurt it.
"Kuh!"
"Oops !!"
Against the jaw of the attacking demon beast, Nozomu crouched down to dodge it and dodged the claws that were about to hit him by breaking free with his Instant Move. Mimuru was attacked by two tails, but she avoided the first by jumping into the air. Another chasing tail turned around in the air, and she dodged it with the agility of a cat.
The demon beast was frustrated with anger due to the fact that it was injured and its attack didn't hit, it was completely focused on Nozomu and Mimuru, and Shīna and Tom were completely left behind.
Nozomu and Mimuru smiled at the situation and stepped towards the demon beasts to gain more time.
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"Shīna stands here and calls on the spirits."
"H, hey ..."
When the Nozomu and Mimuru started fighting with the demon beast in the center of the square. Shīna and Tom were moving to the edge of the square.
"Anyway, focus on talking to the spirits, because I'll support you."
"T, that's why ..."
Tom then started drawing something on the ground. Shīna kept raising her voice to him, which was explaining something by talking continuously. It seemed that she still had something to worry about.
"It's okay! I won't let one finger touch Shīna !"
"No! That's not it!"
Tom thought that she was worried about the demon beast and told Shīna to be relieved, but what she was really worried about seemed to be different from what Tom said, so she raised her voice.
"Why!? Why did you come!? I hurt everyone so much!? Everyone would be safe if I didn't do something unreasonable! I always pretended to be tough and told everyone one thing or another! Why are you trying to help me who can't do anything in case of an emergency!??"
"Shīna ..."
Shīna revealed her own heart on and on. The cry of a girl tied to the past reverberated.
"A! Arghh !! You fool !?"
"……Eh?"
Mimuru's voice cuts through such a chain.
"You're mumbling something trivial as usual ... I don't even know what you're talking about!"
Mimuru also revealed her thoughts, just like Shīna, who revealed her true intentions.
She didn't stop talking about her thoughts, even though the sword-like tail of the demon beast and its claws attacked her relentlessly, and even the slightest bit of carelessness could kill her instantly.
"I don't like it! You're feeling depressed!! I can't take it anymore!! It can't be helped!! It's because I'm worried about you! I can't think of any other reason! To care about the person I love!!" "
"Mimuru ..."
Mimuru loves Shīna, so she doesn't need any reason, and it's ridiculous to think about the reasons for worrying about such a person one's loves. She was always straightforward in expressing her feeling.
Mimuru's words caused more tears to accumulate in Shīna's eyes.
"I'm also. I'm feeling sad, I can't understand you."
Tom also expressed his thoughts as he overlapped with Mimuru's words.
"And also ... I want to know. Both Mimuru and I want to know about Shīna."
"About me?"
Shīna repeated Tom's words in a daze, and Tom nodded to affirm her words as well.
"Yeah. I want to know more because you are a friend and a companion."
"Mimuru, Tom ..."
"That's why! When we get home, I'll ask you to talk about various things! Because that's Shīna's punishment! I will never let you go !! "
Mimuru seemed to be busy dodging the oncoming demon beast attacks, but there was a smile on her face. It was a smile unfit for a battlefield like this, but it warmly pierced through Shīna's chest.
Gently warms her heart and melts the ice covering her heart. Just as the spring sun melts the snow that has accumulated during winter.
The melting ice gave her a new reason to fight. She wanted to answer the feelings of her friends now.
"... Tom. Please."
"Yeah. Leave it to me."
Her face, which was raised again, looked straight ahead and left a trail of tears.
=======================================
Shīna's POV
I released my magical power and use contract magic once again. My unleashed magical power spreads throughout the square again and begins to convey my feelings to the spirits.
(Everyone……)
The spirits gathered around me. I will talk to every particle of light that floats around me.
The gathered spirits make me happy when I see them, but I am still afraid of the demon beast, and I am still afraid to fight.
(... I know it's scary. Because I feel the same.)
I already knew. That the spirits and myself were frightened.
I don't blame the spirits, I speak gently instead. I thought my expression didn't look as tense as usual, and I laughed more gently than usual.
It was very fun. Talking to Mimuru and the time the three of us spending together.
However, I couldn't say that it from my own mouth. If I thought it was fun, I felt that my helplessness and regret in the past would fade away. My determination. I almost forgot to get my hometown back and defeat all my enemies.
(But I don't want to leave it like this. I don't want to experience it again. I want to protect my friends, everyone who loved me and protected me ...)
I don't want to experience it again. I don't want to feel the regret tearing through my body again.
And more importantly, I want to answer the people who love me. I want to protect the people who have protected me this time.
There are important people around me. They fought for me.
Mimuru, Tom, and the spirits of this forest.
There is also one more person who helped me.
Nozomu Bountis.
A person I hated. What is my impression of him now?
At least he is certainly too kind compared to others. I don't think anyone can put himself up there and be able to let the person who cursed him escape. At least I don't seem to be able to do it.
They are very hard-working people. At least in front of people like them, I can't show my disgraceful appearance.
For that reason too...
(So please ... everyone, lend me your strength. And it's okay if it's just for a moment. You don't have to suddenly become stronger. Let's all get a little stronger here and now.)
Leaving my past behind, the me who tried to become stronger alone, and become a little stronger than I am now with everyone
The next moment, the spirits rose around me like a tornado.
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"OK! Success!"
Looking at the rising light, Tom was convinced that the move he had made was successful.
At Shīna's feet, who was interacting with the spirits and basking in the light, there was a magic formation drawn by Tom.
In his hands was the map of the area Nozomu had given them yesterday.
The move he took was to draw a magic formation around Shīna to support Shīna's contract magic.
For spirit magic, it is necessary to first make a contract with the spirit with contract magic, and its power depends on the spirits on that place.
Therefore, he copied the formation around her based on the map of this area given by Nozomu and used it to support Shīna's contract magic.
The formation represented forests and rocks with tree branches and stones, and rivers with water in a water bottle, which was literally a kind of "altar" used for ceremonial magic.
The altar gathered spirits that could not be done with Shīna's magical power alone, and the torrent of lights was no longer surrounded her but rose and swam around in the perimeter instead.
Tom is not good at fighting. So he did everything he could.
He handed Mimuru the catalyst he had in powder form and drew an additional magic circle on her knife. He mobilized all of his knowledge and maps made by Nozomu to help Shīna's contract magic.
"This is all I can do ... everyone, please do the rest."
===================================
"Kuh!"
Mimuru and Nozomu continued to dodge the attacking demon beast that was attacking in succession. The attacks of the demon beast continued to become fiercer, perhaps because the demon beast was enraged, and the two of them became defensive.
Maybe because Mimuru was worried about Shīna's appearance, her focus was disturbed. However, the demon beast jumped in the gap and tried to eat Mimuru.
"D, dangerous!"
In the next moment, Mimuru felt a cold sweat due to the demon beast approaching in front of her, but following after Mimuru, Nozomu thrust from the side of the demon beast.
"Waa!"
Nozomu used the Qi technique *Phantom -Clad-* to give his katana a highly compressed Qi and mow the demon beast down, but the demon beast jumped back and dodged Nozomu's slash.
"You saved me... Thank you! Nozomu-kun!!"
"Careful! If I was a little late, you would have been in the afterlife !!"
"Sorry, sorry. It's okay because I'm alright now! And I'm very full of energy today!! Now I feel like I can even beat Jihad-sensei!"
"I think that's an overstatement ..."
Mimuru returned a clear expression to the complaining Nozomu. If he thought about yesterday, Mimuru might be trapped due to her mental strain. However, right now she could clearly assess the situation, instead, she was surprisingly calm.
For Nozomu, who knew how hard it would be to stay calm on a battlefield where he would die if he made a mistake, he was surprised that he found Mimuru so reliable.
(Sure, her movements are completely different compared to yesterday. Is this the true her ...)
Looking sideways at Shīna and Tom, Tom does something on the ground, while Shīna releases her magical power and makes a contract with the spirits.
Beside her, the spirits that were worried about her gathered and cheered on her while floating in the air.
The next moment, a tremendous torrent of light rose. Shīna had successfully signed a contract with the spirits.
The particles of light rolled up like a tornado. The spirits moved around in a rage, but there was no sense of intimidation or oppression like the black demon beast. Shīna played with the spirit like an innocent child.
As the light fluttered, Shīna, who gently embraced the light with her hands and combined with her beautiful appearance, was a fantastic sight to behold.
(Help and support each other ...)
Nozomu lost the person he wanted to support because he was betrayed by his best friend whom he thought he could leave his back to.
He, who was unable to step forward due to his own anxiety and fear, the appearance of Shīna and her friends, who were facing each other, stepped forward, bumped into each other, and gradually became stronger, seeming to shine brighter than anything else.
====================================
Entrusting herself to the voices of the spirits, Shīna confronts the black demon beast in front of her.
Perhaps because of what happened 10 years ago, she naturally puts a lot of strength into her hands and clenches her bow tightly, but when the particles of light stroked her cheeks as if they were saying "It's alright", she loosened her cheeks.
"Thank you. Please."
Shīna thanked the spirits that encouraged her, then she turned her gaze back to the demon beast.
The dark feelings that have been accumulated inside her heart for 10 years, the feelings that stagnated were now incredibly clear and bright.
"Gaaaaaaa !!!"
The demon beast noticed Shīna and rushed towards her. She asked the surrounding spirits, and the spirits gathered between her and the demon beasts, forming a barrier of light.
At first glance, it was a thin wall that seemed to be easily penetrated by the demon beast's gigantic body, but the demon beast that rushed in was easily held down by the barrier of light, and on the contrary, it blew the demon beast away.
"Gau! Grrrrrrrrrrrr ..."
The demon beast that was blown away immediately regained its posture and glared at the barrier of light.
Shīna's supple fingers moved through the air, and she pointed to the glaring demon beast. Then the barrier of light instantly turned into a myriad of spears and rushed towards the demon beast.
"Guooon !!"
In response to the rushing spears of light, the demon beast opened its huge mouth and launched a black sphere along with a roar.
The black sphere and the spears of light collided. Thunderous sounds, dust clouds, and magical light particles scattered all around.
As the wall of light protecting Shīna disappeared, the demon beast rushed toward her again.
However, it was blocked by something that suddenly jumped out of the ground.
"Gagyaaau !!"
What popped out were countless roots of the trees. The tree roots that were popping out caught the demon beast's attack from the front and tightened its body with tremendous force. The voice of agony escaped from the demon beast's huge mouth.
The black demon beast bit the tree root that was wrapped around its body and tore it apart with its jaws. The tree roots that bound its body were also torn apart by the struggle of the demon beasts trying to break free from the restraints.
Despite the support of the spirits in the area, the demon beast would gradually be free from its restraints.
However, Shīna was not impatient.
As she moved her finger in the air again, tree roots emerged from the ground again, wrapping around the gigantic jaws of the demon beast that was trying to release its restraints.
"Gabyiaaaa !!!"
The tree roots wrapped around the jaws of the demon beast that opened, and tightened it so that it couldn't force its huge jaws open by moving its face any further.
The demon beast desperately resisted, but the tree roots that penetrated the gap between its fangs almost completely restrained its jaws.
Shīna held her bow and nocked an arrow. She pulled the strings to the limit and set the demon beast's mouth as her aim, and then she cast a spell.
The arrow was filled with magical power and the arrow began to shine. This was the *Punishment of the Star Sea* that was released to the demon beast yesterday.
However, the *Punishment of the Star Se this time was definitely different from the previous one.
As Shīna charged the arrow with her magical power, the spirits also gathered on the arrow.
Not just arrow. The spirits also gathered in her bow and emitted auroral light as if another sun had appeared.
"Gi, ga~a~a~aaaaa !!"
Perhaps it was afraid of the auroral light, the demon beast restrained by the roots of the trees became more violent, but it was just in vain.
The black demon beast was scared for the first time. In an attempt to resist its own looming fear of death, the demon beast temporarily unleashed its power beyond limits.
The already bloated body began to grow even larger, and along with that, the roots of the trees that were restraining it were torn apart one after another. Furthermore, the demon beast swung its tail around, and the fragile tree roots were torn apart one after another.
Shīna's magic wasn't finished yet. There were still a lot of spirits to gather, and it would take time for the magic to have sufficient power.
Also, there was no point in making a half-hearted attack. As long as she didn't know the weakness of the demon beast, she needed enough strength to completely wipe out the demon beast. And considering the tenacity of the demon beast, half-hearted attacks were meaningless.
While Shīna was trying to complete her magic, the demon beast was also still trying to release its restraints. At that point, the demon beast almost broke free.
All that remained were tree roots intertwined in the demon beast's jaw, and the demon beast's tail was lifted as high as it could to release the final restraint.
If its tail was swung down, the demon beast would be completely free, and at that moment, it would immediately attack Shīna.
Spirits were still gathering on Shīna's arrows, and there wasn't enough time to complete it.
Finally, the demon beast's tail swung downwards, and as it tried to break its last restraint.
" !! "
"I won't let you!"
Nozomu and Mimuru rushed in from both sides of the demon beast. When the two crossed each other on the back of the demon beast, they slashed at their prey.
Nozomu's Qi Technique *Phantom* cut off one of the demon beast's tails from the base of the tail, and Mimuru's knife also cut off the other tail.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!"
Both of its tails were severed, and the screams of a demon beast resounded while splattering blood from its wounds. The demon beast's consciousness turned white for a moment from the pain, but the next moment, the demon beast opened its countless eyes to the sight that jumped into its eyes.
Shīna put all her magical power into the arrow and glanced at the place where the spirits were gathering.
The violent and gentle light loosened her cheeks, but the next moment her expression returned to her usual dignified expression.
The demon beast that robbed her of her hometown. Even though it was a different individual from the demon beasts that actually attacked her family. She thought she would be burned by the completely violent hatred, in fact, she was just a while ago.
However, a gentle breeze calmed her heart now.
She once again turned her gaze to her dear friends.
Mimuru, Tom, Nozomu, and the spirits. She thanks her friends for supporting her, and even though she thinks she doesn't deserve it, her heart is warm and happy.
The arrow, which was literally like the second sun, flew in a straight line towards the black demon beast. When the arrow entered its wide-open mouth, it exploded with a flash of light, erasing half of the demon beast's body.
The demon beast's body that was reduced to half made a collapsing sound.
"... Haa ~~~~"
Shīna exhaled, released her stance, and raised her face, and in her eyes were her friends running towards her and the spirits happily gathering and moving around her.
She also ran towards her friends.
"Everyone ~~ !! Thank you ~~~ !!"
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