Ryuu Kusari no Ori

This chapter was brought to you by the collaboration between PolterGlast and Saekano Translations.

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Volume 1 Chapter 4.6

The Realization of the Escapism, and the First Step Part 6

Translator : PolterGlast

Despite feeling sorry, Shino launched her attacks on Nozomu.

I'm sorry for doing this out of the blue. I'm sorry for hurting you like this.

But this will be the last time, this is my last selfishness.

As death loomed before her due to the Sleeping Death Syndrome, her remaining concern was that her disciple, who had become a Dragonslayer, would be crushed by his own power.

In order to remove this fear, it was necessary for her disciple to release the power of his own volition once. It was necessary for her disciple to face the power of the giant dragon that he had absorbed.

However, although Shino was able to teach her apprentice the techniques, she was unable to strengthen his heart due to his own escapism.

The time she had left was short, and she could no longer help the weakened heart of her disciple to fully recover.

Cursing her own failure as a master to teach him how to train his mind, and her inability to express her feelings with anything other than the way of the sword, Shino exerted all her strength.

Even if she could not save him, she would at least try to leave a "light" to guide her beloved disciple, who was still suffering from his own doubts.

Then, the expression of her beloved disciple suddenly flashed into her eyes.

Nozomu's eyes did not have the strong will to "live" as they did when he defeated the Dragon King, but rather, they looked like the eyes of an old man who has come to accept the death that awaits him.

In the face of Nozomu's expression, Shino burst into tears.

No, not like this! I don't want you to have that look in your eyes!

I had something I wanted to tell you. I had a feeling that I wanted you to accept.

But the thoughts she sincerely wished for could not be conveyed.

"......~!"

She gritted her teeth so hard she thought they would shatter, and squeezed out a hoarse voice.

"Nozomu, I am going to die soon. It won't be long."

The disciple in front of her opened his eyes wide.

◆

Hearing those words, Nozomu's thoughts stopped.

Forgetting the pain from the wound running across his chest and the dull ache that was supposed to be echoing throughout his body, he simply stared up at the face of his master, who had spoken those unexpected words to him.

Die? Who? Why? As if to answer Nozomu's question, Shino opened her mouth.

"Sleeping Death Syndrome. It is a condition in which the Qi gradually drains out of one's body, and eventually, one runs out of Qi and dies."

Nozomu also knew about the Sleeping Death Syndrome itself. As a Qi practitioner, he had to keep it in mind.

"Perhaps it was due to the battle against Tiamat. It was the time when I suffered from this condition. Maybe one more night is my limit."

Excessive use of Qi was said to be the cause of the Sleeping Death Syndrome.

Regardless of the fact whether one is young and full of vitality or not. However, Shino has already reached old age.

If it were a matter of skill in controlling one's Qi, she would be fine. However, since the fundamental vitality of her body itself is declining, she could not control her Qi that well.

"If I had kept and maintained my Qi a little longer, perhaps I might still be able to live a little longer."

"Then why don't you do that! Perhaps if we had a little more time, we could do something- ......"

"I am- ....."

"Shisho!"

Ignoring Nozomu's desperate pleas, Shino proceeded to tell her story.

Nozomu was furious at his master's refusal to listen to him, but the next words out of her mouth completely silenced Nozomu, whose voice had been raised.

"I came here because my family betrayed me ............"

"Eh? ......"

"I was framed by my own older sister, abandoned by my parents, and spat upon by everyone around me, so I fled to this continent."

What followed was a personal story about Shino that Nozomu had never heard before.

Nozomu could not hide his shock at what she told him.

When Shino had talked about her family in the past, she had never mentioned anything so serious. She just talked happily about her family and how much she loved them.

"You and I are surprisingly similar. We were betrayed, ridiculed by those around us, and we escaped."

Shino's words fell effortlessly and naturally into Nozomu's heart.

Nozomu had been using training as a way to escape from the reality of being dumped by Lisa, and Shino had actually fled the country.

"I didn't want to see anyone anymore. I would have preferred to die. That's why I decided to hide away in a place like this."

Shino just honestly revealed her thoughts and feelings to Nozomu.

Nozomu listened silently to her honest confession.

"I have nothing left. I have spent many years in the forest, doing nothing. But then I met you. At first, I was irritated because I saw my own reflection in you, but you, unlike me, did not give up living in the end. I felt something in you that I did not have."

After a pause, Shino drew her katana and silently lowered her gaze.

"Nozomu, this is my last selfishness ...... I, who have been running away, have one last thing to convey. Because it is you, I have something I want to convey to you."

She pleaded to Nozomu with a teary expression on her face as she said so.

"Please, this is my last wish. Will you accept it?"

◆

Nozomu came to his senses upon hearing Shino's words.

With her own end in sight, she had already made her decision.

It would be possible to convince her to live.

But wouldn't that mean twisting her very will? She said she had something she wanted to convey, even if it meant shaving off the final seconds of her life.

(...... I'll admit it, I've been running away all this time. From everything that was around me at that academy.)

Running away, running away, even from the fact that he was running away.

(...... But.)

Nozomu gazed straight into his master's face head-on. She looked like a lost child, her eyes welling up with tears.

Nozomu put his hands on the chains that bound him. He believed that if he were to release his [Ability Suppression], he would be devoured by the jet-black dragon.

(If I run away from my master's wish, I will never be able to face her again. More than anything else, I don't want her to make such a face on me!)

Nozomu exerted all his strength into his arms and tore off the invisible chains that bound him with all his might.

The shattered chain rings danced in the air and faded away as a remnant of lights.

At this moment, Nozomu finally released his true self with determination.

The next moment, his consciousness darkened and he disappeared into pitch black darkness.

◆

Nozomu found himself standing by the lakeside he had seen in his dream. In front of his eyes, a huge black figure, which should have been at the bottom of the lake, was glaring at him with eyes filled with seething hatred.

Tiamat, the Dragon King of Destruction.

With a vindictive roar, Tiamat raised its foreleg in an attempt to trample the puny mortal who had imprisoned her.

Nozomu quickly jumped backward and avoided the swung-down foreleg.

He was able to avoid the shockwave that was released along with a thunderous sound by getting down on the ground, but soon after, Tiamat's tail, which was swept sideways, approached right in front of him, scraping the ground.

Unable to dodge, the huge tail struck Nozomu directly, blowing his body away like a pebble.

"Gahah!"

He was thrown into the air, and knocked down to the ground with intense pain, without being able to properly take defensive action.

The shock brought him back to his senses, but he could not feel anything, as if his entire body's sense of pain had been paralyzed.

Looking closely, he could see that the right side of his body was covered in blood, and broken bones had penetrated through his body, leaving him looking like a sea urchin.

With a single blow, Nozomu's body became utterly crippled.

With all of his senses numbed, he somehow managed to stand up, exerting his battered muscles.

In front of Nozomu, who was standing there while dragging his rag-like body, Tiamat opened its huge mouth and generated an immense flame dyed in a chaotic color.

Unlike when they met by chance in the sealed world, the giant dragon had come to kill Nozomu from the start.

"Aaaaaaaa!"

Nozomu charged toward Tiamat while shouting a loud cry.

Considering the difference in ability between the giant dragon and himself, he couldn't afford to waste more time. Above all, .......

"I'm not interested in you!"

The current Nozomu had no interest in Tiamat.

A huge breath of fire was released from Tiamat's mouth.

The right half of Nozomu's body was obliterated by the flames.

Even so, he leaped with his left foot. He plunged into Tiamat with the sound of the explosion and the shockwave resounding behind him, only to find the mouth of the giant dragon opened at the end of his leap.

Nozomu dove in and the mouth instantly closed, and fangs reminiscent of steel greatswords tore his body apart.

The lower half of his body was severed and half of his head was ripped off.

Nozomu's entire body was pierced by the fangs, and his body was reduced to a bloody mass of flesh.

However, perhaps because it was his spiritual world, even though he was injured and should have been dead, his consciousness remained intact, though it was faint and fragile.

His entire body was disfigured, and his vision was stained with the red color of blood. However, he saw a small light.

It was a small but powerful ball of light, colored black, red, blue, green, and yellow.

The moment Nozomu saw the ball of light, he had a hunch. This was Tiamat's power.

He reached out to touch the light. The lower half of his body was already gone, and his internal organs were hanging down.

His right arm was gone, and his left arm had been gouged out by fangs and shredded in half. His consciousness dimmed, his mouth flooded with blood, and all he could do was groan.

Despite all that, he still reached out to touch it. When his battered hand touches the light, the light flashed out, and Nozomu's vision turned dark once again.

◆

When the light subsided, Nozomu's consciousness returned from the black lakeside where he had confronted Tiamat to the garden of Shino's hut.

"Ugh!"

Power overflowed from his entire body. The power was so great that it began to chip away not only at Nozomu's mind but also at his body as if he were being ground with a coarse file.

As his mind and body were being chipped away, Nozomu realized that he had no time to waste. Tiamat's power was too strong to be drawn out for an extended period of time. If he prolonged it, he would be consumed by its power and die, or worse, it would tear his body apart and Tiamat would be resurrected.

Meanwhile, his master's face broke into a happy smile as she faced her disciple, who had removed his shackles.

Nozomu took a stance with his katana once more. Blood was still flowing from the wound on his chest where he had been cut, but he didn't care.

I will accept everything from her. With this determination, Nozomu faced his master once again.

"Here I come!"

"Come, you foolish disciple!"

Releasing more Qi than ever before, Shino also took a stance with his katana.

"Haaaa!"

"Zeeeii!

Nozomu and Shino once again activated their [Flash Step・Curved Movement], drawing intricate curves in the dark night, and began to make their fencing flashes gleam in the moonlight.

The sparks from their clashing blades flashed like shooting stars.

The speed of the two had reached a realm that even the best swordsmen could no longer follow with their eyes.

The scene of them striking each other in an entwining manner was the same as before. However, the dominance between them was clearly different.

Nozomu's blow numbed Shino's arm, and her slashes were intercepted and parried by Nozomu.

Although Shino had the advantage in terms of skills, Nozomu was clearly superior to Shino in terms of powers. Powers he had gained by becoming a Dragonslayer and by releasing his [Ability Suppression].

Shino was gradually getting fall behind. Then, she complained.

"Kuh, why can't you be a little gentler towards a girl, you foolish disciple!"

"What are you talking about? At least there is no weak girl in front of me that I have to be gentle with! Please think about your age and strength!"

"A girl is a girl no matter how old she is! That's why your girlfriend abandoned you, you pathetic loser!"

"Wha-, what a thing to say! I don't want to be told by a shut-in who hides deep in the forest like this! You're just as much of a pathetic loser as I am, you ignorant old hag!"

"What a brazen thing to say! How dare you speak to your master like that! Stand right there! I'll teach you a lesson!"

"Oh, that's great! I've been fed up with your tantrums! Just one little joke and you start throwing Qi-jutsu at me! Do you know how many times I've almost died!?"

"I made sure to go easy on you so you wouldn't die! Just barely enough to make it back from Sanzu River!"

"That's not the fucking point ~~! Why should I be dying just because of a joke!?'

"Who cares about such a little thing!? You made it back, that's all that matters!"

"That's not appropriate!"

They clashed blades while arguing and talking nonsense with each other. An extremely high-level exchange of techniques and extremely silly verbal warfare were going on at the same time.

"Seeeii!"

"Phew!"

Shino's expression was distorted in frustration as she repelled a powerful thrust with all of her might.

"Tch, at this rate I won't be able to purge this brat!"

"Wha! So you're really trying to kill me, you old hag!"

"Of course, Didn't I tell you so at the beginning!? May you reflect upon your sins for having wounded a maiden's heart, in hell!"

Shino compressed her Qi with both of her hands on her hips. As she thrust out her hands, the compressed Qi was released forward at once.

[Qi-jutsu・Shock Cannon]

This is a Qi-jutsu in which the compressed Qi is released in one direction and blows the opponent away.

Nozomu was blown away by the [Shock Cannon], and Shino gave a follow-up attack.

"Eat this, you enemy of maidens!"

With a hoarse tone far from that of a maiden, Shino unleashed the technique she had been preparing.

[Qi-jutsu・Phantom]

The extremely compressed Qi was released toward Nozomu, who had already prepared himself to intercept it.

"That should be my line, you fraudster! Age-fraud and violence are crimes!"

What was unleashed was the same Qi-jutsu, [Phantom]. Their techniques collided in between and canceled each other out.

It was an extreme degree of concentration that enabled Nozomu to cancel out [Phantom] with another [Phantom], just as Shino had done before.

Right at this moment, Nozomu was beginning to undergo rapid growth.

By nature, he had a good aptitude for Katana-jutsu. He had been able to master Shino's katana-jutsu in less than two years, and he had overcome the hellish training she had given him, regardless of the reason.

And then there were Tiamat and Shino. He had to fight against absolute powerhouses that no one in this world would ever fight against.

Above all, "breaking his own chains of his own volition" had stimulated his rapid growth, and his skills had evolved all at once to the same level as Shino's.

The two of them once again created an extremely compressed Qi-blade on their respective katana as they pushed through the residue of Qi that danced in the air around them.

"I'll remind you of your master's greatness!"

"Go ahead, you born criminal!"

The [Qi-jutsu・Phantom] was released again in the interval between the blades striking each other.

The extremely compressed Qi-charged returning blades collided, once again creating a spark of Qi that bloomed in the surrounding area.

Nozomu and Shino linked their next techniques in the midst of the dancing sparks.

They utilized the momentum of the returning blade to rotate their bodies. While sheathing their katana, they pointed the butt of the sheath at one another and simultaneously slammed the sheath into one another.

[Qi-jutsu・Breaking Strike]

This is an internal destruction technique in which the Qi and shockwave are simultaneously launched into the opponent's body, destroying their internal organs. If one were to take a serious hit, no matter how hard one's armor is, one's internal organs would be crushed by this extremely lethal Qi-jutsu.

*Boom!* Explosions and shockwaves reverberated in their gut, and they were separated slightly from each other.

Feeling the recoil in their hands as their techniques were being canceled out, the two turned themselves around and sent Qi into the hand that was not holding the katana.

The amount of Qi was so enormous that it could not be compared to the Qi-jutsu they had performed until now.

They slammed their fists, which had been infused with a large amount of Qi, into their respective ground. The ground between them exploded, and a pillar of light erupted.

[Qi-jutsu・Light of Destruction]

A Qi-jutsu that releases Qi that was launched into the ground under the feet of the enemy, lifting the opponent into the air and destroying them with a torrent of light generated by the Qi.

This Qi-jutsu, which has the greatest area of effect and the strongest destructive power among all the techniques they possess, collided violently and surged upward through the ground. Just like lava spewing from a volcano, the Qi-jutsu was pushed out of the ground.

"Not good enough!"

"Obviously!"

Even after they had finished unleashing their Qi-jutsu, which could be called an extreme technique, the two did not stop. Both of them rushed toward each other with their katana still in the state of being sheathed, and they engaged in close quarters combat using all of their limbs.

Using their fists, legs, elbows, and every other part of their bodies, they struck blows at their opponents as if they were dancing. Their forms were like mirror images of each other.

Soon after, strange phenomena began to appear around them as they threw their blows in a dancing manner. Particles of light began to soar, spiraling and gathering around Nozomu and Shino.

These particles of light were fragments of magical power, called magic elements, floating in the air around them.

[Ritual Body Technique・Rebirth Revolution]

There is a type of magic called ritual magic. As the name suggests, it is magic that is activated by interfering with the magic elements of the outside world through rituals.

As Caskell Matthiart said in his classes regarding magic, the origin of ritual magic is the Shinto ritual in which prayers and offerings are offered to the gods and spirits.

And in those rituals, dances were also offered as well as prayers.

The Ritual Body Technique was created by combining "dance" and "martial arts" based on this.

While attacking an opponent with a certain form of movement, it is offered up as a "dance" to establish a ritual and interfere with the surrounding magical elements. It is the deployment of ritual magic.

This [Rebirth Revolution] absorbs the surrounding magical elements and strengthens the user's body over and over again, and the more one dances, the more powerful one becomes.

What is most astonishing, more than anything else, however, is the combination of Qi-jutsu and magic, two techniques that are inherently opposing each other.

The controlling power of magic depended on the mind of the caster and his/her spells. And the spell of [Rebirth Revolution] is, in other words, the dance itself.

Originally, Nozomu lacked a sufficient aptitude for magic and would never have been able to combine Qi-jutsu and magic.

However, the synergy effect of the outstanding control of Qi through training, and the control of magical power brought about by his stable mind and perfect dance, made it possible for him to combine magic and Qi-jutsu at this very moment.

The two clashed with each other while their bodies were strengthened by multiple magical reinforcements to the point that the shockwave shook the trees around them.

The dance went on without interruption, and the light of magic elements gathered around them as if in praise of the dance. Dazzling magical power gathered around them.

However, in contrast to the dazzling magical light, Shino's vision rapidly lost its color and light.

(Ah, this is ...... seems like my end is nigh ......)

In order to compete with Nozomu, who had become significantly stronger, Shino also had to use all of her strength and accumulated skills to push past her limits.

In spite of this, she still barely managed to compete with him on even terms.

The loss of Qi beyond the limit caused the Sleeping Death Syndrome to progress at a rapid pace. The amount of Qi recovered and the amount of Qi lost reached a reversal and would be completely depleted in just a few more hours.

(Well, ...... this is fine.)

She glanced at her disciple, thinking that her time had only been somewhat hastened before her death became certain.

(He has grown strong. She has truly become stronger. There are probably only a few people on the continent who can defeat this boy with his chains undone.)

Shino was truly pleased with Nozomu's growth as if in some cases even those few people might be defeated by him.

But more than that, the fact that he was willing to face the power of the giant dragon for the sake of an old woman's last request touched her heart.

A force so powerful that it could easily crush a puny human being. Normally, one would have been consumed by its power and would have gone insane out of fear. But he managed to overcome his fear and moved forward.

(Although this will be the last time ...... Thank you. Nozomu)

She had lost everything and was empty, yet she had one last thing left to offer. Thinking of her beloved disciple, she took the final step into the last moment of her life.

◆

The dance finally came to an end. Nozomu and Shino's kicks, both strengthened to their limits, collided.

The ground around them caved in and was blown away by the shockwave.

The trees were bent and creaked

Utilizing the impact of the collision, the two rotated their bodies like a spinning top.

Nozomu caught sight of Shino, who has sheathed her katana at her waist, just as Nozomu did. Beads of sweat danced in the air, and with a face devoid of blood, she was releasing an enormous amount of Qi.

It was, without a doubt, a hint of his master's final blow.

"Shi-sho ......"

Nozomu gritted his teeth and endured the force that could have made him explode. He could not hold it any longer. His reason was being chipped away, and his body was being crushed by a force too strong for the current him to handle.

Before delivering the final blow, Nozomu's mind flashed back to the time when he first met her.

The coincidental encounter in the forest and the hellish training.

The fact that she had confronted him with a fact that he had turned a blind eye to, and inspired him to overcome it.

And then she said, "Welcome back."

Her presence was definitely a "place to return to" for Nozomu.

It is about to disappear.

This fact saddened him so much that he felt as if his heart would burst from the pain.

But there was no turning back. Therefore, Nozomu put his sorrow behind him, knowing that he could not show his pathetic appearance in front of her.

(For the last time, thank you very much. Shisho ......)

Fully releasing his Qi, he stepped forward with Qi circulating around his katana and his whole body.

At the same time, he concentrated his Qi on the leg on which he had stepped and strengthened it to the extreme. From the foot to the knee, the waist, and the shoulder, the muscles move as if they moved in a fluid motion, and were synchronized without the slightest deviation.

A technique that simply releases a blade with an extremely powerful Qi-blade at the fastest speed possible. It is a single strike that contains all of his thoughts and feelings.

[Phantom・Flash]

A momentary flash of light flashed across the moonlit garden, two Qi blades crossed. A sound similar to a gentle chime echoed through the air, and silence returned.

Nozomu and Shino stood like statues with their katanas drawn.

Nozomu's katana had only the hilt left.

The moment the two Qi blades collided, Nozomu's katana was shattered.

Shino's attack was also completely overwhelmed by Nozomu's attack, and her katana was blown away into the distance.

Immediately after, Shino's body collapsed on the spot.

"Shisho!"

Nozomu rushed over to Shino and held her in his arms. Her face, which had turned pale, was now completely white, and her body was as cold as ice.

"Nozomu, you've grown so strong, huh? It seems there's nothing I can teach you anymore......"

"Shisho ......"

With lips that could no longer do anything but tremble, Shino spoke her last words.

The fact that she was going to die here became an intense reality that pierced Nozomu's heart.

As if to etch this moment into his memory, his eyes began to become hot, and Nozomu could no longer hold back his tears.

"I am glad, you know. You accepted this old woman's last request ...... You took my feelings into consideration."

Nozomu's face contorted in sorrow and his eyes filled with tears.

Uncontrollable tears trickled down his cheeks and onto Shino's pale face.

She smiled softly at the feel of the hot tears on her cheeks.

"Nozomu, just remember this. You may run away. You may stop. But don't forget the fact that you ran away and that you are standing still. If you forget that, you will be trapped like me and not be able to really move forward."

She was probably no longer able to see. Her eyes wandered through the air, and her voice, which sounded as if it were fading, gradually became muffled and inaudible.

"Even if you run away, even if you stop, if you don't forget that, you'll be able to move forward one day, no matter how long it takes ......"

"~, Yes. Shisho."

Shino let out a relieved breath as she heard Nozomu's words.

The last bit of life she had left was fading away.

"Good, I am satisfied with this."

Shino looked up at the moon. Following her line of sight, Nozomu also raised his gaze to the sky. The sky was filled with a quiet, gentle light that seemed to be watching over them.

"Nozomu, I'm tired, so I'm going to ...... sleep for a bit ....... I'll see you again someday."

"...... Yes, Shisho. Good night."

Satisfied, she slowly closed her eyes and fell into a deep, deep sleep.

A very deep sleep from which she would never awaken.

All that remained was the sound of someone’s stifled sobbing.

◆

The next morning, Nozomu buried Shino.

He built a grave next to the hut where she had spent many years and adorned it with flowers. At his waist lay Shino's katana, which had become a memento of her.

In front of his master's grave, Nozomu pondered,

He knew that he was still standing still. About Lisa, about the school, about himself.

He might run away again. He might remain standing still.

But he has decided to end the act of turning his back on the fact that he ran away.

With his master's teachings, his memento, and the bud of a new determination in his heart, Nozomu stepped forward with his master's grave at his back.

The dark night was over, and the rising sun was illuminating his path.

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