Ryuu Kusari no Ori

Volume 3 Chapter 6.5

Once Again, The First Step Part 5

Translator : PolterGlast

Irisdina and the others managed to defend against the attacks of [Cracked Crown], but they finally reached their limits.

They were on such a tightrope walk that they could not afford to counterattack in the first place. It was almost a miracle that they were able to maintain their formation until now.

Perhaps grew tired of it, the [Cracked Crown]'s unique crown emitted an unprecedentedly dazzling flash of lightning.

Following this, similar lightning overflowed from all its body segments and converged on the tips of the arms at the ends of the upper sections of each segment.

Even the tip of its tail was lit up, and extremely thick lightning began to run across its huge body.

"Not good! Everybody get down!"

"Kyaaa!"

"Gaah!"

With a thunderous sound as if a comet had fallen in close proximity, [Extreme Lightning] running in a straight line penetrated Tima's barriers in an instant. The mere impact of the blast knocked away Irisdina and the others who were lying flat on the ground, completely robbing them of their combat ability, which had been depleted until the very last minute.

"Kuu......"

Irisdina forcibly raised herself up, whipping her sensory-deprived body, but she had no strength left in her hands to even hold her own weapon.

The [Silver Wings of the Evening Moon] she was carrying fell to the ground and made a hollow sound.

Her magic power was completely depleted. She attempted to deploy a magic spell, but her outstretched hand slumped against her will, and as a price for trying to use magic forcibly, she was hit with a strong headache.

Next to her, Shina managed to raise herself up in the same manner, but her appearance was not much different from Irisdina's. Her partner, Razward, also stood beside her, staring at the [Cracked Crown], but his appearance was continuously flickering, and it was clear that the source element in his body was on the verge of depletion.

*Gichigichigichigichi......*

Irisdina forcibly raised herself up, whipping her sensory-deprived body, but she had no strength left in her hands to even hold her own weapon.

The [Silver Wings of the Evening Moon] she was carrying fell to the ground and made a hollow sound.

Her magic power was completely depleted. She attempted to deploy a magic spell, but her outstretched hand slumped against her will, and as a price for trying to use magic forcibly, she was hit with a strong headache.

Next to her, Shina managed to raise herself up in the same manner, but her appearance was not much different from Irisdina's. Her partner, Razward, also stood beside her, staring at the [Cracked Crown], but his appearance was continuously flickering, and it was clear that the source element in his body was on the verge of depletion.

*Chk-chk-chk-chk......*

The [Cracked Crown] began to clad its gigantic physique in purple electricity once again, clicking its fangs as if to mock the helpless Irisdina.

Surely, it was trying to unleash that [Extreme Lightning] once again.

Irisdina and the others were desperately trying to support their bodies, which were about to collapse, but that was the best they could do at the moment.

And at the very moment when the lightning was about to be released, a silver shadow ran past Irisdina and the others, who were at their limits, at high speed.

"Eh?"

"W-What!?"

Immediately afterward, *Bang!*. The silver shadow charged toward the head of the [Cracked Crown] and the sound of purple lightning busting resounded. The fist-equipped black gauntlet was pulled out after it struck one of the giant centipede's eyes, which was startled by the sudden intervention.

"Just be quiet for a minute!"

*Giiii!*

A powerful blow punched through the [Cracked Crown]'s eye, and the impact caused it to involuntarily bend its huge body backward.

"Karanti, now!"

"Roger that, Leader."

In the meantime, Kevin's party members retrieved Mars and the others, who were unable to move, one after another.

"They are ......"

"Kevin Ardinal. Why are you here ......?"

Irisdina and Shina were stunned by the appearance of a young man from the Silver Wolf clan, who was not supposed to be there.

A hand was gently placed on their shoulder as they almost slumped to the ground.

"Thank you, both of you......'

"Eh......"

A calm voice in contrast to the tense battlefield.

Then, as they let out an involuntary yelp, Nozomu's back as he ran off jumped into their vision.

*Gyiiiii!*

"Kuh!?"

Kevin's blow exposed an unintentional opening, but [Cracked Crown] immediately released lightning from its entire body to repel him. The lightning was then aimed at Nozomu, who was its top priority target.

"Haa, haa, haa...... ughh!"

While forcing his aching body to move, Nozomu ran as fast as he could with his hand on the invisible chains.

At the same time, with a searing rage burning through his entire body, the reddened scene of gore and burning flames flashed through his mind once again.

Obviously, it was Tiamat's interference. Even though he was aware of it and was prepared for it, the interference of the Dragon King instantly eroded Nozomu's rationality.

A strong destructive impulse surged up, followed by the revival of the joy of releasing his power as he wished.

How good would it feel to be able to go on a rampage without thinking?

Even the feeling that he could throw away his life and everything he has ever experienced came to mind.

His mind has surrendered to the growing fear, and his hands, clutching the invisible chains, have begun to tremble.

(But......)

Once again, he looked over his shoulder at Irisdina and the others.

Even after he had pointed his blade at them and almost killed them, they never abandoned him, and on the contrary, they sacrificed themselves to save him.

With the mere sight of them in his vision, the trembling in his hands disappeared. All that was left was to step forward.

It was just like the last time he fought with his master. To face those who are precious to him once again.

(Now, let's start over again......!)

With his friends' figures burned into his eyes once again, Nozomu tore off the invisible chains, releasing his ability suppression.

"Guuhh!"

Pain so intense that his entire body felt like it was going to be torn apart, as it erupted forth a torrent of Qi.

For the third time, blood began to flow from the wound that had just been healed.

At the same time, he sensed a mighty presence closing in on him, and the forest that stretched out before him vanished.

In its wake, a scorching world spread out before him.

The nightmarish landscape reappeared.

But Nozomu was no longer misled and stared into the darkening sky, where sparks of fire danced in the air.

[What an annoying bastard......]

"I won't be fooled by your illusions anymore. At least for this moment, I will make you behave!"

Tiamat's voice resounded from the void. Nozomu clenched his sweaty palms and yelled at the giant dragon.

Tiamat's pressure increased in response to the puny human's declaration of war. At the same time, the entire world began to creak. Nozomu's spine froze as if pierced by an ice spear, and cold sweats broke out in a single gush.

As his survival instincts warned him of the greatest danger, he felt a sharp pain in his head. Tiamat's interference had begun.

"Ugh!"

[This time, I will surely break your mind ......]

"Guu, aaaaa!"

Nozomu's screams echoed through the scorching world, and various forms of death swirled in his mind. It was the scene where everything was being done by his own hand.

The image of Nozomu decapitating Irisdina.

The image of Nozomu impaling Shina with his own hands.

The image of Nozomu crushing Mars' skull.

The image of Nozomu turning Anri's body into bloody dust.

And the image of Nozomu strangling Lisa.

The carnage that felt so real that it could even be sensed by his senses penetrated his mind over and over again, churning his mind into a jumbled mess.

"~! Aaghh! Guuuu!"

Nozomu kept screaming in agony at the sensation of having his mind crushed. He desperately resisted, but his mind was gradually being scraped away, becoming smaller and smaller and diffusing into the void.

(E-everyone......)

His diffusing mind naturally sought them out.

A place where he could return to, revived at the moment of impending death.

At that moment, Nozomu heard a sound in the darkness, like drops of water trickling down to the water's surface.

The sound spread like a repeated echo in the cave, and at the same time, Nozomu's consciousness, which had almost completely diffused, rapidly returned.

"~, That's enough! You bastard!"

[Wha~!]

Nozomu shouted loudly and slammed his own head into the ground to drive out the illusion that lingered in his head.

Behind his eyes, there was a flash of light and a dull ache, but at the same time, the interference that had invaded Nozomu's head was disrupted.

[I-Impossible! How can you shake off my interference in such a way!?]

Tiamat let out an upset voice for the first time.

While the giant dragon was shocked, Nozomu stared at the scorching world spreading out before him, stained with hatred.

A fake world that she had constructed in order to deceive Nozomu.

In that case, it is necessary for him to destroy this fake world in order to break free from her interference.

(I should already have what I need to do that......)

Then he raised his right hand, exhaled loudly, and with determination, pierced his own chest all at once.

"Ggghhhh!"

While spitting a mouthful of blood, Nozomu closed his eyes and kept searching his insides.

(More, deeper......)

With his vision shrouded in darkness, he felt as if he were falling into a bottomless ravine, but he kept falling deeper and deeper into an infinite abyss.

When he had fallen so far that he did not even know how deep he had come, a small ball of glowing light appeared in Nozomu's mind.

A ball of light that shone with a mixture of five different colors, as if it represented chaos. No doubt, it was the power of Tiamat that Nozomu had absorbed.

"Guu......"

Slowly, he pulled it out from his chest. In his hand, he clutched a brightly shining ball of light.

[That's ...... damn you!]

Nozomu squeezed the ball of light with his raised right hand.

The five-colored light overflowed from his hand and entwined into his arm, causing it to clench and tighten around his arm.

"Uoooo!"

With a loud cry, he slammed his raised right hand to the ground.

[Qi-jutsu・Light of Annihilation]

The light of chaos, the power that was taken from Tiamat, erupted from the ground. The fake world created by the Dragon King was returned to nothing, obliterating everything it touched.

The sky was filled with fire flakes and cracks, crumbling like an egg being peeled off its shell, but Nozomu simply ran forward with all his might, looking straight ahead and leaping across the cracks in the fake world.

Then, he found himself back in the real world.

In front of his eyes, [Cracked Crown] was about to unleash its [Extreme Lightning] just at this very moment.

"Fuu ......."

With a short exhale, Nozomu pulled half his body back and poised the katana so that the tip of the blade was pointed at his opponent, and then infused it with the power of Tiamat.

The power of chaos was infused into the blade, which the pattern had previously changed into that of chains. His katana, which until a moment ago did not seem to be able to respond to the will of its wielder, easily absorbed the essence of the Dragon of Destruction into its blade.

The blade glowed a brilliant five-colored light, symbolizing Nozomu's determination as he stood upright with his newfound resolve.

*Gishaaa!*

The [Cracked Crown]'s [Extreme Lightning] was unleashed.

Lightnin bolts several times as thick as Nozomu's height pierced through the air as they came at him.

"~!"

Along with a rippling fighting spirit, Nozomu drew a slashing trajectory with his katana.

The five-colored elements traced the trajectory of the slash, drawing a circular path, and a huge film of light appeared.

Immediately afterwards, the [Cracked Crown]'s extreme lightning struck the light film. The film of light bent like a sail caught in the wind and absorbed the torrent of lightning.

[Fan-Sailed Lotus]. One of the defensive techniques of the Mikagura Style. It is a technique that flexibly catches and deflects an opponent's magic with the film of Qi that is generated from the slash trajectory.

Originally, it was used as an auxiliary technique combined with evasion. However, the scale and strength of the [Fan-Sailed Lotus], which Nozomu created by directly utilizing Tiamat's power, was so great that it completely protected Irisdina and the others behind him.

"Oooooo!"

Nozomu then raised his right hand and slammed his clenched fist into the extreme lightning through the film of Qi.

The film, which was bent after caching the lightning, rebounded in the opposite direction, firing the lightning back at the [Cracked Crown].

The [Cracked Crown], perhaps not expecting its own magic to be reflected, was unable to avoid the direct blow from its own magic.

*Gii, iiiii!*

An earsplitting scream. The thunderbolt that bounced back gouged out its sturdy carapace, and the giant centipede writhed in intense pain.

"Phew......."

While [Cracked Crown] was thrashing around, Nozomu sheathed the katana he had drawn and took a deep breath. He quietly closed his eyes.

His body was still leaking an enormous amount of power, but strangely enough, the intimidation in his appearance had subsided.

*Gigigigigi!*

The [Cracked Crown]'s eyes, which were in agony, caught sight of Nozomu once again.

The giant centipede, with its eyes tinged with flames of anger, began to charge toward its sworn enemy.

With an agility unbecoming of its huge body, it closed the distance while raising its sickle-like arms and approaching as if to swoop down on Nozomu from above.

Despite this, Nozomu kept his eyes closed and did not move an inch.

"Nozomu!"

"~!"

Nozomu's eyes widen along with Irisdina's scream.

The power of Tiamat, which had erupted from his body and was drifting around him, instantly converged on the katana he was poised at the ready.

In the next instant, an extremely powerful sword Qi, which was released from Nozomu's body, struck the [Cracked Crown].

It was a dense wave like an approaching black wall. The physical pressure generated by the sword Qi overwhelmed not only the [Cracked Crown], but also the one controlling it, causing his body to become temporarily rigid.

An extreme concentration was exerted. In a world where everything seemed to be in slow motion, Nozomu stepped his right foot forward, letting the power he had drawn out flow through his entire body.

The ground crumbled and the soil danced up as he lowered his hips, fully interlocking all the muscles in his body and repeatedly strengthening them to the extreme.

*Snap, snap-snap*....... The sound of his muscles tearing could be heard deep in his ears.

His body was too fragile to use Tiamat's source elements as they were.

The body that had just been patched up by healing magic easily reached its limits, and his vision was getting blurry due to blood loss.

Even so, there was no delay in Nozomu's movements. Even though his senses were gone, his body, imprinted with techniques to the core, moved to the best of its ability to deliver the ultimate move he had inherited from his master.

[Phantom・Flash]

His katana was drawn, and accompanied by a flash of five-colored brilliance, the ultimate move of a master swordsman sliced through the [Cracked Crown]'s tough carapace and obliterated its flesh.

Furthermore, the blow, which was imbued with the Dragon of Destruction's power, turned its fangs on the spirit that had been controlling the centipede.

*Giiiiii!*

[Gyaaaa!]

A girl's high-pitched scream overlapped with the [Cracked Crown]'s scream.

The power of [Cracked Crown], whose belly had been ripped open, was drained from its entire body, and with a *thud!* sound, its body limped down to the ground.

Nozomu, who had pushed himself to the limit, also fell to his knees powerlessly.

"Nozomu......!"

"Nozomu-kun!"

Irisdina and Shina rushed over to support his body, which was about to collapse.

"Thank, you ....... I'm ....... alright now."

Nozomu smiled, trying not to worry them, but he fainted like a puppet whose strings had been severed. At the same time, his ability suppression was activated. The power that had sustained his body up to now disappeared, and the amount of blood flowing out of his body increased at once.

"What do you mean by alright!? Your condition is severe!"

"Norn-sensei, hurry up!"

"Oh my goodness, you really are a student who makes doctors cry!"

In response to Shina's call, Norn rushed over to Nozomu and began healing him again.

However, at that moment, a heavy, resentful voice was heard echoing within their ears.

[You're supposed to be a mere toy.......!]

Irisdina and the others involuntarily turned their gazes toward the [Cracked Crown].

Upon closer look, something seemed to melt out of the body of the giant centipede.

It was a tiny girl with transparent wings reminiscent of an insect. However, to call her a girl, her appearance was somewhat unusual.

Her lovely face was covered with countless cracks. Eventually, the skin on her face peeled off like old coatings, revealing a strange appearance underneath.

"That's ......."

A pair of compound eyes resembling that of an insect and a proboscis resembling that of a butterfly. It was not a human girl, but a hybrid of several insects.

"An insect spirit, huh? Perhaps it had attached itself to this giant centipede and was controlling its mind. We'll need to do a little ...... questioning."

Shina's sharp gaze fell on the insect spirit.

But before she could question her, the spirit disappeared as if dissolving into the darkness of the night.

As soon as the insect spirit disappeared, the giant centipede woke up and raised its wounded body.

*Gigigi, gi.......*

"Oioi, come on, spare me any more of this ......"

Mars let out a sigh for what seemed like the umpteenth time today. Tension once again assailed Irisdina and the others.

However, the severely wounded [Cracked Crown] merely glanced down at them, did nothing, then turned around and disappeared into the night forest.

"Perhaps, that demonic beast was possessed and controlled by the insect spirit while it was sleeping. Its priority was to survive rather than to fight us......"

Indeed, it should be nearly impossible for them to encounter that monster again. Everyone was relieved to hear Shina's words.

"Honestly, there are still many unanswered questions......"

Irisdina, while holding Nozomu's collapsed body, gently stroked his cheek.

"Welcome back, Nozomu. When you wake up, please tell me your stories."

A tingling sensation stung the inside of her nose. She surrendered herself to relief, overcome by the heat rising up from the depths of her chest.

With a smile filled with affection on her face.

End of Chapter 6

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