Ryuu Kusari no Ori

Volume 4 Chapter 4.2

With the Strength of Our Bonds Part 2

Translator : PolterGlast

Everyone was speechless as the two clashed in the center of the arena.

"What the heck is this......."

The voice that someone unintentionally let out melted into the surrounding air.

But that was also what everyone present was thinking.

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

Camilla was stunned and speechless, and Ken was staring at the battle unfolding in front of him as if he were looking at something impossible.

Ken was aware of the tremendous power that Nozomu held within him. The power of something who seemed to be a spirit, with an immense amount of power, and an intense murderous intent. However, even though Nozomu was not using any of that power, he was still able to go toe-to-toe with that hero.

(F*ck, f*ck! No way! This can't be happening!)

This fact devastated Ken even more.

He thought it was because Nozomu was gifted with special powers. But contrary to that thought, he was being shown swordsmanship that could rival that of Jihad. It was as if to tell him that Nozomu was worthy of that immense power.

Ken involuntarily glanced at Lisa, who was standing next to him.

Her eyes were wide open as she stared intently at Nozomu, who was crossing blades in the center of the arena.

The light of a clear will is beginning to return to her eyes.

"Nozomu ......"

Furthermore, Nozomu's name leaked out of Lisa's mouth.

A reaction that should not have been possible with her state of being assimilated with Mefi. Ken's face involuntarily twitched.

(Mefi, what is the meaning of this!?)

(I-I don't understand either! Suddenly, her consciousness awakens ...... this!)

Ken hurriedly called out to Mefi through his thoughts, but it turned out that this situation was unexpected even for his partner, the lesser spirit. While they were both agitated, Lisa's condition became even more unstable.

"But, Nozomu was, he threw away our promise ...... ugh!?"

Perhaps her memory had become jumbled, Lisa put her hand on her chest and grimaced as if she were enduring a headache.

The pain and discomfort felt like an insect crawling in the depths of her chest. Her heart beat wildly, and her mind repeatedly replayed scenes from the past.

The time Nozomu made a promise to her. The first moment she became conscious of him as a person of the opposite sex. When she was betrayed and devastated.

He betrayed me ...... but, why is he still at this school?

I want him out of my sight ...... but, why can't I take my eyes off of him?

My feelings for him should be nothing but anger...... but, why does it make my heart ache so much?

"Go for it, Nozomu! Your skills are on a par!"

"Oi, come on ...... argh, why don't you go a step further!"

"Mars-kun, please calm down......."

From afar, the voices of Irisdina and the others could be heard cheering for Nozomu.

Why are they cheering for such a guy ...... but, why can't I voice my feelings the same way they do? Lisa's conflicting thoughts and feelings continue to confuse her.

The disorder in her mind was beginning to show in her body. Her eyes were unfocused and her body was swaying unsteadily.

(Damn it......!)

Ken held and supported Lisa's shoulders and at the same time poured his own magical power into Mefi, who was assimilating inside her.

However, Lisa's agitation persisted. As her body trembled, she did not even look at Ken, who was supporting her. This helplessly damaged Ken's self-esteem.

Just hurry up and be defeated already!

Ken kept glaring at Nozomu with a thick, murderous intent in his eyes.

†

Exchanges of unimaginable physical strength and superior techniques. The two kept crossing blades, drawing the attention of everyone around them. However, the scales were gradually tipping in favor of Jihad.

"You certainly have extraordinary skills. But...... it's only a matter of time."

Nozomu's face contorted in response to Jihad's words.

Even though they were striking each other evenly, neither of them was able to break through the other's defense.

However, Jihad's shield defense was far too robust. On the other hand, Nozomu's continuous fighting capability due to his ability suppression is remarkably low.

This equilibrium would not last long, and it was clear which side would collapse first.

"But you have shown me enough. There is no doubt about your ability. There are very few people in this school who could compete with me to this extent, and the ones who could land a blow on me, were nonexistent."

His voice was low and calm. But in that tone of voice, there was pure praise for Nozomu.

Nozomu felt a surge of joy when she heard this compliment.

But, the reason he had remained at the school was not because he wanted to be praised. Nor did he want anyone to appreciate him. He was just simply running away.

The very reason he was able to withstand Shino's reckless training was, at its core, an escapism. It was not a reason to be praised. But the honest praise from someone who is called a hero and respected by many struck Nozomu's heart.

"Not yet......"

A sense of fulfillment filled Nozomu's heart. But he shook his head. He has not yet given it his all. As if to say so, Nozomu swung his katana with all his might and intercepted the approaching greatsword. He stepped forward at once.

"Hmm!?"

The moment the greatsword collided with Nozomu's katana, the pressure on Jihad's arm suddenly disappeared.

"This technique again, huh......!"

[Mikagura-style・Rolling Talon]

However, Jihad, who had already seen the technique once, lowered his own waist before Nozomu could get under him, pressed forward, and launched an upward kick.

Nozomu's momentum was stopped before he could slip under Jihad's armpits, and he was almost pushed back at once in the opposite direction.

"Fuu......."

Nozomu, however, was no pushover. Instead of forcibly resisting the intense pressure on his entire body, he spun his body halfway around while keeping his left foot in front of him. He then circled around to Jihad's rear by letting Jihad's kicking momentum flow through his body.

Then, with their back facing each other, Nozomu picked up the scabbard strapped on his sword belt with his left hand and pointed the butt of the scabbard at Jihad's back. The katana, which had been held in his right hand, spun and pointed toward the scabbard

"Mu!?"

Nozomu's strange behavior sounded an alarm in Jihad's intuition. Based on his years of experience, the war hero turned around and slid the tower shield between himself and Nozomu.

In the center of the shield, the butt of Nozomu's scabbard slammed into the center of the shield simultaneously as he sheathed his katana.

Immediately afterward, Jihad's arm felt a numbing shock.

"Ugh!?"

[Qi-jutsu・Breaking Strike]

A penetrating jutsu that destroys the opponent's internal organs with blows generated by the Qi stored in the scabbard.

The shock of the inserted blade combined with the explosion of Qi caused Jihad to almost drop his shield.

This is a technique that normally destroys the opponent's internal organs along with their defense. However, against Jihad, it could only slow him down a little.

However, it was enough for Nozomu. Using [Breaking Strike]'s momentum, Nozomu rotated his body like a spinning top while keeping the katana in its sheath. He then poured his Qi back into the blade he had sheathed, sharpening it to the extreme.

Jihad, on the other hand, forced his numb arms to move, readjusted his shield, and infused an enormous amount of Qi into it.

The dense Qi enveloped the tower shield and exerted pressure on Nozomu as if a huge wall had been erected. The way he stood with both feet planted firmly on the ground and his shield poised, it was as if he was saying, "Come at me!", and eloquently expressing his determination.

"Fuuu~!"

Snipped the koiguchi, and slash. The katana was unsheathed and a silent blade bared its fangs at Jihad's shield.

[Qi-jutsu・Phantom]

Nozomu's most reliable Qi-jutsu. The extremely compressed Qi-blade sliced through Jihad's dense Qi like paper, leaving a single scar on the tower shield.

"Wha!?"

A shocked voice escaped from Jihad's mouth. The tower shield was supposed to have enough Qi in it to protect against even advanced-tier magic. But despite this, the shield was easily damaged.

"Seeei!"

While Jihad was surprised, Nozomu threw a returning strike. The reverse strike once again carved a scar on the shield.

"Kuh......!"

As the tower shield screamed accompanied by dancing sparks, Jihad raised the greatsword in his right hand. If this continued, the shield would be destroyed. Then the only thing to do is to render the opponent incapable of combat before the shield is destroyed.

Fortunately, the advantage of using a shield and a sword is that the attack and defense can be switched instantly. Nozomu, now mounted on a clear offensive intent, would not be able to immediately parry as he had done earlier.

Jihad decided to outdo his opponent's next attack and slam his greatsword the moment the katana was being swung out. Jihad also determined to make a fatal blow, and readied himself for Nozomu's third attack.

However, at the next moment, Jihad's attention was dyed white by the swelling sword Qi beyond the shield.

"W-What the heck!?"

Jihad's eyes, peeking out from behind the shield, caught sight of Nozomu, who was pointing the tip of his katana at him and holding it up as if he were drawing a crossbow. His sharp eyes caught Jihad, who was hiding behind the tower shield, and the blade he was holding up had extremely compressed Qi which was incomparable to anything Jihad had ever seen before.

A chill ran down Jihad's back. It is a defensive instinct that creatures feel when they are in danger. It is a feeling that death is close at hand, a feeling that has not existed since he came to this academy, but that he had felt as a matter of daily routine twenty years ago.

Immediately afterward, the sharpened blade was released. Like a flash of lightning, the thrust approached the tower shield in a straight line.

Jihad quickly threw the shield toward Nozomu and raised his greatsword as if to interrupt the trajectory of Nozomu's blade as it was being thrown at him. The tip of [Mumei] locked on the center of the cross-shaped scar on the shield, and at the same time, the Qi-blade, sharpened to the utmost limit, was released.

[Qi-jutsu・Core Piercing]

The released Qi-blade pierced the shield in an instant, and at the same time, it exploded into countless blades.

The bursting Qi-blades struck straight at Jihad, piercing a large hole in the shield floating in mid-air and scattering countless metallic fragments.

†

Everyone was speechless at the indescribable scene before them.

At the feet of the two men standing in the center of the arena, countless shattered pieces of metal were scattered about.

Fragments of the tower shield that was destroyed by Nozomu's [Qi-jutsu・Core Piercing].

Since Nozomu has a small amount of Qi, everyone thought that this technique of his was probably a technique that efficiently dealt damage with a small amount of Qi, but even so, this technique proved to be tremendously lethal.

"He really did it ....... Irisdina, have you seen that technique?"

"No, I haven't. But that stance looks familiar. What about you, Shina?"

"I saw it when we fought the Abyss Grief. It shot through the body of that jet-black monster in an instant and ripped it apart."

[Even from my point of view as a spirit, it was a very powerful attack.]

Irisdina replied to Mars' unintentionally leaked words, and she broke out in a cold sweat at Shina's explanation.

Even in a suppressed state, Jihad's tower shield could be pierced. If he had unleashed that technique in a released state, not even a piece of flesh might have remained.

"If Nozomu were to shoot that technique at the time he was misled by Tiamat, we would have ......"

"It's a little late to say this, but we were in serious danger......."

While Mars and Tima blurted out their trembling voices, the rest of the friends were also remembering what happened back then, and breaking out in a cold sweat.

"......Amazing."

In the midst of all this, Camilla was also taken aback by Nozomu's figure in the arena.

In her mind, she recalled Nozomu who was waiting in front of the girls' dormitory this morning.

He apologized, something he should not have had to do, and had a calm expression on his face even in the face of those who had humiliated him.

Although she was startled by his words, she was immediately alerted that it was an act to deceive her.

Because she believed he must have resented her, hated her.

But the sight of him wielding his katana quickly swept away her suspicions.

The cold stagnation faded away, and was replaced by a certain heat that began to rise up.

(If it's him, he might be able to ...... help Lisa now.)

But, what would happen to her as a result? She knew right away what would happen to her. She would be denounced, and in the worst-case scenario, sent back to her homeland. Back to the abominable homeland that filled her with so much fear.

But strangely, her body did not tremble. On the contrary, with each passing moment, the flame in her chest grew bigger and bigger.

A figure overcoming the past and looking forward. A small fire was lit in the chest of a girl who had been consumed by the darkness of despair.

†

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