Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no 'Kokoro'-

[LN] Volume 3: Chapter 4.2

Volume 3 Chapter 4.2

Ripples of Impending Danger Part 2

Translator : PolterGlast

Mars, along with Tommy and Cami, were making their way through the forest to complete the tasks.

The task they chose was to collect Regina Flowers.

The nectar and receptacle of these flowers, which bloom in the spring season, are one of the ingredients that can significantly increase a potion's effectiveness.

By choosing something as easy to carry as a flower for the task, Mars was able to see how thorough Nozomu was in choosing by taking their mobility into consideration. However, the two others behind him were different.

"...... Hey, are you sure he can handle it?"

"Nah, I don't really sure either, but we don't have a choice. Jin said this is the only way......."

"Oi, if you're not satisfied, you can just leave. Just so you know, we don't need your cooperation."

Mars shut down their blurted-out concerns. He glared at them sharply, to which Tommy and Cami looked away awkwardly. This attitude irritated Mars even more.

"In the first place, it was you guys who came to us and asked us to team up anyway. Can't your leader even unify his own people?"

The two who had their leader made fun of, now glared back at him.

Cami, perhaps feeling really pissed off, looked as if she was about to pull out the dagger from her waist at any moment.

"Ho~u. I thought you guys would be intimidated, but I guess you still have a little pride left in you......"

"I hope you don't make fun of us too much. Although we're not as good as you, we still have pride having remained in this academy up to now ......"

"That's right! What about you then? You seem to have a lot of faith in that guy, but can he really show us something worthwhile? Don't tell me, when we come back we would find that the entire team had been wiped out."

Mars smiled at the two who were lashing out at him and determined not to be outdone.

It would be meaningless if they did not do so after all. He is not interested in anyone who just keeps looking down even after being ridiculed like before.

"What are you talking about, you saw his fight before, aren't you? We're serious about winning. You two should be the ones to show us what you're made of."

"Bring it on. Peel your eyeballs out and take a good look!"

Cami declared firmly, and Tommy nodded with strong eyes as if agreeing with her. Satisfied with their behavior, Mars snorted and moved on.

(Come to think of it, I also thought that Nozomu was a guy with a lack of driving spirit until just recently......)

The first person that he could truly call a friend ...... popped into his mind.

I wonder if that's why. At the same time, a question that he has been thinking about a lot lately comes to his mind.

(......What is that guy hiding?)

He has always been aware that Nozomu was hiding something, but his behavior today was particularly strange.

When it comes to fighting, he is a man of extraordinary concentration and combat skills, but today his performance is lacking spirit.

He even failed to slice through a mere eighth-class magic bullet earlier.

(What the hell is that guy up to!?......)

Remembering Nozomu's behavior, Mars felt irritated. He is strong, he has the power, so he should just stay that way. After pondering to that point, Mars shook his head.

(Forget about him. Right now, I need to learn to master that technique......)

Magic-Qi Combination Technique. A technique he discovered as he spent more and more time studying magic. A power that Mars saw in Nozomu, who had overwhelmed Rugato, and realized the possibility of reaching his realm.

However, the road to attaining this power is long and has yet to see even a glimmer of light.

(Damn it......)

Nozomu who lacks fighting spirit and himself who keeps stumbling. With impatience welling up inside him, he unknowingly clenches his fists.

"Mars, we're almost there."

In response to Tommy's words, Mars regains his composure and proceeds onward.

Ahead of him, the dimly lit forest had opened up, and the sun was shining through the trees. In a slightly open area, there was a large fallen tree.

Nearby, several white-petaled flowers were blooming. And then, there was another party.

There were four of them. They must have come to pick flowers to accomplish their task, just like Mars and the others.

"......We found it. And looks like we got a bonus."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going after them."

While hiding in the bushes, Mars reaches for the greatsword on his back.

Dissatisfaction toward Nozomu, frustration toward himself. He puts all of this into his chest and focuses only on swinging his sword.

To survive this exercise and become stronger. That is all he needs to think about.

◆

By the time Mars and his team found the Regina flower, Nozomu had finished building some simple traps around the base.

The traps were nothing special. They were childish things, such as using tied grass to snare the legs, or using a bent tree to knock the opponents down.

But that is fine.

The purpose is not to render the opponents incapable of fighting. The purpose is to stop them and disrupt their concentration.

(Don't stop thinking. Look up. Look around you and look at yourself. Isn't that right, Shishō?)

While looking at his katana, which was no longer able to channel Qi, Nozomu remembered the words that Shino had told him.

If you can no longer use the Qi-blade, then you have to use something else to survive. He had also learned those skills from Shino.

However, the more he tried to refresh his mind, the more the sense of loss stirred deep in his chest, preventing him from thinking.

Why did I still remain at the academy in the first place?

Even though he already knew the answer to that question, he couldn't help but wonder.

In the end, Lisa is nothing but a worthless woman .......

(Are you sure?)

In his mind, the bewildered appearance of Lisa yesterday came back to his mind.

Why do I have to suffer so much in the first place?

Don't think about it. I should just throw it away. The reason why I came to this school and all.

Because those things are gone now ......

(You know that's not true, don't you?)

*Round and round* .......

It's painful to think about. I want to give up thinking. But if I do, I will return to the escapism spiral once again. Back to those days when I ran away for no reason and even turned away from what I ran away from.

That is the only thing that ...... I can never do.

"By the way, how are you so adept at this, Nozomu-kun?"

Jin's sudden question interrupted Nozomu's train of thought.

"A~a. I used to go into Spasim Forest by myself sometimes."

"Huh? But with your rank, I don't think you'll be able to accept any requests to go into the forest......"

This time Hamria is the one asking. Her tone of voice was tinged with hesitation, perhaps concerned that she had been ignoring him all this time.

"Yeah, that's why I went in there without permission. Recently my rank has gone up, so I guess I can accept it in one way or another now......"

Upon hearing Nozomu's words, Jin and the others all look surprised.

From their point of view, they would not have expected that Nozomu, whose grades were at the bottom of the class, would have entered Spasim Forest all by himself.

But for Nozomu, who had experienced a seemingly endless marathon through the danger zone at the behest of an unreasonable master, going into the forest was not so much of a challenge.

"You're amazing after all......."

Jin, who had heard Nozomu’s words, let out a voice of admiration. There was no hint of attempts to curry favor or read the air in his voice, but rather a genuine sense of respect.

"You don't think it's a lie?"

"A while ago, I might have thought so. But after watching you and Mars go head to head in the recent practical classes, I'm convinced it's true."

After saying so, Jin paused for a second and then looked a little frustrated.

"......There is no time left for us. Maybe that's why. We wanted to know about your strength."

"Strength?"

"Yeah. We came to this Solminati Academy for a variety of reasons. Our families had high expectations for us, but ...... things didn't turn out so well."

A genius or prodigy in their hometown, but at Solminati Academy they are at the bottom of the barrel. Such stories are often heard at this school.

"There are times when I feel ashamed of my weakness. But I still don't want to betray my hometown's expectations."

Even if he doesn't know everything about their situation, he can guess to some extent.

But there is no need to ask, Nozomu thought.

At least he knew, Jin and the others bowed their heads for the things they couldn't give up on.

It is not an easy thing to do, given the fact that many people turn a blind eye to their own mistakes.

"In this forest, the territory of the demonic beasts is constantly changing. This is especially true deep in the eastern part of the forest, where we sometimes encounter demonic beasts we didn't expect."

"Eh?"

"I myself lack endurance in battle. That's why it's important to cut down on every possible waste in my movements. Not only the way I swing my sword, but also the way I walk and run."

"Nozomu-kun......"

"As for katana-jutsu...... I honestly don't know how to explain it. But there is no point in simple repetition. You have to be strongly aware of what kind of situation you are dealing with with each and every swing. Never stop thinking, no matter what the situation. At least, that's what my master taught me."

"Master? You have a master?"

"Until recently, I did."

That may be the reason. Nozomu also feels compelled to talk about himself. He feels that he can be of help, even if only a little. Perhaps it is also because of Jin's personality.

"But she left me this katana and her techniques. She also left me with something else that is important."

"Something important?"

"...... I don't think it's something I need to bother telling you guys, because you've already accomplished it."

What do you mean?

Nozomu smiled quietly at Jin, who tilted his head.

Hamuria and Deck behind him were also blinking their eyes.

"The atmosphere has become strange. If everything is going well, Mars and the others should be back by now, so it's about time we-......!"

A chilly wind blew down his spine.

Although it is an occasional breeze in the spring forest, Nozomu's sensitive senses felt a sense of discomfort in the air.

"Nozomu-kun?"

Nozomu slowly stood up and looked at the bushes on the right side. Then, with a rustling sound, a woman emerged.

"Ah, it's Nozomu-kun~~! Yahho~~!"

Brown wavy hair and a prolonged voice. It was someone Nozomu and the others knew well.

Anri Var. She is the homeroom teacher of the tenth class and a teacher of Nozomu and his classmates.

While waving her hand innocently, she approached Nozomu and his friends step by step.

However, she was wearing the same pendant on her chest as Nozomu and the others.

That means she is the person who plays the role of a powerful demonic beast in this Special Comprehensive Exercise.

"Anri-sensei. Are you-?"

"Yes~. I'm sure you've noticed that I'm one of the special targets of this Special Comprehensive Exercise~~."

Anri was smiling, but Nozomu could not stop the cold sweat from running down his spine. He sensed the fighting spirit hidden behind her smile.

Perhaps it was the same for Jin and the others, too, as their breathing became shallow from nervousness and drifted into Nozomu's ears.

(Nozomu-kun ......)

(Don't move. If you move poorly, you'll be defeated......)

Nozomu took a step forward while whispering to Jin and the others to be on the alert.

"Anri-sensei, did you come here knowing we were here?"

"Nn~~, you're wrong~~. My job is to wander around in various places~~. Of course, I do my job properly even when I stroll around~~."

After saying so, she pulled out from her pocket the pendants of the students she had defeated so far. There were more than 20 of them.

Nozomu couldn't help but swallow his saliva at the fact that she had defeated more than 20 students by herself.

"...... Does that mean you are also going to target us?"

"..... Un, that's going to happen. But I'll try to make it as painless as possible ...... Sorry~~."

The moment Nozomu heard those words, he moved.

"Jin, Deck, Hamuria, run!"

Nozomu took out a smoke ball and the [Twin Stone of Misfortune] from his pouch and slammed them on the ground.

The smoke that spread instantly hid Nozomu and the others, and at the same time, the [Twin Stone of Misfortune] shattered with a light sound.

They then turned on their heels and immediately began their escape.

Anri had approached them with hardly any warning signs. In other words, all the warning systems and traps they had set up were totally useless against her. Having allowed her to approach first, there was no choice but a head-on confrontation or escape.

And if they wanted to survive through the day, it was only natural that they would avoid fighting as much as possible.

However, just as Nozomu and the others rushed out to get away, his ears heard the sound of something approaching from the side.

"~!"

The moment he reflexively rolled on the ground, *woosh!*, he heard the sound of wind passing by, then *bang!*, followed by the sound of something exploding on the ground.

"A~a...... You dodged it. Then what about your friends~~?"

"Kyaaa!" "Gaah!"

The screams of Deck and Hamuria, who had been targeted, were heard.

Jin rushed to the fallen duo, but Anri's eyes focused on him this time.

"Crap!"

Nozomu reflexively focused on the direction of the attack from the way Anri swung her arm, and at the same time, strengthened the Qi in his entire body.

He drew his katana and repelled the shadow that was coming toward him, bending through the dimly-lit forest.

"Ugh, Jin, how are their condition!?"

"Don't worry, they haven't disqualified yet!"

Fortunately, Deck and Hamuria were not disqualified yet. However, they both dropped their weapons and held their arms, as if they were in pain.

While Jin was in the process of supporting them, Nozomu was exposed to Anri's attack.

Nozomu's eyes, with their extraordinary concentration, caught the shadow that was closing in on him.

"Kuh~, a long, flexible, cord-like thing ...... A whip, huh?"

A black-dyed whip, writhing like a snake, came at him.

Combined with the fact that the whip was moving at high speed and in a dimly lit forest, it was difficult to see. Relying on the chills that kept coming and the slight sheen in the shadows, Nozomu kept moving to the right and left to dodge.

Her whip is sharp and heavy, and there is no wasted motion.

If Nozomu were to be hit even once and lose his balance, he would be defeated before he had time to regain his stance.

(One, two, three ...... here!)

With perfect timing, he placed his katana in the whip's trajectory.

The moment the whip wrapped around the blade of the katana, Nozomu seized it before it slipped away.

"Amazing~~! Nozomu-kun, you saw through it so well~~. Even though in a dark place like this, my whip should be pretty hard to see~~"

"...... Because I could faintly see your whip moving through the air. After that, I just have to match the movement of Anri-sensei's arm and the timing of the shadow's movement. To be honest, I was worried that your arm swing might be fake."

Despite the tension, Anri never lost her smile.

"Jin, take the two of them to the rendezvous point!"

"Eh!?"

"We will lose if we keep fighting Anri-sensei like this. Go to the rendezvous point first and bring Mars and the others."

Deck and Hamuria had been hit so hard by the previous blow that it was doubtful they could fight properly.

It is impossible to go to the rendezvous point while facing Anri Var. Then, it is necessary to stall for time and at the same time bring Mars and the others back.

(Somehow, something similar happened recently......)

Remembering the Abyss Grief incident, Nozomu inwardly chuckles.

Jin hesitated slightly, but then, perhaps coming to the same conclusion as Nozomu, he rushed off to the rendezvous point while taking the two of the others with him.

"Nozomu-kun, are you sure~? If all of you fight together, you will have a better chance of winning, you know~"

"Our enemy isn't just sensei, after all. Since we have injured members, I'll give priority to getting them out first. The pain from the whip is fairly long-lasting, but it will subside somewhat over time. Besides, Sensei, if you want, you could have attacked the three who were leaving earlier, couldn't you?"

"U~n. But, Nozomu-kun, if I were to attack Jin-kun and the others, you were going to rush straight toward me, weren't you~? Considering that I use a whip, you would have reached me before I could defeat Jin-kun and the others~~"

Yes, it is difficult to defeat an opponent with a single blow with Anri's weapon.

A whip is essentially a weapon that inflicts pain and breaks the opponent's spirit. If Anri attacked Jin and the others in this situation, Nozomu's katana would reach her before she could defeat them.

Anri does not underestimate Nozomu. In fact, she considers him to be a prominent force among the students in her charge.

In that sense, Nozomu's plan was successful. At the very least, he was able to turn her attention to himself.

Nozomu and Anri, both of them, felt a flicker of energy from their bodies. The next moment, she swung her arm as if to flex it.

The whip that had been held in place began to lash out at high speed, trying to whip around Nozomu's body.

The force is so strong that it is hard to believe that it is coming from a woman's slender arm. Nozomu, who is under the influence of ability suppression, is unable to restrain it, and before it can whip around his body, he releases the whip that he had grabbed.

"Kuh!"

With the whip now being freed, Anri resumed her offensive. Nozomu, using his[Flash Step・Curved Movement], maneuvered through the overgrown trees, running in a circle with Anri at the center, trying to dodge her attacks.

He changed the length of his stride, shifted his timing, changed the direction of his movement, and used the trees as shields to evade the whip strikes that were fired in anticipation of where he was going to move. Furthermore, he also performed various feints, such as swaying only his upper body and running in the opposite direction while pretending to run forward.

"Fuwaa~~! Amazing, amazing! How come you are able to make such movements with a [Flash Step]!?"

Ever-changing and inexhaustible. Anri let out several gasps of admiration for Nozomu, who was so steadfast that it was hard to believe he was in a forest with countless obstacles and poor footholds.

However, contrary to her carefree tone of voice, her offensive power did not wane in the slightest. Rather, she heightened her own Qi and blocked Nozomu's escape route with even greater ferocity, speed, and dexterity.

(Damn, I'm starting to lose......)

Nozomu's eyes widened as the bark of a tree he was using as a shield burst open and the trunk was gouged out.

There is no doubt that Anri's ability is A rank.

The power of her whip is now too strong to ignore. Her response speed is also high, and her whip stroke is gradually catching up with Nozomu's [Flash Step・Curved Movement]. The tide needed to be turned.

(Let's just do it, shall we?......)

Nozomu, who had been circling around Anri, suddenly changed course. He dared to charge from the front.

"Un. I knew you would react that way~~"

However, Anri also had anticipated Nozomu's actions. She knew from the start that the only way Nozomu could find a way to win is in close combat. Calmly, and unperturbed, she swung her whip, completely anticipating her opponent's movements.

"He~re~!"

The whip, which was released aiming at the timing when he tried to change direction from right to left, completely caught his movement and was accurately aimed at his head.

Nozomu's katana was raised in an attempt to block the whip.

At that moment, however, Anri twisted and pulled her arm away. The whip's trajectory, which seemed to be a downward strike, changed to an upward motion. Up, then down. It is an attack that exploits a psychological gap in the opponent's mind.

"Guh!"

Even so, Nozomu responded. Reflexively, he pulled up the sheath at his waist with his left hand and inserted it into the whip's trajectory to prevent it.

However, the impact caused his upper body to be lifted off the ground. Nozomu was completely defenseless, and Anri's follow-up attack was closing in on him.

"Too bad, Nozomu-kun~~. Now let's end thi-......eh?"

At the moment it seemed that her whip would hit Nozomu's defenseless body, a burst of sound could be heard coming from his back.

Nozomu's lifted-up body was forcefully brought back to a forward-leaning posture.

Then, he activated his [Flash Step] once again. He rushed toward Anri, passing under her whip, which had been fully extended.

The sound of the explosion was caused by a torrent of Qi that was released from Nozomu's back. When he was dealing with Anri's whip using the trees in the forest as a shield, he compressed the Qi on his back so that she could not see it beforehand. He released it just before the whip hit him, and forcibly moved his body out of the way to evade it.

"Haaaaa!"

Anri, who had thought she surely caught Nozomu, was clearly too late in reacting. She couldn't pull back the whip in time. Having totally captured her, Nozomu unleashed a single horizontal slash.

"E , e~~~i!"

However, the moment it looked as if Nozomu's blade would reach Anri's body, a fluttering white cloth flew through the air.

"Eh?"

Nozomu involuntarily let out a shocked cry upon seeing the scene that flashed before his eyes.

White, glistening skin peeking out from a billowing skirt. The slender, slim legs. The cute pink fabric. And a mass of black iron, in contrast to her white skin, strapped to her moderately plump thighs.

It was a black iron baton as long as two arms. It was clearly intended for use in battle. Anri grabbed the handle and raised it at once.

"Ugh!"

"T-that was close~~!"

The baton caught Nozomu's blade firmly, and Anri let out an unintentional sigh of relief.

Despite being one-handed, her baton did not even flinch.

"Eee~~i!"

In contrast to her carefree voice, a strong pressure was returned.

Nozomu reflexively used the curvature of the blade to parry and unleashed a barrage of counterattacks, but was once again deflected by Anri's baton, which was quickly brought back to its original position.

"Kuu......!"

Nozomu kept on slashing, but his blade did not even graze Anri, perhaps because of the difference in their physical abilities.

"Teyaa~~!"

Instead, Anri counterattacked with a roundhouse kick toward Nozomu's flank.

The white leg that peeked out from the fluttering skirt came at him with a force that was unimaginable from her appearance.

"Whoa!"

Fortunately, Nozomu was able to crouch down and avoid Anri's roundhouse kick, but she did not stop moving, weaving her body techniques into a series of blows with her baton.

A rondo of blows and kicks is unleashed.

Anri drives Nozomu into a defensive stance and hits him with a single, powerful kick.

Although he succeeds in blocking it reflexively with the hilt of his katana, Nozomu is blown away.

Even so, he quickly rolled himself onto the ground and leaped backward. At the same moment, a pursuing whip strikes the ground.

"There~!"

Anri's offensive does not stop. She leaps and swings the whip further, aiming at Nozomu, who is still in the air and defenseless.

As the whip extends at high speed, Nozomu maintains his balance with exquisite trunk control and prepares to slash off the approaching whip. The next moment, a strong wind suddenly blew.

"Bububu!"

A gust of wind rushes through the air, blowing Nozomu's body off to the side, and Anri's whip cuts through empty air.

"Peh~, peh~! What the heck is going ......on?"

Unable to react properly due to the suddenness of the situation, Nozomu crashed to the ground.

Gasping at the bitter taste that filled his mouth, he turned his eyes toward where the gust of wind had come from ...... and then he was shocked.

"Thank goodness. You seem to be all right."

"Perfect timing, right?"

There they were, Deck and Hamuria, who should have left with Jin.

"I thought you guys had escaped!"

"We turned around and hid in the bushes to see what was going on. Jin alone was enough to call for Mars and the others. And thanks to you, who bought us some time, the pain had lessened."

Deck stood in front of Nozomu as if protecting him and smiled as he held up his spear.

"Nozomu-kun. Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah."

While Deck is facing Anri, Hamria comes toward Nozomu's side and lends him a hand.

With a puzzled look on his face, Nozomu stood up and readied his katana again.

"Why did you go back?"

"At this rate, we will end up being carried by you. That's not the right thing for a party to do, is it?"

"Planning a strategy, finding a base, and playing the role of bait. If you take every active role available, we will be left with nothing to do."

Nozomu's unintentional question was answered without hesitation by both of them, even though they were facing Anri, who was much higher in rank than them.

They are at the bottom. However, they are not useless.

They want to become stronger and grow as much as possible. Above all, they do not want to regret anything.

Nozomu was impressed by their determination of looking straight ahead and trying to move forward.

"H~mm. I see, Deck-kun and Hamuria-kun decided to come back, huh~~"

Anri put her hand holding the baton to her cheek and tilted her head cutely. Combined with her lovely appearance and atmosphere, it was a very picturesque sight, but they couldn't help but feel nervous and uneasy as she already demonstrated her ability.

"Deck ......."

"Jin is currently on his way to bring Mars and the others. In the meantime, we need to hold our ground here. Got it?"

The word "we" from Deck's mouth seeped into Nozomu's heart.

It was impossible to describe the buzzing in his heart. His body trembled and his heart naturally beat faster.

Strength returned to the hand that held the katana. With both feet firmly planted on the ground, he faced Anri one more time.

Watching him like this, Anri's happy expression blossomed.

"......Alright! Then, here I go~~"

The Qi enveloping Anri's swelled up. Her body glowed faintly from that Qi and the light of Qi extended to her weapons. Apparently, now that Nozomu's companions have joined the fight, she decided to get serious.

Nozomu and Deck leaped out at the same time Anri raised her whip and Hamuria began chanting her magic.

"Deck! Anri-sensei can also do close-quarters combat! Don't let your guard down just because you've closed the distance!"

"Alright!"

With the sound of a whip ripping through the air, they ran as fast as they could, trying to get through the ever-changing web of whips.

◆

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