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

[LN] Volume 3: Chapter 6.2

Volume 3 Chapter 6.2

Once Again, The First Step Part 2

Translator : PolterGlast

Nozomu, who was blown away, crashed into Shino's hut. The support pillar broke and the hut collapsed without time to escape.

Meanwhile, the giant figure that had knocked Nozomu away soared, whilst inverting its body.

[Cracked-Crown Giant Centipede]

The giant centipede with a carapace resembling a cracked crown on its head looked down at the collapsed hut while moving its ominous jaws, and began to clothe itself in purple electricity with an eerie cry.

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

In the next instant, multiple thunderbolts were unleashed. The swarm of crawling, wailing purple lightning headed towards Shino's hut, which had just collapsed.

The lightning ignited the building materials made of grass and wood, and in the blink of an eye, fires were set alight, leaving Nozomu buried alive.

"Nozomu!"

While Irisdina screamed in grief as the hut was engulfed in flames, the [Cracked Crown] did not even pay attention to them, but instead pointed its four pairs of eyes at the hut it had set ablaze.

"This is bad, we have to help him quickly!"

Irisdina and Mars tried to rush to the burning hut to rescue Nozomu.

However, as if to hinder their attempts, Thunder Rain unleashed by the [Cracked Crown] attacked them.

"Ai!"

"Hold them back!"

Feo and Tima blocked the swarm of purple lightning that was heading toward them.

Five thrown talismans shone and formed a five-layered barrier while deploying a magic circle in mid-air.

The five-layered barrier instantly shattered in the face of the [Cracked Crown]'s Thunder Rain, but in the meantime Tima, using her vast magic power, deployed a more powerful barrier. She somehow managed to block the countless purple lightning that was closing in on them.

"Kuu......"

However, there was not enough time for her to deploy a sufficient magic barrier.

As a result, she had no choice but to forcibly strengthen a low-level magic with magic power, and the burden of this hit her body as a recoil.

*Gigigi......~!*

While Tima was in agony, [Cracked Crown] tried to unleash a follow-up attack.

But before it could do so, a whip struck one of its eyes with great force. Whether because its eyeballs were tough, the giant centipede did not seem to feel any pain or itch, but the sudden impact distracted the giant centipede's attention.

"No good, huh~~. I can't even put a scratch on it, this kinda makes me lose confidence~~."

It was Anri who swung her whip. She was trying to turn the [Cracked Crown]'s attention toward herself by delivering one blow after another.

From her side, a woman dressed in a maid's outfit, Mena Manat, rushed past her like a gust of wind.

She drew her rapier and fired a piercing thrust at the flexible outer skin between the giant centipede's joints.

With a light sound, the rapier pierced into it, and then she slashed it open by cleaving it, but she frowned when she felt a heavy sensation returned to her hand.

"I did manage to slash it, but it's no good. My weapon won't last like this."

These were the muscles that powered a body frame of more than a hundred mels. Naturally, it has very dense muscle tissue.

Any weapons that tried to slash such rock-like muscles would be severely worn out.

Mena, who has excellent swordsmanship, knew that with her current weapon, the blade would break in a few more blows.

"Ojou-sama, we will draw that demonic beast's attention. In the meantime, take Nozomu-sama -......~!"

"Norn, please go over to Nozomu-kun~~!"

"Alright. Don't overdo it, Anri!"

"Sorry, Mena. Somia, come this way!"

Irisdina and the others rushed to Shino's hut, which was on fire, leaving the [Cracked Crown] in the others' hands.

"Nozomu, can you hear me!?"

"Damn, the fire is too strong!"

Irisdina tried to extinguish the fire by conjuring water with her magic, but it was not enough to extinguish the blazing flames.

"Raz, please!"

[ Aiyo, leave it to me! ]

Razward drew on the power of the spirits and created a huge ball of water that could extinguish all the flames surrounding the hut with a single shot. However, the moment Razward released the water ball, it instantly dissipated.

[ Oi oi oi, why is there spirit power in this demonic beast's magic!? ]

"Raz, use my magic power as well!"

Borrowing Shina's magic power, Razward created an even bigger water ball, but that water ball also dissipated the moment it was completed.

[ Damn, it's no use! The spirits won't listen to me! This is ...... the power of a water spirit that is stronger than me. ]

"How come ......."

"We have no other choice then!"

Meanwhile, Mars was attempting to use his greatsword as a lever to dislodge the debris by thrusting it into the beams of the hut.

He couldn't afford to waste more time. Smoke was already enveloping the area around the hut.

Nearly half of all fire deaths are caused by suffocation from smoke inhalation.

"Guuu......"

Despite putting all of his Qi and strength into it, the collapsed debris wouldn't budge.

Irisdina and Shina also applied reinforcement magic to their entire bodies and, placed their hands on the burning rubble. Just like what Mars did, they began trying to dislodge the roof that was pinning Nozomu underneath.

'"O- oi!"

"Kuuu!"

"~......!"

Intense heat and stabbing pain struck the girls' hands.

Mars shouted at the girls for their reckless behaviour, but they were completely unconcerned about such things.

Nozomu might die if they were to stop here. A frustration that exceeded even the pain of the burns was stirring Irisdina.

For Shina, the image of Nozomu about to be burnt by the flames overlapped with her nightmare of twenty years ago.

A forest engulfed in flames and a house being burnt to the ground. Family members were reduced to lifeless corpses in front of her eyes.

He might become like that as well ....... The pain in her hands didn't even matter when she thought about such possibilities.

"Hurry......!"

"Please ...... move ......!"

Irisdina and Shina desperately tried to move the debris while praying. However, as if to trample on their wishes, the purple electricity released by the [Chapped Crown] came pouring down on the three of them.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on!"

For some reason, the giant centipede was aiming not at Anri and Mena, who were attacking it, but at Irisdina and the others.

While uttering cursing words, Mars hurriedly pulled out the greatsword he had thrust into the gap between the rubbles and withdrew from the spot with all his might, carrying Irisdina and Shina in his arms.

In the next instant, a swarm of purple lightning rained down and hit the place where Mars and the others had just been. The [Cracked Crown] intervened between them and the burning hut, flaunting its huge body and chomping its jaws as if to mock Irisdina and the others.

"Fuck. It's not letting us help Nozomu!"

A spirit power that a mere demonic beast could not possibly possess. Mars felt frustrated at the demonic beast's action that hardly seemed to be driven by impulse or instinct, meanwhile, Irisdina stared at the giant centipede with determined eyes as she drew her rapier.

Next to her, Shina was readying her bow and pouring the power of spirits into her arrows.

"We can't afford to waste time on this demonic beast! We have to make it retreat by any means necessary!"

In response to Irisdina's fiery emotion, [Magic Sword・Lunar Eclipse] was activated, and her rapier shone jet black.

In retaliation, an overwhelming number of thunderbolts flashed along with the gaze of immense malice to crush their fighting spirit.

◆

".........~Ugh!"

In the pitch-black vision, flickering flames and crushing debris. The collapsed beams pressed down on his entire body, and a strained groan escaped from Nozomu's mouth.

Furthermore, prevalent smoke impeded his breathing. Every time he breathed in, the smoke irritated his mucous membranes, causing a strong headache.

"~! .........Gu, ugh......"

In the gradually darkening vision, Nozomu reached out his hand as if to ask for help.

What crossed his mind was the image of his friends, who had just accepted him.

The bonds he has finally acquired. The people whom he had made in his loneliness, the people he never wanted to lose.

The joy that had been rising within him just a moment ago has turned into an intense sense of frustration, and his whole body is burning in the heat of the flames.

That [Cracked Crown] is still out there. Even in his hazy mind, he could tell that they were in danger.

（I don't want to lose them. I don't want it to end here! )

The bond that has been reconnected and the outburst of a strong will to protect it.

With strong determination, he poured all his strength and Qi into his left hand, which was caught in the wreckage.

His muscles bulged with an unpleasant sound, and the rubble between his arms moved slightly.

"Ugh! Gah! *Cough cough*!"

But that was as far as Nozomu could go.

His breathing was disrupted by the smoke, and his Qi fizzled out. Despite his desperate thoughts, his body was as heavy as lead, and anger welled up inside him.

[ Do you want me to help you? ]

A heavy voice resounded from the depths of his ears.

Perhaps it was because he had released his ability suppression, the dragon's intention was clearly conveyed to him.

[ But it's probably too late now. Those humans will not survive against that giant centipede. By now they have probably been reduced to minced meat and turned into pitiful corpses. ]

A cruel revelation pierced Nozomu's heart.

[ That giant centipede has its mind controlled by a spirit. You remember it, don't you? The little insect that restrained you. And in the end, you can do nothing about it. You are merely a human being after all. This is the limit to what you can do...... ]

(Don't be ridiculous! I won't let that happen!)

The lives of friends with whom he could finally begin to exchange feelings disappear because of his own weakness.

Faced with this unacceptable reality, a powerful rage erupted in Nozomu's heart.

To the point that even he himself could no longer control it......

"Oooooooooo!"

With a scream, he exploded his power without hesitation and forcibly pulled his left hand out from under the rubble.

He then slammed his left arm into the ground, ignoring all the tearing skin and gushing blood.

[Qi-jutsu・Light of Annihilation]. Tiamat's source element-imbued Qi blasted away the rubble that restrained him.

"Haa haa ...... hi~yuu, hi~yuu ......."

Rebuking his fading consciousness, he raised his freed body.

And then ...... he was utterly shocked by the sight that greeted his eyes.

"This is not true......."

The people he sought to protect. Everyone had died.

Irisdina, Mars, Tima, Somia. Shina, Mimuru and Tom.

Nozomu was speechless as the scene he had seen in his nightmares became reality.

[ Look, over there, they are the culprits of all this...... ]

A giant centipede, clad in blue source element.

Alongside it, two people, one man and one woman were standing across from the [Cracked Crown].

"You guys......."

Nozomu's thoughts were tainted with anger the moment he recognized them.

Ken and Camilla. The culprits behind all of Nozomu's downfall.

The two looked down at Nozomu and the corpses of Irisdina and the others, with eyes full of disdain.

The appearance of two people who [shouldn't be there]. Under normal circumstances, he would have noticed the incongruity.

But the death of Irisdina and the others erased his rationality.

"Ooooooooooo!"

His anger brought on more rage, completely erasing rationality from his mind.

Then, with a beast-like howl, Nozomu drew his katana and charged towards his hateful opponents.

◆

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