Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no “Kokoro”

Chapter 4 Part 10
 

Consciousness awakens slowly.

My hazy field of vision gradually regained its color, and it became possible to see what was in front vaguely.

A highway illuminated by the light of stars floating in the night sky. A simple road covered with gravel and overgrown grass on the sides of the roads.

When I noticed, I was back on the road leading from the forest to the outer edge of Arcazam.

Perhaps I thought it was unpleasant to be in the pool of blood where the corpses were scattered around, so I unknowingly came back to Arcazam.

To be honest, I was relieved that I wasn't heading to shishō's hut. I didn't want shishō to see my current unsightly appearance.

At the same time, I feel disgusted towards myself who has such an idea. My face naturally becomes distorted, it turns my face dirty with blood and mud into an even uglier one.

(I ran away again …………)

The truth pointed by Ken.

I didn't want to admit it, I didn't want to think about it, I just exerted my power with my own fury.

I covered my heart by breaking whatever I saw. By taking the lives in front of me.

But that didn't change anything.

To shut myself inside my shell or to break everything I see.

Even if what I did was different, but the underlying essence was exactly the same.

(Nothing has changed ... ever since I was dumped by Lisa ... nothing ...)

The inside of my head was messy.

Everything gets mixed up and I can't think of anything because of the shame and disgust towards myself, who run away by exerting power so easily.

Still, my body keeps moving forward. My mind and body were completely separated.

Without knowing where to go, I walked with a staggering and unconscious gait like a ghost.

Without even knowing the destination …….

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Iris' POV

"Haa ........."

After taking a bath, I was watching the starry night sky on the balcony of my mansion.

The night breeze blows, and even though it is spring, the cold air takes away the heat of my burning body.

However, no matter how much I soothe my body, the feeling that the inside of my chest was being hard pressed did not disappear at all.
I think about him.

Recently, without realizing it, I started thinking about him.

In the morning, when I'm grooming in front of the mirror.

When I'm taking a lecture at the school.

When I'm training in the mansion.

When I'm eating.

Even when I was taking a bath earlier, he was in my head.

And even now.

However, after what happened today, I felt the inside of my chest was being pressed hard.

His position at the school was worse than I expected. Many people give frank advice to me just because he and I were together.

And the conversation with Lisa.

She told me that it was better not to be near him because if I leave it as it is, I will definitely have a terrible experience.

I asked her what he had done to her, but she left without saying anything.

Her face at that time was distorted by hatred, and that's not the expression a childhood friend should have

“……….. Haa …………”

In the end, I can't find out anything from her, and I tried to ask him directly about the rumors that made him look so terrible, but my best friend and sister made me give up.

Afterward, when I heard from Ena about the interaction between Lisa and him, I couldn't bring myself to ask him.

In the end, I found out that I didn't know anything about him.

And he was still suffering from Lisa.

But we have never heard of him since that time.

I recall, he was somehow drawing a line from us. I knew that the power he spoke about after helping us sisters, wasn't just about the release of Ability Suppression.

But he doesn't seem to want to talk about that.

“………… Haa …………”

My sigh naturally deepened and my feelings gradually became depressed.

I naturally held the hand that was connected to him that day in my chest.

The night after that incident I was very happy and couldn't sleep. My body naturally became hot, and every time I saw the hand that was holding him, my cheeks became loose.

But now, when I look at that hand, my chest becomes painful.

I want to know about him. But I can't hear it.

I want him to talk about himself. But he doesn't talk.

A question that keeps repeating itself and doesn't provide an answer. Each time, my chest became painful and I get impatient.
In the end, even if my body got cold due to the night breeze, the haze inside my chest did not clear up.

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Shīna's POV

"Hmm ... it's already this late ..."

I, Shīna Yuliel, was doing research in the school library after school.

Solminati Academy was founded jointly by each country on the continent. For that reason, the number of books collected from all over the continent was enormous, and I'm having a hard time doing research because of it.

With my bag in my hand, I walked down the dark cobblestone road, went out from the Solminati Academy building, passed through Central Park, and headed for the main street.

Magic lamps are installed in several places on the main street, illuminating the street brightly even at night.

This magic lamp is the first street light used in this city, and it uses a stone with magical power called a magic stone, and it is made by incorporating a technique to illuminate the surroundings during the night.

Given the importance of the tool to the city, although it is a very expensive facility, the Aristocrats of each country decided to install it in order to maintain security and crime control. 

"In the end, I didn't understand anything today as well..."

What I was investigating was the demon beast that robbed my hometown in the Foskia forest.

The Foskia Forest was a forest protected by spirits and became a safe haven for us, elves. However, the Fosun Fountain, which was the center of the forest, and Ienis, a large tree, which took root inside the fountain, were destroyed by an unidentified demon beast during the great invasion 10 years ago.

However, we have not given up on our hometown.

Someday, we will get our hometown back from those filthy demons. For that reason, I kept investigating that demon beast.

Of course, not only me but also my colleagues and institutions in each country are working on it.

Even so, I kept going to the library every day, going to guilds, etc. to collect information, wondering if I could find anything.

Since various books are collected from each country in this school's library, the number of books is enormous, and it contains a large number of books that cannot be read even if it takes a person's life.

Since there are so many books, I was hoping that the first one I read would have written about that demon beast, but in the years since I came to this school, no progress has been made.

"Haa ......... ! It shouldn't be like this."

I noticed that my sigh naturally leaked from my mouth, so I hurriedly tightened my resolve.

"...?"

At that moment, I felt someone's presence in the immediate vicinity. This place is far from the commercial district, so there should be no one walking here at this time, unlike the main street.
Looking at the presence, I can hear a faint footstep from the back alley. Magic lamps are installed only on large streets in the city such as main streets, not in the back alleys.

On the contrary, the light of the magic lamps emphasizes the darkness of the back alley, so even if someone makes footsteps there, we cannot see the person who is making the footsteps.

I lowered my back and prepared myself.

I'm not good at hand-to-hand combat, but that doesn't mean I can't.

No matter how safe Arcazam is, it is not without crime.

There is no guarantee that a woman walking alone at this time will not be attacked.

The footsteps gradually became louder.

I put moderate power on both of my legs and take a posture to move at any time. And the light of the magic lamps illuminated the figure of the owner of the footsteps.

There is a man there, and I frowned when I saw him.

His whole body is terribly dirty. I can't see his face because he's facing down, his shoulders are wide for a woman, so I knew from his physique that he is a man.

However, mud and blood are stuck all over his body, and obviously, that's not normal. 

"Wa, Wait! Are you okay ?!"

Seeing his whole body covered in blood, I hurriedly rushed towards him. The fabric and crest of the clothes, which can be seen through the gap between the mud and dirt sticking to the clothes, revealed that this person is a student of Solminati.

When I ran up and tried to check the condition of his wound, the person finally noticed me, and he lifted his downcast face.

"Y, you are …………"

I'm familiar with that face. That is the face I just saw recently.

Nozomu Bountis.

A boy who was surrounded by boys from the same class behind the school building a few days ago, at that time I drove away the students who surrounded him.

His whole body was covered with blood, and he was walking with a tottering gait.

I don't have a good feeling for him. No one would have a good feeling for someone abandoned by his lover because of his own affair.

However, no matter how much I dislike him, I cannot just leave an injured person alone.

"Anyway, just go to the doctor ..."

I said that and tried to take him to the doctor, but he won't follow.

"Wait! That injury will be a big deal later! It's okay, please follow me!"

After saying that, I pulled his hand, but he still didn't move. It seems as if he refuses to go to the doctor.

When I think so, I suddenly realized. The day is about to change, the town is completely asleep and no clinic is open at this time.
However, the boy in front of me needs treatment. This is not the time to think about the likes and dislikes of myself and the other party.

"Aargh, It can't be helped !!"

I forcibly pulled his hand and started walking while dragging him. For the time being, I have to take him to a place where he can get treatment. If his condition does not improve, I think that I have to forcibly treat it by myself.

He was resisting at first, but maybe he gave up. His footstep was slow, but he came along.

(Jeez! Why does it become like this?!)

I kept pulling his hand while complaining inside my heart.

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 Jihad’s POV

"What ... is this ........."

Kevin, who was walking behind, leaked a murderous voice into the forest. I was also taken aback by the miserable sight that unfolded before my eyes.

There were the Triclopes that we were concerned about, and there were even the Cyclopes.

Not one or two. There were at least 10 giants there. If attacked by such a large number of giants at once, a small town would be destroyed in less than half a day.

However, neither I nor the Arcazam Guards are holding our weapons. Because all the giants were already dead.

Yes, more than 10 giants are exposing their corpses in this place. Those who have been cut off or whose heads have been crushed. There are many giants whose whole body is charred, and all of them are severely damaged, and no corpses are still intact.

The faces of the students following me and the guards of the Arkazam Guards are so blue. Some of them couldn't hold it in and threw up, but it's reasonable. I haven't seen such a horrific and bloody sight in the last 10 years. They are still young, so it's reasonable when they are exposed to such ugly sight.

"Jihad-dono ... what is this exactly ..."

"... I don't know either, but we don't have much time right now. If the smell of blood is sprinkled this much, sooner or later the demon beasts of the forest will gather. Mauzu-dono, let's split up with the guards, quickly investigate, and get out of here immediately."

The scattered corpses are badly damaged but not yet rotten. This means that the one who killed these giants is still nearby.

In addition, the scent of rusty iron and the large amount of blood sprinkled all over the place.

If the demon beasts were attracted by this scent and they gathered together, it would be difficult for me to protect everyone. Besides, there are also students here.

Separate with the guards and examine the corpses of the giants, then returns to the town immediately.

An existence that can do all of this.

Existence of a threat more than the giants.

The feeling of impatience that is created in the depth of my chest …….