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

[LN] Volume 4: Chapter 1.1

Volume 4 Chapter 1.1

A Fresh Start Part 1

Translator : PolterGlast

Eaten, chewed, dismembered, and burned.

Arcazam engulfed in flames. In his nightmares, Nozomu fought against the giant dragon and kept getting killed. Death that arrives easily, repeatedly falling into intense pain, weakness, and emptiness.

"Ugh......!"

There is no point in thinking about the difference in power. But still, at the very least, he won't give up his heart and soul.

With that in mind, he resists the feeling of emptiness that envelops his entire being every time he dies.

And when he comes to his senses, the figure of a giant dragon appears before his eyes once again.

The dragon looks down at Nozomu with a loathsome expression, and then attacks again. Facing a one-sided battle that could end at any moment, he still raised his sword in an attempt to fight back......

[Oi Nozomu, what are you doing!?]

A strong, loud voice echoed in his mind. Immediately after, he felt as if he were being pulled out of the water and was illuminated by a dazzling light. In the blinding light, Arcazam, which was engulfed in flames, disappeared along with the giant dragon.

His consciousness rapidly awakens. What was seen beyond the light was .......

‡

"Uwaaaa!"

Nozomu suddenly regained consciousness accompanied by a scream that echoed in his ears.

In front of him was a boy clad in the uniform of the Soluminati Academy who fell on his butt. There is a threat looming toward him with a large, gooey, unnerving mouth spread wide.

It is a demonic beast called a Blob, whose mucus-like body is lifted up and attacks him as though trying to engulf him. Basically, it is an aquatic creature that grows on nutrients in the water, but larger ones come to land to seek higher nutritional value. This included large creatures, including humans.

Nozomu reflexively jumped in front of the boy and unsheathed his beloved katana, [Mumei], which he carried at his waist.

With a single, precise strike, he cleaved the Blob in two with the very nucleus inside its body.

After the nucleus was severed, the Blob trembled and then collapsed with a splashing sound.

"Phew......."

He exhaled and looked around the dimly lit surroundings. The torch flames and magical lights illuminated the waterway, which had an arched ceiling. They are in the underground canal of Arcazam. The time is early in the morning.

"Nozomu, are you okay?"

Irisdina rushed to Nozomu's side after he defeated the Blob.

Behind her, her best friend, Tima, and Mars, who is in the same class as Nozomu, were following her.

"Yeah, sorry Iris, I was spacing out."

"That doesn't sound like you. What's wrong?"

"That guy, was bothering me a little......."

Hearing Nozomu's implied words, her expression turned grim for a moment, followed by a melancholy one.

Tiamat, the Dragon King.

An extraordinarily great calamity that Nozomu has been forced to face. If released, it is an existence that could bring fatal disasters not only to Arcazam, but also to the entire continent of Arkmel.

"......Are you, alright?"

"Hm? Yeah, it's all good now."

Irisdina's expression remained stiff in contrast to Nozomu, who sheathed his katana in a nonchalant manner. Because she knew that in such situations, he often left out the words [for now].

At the same time, she bit her lip slightly, feeling frustrated and helpless.

Even if she knew what was going on, Irisdina had no way to solve Nozomu's problem.

Her frustration and anxiety stirred in her heart.

Nozomu, perhaps sensing her feelings, smiled gently at Irisdina.

"Thank you, Iris. Anyway, we gotta confirm about the blob."

"Yeah, I guess so......."

Despite being at a loss for words, Irisdina tried her best to refocus her mind.

The reason why they are here this time is because of a request from the guild.

The content is to investigate the Arcazam underground waterway.

In Arcazam, underground water is pumped up at facilities called [water pumping buildings] in each area and distributed to various parts of the city through waterways that are spread out like a network.

These are clearly divided into water supply and sewage systems, and basically, no demonic beasts are allowed to enter the water supply system.

However, a few days ago, a construction worker inspecting the waterway informed the guild that there were demonic beasts in the water supply system.

"Are you guys all right? Are you hurt?"

Irisdina called out to a group of students who were being attacked by a group of Blob.

They were a party of four, a mixed party of men and women, wearing the same Soluminati Academy uniforms as Nozomu and the others.

Upon checking the insignia on their chests, they seemed to be students of the first grade.

"T-Thank you! My name is Eldor, a first-class first-grade student!"

A boy, the leader of the party, bowed his head, his face flushed in front of Irisdina. He is the male student that Nozomu rescued. Irisdina was originally a celebrity at the school and popular among both men and women alike. Her name seems to be well-known even among the freshmen who have just joined the school this year.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me a few things about these Blobs?"

"Y-Yes!"

After listening to their story, Irisdina learned that they were passing through a passageway that led from the sewers to the aqueduct when they found the group of Blobs tightly packed in the passageway. They were attacked at this moment.

They were fighting in the narrow passageway while running away from the encroaching Blobs that were about to squash them, and to begin with, their mucus-like bodies made it difficult for them to use their weapons. They could have handled the situation if they had calmly dealt with it by aiming at the nucleus or using magic, but they still lacked combat experience, and their stamina and magic power were depleted as they struggled.

They were in a desperate situation when Nozomu and the others rushed to their rescue.

"Thank you, I understand now. You guys should go back to the surface. We'll handle things from here on out."

"B-But......"

"Just get the hell out of here. You're just dragging us down if you're trying to lead a bunch of people who can't move well at all."

Although Irisdina tried to persuade them, the underclassmen persisted. Then Mars interjected. His words may sound cold to the outsider, but Nozomu immediately understands that they are a rather awkward reminder from Mars' point of view.

However, hearing his words, the freshmen, who were originally called geniuses in their hometown and had just arrived at the Soluminati Academy with great expectations, became self-conscious that their abilities were not as good as they thought they were.

This caused them to look at Nozomu with suspicion, frustration, and a hint of disdain.

Apparently, these underclassmen were aware of the rumor that Nozomu was the lowest-ranking student in the third grade and a scumbag who had betrayed his childhood sweetheart.

"But we're pretty much all D-rank which is rare among first graders! At least, we're better than this seni-"

"Watch your words. He's a C-ranker. His rank is higher than yours."

Eldor was unintentionally trying to mend his damaged self-esteem. But Irisdina dismissed him. Her cold voice made the underclassmen tremble, and they looked at Nozomu in surprise.

Until recently, Nozomu's rank was D, the same as them. Perhaps they did not know that Nozomu had recently advanced in rank.

"The rumors about him that are circulating in the academy are completely unfounded. Besides, he's my precious ...... friend. In fact, he saved your life, too, didn't he? Insulting your benefactor would be disgraceful......"

Although her voice was clear and sincere, it carried a hint of anger. The first-year students were completely overwhelmed by her tone of voice. Nozomu called out to stop her from becoming more intimidating than necessary.

"Iris......."

"......My apologies, I got a little carried away. In any case, you guys should go back."

Unable to say anything back to her, the first-year students trudged back to the surface.

Watching their backs disappear into the corner of the waterway, Irisdina let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders.

"Tima, Mars-kun, I apologize to you as well. I didn't mean to make a fuss......."

"It's okay, Ai, don't worry about it."

"Yeah, I would have said more if you hadn't."

Tima smiled back at the apologetic Irisdina, and Mars waved his hand placidly.

"But, Mars-kun, you could have said it a little nicer."

"Aa? No way. If they, who only just arrived this year, are doing too well, it's about time things would get to their heads......"

"But there should be a better way to say it ...... right?"

Tima smiled and intimidated Mars, who had no intention of correcting his misleading use of words.

Mars broke out in a cold sweat and replied in a trembling voice, "I-I'll be more careful.......". They have been training together often since the Rugato incident, and recently they seem to be getting even closer.

Irisdina's mouth relaxed a little upon seeing them, but her expression immediately stiffened and she peeked at Nozomu, who was standing beside her. Seeing the glint of worry in her eyes, he smiled wryly.

"You don't have to worry about me either...... but well, thanks for getting mad for my sake, Iris."

She was indeed a bit excessive, but her words were made out of consideration for Nozomu.

Nozomu himself understands this. That's why he is so grateful. Irisdina, who had been glancing at Nozomu's face, was finally relieved when she heard those words.

"......Thank goodness. Well then, let's proceed."

The group then began to go deeper into the waterway to continue their investigation.

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