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Chapter 8.42

The fight between Mars and Rugato, which began in the Central Park, was instantly escalated into an a commotion with shouts and screams by the citizens who saw the two men on a rampage on the roofs.

Fortunately, the two were fighting on the roofs of the buildings.

Because they were fighting at a high altitude, the gaps between the standing buildings acted like trenches, preventing the shockwaves caused by slashes and magic from striking the citizens directly.

The two clashed blades and magic amidst the clamor of fleeing citizens.

"Oooooo!"

Mars shouted as he deflected the rain of magic bullets released by Rugato with his great sword clad in wind.

Magic and Qi Combination Technique [Wind Blade of Rupture]

Similar to the Qi-technique [Dust Blade], this technique involves enveloping the weapon in a blade of wind, but its scale and power far exceeded that of the [Dust Blade].

The turbulence caused by the wind was like a tornado. The wind blades that shattered the ten magic bullets attacked Rugato, shattering the flying shingles and mortar.

"Kuh..."

Rugato quickly deployed four layers of magic barriers, but Mars\' [Wind Blade of Rupture] quickly broke through Rugato\'s barriers.

"The sheer force is ... frighteningly powerful."

When the third magic barrier was shattered, Rugato immediately leapt backward. He moved more than ten meters in a single step, jumping off the roof and trying to escape from the tremendously powerful wind blades.

"I won\'t let you escape!"

However, Mars, too, was determined not to let him escape, and he gave chase. The roof shingles were smashed by the sheer force of his legs, and a roaring sound echoed through the air.

The magic and Qi combination technique strengthened not only the great sword, but also Mars\' body.

Jumping down into the already deserted central park, Mars instantly created a whirlwind that once again caught Rugato in the blade\'s radius.

Rugato quickly moved the fingers of both hands and activated his magic. He produced a blood-colored magic sword, and then cast a physical strengthening spell on his own body to intercept Mars\' great sword that had been swept at him.

"Guuuu!"

Intense pressure fell on both of Rugato\'s arms.

Mars\' physical ability, now that he had complete control over the magic-Qi combination technique, was comparable to that of Nozomu, who had released the [Soul-Sealing Chains].

Rugato, therefore, tried to resist the pressure on both arms by increasing his magic power to prevent himself from being pushed away.

"I got you."

"~!"

The next moment, however, the wind around the great sword expanded and tried to swallow Rugato\'s arms along with the entire sword of blood.

Rugato quickly let go of the sword and flew backward.

A single slash of the great sword ran through the air, and a fierce wind blew the old man\'s monocle off his eyes.

Rugato managed to avoid Mars\' slash. However, he was unable to avoid it completely.

"Guh~...!"

A cry of anguish escaped from the old man\'s mouth. Looking closely, he saw that the fingers of both his hands had been chopped and ripped off by the wind blade.

"Since your magic originated from your fingers, I decided to seal them up for a moment."

Mars made a follow up attack on the old butler, who had lost a finger, to further corner him.

Rugato\'s magic was activated by drawing magic circles with his fingers. With the vampire\'s regenerative abilities, it would be easy to restore his fingers, but it would still take some time.

"Fuh~!"

However, there was no way Mars would give him that kind of time.

This time, he launched three follow-up strikes, hoping to catch Rugato with his blade.

"I\'d appreciate it if you wouldn\'t run away!"

"~!"

But in the next instant, Rugato turned his body into a swarm of bats.

The bats, each equipped with claws and fangs that could scrape steel, attacked Mars.

"Phew…"

But Mars was unfazed.

He raised his sword, turned it around, and held it in the opposite direction, then thrust the tornado-clad blade into the ground.

"Blow it up!"

In the next instant, the wind blade that had been enveloping the great sword expanded at once, and a gigantic tornado appeared.

Magic-Qi Combination Technique [Storm Vortex]

In an instant, a tornado appeared and toppled over the benches and trees in the central park, smashing them to pieces and whirling up everything in its path.

The powerful tornado disappeared in a few seconds, but after the storm had passed, it was followed by a hail of crushed stones and tree debris.

The power of this storm is comparable to Tima\'s advanced magic. However, Mars\' expression did not look good.

"Tch~. I missed, huh..."

Ahead of Mars, bats that had escaped the tornado\'s blast zone in the nick of time were gathering.

Rugato reappeared from amongst the gathered bats.

"Last time, Nozomu-dono did the same thing to me and burned me all over. Therefore, I don\'t want to go through the same thing again. Besides, my preparations are ready."

"What?"

"I did not turn myself into bats without a reason!"

Rugato raged his magic power, and then he suddenly slammed his feet, filled with magic power, into the ground. The magic power that hit the ground flowed along the traces of damage on the ground.

The magical light flowing on the ground formed a huge magic circle that covered the outside of the traces of damage caused by Mars\' [Storm Vortex].

It was the formation that Rugato, who had lost his fingers, had created when he was being attacked by Mars when he was in bats form.

Seeing the magical light gathering at his feet, Mars finally realized Rugato\'s plan.

" ~!"

The next moment, a huge wave of darkness erupted from under Mars\' feet. The wave of darkness grew in size as it engulfed Mars\' body.

"Guu ... ooo!"

While enduring the pain as if his entire body was being shredded, Mars raised his great sword and thrust it into the ground with his magic and Qi, once again activating the [Storm Vortex].

Rugato\'s magic, which had been torn out from the inside by the torrent of magical energy, turned to dust and vanished.

"You are just as reckless as Nozomu-dono, aren\'t you?"

"Haa, haa... -phew. If I don\'t act this way, he\'ll be too far ahead of me in no time."

While wiping the blood from his cheek, Mars swung his greatsword in a flash.

Magic and Qi flowed all the way to the tip of the blade. Even though he was slightly wounded, his will to fight had not waned in the slightest.

"Looks like things are starting over there, too."

"Hm?"

As if prompted by Rugato\'s gaze, Mars turned his attention to the direction in which he was looking and saw a five-colored light blasting high into the sky.

That was enough to give him a rough idea of what was going on.

All that remained was to do something about the old vampire in front of him. Thinking so, Mars lowered his waist and prepared to step forward.

However, while Mars fired up his will to fight, Rugato dispersed the magic that was cloaked all over his body and took a step to the side as if to give Mars a way through.

While Mars looked doubtful at Rugato\'s urging to go ahead, the old gentleman had a smile on his face.

"This is the end of my role. I have been told to keep you at bay no longer..."

Mars\' forehead furrowed. He could not grasp Rugato\'s true intentions.

However, as if to dispel Mars\' skepticism, Rugato put his bloodstained hand on his chest and bows deeply.

There was not the slightest intention of trying to deceive him in his appearance.

"... I see. To be honest, I haven\'t exacted my revenge yet, but if you say so, I\'ll let you go."

Mars recalled the old gentleman in the previous visits to the Francilt mansion who refused to listen to anything they had to say in order to carry out Vitora\'s orders. For better or worse, this old gentleman was loyal to his master.

Slowly, Mars released his stance. He lowered his greatsword, but Rugato did not move an inch. He then put the great sword back on his back and ran past Rugato\'s side.

Rugato still bowed deeply and did not do anything to Mars, who should have turned his back on him.

"Hmph, I\'ll settle this another day."

"I will look forward to your challenge, young man."

Mars hastened toward the Francilt mansion while back-to-back exchanging words of mutual feelings.

The five-colored elements that erupt into the air blow away the magic mixed with Vitora\'s elements, which had already begun to cover the city, and create a storm like a volcanic eruption.

"It\'s starting. It\'s going to be a big commotion. Well, it\'s already obvious when he blasted through the city earlier..."

The next moment, however, the five-colored elements that had erupted subsided as if they were being reversed.

Silence flowed through Arcazam, the exact opposite of the explosive phenomenon that had occurred in rapid succession.

But Mars could easily imagine what would happen next. Without a doubt, his best friend\'s rampage was about to begin.

"Tima, please take care of that one."

With a quick glance toward the school, Mars hurried ahead to catch up with his best friend.

================================

Nozomu and Shina. Everyone\'s reactions were varied when they saw them storming into the Francilt mansion.

The sisters\' eyes widened in surprise, the red-haired girl snorted with pride. The vampire princess, who was the cause of the trouble, was beaming with delight.

"You have come at last, Dragon Slayer. I welcome you."

Vitora, with a joyous expression on her face, welcomed Nozomu with open arms.

Meanwhile, Nozomu put down Shina and whispered in her ear.

"I leave her to you."

"Yes."

Nozomu separated himself from Shina and walked over to Irisdina, who was crouching down.

Somia and Lisa, who had been beside Irisdina, turn to the side to pave the way for him.

"Nozomu, I\'ll leave the rest to you."

"Nozomu-san..."

"Yeah, leave it to me."

A plea for help as he passed by. Nozomu nodded in response to their words and crouched down on his knees in front of Irisdina. He gently put his hand on Irisdina\'s shoulder and helped her to look up.

Her white skin, marred by black veins, was visible. Seeing her in such pain, Nozomu bit his lips.

"Iris... I\'ll help you now."

"Ha, haa, haa..."

I\'m going to help you. In response to Nozomu\'s words, Irisdina averted her eyes and shook her head as if in refusal.

Although he smiled wryly at her stubbornness, he clearly stated his intention.

"Sorry, I\'ve already made up my mind. Besides, I\'m sure a lot of people in town saw me before I arrived here."

I\'ve made up my mind. I\'ve decided my path, my way of life.

Nozomu has been blasting through the city with the [Soul-Sealing Chains] released until he came here.

That was equivalent to the power that Nozomu possessed being made public.

Nozomu had been so afraid of others knowing about his dragon-slaying power, but when he said so, his tone of voice was light, and his unwavering determination was evident.

"Ah~…"

The warmth that suddenly spread across her lips caused Irisdina to let out a soft voice.

The next moment, Shina, who was waiting behind them, linked the path by contract between them.

Then, Nozomu activated the [Soul-Sealing Chains] again.

An invisible chain wrapped around Nozomu\'s body. The powerful seal also affected Irisdina through the path, suppressing the Vitora\'s magic power that was eroding her.

The erosion of the black veins stopped and faded away.

"Idiot, why did you come here..."

"Well, I suppose it\'s because I\'m an idiot. But it can\'t be helped, this is who I am, so give it up. And also..."

Irisdina murmured in frustration, dismay, and most of all joy, and Nozomu, with a wry smile, took something from his pocket and held it out in front of her.

"This is..."

"It\'s the bell I promised you. It\'s a little bit lame, though."

A hair ornament with artificial flowers imitating purple flowers and a silver bell attached to it. The name of the flower it imitates is Crowea. In the language of flowers, it means "Make a wish".

Irisdina\'s eyes shook as she saw the hair ornament that gave form to Nozomu\'s feelings for Irisdina. Irisdina was so moved that she trembled and sobbed. Nozomu gently took the hair ornament in her hand and attached it to her hair.

As he had expected, it went well with her whitened hair.

Nozomu smiled gently from relief and joy at finally being able to give her the promised bell.

"Goodness gracious, you left me here to flirt, I\'ve never been treated so neglectfully before."

Meanwhile, Vitora, who had been left alone, folded her arms and looked at Nozomu and the others with a discontented look on her face.

Nozomu left Irisdina in the hands of Lisa and the others, and then turned to face Vitora.

"I would like to ask you one question."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you have to push the Francilt family to this point? From the way you\'ve been behaving, I\'m sure I\'m the only one you\'re after."

His eyes held a strong will, different from when he confronted her at the previous opening festival. Vitora\'s mouth lifted up while she answered the question of the guest who had finally arrived.

"Ah, right. The only reason I touched these girls was to see how prepared you are for this. In other words, a trial run."

"A trial... Did you involve Iris and the others just for something like that?"

Anger welled up from deep within Nozomu\'s chest.

"Nice eyes. Eyes filled with fighting spirit. It has to be this way."

"Why should we be involved in your amusements?"

"Amusements? Well, there was that, too, but perhaps you think I came here for that simple reason?"

"What?"

"After all, these people, and everyone else in your country, are nothing more than beings that will disappear without knowing anything about the great passage of time. The true battle of this world. They are not even aware of it."

"The true battle?"

"I was just making sure you were worthy of the fight. To be honest, these girls were baits for that purpose, ... but now they\'re nothing more than a shackle."

A mysterious light flashed in the depths of Vitora\'s eyes.

" ~ !?"

Nozomu reflexively bent down.

The next moment, a blade of wind, cutting through the drifting elements, ran past the spot where Nozomu\'s head had been.

"Nozomu!?”

While Irisdina was screaming, Vitora, with her right hand relaxed calmly at her side and continued to speak indifferently.

"My true purpose is to see your true worth and bring you back."

"Bring me back!? For what purpose!?"

"As I said earlier. It\'s for the true battle of this world. If you are not worthy, I will simply cast you to the depths of the earth."

Vitora swung her right arm again.

Nozomu leaped sideways with all his might. A vertical flash of light sliced from his head to his groin, followed by the crushing of the wall behind him.

Vitora moved so fast that even Nozomu could not perceive it. He just instinctively sensed the "omen" before her attack and avoided it with his intuition.

Before he knew it, a lethal blade seemed to be rushing past him with a roar. He simply let his intuition guide him and continued to move his body.

"Ah, right. I should have taken you away from the beginning. I should have left the Francilt agreement to Rugato. If we take you by force, it doesn\'t matter how much those humans scream ... hmm? No, if I do that..."

Stopping her arm for a moment, Vitora looked up to the ceiling, as if in thought.

"Oh, I see. I was drunk before I knew it, with your blood I mean..."

"What?"

"Your blood. The blood that contains the power of the Dragon. Certainly, it was not to my liking when I drank it before, but it is still the blood of the Dragon Slayer. Now that I think about it, I must have already been a bit unhinged from that time."

Vitora\'s claws were swung three times.

Unable to completely avoid it this time, the lingering wind blade sliced Nozomu\'s cheek.

"Ugh~!"

"Ah, it smells so good. I never thought that just a slight tickle to my nose could lift my mood so much. I am aware of it, yet you are still wonderful."

Vitora\'s cheeks were flushed red, as if intoxicated by the scent of the blood dripping and flowing from the wound.

"But it\'s a shame. For the sake of the girl behind you, you are now unable to undo your chains. If you do, my magic will once again begin to invade that Francilt girl."

"Guh..."

The current Nozomu can\'t release the [Soul-Sealing Chains]. If he does, Irisdina will start to be invaded by Vitora\'s magic power again.

And for the same reason, Shina is also unable to use spirit magic.

"I made the arrangement to see if you were resolved, but now, you have increased your own shackles instead."

Vitora\'s arm swung in a circular motion.

The next moment, a storm like a tornado slammed into Nozomu.

"Gah!?"

The storm, which did not even have a gap to be evaded, knocked Nozomu\'s body off the ground and slammed him against the wall.

He fell to the ground with a cry of anguish, and Vitora looked at him with regretful eyes.

"Well, no matter. It\'s somewhat troublesome, but I\'ll tear off your limbs and take you home. Don\'t worry. I\'ll fix you up properly when we get to the Empire\'s territory."

"You are wrong…"

"Hmm?"

The impact of being slammed against the wall might have injured the inside of his mouth, and even though his mouth was bleeding, Nozomu began to raise himself up as if he were crawling.

He raised his upper body and tried to stand up, but Nozomu\'s legs were shaking so much that he was about to lose his balance and fall.

He had already released Tiamat\'s power once. The burden was still in his body\'s inner core, and it had been brought to the surface by Vitora\'s blow earlier.

Nozomu finally stood up, exhaled heavily, and drank the blood that had accumulated in his mouth.

His throat gurgled, and the bitter taste of rusty iron fell into his gut.

"Not shackles. These girls are not shackles."

His voice sounded hoarse and weak, as if he were about to fade away.

But strangely enough, it had a strength that resonated deep in their ears.

"It was me who was the shackles. It was always me who held them back."

He was afraid to face the past, so he fled, and even turned away from the present he was fleeing from.

And now he was lost, losing sight of the path to the future.

Every time something wandered in his mind, he felt a suffocating sensation as if his body was being squeezed to the breaking point.

"I have no dreams. I came to the school because I was attracted to Lisa\'s dream. I came to the school because I was attracted to Lisa\'s dreams, and I wanted to help these girls because I was attracted to their dreams."

Nozomu Bountis originally did not have a strong will.

He was always looking for something else to make up for the core that was missing in his heart. It was like a moth to a candle.

"Their dreams were so dazzling to me as they ran straight for their future. I didn\'t have anything like that."

Nozomu looked down at his body. The invisible chains that wrapped around his body were still firmly reflected in his eyes.

Chains that he had torn off many times.

However, the chains have never disappeared and continue to accompany Nozomu at all times.

"I am a chain. I\'m just like the chain hanging right here. Chains can\'t go anywhere, can\'t be used to make anything."

A chain. It is not like a flame that illuminates someone, like a torch.

Now that he thought about it, this was Nozomu\'s very way of being, and it was also his very self.

A chain that bound him, a shell to keep himself without a core. Above all, it was himself.

"But chains aren\'t just for binding. They are really meant to hold things together. They hold together what might spill, drift away, or disappear."

He raised his right hand, which had a chain wrapped around it.

A chain. Something to bind and confine. But that is only one aspect of a chain.

Chains is essentially something that holds things together. They exist to keep things from falling apart, to protect things from collapsing.

The invisible chain, which had seemed like a phantom, began to glow at Nozomu\'s determined words, and gradually became more realistic.

"That\'s..."

"... White, chains."

The shining chains gradually increased their luminosity, and finally, even the eyes of others could clearly recognize their existence.

While everyone was gawking at the chains that had suddenly appeared, Nozomu, confronting his own heart once again, slowly opened his mouth while staring at the chains that could be called his very existence.

"I-... I will be the chain that holds those dreams together."

So that the dreams that are about to disappear will not disappear, so that the brilliance that is about to be destroyed will not be lost. And even if tears fall, he will hold on to that broken heart.

It was a declaration to define one\'s own heart, one\'s own way of being.

In the next instant, the rings of chains that bound Nozomu\'s body were untied as if they were unraveling.

A vast amount of elements erupted from his body, shattering the ceiling of the Francilt mansion and soaring into the sky.

"Wha~!?"

The spewed elements seemed to drown out Vitora\'s magic in an instant, and in the blink of an eye, they were pulled back into Nozomu\'s body, enveloped in a swarm of unraveled chain rings.

And all the elements returned to his body.

The reception room became as silent as a night with a new moon after the storm had passed, and the only person in the room was Nozomu, clad in white chains.

Despite the enormous power he had just displayed, he was facing Vitora with a surprisingly tranquil presence.

His body, clad in silently glowing chains, gave off no sense of intimidation.

Even his presence seemed vague, as if dealing with an insect or a tree.

A silent atmosphere spread out.

Vitora\'s eyes became stern for the first time in this calm, yet intimidating silence.

"~ !"

Vitora\'s right arm shook.

An arm strike that was unleashed with a physical ability that was out of the norm even for vampires.

The blow, which was even enveloped in a vacuum blade, approached Nozomu at a speed that humans could hardly perceive.

The next moment, it was shattered like glasswork by countless flashes that ran through the air.

"Gah~!?"

The flashes of light shattered Vitora\'s vacuum blade, and she winced and backed away, bleeding.

Ahead of her gaze was Nozomu, who had drawn his katana before she knew it.

The chains that had been wrapped around his entire body extended to the katana he was carrying, and the [Mumei] blade with the chains wrapped around it was covered in a five-colored shining elements.

Tiamat\'s power was clearly emerging. However, it was not rough at all as it had been until now.

Rather, despite the rain of slashing blows, there was a surprising calmness in the air.

It was the way of being oneself. It was the moment when Nozomu, who had defined the true nature of the [Soul-Sealing Chains], took complete control of his own unique ability.

"... Here I go."

Nozomu lowered his hips. The next moment, he accelerated ..., leaving only a sound like a light tap on wood.

"~!"

With that, Nozomu stepped beyond even a moment\'s time and stepped right in front of Vitora in an instant.

A swinging blade and a stout, slender arm.

A flash of rainbow colors and a fiery strike clad in magic power collided, repelling each other as if an explosion had occurred.

An awakened Dragon Slayer and a vampire princess.

The battle has finally begun.