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

Chapter 7.4

He was speechless about the scenery that unfolded before his eyes.

Nozomu’s face was still dumbfounded, his eyes were fixed on the strange scenery that had spread out before him.

"Where am I?"

Grasslands were painted by an endless shade of darkness.

There were trees with no leaves and only branches here and there, and he could barely feel any breath of life at all.

Trees that look like towering, rotting trees. The grass underfoot also looked somewhat different.

When he stepped on the grass, it shattered like a piece of glasswork with a crackling sound.

"What is this? It’s not even a plant, is it? It’s like an artificial product that resembles a plant......"

Nozomu looked up and gazed at the sky.

Despite the cloudless sky, there were no stars in sight.

However, in the sky, which was tinted the same shade of black as the ground, five gigantic moons were shining brightly.

The moon was dyed in five colors: red, blue, green, brown, and black. Only the rainbow-like moonlight illuminated the dark meadows.

"No matter what I think, this isn’t Arcazam. I wonder what is this place..."

Nozomu spoke to himself as he gazed at the eerie scene.

As he recalled, he fought Ken and have no memory of what happened afterward.

He probably fainted, but he was at a loss in the face of a scene that clearly did not seem real.

When he raised his face and looked into the distance, he saw a glowing red light over the horizon.

"Is that a fire? ... But isn’t it too wide?"

A blazing red flame shining in the distance.

Considering that it was beyond the horizon, the scale of the blaze might be enormous.

"Come to think of it, what about everyone..."

Remembering his friends, Nozomu looked around.

However, there was still no sign of life in the jet-black wilderness that stretched all the way to the horizon.

Despite the vastness of the space, not even a breeze was blowing, and only an eerie silence dominated the area.

"There is no one ... Not even a sign of animals around..."

A world that had come to a standstill, where no one moved.

Nozomu’s whole body trembled as he realized that he had been thrown into an eerie world.

"... Nothing will change if I just stand here."

With nowhere to go and no idea how to break out of his current situation, Nozomu decided to go towards the red light that shone beyond the horizon.

That was the only goal he had in mind.

Hearing the crunching sound of grass under his feet, Nozomu continued moving forward.

"Hmm? What’s that?"

After walking for a while, a strange building jumped in front of Nozomu’s eyes.

And not just one. After he took a closer look at the surroundings, he could see towering objects here and there in the wilderness.

Nozomu approached one of them.

"Is this a gate? But it’s obviously suspicious."

An object constructed of black stones in the shape of an arch. Although the overall image was not clear due to overgrown stems and grass here and there, the shape clearly looked like some kind of gate.

Upon closer inspection, there was a faintly shining curtain of light at the mouth of the gate.

However, there was nothing behind it. Just the same wilderness he had been walking through.

Originally, a gate was an entrance to enter a building surrounded by walls, but there were no other buildings, no walls, nothing around it.

There were also no other buildings at the other gates, and it was as if only gates had been built there.

"... What the hell is this?"

While feeling an indescribable sense of eeriness at the numerous gates that stood like tombstones, Nozomu approached the jet-black gate.

"For the time being, let’s just see what happens."

Grabbing a stone at his feet, Nozomu threw it into the mouth of the gate.

However, the stone passed through the mouth of the gate and fell with a thud into the grass at the back of the gate.

The curtain of light was unchanged, emitting a faint glow.

"No response. I guess I’ll just have to touch it and see what happens..."

Nozomu walked towards the mouth of the gate and reached out his hand.

(Is it okay to touch this gate? This is a suspicious object no matter how I look at it.)

A slight hesitation crossed Nozomu’s mind.

However, it was a fact that there was no point in thinking about it.

Nozomu had no idea what kind of situation he was currently in, not even about this place.

"Ei~! There’s no point in thinking about it!"

Nozomu touched the curtain of light while uttering those words.

The next moment, a strong flash of light broke out.

"Uwa! What happened!?"

At the same time, Nozomu’s hand was being pulled with a strong force.

"Wait, is it a trap after all !? Damn it, I can’t break away!"

Trying to resist the powerful force, Nozomu hurriedly strengthened his legs.

But alas. More than half of Nozomu’s arm had already been swallowed by the gate.

"Uwaa !!"

Nozomu’s body was swallowed by the curtain of light, and his screams echoed across the deserted wilderness.

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

During the lunch break, the chattering of students can be heard from all over the school.

Jihad was cleaning up a large amount of paperwork on his desk while listening to the students’ voices heard from a distance.

"Excuse me."

With a knocking sound on the door, Inda entered the office with papers in her arms.

"Jihad-sensei. I’d like to discuss the agenda for the parliament that you will be attending tomorrow..."

"Ms. Inda, hold on a sec..."

Put away the scattered papers on his desk for the time being and face her.

"Alright, so what about it?"

"Yes. They have an additional agenda in addition to the scheduled agenda. It is about how the school handled the situation after the recent incident... I think the countries will take a strict stance."

"As expected ..."

The recent incident that Ken had caused was still causing a stir.

"Yes. After all, there was a spy from among our people. And that we didn’t fully grasp the abilities of our students..."

"Well, I knew it would happen. Although many of the abilities couldn’t be discerned unless they are used, if I were to say so, it would only be an excuse."

It was normal for various problems to arise in the academy, but this time, as expected, things had become too big.

Originally, many of the abilities were not recognizable unless they were used.

Ken’s [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask], Lisa’s [Nibei Witch], Irisdina’s [Instant Deployment], and Nozomu’s [Ability Suppression], all of which cannot be discerned from their appearance at a glance.

Of course, some abilities manifested by giving changes in appearance, but research regarding these abilities had only just begun and many were still shrouded in mystery.

The pattern of when abilities are manifested and what the user feels at the time of manifestation varies greatly.

In some cases, another of themselves appears in their heads and speaks to them, while in other cases, the use of spells may come to them suddenly.

There were instances like a person being able to use magic in just one day or suddenly having their strength increased.

In Nozomu’s case, he noticed a sudden decrease in the effectiveness of his Qi techniques.

There were various documents regarding abilities reported from continent to continent, and they were so diverse that some said it was a blessing from the gods, some said it was a curse from the clan, some said it was the merit or demerit of one’s previous life, some said it was based on the month and date of birth, some said it was because of the secrets of the local foods, and so on.

In some areas, the culture of cannibalism still existed, as it was believed that if a child ate the flesh of a relative, the child would inherit its power.

In any case, the current situation in Arcazam was that research on abilities could not solve the real problem.

"But we cannot just back down and say we can’t identify it. They probably want to hear about the progress of countermeasures from us."

However, that didn’t mean they couldn’t take countermeasures.

If they showed weakness, this school would be devoured in no time by those in power who were like hungry beasts.

There were still problems at school, but they couldn’t just back off.

That was why they must take all possible measures and put all possible countermeasures in place.

If the hole in the bottom of the ship was left alone, the ship would surely sink. They had to reduce the flooding as much as possible and buy time until the hole was sealed.

"The countermeasures regarding the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] have been completed. We have placed multiple magic barriers covering the school, and we have also placed similar barriers around the gates that serve as the entrances to the city. It has little effect on the human body, but if anyone tries to enter the city while using [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask], their true identity will be instantly revealed."

"But it’s not perfect. If they disguise themselves in the city, they can end up hiding their true identity at the time of the crime."

"Yes, unlike in the school, it would be impossible to set up barriers around the city. For the time being, we are making sure that the military police are well informed about the information and countermeasures regarding the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] ..."

Fortunately, since [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] was an ability that required delicate control, it was possible to take some countermeasures if one knew that it might be used.

That was because if they applied magic power to a suspicious person, the ability would naturally be nullified and the person’s identity would naturally be revealed.

"It is difficult to detect the use of [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask] in the city. And I suppose the higher-ups would want better countermeasures than that."

Nevertheless, it was impossible to detect the use of the ability in a city where many people came and went.

Even with such countermeasures in place, there were still flaws that need to be corrected.

"Yes... Besides, there are spies of outside forces that have already infiltrated this city. We need to deal with that too......."

Furthermore, there were still shadows lurking behind the previous incident. They were the ones who manipulated the members of the school’s intelligence organization, "Starlight", behind the scenes.

After the incident, Jihad, Inda, and their team had to conduct a thorough internal investigation of the people involved, including the Starlight.

Thanks to their efforts, they were able to almost wipe out all of the spies in the school organization, but this problem was still one of the biggest headaches for Inda and the others.

Although they knew to some extent who was pulling the strings behind the scenes, they were dealing with a well-known person who worked for one of the country’s most important figures. A careless response would, on the contrary, turn to suffocate them.

Now is a particularly delicate time.

As of now, only about half of the members of the Council continue to denounce Jihad.

Some of them had stopped because Jihad had given all the information about Abyss Grief to their respective countries after this incident, and they were currently watching the situation.

Jihad meditated and was lost in thought.

"Well, I knew I would have to solve the problems related to that at some point. I guess we’re just in time..."

"Jihad-sensei...?"

Jihad’s strange comment made Inda tilt her head.

Before Inda could ask, Jihad opened his eyes and turned his strong gaze on her.

"By the way, about Nozomu-kun... hmm?"

At the mention of Nozomu’s name, Jihad noticed a slight shake behind Inda’s eyes.

"Are you concerned about Nozomu-kun?"

"What does that mean?"

Inda seemed to be replying without hesitation, but the look of agitation was clearly visible in her eyes.

Jihad stared at the silent Inda.

Jihad’s silent pressure was directed at Inda. Inda bit her lip as if she was enduring something.

"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about him. Because, to be honest, I had always underestimated and insulted him...”

"Is that why you have been concerned about him until now?"

"That’s... right."

Influenced by Ken’s rumors, Inda had a low evaluation of Nozomu’s character.

However, her prejudices were shattered by the combat training Nozomu did with Jihad and the way Nozomu risked his life to save Lisa’s life.

Since she was a serious person by nature, it was difficult for her to break free from her prejudices once they were ingrained in her mind.

At the same time, she was the type of person who couldn’t tolerate her own mistakes.

"Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to face him when he wakes up... Besides, what I’ve done is unbecoming of a teacher...”

Inda’s eyes were looking down with a hint of emptiness.

She may have been trying her best to hide it in front of the students and other teachers, but she was actually quite depressed.

"I don’t understand your feelings. In a sense, you and I are both human beings whose preconceptions have been shattered."

In the past, she was trying to shut down Nozomu, whom she thought was the worst human being, because she had a strong sense of responsibility and simply wanted to protect her students.

She was confronted with the fact that her thought was completely mistaken, but because of her earnest and fastidious nature, she was unable to forgive herself for her own mistakes.

Once this kind of person fell into depression, they continued to blame themselves and fall into an endless spiral of negativity.

In fact, she seemed to have been in such a state, keeping her eyes down all this time.

"It’s difficult for everyone to be equally correct in making the right decisions because of prejudice and common sense. And as a teacher, your methods are not necessarily wrong."

As a teacher, Inda was the type to give her students tough assignments, and students who couldn’t keep up would lose their credit mercilessly.

What she did wasn’t necessarily the wrong method. Her reason for making it strict was that education couldn’t be established unless it was made strict.

And no matter what she did, the classes and assignments at Solminati Academy were originally rigorous. In the process, there will inevitably be people who couldn’t keep up.

When there were such students, Inda would show them another way.

She would suggest that students who were having trouble keeping up with the classes should try working for their hometown vigilante group or help out at their family’s business using the knowledge they gained from the academy.

However, there were some students who had a terrible temperament and did not think about others.

Inda was adamant about dealing with such individuals.

And she was under the impression that Nozomu was also a malicious and bad person.

That was why she was now burdened because in the past she tried to get rid of such a good person by assuming that he was a bad person.

"To be honest, we often get rid of students who can’t keep up with the school. Otherwise, the expulsion system would not exist in the first place. What I said might be just words of consolation, but no one is immune to mistakes."

"Yes......"

There was no power in her response to Jihad’s words.

Even if she understood that, she couldn’t stop blaming herself.

"But what’s important is what to do once we realize our mistake. Are you going to sit still, or are you going to face the mistake yourself? You’re not the kind of person to sit still, are you?"

“............”

In fact, she had been working almost without sleeping since the previous incident happened.

Guilt over Nozomu and anger toward herself were the only things that drove her.

She kept track of the movements of various countries for Jihad who had been busy. She gathered and analyzed a huge amount of data, and conveyed accurate information.

In addition, she handled the paperwork at the academy while also performing her homeroom duties without neglect.

She could hardly remember sleeping in her own bed for the past two weeks.

She clearly overworked herself. In fact, dark circles in her eyes were quite severe, and Inda had to cover them up with very thick makeup.

"Ms. Inda, the afternoon class is about to begin. After this report, go home and take a rest for today."

"B-but ...!"

She was not someone who can change her mind that easily.

Even so, she knew what she had to do now.

She could not show any openings right now. That was why she continued to perform her duties to the point of overworking herself.

"Sure, now we just have to keep doing what we can. This has become a liability due to our negligence and inexperience. We cannot impose any more problems on our students. However, if the teachers are not able to manage themselves, there is no point. You’re obviously too fatigued right now."

However, it would be a different story if it caused trouble for others.

As the person in charge here, Jihad could not allow her to continue her duties in her current state. Not just for herself, but also for those around her.

"Besides, it wouldn’t be good for you not to be at your best tonight."

Jihad opened the desk drawer and took out a stack of papers and handed them to Inda.

As Inda ran her eyes over the papers, wondering what on earth was going on, her eyes turned into a startling color as she looked at them.

"J-Jihad-sensei. W-where did you get this information from? ..."

Listed in the document was one of the pieces of information that Inda was currently searching for.

When Inda opened her eyes and asked Jihad in a trembling voice, Jihad answered by putting his index finger to his mouth.

That meant don’t ask.

A strong gaze pierced through Inda’s body. Overwhelmed by the silent pressure, Inda could not say anything more, gulped, and fell silent.

"Let’s continue. What is Nozomu-kun’s condition?"

"... He’s still in hibernation. His body is in good health, but there’s still no sign of waking up. Is there something you want the doctor to do?"

"I’ll keep the information about him hidden. If they knew his secret, they will definitely want him to be handed over to another country. Especially at this time of year."

The two learned that Nozomu Bountis was a Dragon Slayer, but frankly, that fact was beyond what they could swallow.

As Jihad said, his existence could certainly be a powerful hand, but at the same time, it could be a double-edged sword for them.

Nozomu’s existence was indeed powerful.

Although they still hadn’t confirmed the full extent of his abilities, the extraordinary power that erupted from his body when he settled with Ken Notis was so intimidating that it sent chills down the spine, even from Jihad’s point of view.

But above all, what Jihad appreciated about Nozomu was his self-control in not wielding that power in an evil way.

He had heard about how he became a Dragon Slayer and what had happened to him since he came to this academy from Irisdina and others and from Anri.

Jihad could not guess what he had been thinking and feeling during the two years he had been here.

He must be suffering from an inner conflict.

Jihad wondered how much anger and resentment swirled deep inside his heart. It would be impossible to describe it in a simple word.

Jihad had witnessed many times people who had changed so drastically that they seemed to become different people the moment they gain power.

But even though he was treated so badly, Nozomu did not try to wield the power of the dragon he had acquired for revenge.

That was enough. That fact spoke louder about Nozomu’s character than anything else.

"Anyway, I will keep any information regarding Nozomu Bountis a secret."

"He stood out quite a bit in the previous combat training at the martial arts garden. What would you do if they pursued you about this matter?"

"We will not reveal to the outside world that he is a Dragon Slayer, and we will use a mixture of limited information and deception in our explanations. If they are persistent, we can make use of my name. When push comes to shove, I will take full responsibility."

Then, all he could do was to keep unnecessary things away from Nozomu. At least until the time, he could stand on his own.

Zonne cared about him more than anything else.

The old man had threatened Jihad that he would burn the city to ashes if they took the wrong course of action regarding Nozomu.

After hearing those words, and more importantly, after knowing his "true identity", Jihad knew that it was neither a lie nor a bluff.

If things were to take a turn for the worse, this city would surely disappear.

"..."

"... What do you think about the students at the school?"

Jihad keeps silent with a grave expression. To change the subject, Inda called out to him in a reserved manner.

"For the time being, we’ve already announced the severe punishment regarding the falsification of abilities. It’s only temporary, but it’s still better than nothing. Suspension, or in the worst-case scenario, expulsion. In some cases, other violations will have to be severely punished as well."

In addition, not only the students but also all the teachers would be punished in the form of "salary reductions" and "warnings.

As one would expect from a matter of this magnitude, the decision was made because disciplinary action against some of the staff members was not sufficient before.

"Now then, Ms. Inda. Based on the information I just showed you, we will conduct a rat hunt tonight. I will prepare the Starlight. Until then, get some rest."

"Y-yes ... Understood."

Overwhelmed by Jihad’s strong tone of voice, Inda gave a small nod.

Jihad stood up abruptly and looked out the window.

It was almost time for afternoon classes to begin. Jihad took a glance at the martial arts garden seen through the window and left his office.

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

Voices full of spirit were heard in the training ground after school after the class of the day was finished.

"Zeei!"

Mars’ greatsword, raised in the air, was swung down toward the opponent in front of him.

"Kuh! Jin, don’t confront it head-on! If you confront it poorly, you will be crushed!"

"I know! Hamria, cover Deck!"

"Y-yes!"

Tommy managed to deflect the trajectory of the greatsword coming toward his body, while Hamria, who was standing behind him, chanted a spell.

Deck, who had come around from the side of Mars, thrust the spear into Mars’ flank.

"Teyaaah!"

"Fuh~!"

Mars held the greatsword in his right hand as he swung it and flicked Deck’s spear away with the back of his left hand.

Furthermore, Mars sent his Qi into the greatsword he had swung, and as the winds around him swirled around it, he swept it away at once.

"Uwaa!"

"Doaa!"

Although he didn’t have enough time to formulate enough Qi and was unable to form a wind blade, the powerful swirl of wind threw off Tommy and Deck’s bodies for several meters.

"I got you!"

"I-I won’t let you!"

Mars tried to pursue them further.

However, as if not letting that happen, Hamria’s [Driving Mass of Wind] was shot at Mars.

"Tch!"

Even though the power was not as strong as Irisdina’s spell, Hamria’s aim was precise enough to reach Mars.

Mars had no choice but to give up on the pursuit of the two, poured his Qi into his greatsword, and slammed it into the wind mass that was approaching toward him.

Hamria’s magic and Mars’ slash collide, and the burst of air created a cloud of dust around them.

"... I see, so this is your aim."

The cloud of dust that danced in the air made it almost impossible to see what was going on around him. Mars, whose vision was blocked, clicked his tongue.

"Is this Jin’s plan ...... or maybe Hamria’s."

Mars readjusted the greatsword that he had swung.

There were five opponents. He could be attacked from anywhere.

From the front, the back, or all directions .......

With only his eyes moving and his whole body moderately tense, Mars listened to his surroundings to find out how his opponents were doing.

"~ !?"

Suddenly, the cloud of dust at the edge of Mars’ vision was moving.

Immediately, he swung his greatsword.

However, Mars’ slash caught nothing and cut through the empty air.

"Tch~! Was it just the wind!?"

"Teyaaa!"

A shadow covered Mars’ figure after he was swinging his greatsword.

He looked up and saw the shadow of a female student leaping towards him with the sun on her back.

"Above !?"

Leaping towards Mars from above was Cami, who held a dagger in each of her hands.

It was a surprise attack from above, not from the front or back, nor from the left or right.

The wind that Mars had just slashed was just a wind that Jin had cast with magic to divert Mars’ attention.

Once his attention was diverted to the side, Mars’ movement was completely delayed in the face of an unexpected surprise attack.

"I got you!"

"You wish!"

However, Mars was also not someone who would allow himself to be defeated so easily. He slammed his Qi into his left hand and forcibly received Cami’s dagger with the back of his hand.

"Guu!"

"No way!"

A blow with the added weight of a single person. An ordinary human being would undoubtedly be crushed to the ground even if he or she could defend against it.

However, Mars received Cami’s dagger with only his left hand.

Sending Qi into his left hand, wind began to cover Mars’ left hand.

"T-this is ba- ..."

"Zeyaaa!"

The mass of wind that covered Mars’ left hand exploded at once.

Cami’s body was blown away, and Mars stepped back staggeringly as a result of the recoil.

In that gap, Jin and the others rushed in with their weapons raised in the air.

"Deck, flank him!"

"Yes, yes!"

"Uoo!"

"Tch!"

Mars sent his Qi into the greatsword and wind blade enveloped the greatsword at once.

Mars forced his unstable upper body under control, and without thinking of the consequences, he released his Qi and cleaved the greatsword with one hand.

"Don’t underestimate me!"

A flash.

At the same time, blades of wind swept Mars’ front, and violent impacts struck Jin and the others.

"Kuu!"

"Uwaa!"

Mars’ blow that failed to gain sufficient momentum was insufficient to push back the assault of Jin and the others.

But even so, Jin and the others couldn’t ignore the swarms of wind blades rushing toward them.

They gave up the assault and leaped backward.

"Damn, we couldn’t attack fast enough..."

"Yeah, We were so close..."

Deck and Cami were biting their lips in frustration, perhaps because they had some confidence in their previous attack.

"Good grief, is it my imagination? Aren’t you guys becoming somewhat like Nozomu in the way you fight?"

"Maybe. The surprise attack using the cloud of dust is a strategy that Nozomu used in the special training, and we must use any available means. Especially against a superior opponent like Mars-kun."

"You’re getting pretty good at that too..."

Mars, who had survived the attack, and Jin, who had come up with the strategy, were smiling and spoke frivolously.

While smiling, they kept their eyes on each other and focused all their attention on each other so as not to miss each other’s every move.

Mars readjusted his greatsword.

"Now then, let’s continue. Of course, you can still go, right?"

Mars turned a provocative smile on Jin and the others.

As if in response to this provocation, Jin silently raised his right hand, and his companions all lowered their bodies at once.

Then, with a powerful burst of sound, Mars leaped toward Jin and the others, clad in a tearing wind.

He took advantage of his abundance of Qi and his blessed physique to crush them head-on.

Not to be outdone by the sense of intimidation felt from the onrushing Mars, Jin raised his right hand and swung it down powerfully.

At the same time, Deck and Tommy were the first to leap at Mars.

Jin and Cami followed behind them, and Hamria began chanting at their back.

The next moment, Mars and the five of them clashed again in the training ground dyed in crimson.

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

Tima and Feo were watching the combat training between classmates of the 10th class in a corner of the training ground.

To be more precise, Feo had wandered over to the place where Tima and Mars were training with Jin and the others.

So far, all five of them, including Jin, Deck, Hamria, Cami, and Tommy, had been fighting well against Mars alone without a single of them being defeated.

In fact, since they became a party in the previous special training, Mars and Jin and the others had been training together from time to time.

Now that Nozomu was bedridden and Irisdina and the others were busy nursing him, they had been training with Jin and the others more frequently these days.

"That guy... Mars is so energetic~~!’

While sitting on the bench beside the training ground, Feo watched their combat training with interest.

Mars originally came to the Solminati Academy in search of power, but his recent dedication to training was quite impressive.

"Nozomu-kun is still bedridden, so it’s better for Mars to move his body right now, also Mars can’t neglect his training..."

Indeed, now that Nozomu was still bedridden, there were limited things Mars could do.

Since he was a short-tempered person, he must have been restless.

The thoughts that had nowhere to go were applied to training.

"Hmm. Well, maybe Mars has his own thoughts about Nozomu too."

"But he doesn’t train as recklessly as he used to, right? Even today, he doesn’t use that combination technique, he just uses his Qi..."

As Tima said, Mars’ figure as he exchanged blows with Jin and the others showed no sign of his previous impatience to catch up with Nozomu.

He was not forcing himself to use magic, but rather was maintaining his original style of overwhelming his opponents with his abundance of Qi and superior physique.

He was also enjoying the frivolous talk with Jin and the others.

"Maybe he’s not that worried about Nozomu~"

"Yeah, that’s what I thought too. Mars-kun said "I’m sure he’ll wake up and be fine" ..."

"Hmm. Was that really what he thought? Or is he just being worried in his own way?..."

"Who knows. But I’m sure there’s no doubt that he is worried about Nozomu-kun..."

There was no doubt that Mars was worried about Nozomu. But Tima sensed that Mars’s attitude was a little different from Irisdina and the others.

"Where are Shīna-san and the others now?"

"She is in Nozomu’s hospital room. And the black-haired princess too?"

Tima gave a small nod in response to the returned question.

"So, how is Irisdina-san doing?"

"She doesn’t seem to have changed much, but I still think she’s pushing herself too hard."

Tima recalled her best friend who was silent all the time in the classroom.

Her mouth was tightly shut in a straight line, and she was always gazing outside the classroom as if she was concerned about what was going on outside.

Her gaze was fixed on the Gloaurum Institute’s medical facility. It was where he was sleeping.

"... Shīna was also somewhat distracted in class. It was unusual for the teacher to get angry with her."

According to Feo, Irisdina was not the only one who was absent-minded.

According to his story, Shīna was also called by the teacher several times during class, but never responded, and she finally realized it when she was hit on the head with the attendance book.

"And she just kept mumbling and muttering something as she left the classroom after the lesson was over. Mimuru called out to her, but she didn’t seem to notice~. Come to think of it, I think her face was strangely red when she left the classroom..."

Feo tilted his head, remembering Shīna’s suspicious behavior.

He let out a carefree voice and continued his talk to Tima.

This young man of the Fox Tribe, like Mars, didn’t seem to have any unnecessary worries.

A complete trust. Such an atmosphere could be felt from their behavior.

Is that what friendship between men is like?

Once again, Tima turned her attention to Mars, who continued the combat training.

"So, what does the black-haired princess’s best friend think about her unusual behavior?"

"... As expected, she can’t seem to get Nozomu out of her head. And also about Lisa-san too."

It was unusual for Irisdina not to be focused in class, but from time to time she seemed to be concerned about Lisa Hounds.

The students around her didn’t seem to notice, but Tima saw Irisidina’s eyes squint slightly when her gaze turned in Lisa’s direction.

At the same time, it was strange that Irisdina didn’t say a word about the malice directed at others. If she were her usual straightforward self, she would have said something, even if it was just a little...

"Hmm~. It seems the black-haired princess is going to be in trouble."

"Y-yeah......"

Perhaps Irisdina was jealous of Lisa. That was what Tima felt after seeing her behavior recently.

Nozomu and his friends had certainly taken a step closer as friends when they were attacked by the Undead Dragon in the forest that time, but Nozomu himself had not clearly stated what kind of relationship he wanted with Lisa from now on.

He simply didn’t want them to stay as it was. If he continued to turn away from the reality in front of him, it would surely be irreversible. Perhaps Nozomu was being rushed by such feelings.

However, how did Irisdina and Shīna, who were watching him closely, feel?

The years and resentment he endured from the anger directed at him unreasonably. How did they feel when they watched him desperately piling words after words while keeping a lid on his own feeling.

What if she had been in the position of her best friend?

Tima tried to imagine Mars talking to another woman in front of her.

He took the hand of another woman who was on the verge of crying and tried desperately to think of words to say to her.

And she could only watch it from afar...

"~!"

She couldn’t feel calm. She felt as if there was a gaping hole in her chest, even though she had only imagined it.

However, Irisdina and Shīna were being shown this scene in reality.

Their feeling of loss must be indescribable.

"I-’ll try to talk to her tomorrow. Ai, just like Nozomu-kun, sometimes keeps painful things to herself..."

"It’s hard for her to talk to Somicchi because she’s her sister, and maybe it’s better that way..."

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.

She shook her head to keep herself calm.

"Even so, what about the red-haired princess?"

"T-that’s ..."

What would they really do?

Nozomu, Irisdina, Lisa, and Shīna. The four people’s thoughts and feelings were complicated.

It was like a spider’s thread that was intricately intertwined.

"Truly, it didn’t go the way we wantedl~~."

Feo’s words left Tima speechless.

A moment of silence passed between the two of them.

"A-anyway! I’ll try to talk to Ai about it. I think Ai will feel a little better if she can spit out what she’s holding back..."

"Well, it may not be a fundamental solution, but it might be better that way. I’ll be counting on you."

Tima clenched her hands and makes a small gut-punch, and Feo smiled wryly.

Then Feo, as if remembering something, rushed to her with a serious expression on his face.

"By the way, did you have a proper talk with Mars this morning? Because I left the two of you in your own world. I tried to be reasonably attentive."

"Fue!?"

Feo, with a serious expression, suddenly took the conversation in an outrageous direction. Tima unintentionally let out a small voice.

This morning, an angry Tima and Mars created a barrier-like atmosphere near the main gate of the school. The sweet sight of the barrier gave everyone who passed by them a terrible heartburn and a desire to kill them early in the morning.

Tima’s face turned red as she recalled this morning’s events.

The reaction was too obvious. The perceptive Feo would not have missed it.

"Oh! By the looks of it, you must have made some progress! Perhaps a confession of love?"

The fun-loving addict fox spoke so many things at once.

Worst of all, there were no Shīna and the others here to stop Feo, who was going out of control just like in the morning.

"Or is it a kiss !? No way. Did you say, "I want you~~!". With that, school becomes a completely different place..."

As expected, Feo, who had gone out of control with too much vigor, would not stop. Tima’s face was already red beyond vermilion.

"Hoho ~. I see, I’ve seen something good! The sight of the [Four-Scale Concerto]’s face turn red is worth 100 gold coins..."

Nevertheless, the situation was different now than it had been in the morning.

At that time, there was certainly no one who could stop Feo, but it was not a good thing to tease Tima so directly here.

"E, eeee! Fueeee!"

"Eh? ... Fugya!"

The next moment, a powerful impact struck Feo in the face.

A powerful flash of light flashed across his vision, and he was instantly knocked to the ground.

After that, Tima, who was so embarrassed, fled from that place as fast as she could. Mars and the others, who watched her running away, tilting their heads.

"What are you doing? You bastard..."

"Fufu, I’m so full today..."

Mars and the others, who had not heard the exchange between Feo and Tima, tilted their head.

The way Feo was grinning and lying on the ground was, to say the least, creepy.

To be honest, he looked like the kind of person anyone didn’t want to talk to. If anyone were to see him on the street, they would immediately avert their gaze and walk away.

"...Whatever you just did, but your face now looks like that pervy geezer."

"......E?"

"It’s on the same level as that. Well, I knew it."

"Bufuou~!?"

Mars’ merciless words put an end to Feo this time.

Feo’s white eyes were so shocked that even his soul was protruding from his mouth.

"Mars-kun ... what are you going to do about it?"

"... Leave him alone."

Mars left Feo, who was devastated, behind and walked away from that place.

Jin and the others were also wondering what to do, but they probably thought it would be a bad idea to get involved. They left the place reluctantly.

In the end, Feo, who had fainted, was pathetically left there until night fell and a patrolman found him.