BXBX NOVEL [Ln] Volume 3: Chapter 5.3
Dissonant Quartet Part 3
Translator : PolterGlast
Spasim Forest shrouded in darkness.
In Shino's hut, Nozomu was alone, swinging his katana in frustration.
It was his habitual act of escapism. Furthermore, the way he was doing it was so ugly and poor that it could not be compared to his usual style.
His movements were sloppy. If his master were to see it, he would be thrown away with a shout of rage.
He himself was aware of his own hideous behavior, but he still couldn't stop it.
The rage that welled up inside him. The anger that kept swirling deep in his chest ignored the screams of his body.
"Haa, haa, haa......"
While he kept swinging his katana and gasping for air, a faint glow of Qi was pouring into the blades of the drawn katana.
He tried to create a Qi-blade by pouring in even his already exhausted Qi, but his katana would not respond at all.
Finally, his knees gave up and he was about to fall to the ground.
But he held on by stabbing his katana into the ground as if it were a cane, but his wobbling body would not budge contrary to his will.
His mind was rushed by regret and frustration, while his exhausted body had become completely disconnected from his mind.
"Ku~uu!"
Even so, Nozomu refused to give up and reached for the invisible chains that bound him.
It's all because of this .......
With such a scowl, he tried to tear off the chains, but the invisible chains, which could have been easily torn off like paper before, were now as hard as real iron and did not even budge.
His body can no longer move and his Qi has been squeezed dry. All that remains is guilt, regret, and self-pity.
"Damn it ......."
He punched the ground as hard as he could. Blood trickled from his bitten lip and dripped onto his knuckles.
In the silent forest, only the moonlight shining through the trees comforted him.
"There you are. I've been looking for you......"
Nozomu was startled by the sudden voice and raised his face to see Shina Juliel coming out from behind the trees.
She was breathing heavily, seemed like she had run in a great hurry, and her glossy azure hair was a little disheveled.
"Why, are you here? ......"
"Of course, I came looking for you. You suddenly left and disappeared after all. ...... Everyone's looking for you, you know? ......."
"Everyone......."
Shina came next to Nozomu, who muttered with a disheartened expression, and sat down beside him while supporting his body.
"You see~. Irisdina-san, Tima-san, Somia-san. Anri-sensei, Mimuru, Tom, and even that pain in the ass Feo was also looking for you."
"I see ......"
Shina tried her best to speak cheerfully, but Nozomu's expression remained clouded.
Silence fell between them for a while.
"Looks like Irisdina-san is aware of your power as well, huh?"
"Did you hear about it from Iris?"
"Yeah, and also about everything that happened."
In response to Nozomu's question, Shina nodded her head and continued to speak.
"Release of [Ability Suppression]. I've never heard of such a thing. Not even in the books in the school library. On top of that, you fought against a vampire from the Waziart Household, one of the seven households that hold the Dizard Empire together, and emerged victorious. That's very hard to believe, don't you think?"
"I guess so......"
"Well, if I didn't know you, I'd dismiss it as impossible. If I only know the fictional you, the one I've only heard about from the rumors that is......"
Shina gave him a gaze of trust that had never changed. However, such a gaze was painful for the current Nozomu.
"No matter what kind of power I have, it's meaningless if I can't use it when it matters the most......"
With a self-deprecating smile on his face, Nozomu muttered so to himself.
Heavy words accompanied by a sense of worthlessness and self-denial. It was his self-harming behavior that still continues, the screams of his heart that he felt he had to move on, but could not.
"Even at that time ...... If I had used it the first time we encountered that Abyss Grief, Tom wouldn't be injured in the first place, and you wouldn't be so reckless. I had the power that allowed me to do something about it, but I just chose not to do it ......"
"But in return, I get to see Raz again. If I were to see your power at that time, I am sure I would have blamed myself even more and would have been impatient. How could one person have that much power? I would think something like that ......"
That's why what you did is fine as it is ......
Shina's soothing voice gently swept Nozomu's dark, stagnant words away.
Then she turned around to face Nozomu and knelt down, gently put her hand on his cheek, and made him raise his face.
Eyes reminiscent of azure skies stared straight at him.
Straight gaze filled with affection and trust. Nozomu couldn't help but gasp as he became overwhelmed.
"That's why, no matter what you think of yourself, I will always be grateful to you. Thanks to you, I am able to spend my time with Mimuru, Tom, and Raz once again."
*Ba-dump* ....... A gentle ripple spread through Nozomu's heart, which had been as rough as a winter sea, and the heat on his cheeks subdued the turbulent rage that had been building up. Shina's face naturally came close to Nozomu's ...... and stopped.
(E-eh? What was I about to do just now?)
Suddenly, Shina's mind was riddled with question marks.
Upon realizing that they were staring at each other from a close distance, Shina's cheeks suddenly heated up.
(E-eh? Hang on a second. Eh?)
A sensation she has never experienced before permeated through her entire body. Her chest tightened, and a feeling of wanting to be closer to him rose up.
Combined with her own mindless actions, the surging desire made her whole body go numb.
"............?"
Nozomu's wondering gaze was directed at her as she stiffened.
(A~a, just look at his dumbfounded face-...... -that's not it! Don't tell me, I'm-......)
Feelings she has never experienced before, mindless actions and desires. Shina was shocked at the answer given in front of her and swallowed her saliva.
"W-well. So, you know......."
(I'm an elf, you know? And he's a human, you know? There's no way I could have such a feeling toward him......)
While her rational mind is expressing doubt, her instincts are appealing to her to be more honest and more aggressive.
Be closer, just a little bit more .......
A fiery beating heart. She unintentionally took a deep breath. And the breath she exhaled was surprisingly seductive.
In the midst of all this, Shina's heartfelt gratitude seeped into Nozomu's frozen heart.
"Because Iris believed in me ...... and seeing you overcome your past trauma, I made up my mind to face Lisa again. I decided to ask Ken about the truth ......"
Seeing the girl in front of him accepted him for who he was, he began to reveal his own heart to her.
And once he spoke up, his suppressed emotions overflowed like a broken dam.
To make Nozomu aware of his own escapism.
She then confessed that she had sleeping-death syndrome .......
[Please, my last wish. Will you accept it?]
She was crying like a lost child.
"...... She looked so anxious. Whether or not I would properly accept her feelings."
"Un. I'm sure I would feel the same way~. It takes courage to talk about one's painful past, no matter who you are~~"
Shina nodded at Anri's words and crossed her arms as if to hug herself.
"I know how that feels ....... Up until recently, it was hard for me to even think about my family and my hometown."
People are cowardly by nature, always hiding their true feelings.
It is especially difficult for those who have suffered a traumatic experience to reveal their innermost feelings. And if it were their own painful past that they did not want to recall, how much more painful would it be?
Shino, too, was a human being who had suffered a great deal of emotional trauma. It is not difficult to imagine how anxious she must have been to speak out about her true feelings, considering that she had abandoned her own country and gone into seclusion in such a remote forest.
"But, you were able to properly accept your master's feelings, weren't you?"
"...... Yes."
In order to respond to Shino's confession of her last moments and her past with tears, Nozomu released Tiamat's power for the first time and confronted that Dragon in the imaginary world. He was nearly killed, but succeeded in stealing some of Tiamat's power.
"And you, Nozomu-kun, were able to face your master because you wanted to accept her feelings, no~~? Irisdina and the others are most likely the same ......."
Anri concluded her sentence with a gentle smile.
Nozomu's clenched fist tightened even more. His trembling hands, downcast eyes, and bitten lips expressed the hesitation that still remained in his heart.
Shina walked around to the front of Nozomu and gently wrapped her own hands around his trembling hands. Once again, to encourage him.
"......A~"
"It's alright. You're a little hesitant right now, but once you've met someone you care about, you should be able to do it again."
She stared at Nozomu with her clear and honest eyes, with her hair, which has a sense of purity unique to elves, fluttering in the air.
Eyes without a shred of hesitation. The warmth of her palm gently guided Nozomu's heart. Then, a small flame ignited in Nozomu's heart.
Although it was a feeble, flickering flame, it began to shine brightly in the darkness that nestled in Nozomu's heart.
"Shina-san......"
"You gave me the opportunity to face the people I care about. I am truly grateful for that. That's why I want to be your strength this time."
These words burst into Nozomu's heart, and the feeble flame in his chest turned red and shone brightly.
"Besides, I'm sure she'll also...... be here soon."
At the same time as Shina turned around, the sound of rustling could be heard coming from behind the bushes.
"Iris, Mars ...... and even everyone."
Emerging from the bushes were Irisdina, and the others, with Mars in the lead.
End of Chapter 5.
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Heyoo~, PolterGlast here. Finally, as of today, Vol.3 for my Patreon members (especially Platinum members) has come to an end. When will Vol.4 come out? Based on the author's tweet, he has already finished the first draft of Vol.4 and is currently revising it. Here's his tweet If I had to make a guess, Vol.4 will likely come out in late 2023 or early-mid 2024. Time for me to look for other s. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know.
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