Nozomu's POV

I have a bloody dream. The same bloody dream I had before.

The ruined city of Arcazam is full of rubble and blazing fire. And the burnt smell of flesh and the fierce smell of death that overflowed with it.

"Haa, haa, haa, haa ..."

I desperately ran around trying to escape from it. Looking away from everyone around the abandoned city, just like me before I met Shishō.

However, no matter how much time passed or how long I ran, the bloody dream would never end. The ruins continued in front of me, and the flames burned my skin.

My legs became like sticks and the muscles screamed, "I can't do this anymore!", but I couldn't stop.

"Uaa!!!"

However, I reached my limit.

I tripped over the debris and fell. The baked bricks had intense heat and burned my skin even further.

"Guuuu!"

I put up with it and got up. If I fall here, I will really die.

(Where are you going?)

Suddenly, a voice echoed in my head. This is the voice that was heard when the Triclopes were slaughtered.

Forcibly move my aching body and move my legs forward to escape from that voice. My legs have already reached the limit, and I trembled just by walking.

However, it didn't last long.

My legs couldn't even support my body that started to move forward, and I fell to the ground again.

If I look closely, my legs are already charred black and I can no longer move.

(… What are you trying to escape from? ……)

Ignoring the voice that echoed inside my head, I tried to crawl forward.

"... Fu, fuu fuu ........."

I desperately stretched my hand forward, but the heat of the ground mercilessly burned my whole body. No more decent voices came out of my mouth, only unspeakable groans.

(It's a waste of time... you can't escape...)

With that voice, the skin of my hand, which was charred black, broke. The jet-black scales appeared with a rattling noise.

“………… Ah ……”

The next moment, the skin of my whole body tears, and blood overflows. Something is breaking through inside me and trying to get out.

"Guh !!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!"

What came out of my mouth was a scream that seemed to reach the sky. Something broke through my body from the inside and finally it was released to the outside.

The last thing I saw was a jet-black giant with six wings that seemed to reach the heavens.

My vision became pure white, and finally, my consciousness disappeared.

"Uaa !!!"

I woke up like I was jumping.

The first thing I saw was the morning sun, which was shining through the window.

A deep blue sky with no clouds spreads out. The spring sunshine heralded the arrival of the morning that wrapped everything warmly.

"Guh !!!"

However, I couldn't focus on the scene. A strong feeling of nausea strikes.

I run into the washroom and spit out what's inside my stomach.

Only gastric juice came out of my stomach because I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, so I drank water many times and immediately spit it out.

After repeating it about 3 times, I can finally think about whether I've calmed down and what I've been through afterwards.

After she treated me, I left her room and returned to my own dormitory room.

Perhaps because I ran out of Qi and because of the mental and physical fatigue that had accumulated in my body, I fell into that dream.

However, even after I woke up, my physical condition was the worst. My heart is still cloudy.

"Guh !!"

I have a severe headache. This is proof that my body is not resting.

Ken's true intentions and the truth that he pointed out.

Then I drowned in the exertion of power to run away.

Because of my promise with Shishō, I tried to ask Ken so I can finally move forward, but I was shown the truth I didn't want to believe, and that alone made me hate my own weakness.

I close my eyes tightly while clenching my teeth.

In front of me, the tragedy I caused in the forest is vividly recalled.

The Wild Dogs and Giants that was cut in half.

I, who exerted my power while continuously being showered with blood.

"…………D*mn……"

I spat out a curse of anger towards myself, but even my voice was weak.

I naturally curled my body up and tightened my chest tightly.

Even so, I get ready and on my way to school when the time comes. It might have been better to take a rest, but when I was in the room, I thought I might have that dream again, and I was afraid to be alone.

I headed to school, but my consciousness remained hazy.

The remaining fatigue placed a heavy burden and shackles on my body and mind, my mind swayed, and my eyes seemed to be dimly blurred.

“……….. Oi, …… mu …………”

But what should I do? What should I do?

Such thoughts cannot be answered with a weakened mind, they keep circling in my head meaninglessly.

"... Oi, ... no... mu. Lis………… me …………"

About Lisa, about Ken, about me who kept running away, about what to do about them.

The things I avoided kept repeating endlessly in my head.

And the scene that I caused yesterday was vividly recalled.

A carpet of blood and flesh, I was smeared with blood and mud by those who were killed by me.

That "thing" has settled inside me. I felt good when using that power. I was ecstatic to kill others. I felt pleasure even when I was hurt, and that's why I hated myself.

Honestly, I wanted to run away. I want to look away.

However, it cannot be done.

A promise with Shisho. I promised not to look away from the truth.

But now, that promise makes my chest stressed even further.

I want to run away, but I can't. I want to look away, but I can't.

The clock called heart is filled with rust, eroding the gears that are trying to spin, and making a jarring sound.

The gear of the heart that still tries to turn. The promise with Shisho and the feeling of impatience within myself.

The gears trying to move the hands of the clock forward, and the rust that tried to stop it.

The two collide and make the jarring sound even louder.

However, the gear that was about to break stopped its movement suddenly in a loud voice. 

"Oi, Nozomu !!! You can hear me right !!!"

A loud voice suddenly heard. Looking at the source of the voice, I saw my friend with a moody face.

"……Mars?"

"That's right. Why are you ignoring me! I was talking to you earlier!"

Behind Mars, I can see the regular members, Iris and the others. Looks like he's been talking to me since a while ago.

"Ah ...  sorry ... I was in a daze."

"... Haa, well it's ok, let's go"

Mars looks a little suspicious to me, but he urges me to start walking.

I just followed him

"By the way, Nozomu. I heard you were in the forest yesterday ... hmm ... are you hurt?" 

I chatted while walking with everyone for a while, but Iris suddenly called out to me as if worried. Her gaze fell on the bandage wrapped around my arm.

"E ... ah! It's alright. I just messed up a little during training."

I immediately raised my bandaged arm and acted as if nothing had happened.

"Is that so ... it's good then ..."

A tone with a hint of hesitation that was unlike the usual her. If it was the usual her, she would ask clearly, but somehow, her gaze is cloudy.

“…………………”

“…………………”

But I can't tell her anything either.

Rust builds up in my heart. I don't know what I'd be talking about if I opened my mouth now.

A strange atmosphere flowed between us. Then Somia, who was next to me, opened her mouth to talk about something.

"Yoo, Irisdina"

A voice that I had never heard echoed on the spot, and when I looked at the source, a beastman with wonderful silver hair and ears was walking over here.

***

Shortly before Nozomu and his friends came to school.

At the main gate of the school, the rising sun illuminates its greatness and sprinkles the calm spring weather.

However, despite such a pleasant morning, the main gate was surrounded by a strange atmosphere.

While the students were coming to the school one after another, there was a less crowded space near the main gate.

The space gave off a strange feeling of intimidation, and as the students who came to the school got closer to the space, they all avoided it.

There were several students in the center of the space, but an intimidating feeling that frightened the students radiated from only one student in the center.

"Chi !! D*mn! ..."

It was Kevin, the silver wolf, who gave the feeling of intimidation at the center. The students in the space were the members of his party who entered the forest with Kevin the other day.

Kevin looks moody to everyone and distorts his face.

"Ke, Kevin. Calm down."

"You're noisy !!!! Damn !!" 

One of Kevin's party members calls out to calm him down, but he has no ears to listen to. He was frustrated when he was told by Jihad yesterday when they returned to the city with the Arcazam Guards.

"You guys, go back to your own room for today. The rest will be done by our Silver Rainbow Knights and the Arcazam Guards. "

"Ha!!! What do you mean!"

Kevin wanted to follow Jihad and tried to find out the truth about this matter.

He was confident that he had sufficient abilities.

Therefore, Kevin struck against Jihad, who explicitly tried to get rid of them.

However, no matter how close he was to Jihad, he could not overturn the decision, and Jihad insisted on Kevin and others not to talk about this matter, he turned his back and began to talk to Captain Mauzu.

His back eloquently said, "there's nothing more to talk about", and Kevin had no choice but to leave with his lips clenched. 

"Why ... damn it!"

It was too dissatisfying for him. Jihad was discussing future measures with the guards who were less capable than himself.

His rank is A rank. Not to mention in the school, he is a talented person who can only be counted in this Arcazam.

That's why he took it for granted that he was there, and Jihad would allow it.

But that wasn't the case, Jihad said he wouldn't get involved with Kevin anymore.

For Jihad, it may have been an act of concern for his students.

However, for Kevin, it was the same as Jihad telling himself, "You guys are useless, so go home."

It was humiliating for Kevin, a Silver Wolf who is proud to protect his tribe with strength.

"Hmm?"

At that time, he suddenly sniffed something with his nose.

The presence of the person he recognized. Sensitive to it, he immediately begins to walk in the direction of the presence.

Five people, men and women, were walking together at the destination.

"Yoo, Irisdina"

There were figures of Nozomu and his friends who had just come to school

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

"... Well then, the fact that the Triclopes was subdued will be hidden for a while."

"Well, that seems to be the decision of the superiors. Entering the current forest is too dangerous. If they think that there are Triclopes, no one will enter the forest, and they will detour."

Jihad Roundel's office at Solminati Academy.

Here, Jihad and Arcazam Guard Captain, Mauzu, were facing each other and having a discussion.

The content is about the corpses of the giants they found in the forest yesterday and the existence of who did it.

They returned from the forest yesterday and were immediately held a Supreme Assembly in charge of the city's administration. He had an audience with the chairman and reported the matter.

Normally, various procedures are required, and Mauzu, the Guard Captain, should report this to his direct supervisor, but this audience was allowed by Jihad, who belongs to the multinational Silver Rainbow Knights and has command of the Silver Rainbow Knights in Arcazam. And the chairman's decision was to hide this information for the time being. 

"However, if we leave it be, the city will be suffering damage..."

"... That's possible, but I think its possibility is lower than Mauzu-dono thinks."

"…………Why is that"

"The guy who defeated the Triclopes was using swordsmanship, which means that it is a human or something similar. At least it seems unlikely that it will attack people indiscriminately like demon beasts. "

The corpses of the giants they saw in the forest. Some corpses were so badly damaged and the way they were killed were varied, but most were slashed with a sharp blade like a sword.

But still, the way they were killed was unusual, but ...

“……….. Jihad-dono. As I thought, this matter should be announced……”

Mauzu advised Jihad that the information should be disclosed, but Jihad's opinion differed.

"I also thought about it. Certainly, the danger of getting closer to the forest will be more known to the people in the city. However, the other party won easily against the Triclopes. And considering the position of this city, I think that the disclosure of this information is too risky, and it seems that the superiors also decided so." 

The position of this Arcazam. It sounds good to say that each country has invested and cooperated to create it, but in fact, there is always a power struggle between countries behind the scenes.

In other words, Arcazam is the epitome of the multinational competition of many countries, and it is quite possible that what happened inside this city will develop into problems between nations.

And this problem is enough to cause it.

It has been 10 years since the great invasion occurred.

Because of that, people's memories faded, and conflicts began to emerge between the country that was invaded by the demon beasts and the country that was unharmed.

A powerful person who can kill a group of Triclopes that appeared in such a situation.

Moreover, no one understands the intention of the other party. This, in particular, fuels anxiety among those who care about their own interests and those of fellow countries in tension.

If such a kind of fire was brought in, it could lead to suspicion if it was not done well, and could cast a further shadow on the relations between countries. 

"Of course, as long as we don't know what kind of person the other party is, we cannot relax our vigilance because we are concerned about the safety of the citizens. However, as some people make a living in that forest, we can't just prohibit them from entering the forest."

Many people live on the resources of the forest.

The meat and fur of the animals in the forest, plants that are useful for medicinal herbs, and trees that can be used as fuel for firewood.

The supply of these cannot be stopped. At least supplies from outside the city couldn't cover all the resources needed for this city.

"If that is the case, what we need now is a person who can judge information correctly and who can share information properly."

This is the reason why Jihad didn't try to get Kevin involved.

Anyway, what we need now is information on the existence that defeated the Triclopes and human resources who can accurately judge it.

Of course, at that time, they instructed Kevin to return because they were worried, but in terms of the necessary human resources, Kevin, who is strong, was also qualified in this case.

If that was Irisdina, Jihad might have made a different decision. Still, he would have imposed a confidentiality obligation, such as keeping the content secret ...

"We are also asking for the cooperation of Mauzu's units. However, we, the Silver Rainbow Knights and Mauzu's units are the only ones involved in this matter now. Anyway, let's gather information and act cautiously."