303 300. An honest heart.txt (2/2)

It's the Scripture that Nosfi now has in his hand.

I'm going to move up the priority list and focus on retrieving the ”Scripture”.

”Ah, ah, ......!　In the end, we'll just get the Scripture back. All we have to do is to get the Scripture back.

''Uzumi-sama, is Fafner's 'Scripture' really the first priority?　Are you sure?　You don't need to see what's going on over there: ......?

But Nosfi disrupts that concentration.

He deliberately averts his gaze, saying that he still has a prepared hand.

You'll be able to see it, too.

--I'm going to be able to see the pillar of fire that rises to the sky.

In the streets of the Great Sacred City, a huge flame that exceeds the height of the houses.

It is clearly visible from the marketplace where we are located, reaching up to the heavens like a tower.

''Hi, a pillar of fire, ......?　...... in the city!　Maybe ......

With a flame that large, there can't be any natural phenomenon.

It's clear that the flames were caused by magic. That magical flame is rising up from the direction we've come from.

We naturally came to one answer.

Magic flames are leaking from the underground city. And I can only think of one wielder of the flames that can reach the heavens from underground.

''Eek!　It's just as you imagined, Master Uzumi!　Yup, you're all fighting in that underground mall!　That's the aftermath, the aftermath. It's just the aftermath, that's all. Hmmm, you guys are really strong. ...... Oh, by the way, just by looking at it when you left, Rustiala-san was dying. If it continues like that, it might be time for Rastiara-san to be killed by you all.

That fire was born out of a battle, says Nosfi, and it is Lastiara who is exposed to it.

'You ......!　With the magic you used on Elle and the others, you manipulated everyone!

''No, that's not true. The 《Light Mind》 basically doesn't work against opponents who are close to my level. Furthermore, to be honest, none of the 'charms' worked against these strong-hearted women either. Even if you could use magic to make them ”obedient”, they would not be able to develop into a conflict if they were too gentle. Even though there is a fierce one deep inside, they are good girls at heart. ...... Yes, it's not so easy to ”manipulate” them as Uzumi-sama says ....... I (・・・・・・) can't possibly do it.

Nosfi admits that he's out of his depth and bites his teeth in deliberate disappointment. However, he quickly loosens his mouth, which is tied into a single character, and continues to talk as if he is proud of himself.

''--Only, fortunately, there was an expert in that place who was even more of a fallback than I was!　I borrowed some magic from that expert in The Talk!　That's all I did!　Hmmm, Uzumi-sama! ......!　It ignites the sludgy emotions at the bottom. Do you have any idea of such magic?

I have an idea.

It reminds me of a situation I once found myself in when I fought Maria. To be precise, it was the dialogue of Arti, the 'one who steals the reason for the fire', holding Maria in front of the burning house.

At that time, Arti had said that he had inspired Maria to be honest. It is very similar to the magic used by Nosfi.

'You borrowed Alti's magic, not Maria's ......?'

'Yes. Properly, Maria had taken her magic and carved it into her blood.

He simply tells me that he repeated the magic that produced that tragedy.

I finally yell out in anger at that indiscretion.

'Why did you do that ......!　You didn't hear from Maria!　Arti's magic almost killed Maria and I!

Of course I know that.

'If you know, how come you know?　You seemed to get along so well with Rastiara and the others!　We were all laughing at each other when I wasn't there--!

'We all have to go to ......?　I'm ......?　Ha, ha, can you please stop doing that ......?　Please, please don't just make a mistake ......!　I like Uzumi-sama better than Rastiara and the others!　I love you, Uzumi-sama!

But a cry comes back that fills my rage.

Nosefy throws the words at me without pausing to interrupt or catch his breath.

'You and Mr. Rustyala were good friends!　No, I don't like Mr. Rastiala!　Ms. Rustyala's voice reminds me of that man!　'All together' is good!　I want to live well together!　Haha, hahahaha!　Ba-ka-mi-tea-tea!　It's silly, isn't it!　There's no way you can do that!　You are too conveniently delusional!　Hey, don't you think so too, Uzumi-sama!

......!

The tremendous momentum of the event consumes me, and conversely, I become calm.

Then I calmly look at Nosfi's face.

It doesn't look like she's acting now. I don't know which words have crossed Nosfi's mind, but I feel like something in the pit of her stomach is bursting.

'Maria, Dea, Snow and everyone else!　Of course I don't like Mr. Rustyala for stealing Lady Uzumi!　You must be so disgusting that you want to kill him!　Of course!　Of course it is!　It would be strange if it wasn't!　I just magically made that crazy thing right!

Nosfi's face was red with excitement, contorted to the limit.

He's suffocating, he's about to vomit, he's about to cry - but at the same time, he looks sincerely refreshed.

Nosfi laughs as he lets out all his emotions and regulates his disorganized breathing.

As usual, a distorted smile for me.

''Haha, hahaha ...... hahaha. Please don't stare at me like that ....... I'm so happy, I'm crying. I'm so happy and happy that I'm really crying ....... Hmmm, hmmm ......

At last, Nosfi spilled tears from the corners of her eyes. That too unsteady appearance is the very same as the Elmiraad and the others just now - no, the very Fafner we met yesterday.

As I thought, the current Nosphy is strange. I'm convinced that the plan I mentioned earlier isn't going to work, and that we're in an irregular situation.

...... Huh, hmmm. I love you, Uzumi-sama, I love you. Because I love you, I want to be mean to you. I want to torment you somehow. Because now, just having your hostility and murderous intent summed up in one sentence, I can't stop my heart from pounding in my chest. Just being able to see eye to eye and talk to you - no matter what it is - is enough to make my body tremble with joy.

Nosfi holds his chest in his hands, tears and a smile stretched across his face as he throws a confession of love.

It's too dark compared to the confession Rustyala and I made a while ago. It's too painful to watch in the true sense of the word.

''Just talking to Uzumi-sama right now makes my heart throb and soar, and I feel really rich ....... Honestly, I'm so happy to have it all to myself that I can't stand it. ...... Yes, I'm so much happier than being ignored ......!　I'm so much happier than when I was a decent girl, doing everything I said, yes, yes, yes, yes, and doing all the right things, doing all the right things, doing all the right things, doing all the right things, doing all the right things, doing all the right things for you, and still you didn't even look at me!　Hmmmmm... So, I have no choice but to do this!　It's all Uzumi-sama's fault for being so mean like this and everything!　Everything, everything, it's all Uzumi-sama's fault!　Hmmm, hahahahahahahahahahaha!　Haha, hahahaha ......--

I'm going to find out how much frustration has been building up in Nosfi's chest now for real.

She loves me, but at the same time she strongly resents me.

I realize how bulky it is.

In the middle of her confession, Nosfi's laughter gradually faded. Gradually, she drops her gaze downward, and her reply to me turns into a question to herself.

''Ha, ha, ha, ha ....... Why won't Uzuraha-sama look at me ......?　Why, why, why, why - I'm alone in that room ......?　Why--

The next thing I know, my eyes lose focus and just repeat the same words.

I'm not sure if I should move in the face of that Nosphy.

To be honest, I don't know if Nosphy is weak or on the verge of exploding. Even that belligerent liner was unable to move when he saw her now.

The first person to move was Mr. Glenn, who had been mixed up with the people downstairs.

With a single leap, she moved onto the roof and took off her cloak, revealing her 'demonized' appearance just like Elmirad and the others. From a distance, there is little change. Both eyes have changed into something unique to the insects, and there is only something that looks like a needle sticking out of the base of his wrist.

''Nosfi-sama!　Excuse me for a moment!

Mr. Glenn walks up next to a frenzied Nosphy, kneels down, and sticks the needle in her arm.

Then Nosphy's body trembling and laughing slowly subsided. The effect is as if she's been sedated with a syringe.

Setting his wobbly gaze, Nosphy turns his face to Glenn and thanks him.

'--Ha, ha, ha, ha ....... Thank you for your help, Glenn. I let you become a 'demon' for nothing ....... Maybe the 'price' of 'chanting' is tougher than I thought....... If you don't have a stronger heart, you're going to end up like the Lord: ......

'Please catch your breath before you thank me. Even with my venom, it's hard to keep Master Nosfi at bay now.

From what they both said, it was clear that Mr. Glenn was a mixture of monsters with some kind of poison. He probably used that poison as a medicine to calm Nosfi's mind. Mr. Glenn is most likely an insect-shaped monster that can handle multiple types of poisons at will.

After calming the Lord down, Glenn-san stands up and points his alien yellow eyes at me.

Then, instead of Nosfi, Glenn-san continues to talk to us.

''Kanami-kun, now that's her 'honest' true feelings. Nosfi-sama used too much 'chanting' of light in the fight against Rustyala-chan and the others, and as 'compensation', she's even more 'honest' than us knights.

...... Is that now Nosfi's 'honest' state of mind?

I frowned at him, wondering if I could believe his story, and he began to explain with a kind look on his face.

'The more you chant the 'chanting' of the light, the more your mind is cleansed. I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to get it right. In other words, the use of light magic will erase the walls of your mind and fill the world with people who don't doubt others.

'Glenn, wait. ....... What are you talking about without permission ......

That explanation was probably not planned for the Lord, Nosfi. Wobbling, Nosphy tries to stop glaring at the knight who exposes his hand without permission.

But Glenn-san doesn't stop. I'm not going to be able to get it done, but I'm going to be able to get it done while continuing to show a kind face to me and Nosfi.

'...... Okay, that's it. Well then, Mr. Raydiant, it's time to get away. Nosfi-sama's 'cost' is more serious than I thought, and our camp can no longer hide it. The more time passes, the more details of the plan will leak out of Lady Nosfi's own mouth. ...... It's a bit premature, but the operation is about to begin.

The giant wolf that carries Nosfi on its back - Glenn places his hand on Sera's shoulder and asks her to move from here. Nosphy's voice gets louder because of the way he ignores the Lord without thinking of him as the Lord.

''So, what's your business ......!　The Lord is me, ......!

''Nosfi-sama, it's okay. The plan was for Kanami-kun or Rustyala-chan to be the one bleeding, not Ragune-san, but ...... with Uzurinami-kun's personality, it wouldn't change much, would it?　No, on the contrary, it might be better. Don't you think so?

Finally, Mr. Glenn replied to Nosfi.

His tone was gentle, as if he was softly enveloping her. Unlike Elmiraad, one could certainly feel the will to calm the excited Lord.

Nosefy took a slow, deep breath as he realized that he was being worried, and answered quietly.

'So ....... You're right, the outcome will not change ....... You are Uzurinami-sama, who is more important to others than yourself. If you are very kind Uzurinami-sama, I am sure you will come ...... for the girl there. I'm sure ......

With that, Nosfi finally turned his eyes to the Hoozeyards Castle in the center of the Great Holy City. He showed his defenseless back, showing his will to leave like this.

If he wanted to pounce on that back, he could. But I can't ignore the pillar of fire that rises at the edge of my vision.

I'm not sure if she was annoyed by my continued footsteps, but Lagune-chan next to her - whether to fight Nosphy now or to regain her position once more - rushes to make a choice.

''Kanami's brother!　What are you going to do in the end?　I'll see my brother!　You can't win on your own anyway!

Ragne would like to crowd Nosfi right now and ask him to treat the bleeding in her cheek. But it's not easy to do that, which is evident from Nosphy's statement earlier.

However, the other party is 'the one who steals reason'.

It's difficult to force them to do what you say by force.

Above all, the battlefield is too favorable to the other side.

Right now, the Great Sacred City was under Nosfy's control.

Despite the fact that Nosfi is wielding so many vulgar words and actions from above, the people gathered in the marketplace continue to admire the saint.

It's a clear sight to see that they are all 'enchanted'. Probably the same state of affairs should be true for the Hoozeyards Castle waiting for us down the road.

The pillar of fire isn't the only reason for the footsteps.

Seeing me unable to move due to such a variety of factors, Glenn-san seems to have decided that he doesn't have the will to chase after me.

With plenty of time to spare, he breaks off a long goodbye speech.

'Kanami-kun, I want you to hear one last thing: ....... Now, Master Nosfi is trying to settle everything with an unlikely amount of courage. Please, Kanami, I'm asking you to be brave enough to make a choice. I've heard from Fafner-sama that you're just as ragged from 'chanting' as Nosfi-sama is. I heard that the terminally ill 'Stealers of Reason' can't even properly recognize what they're doing themselves: ....... --and yet we (...) believe you can do it.

I can tell by the sound of Mr. Glenn's voice that he's supporting me, even though he's going around the enemy. He's also worried about me. --only the content of that concern was new to me.

I'm ripped apart by 'chanting' ......?　You don't recognize what you're doing ......?　Of course, I don't remember being troubled by such symptoms.

”I'll be waiting for you and your friends at the Fuzzyards Castle. ”I'll be waiting for you and your friends at Fuzzyards Castle. ”I'll be waiting for you and your friends at Hoosier's Castle. ...... So long, I'm done!

With that, Serra, with Glenn and Nosfi on board at the end of the ride, ran out onto the roof. By the end, Nosphy looked at me with a backward look on his face, but he left without saying a word.

The demons on the ground followed, trying to get out of the marketplace.

Perciona-san, who collected Noir-chan and put her on her back, scolded Elmirado.

''We're going too, Lord Siddharq!

'Any more selfishness or ....... I can't help it, I'll see you later!　Kanami!

Elmirad and the others are also leaving us and running away.

While watching the backs of their departing enemies, I look at Lagune next to me. To be precise, I check the condition of the wound on her cheek.

Perhaps sensing my thoughts, she answers me about the condition of the wound before she asks me.

...... I think it's going to last quite a while. The wound doesn't close up, but continuing to apply the ”Cure Fool” seems to counteract the anemia. That's why you can give priority to the ladies.

'I'm sorry, Ragne, ....... I want to go back to the mansion first. At the very least, I need to make sure that we're really in a battle .......

From the looks of it, Ragne won't be dying any time soon. There is still time to stop the blood, if not stop it.

But the mansion is different. If the flames are enough to reach the ground, the level of casualties will be high. There's no room to put it off.

That decision was the same for Ryner as well, and he comes down from the sticky wall and joins us.

I agree with ...... Christ. It's not realistic to deal with five demons and two 'reason-stealers' with just Christ and the two of them. If you go to the castle, there will definitely be traps.

Let's get back to the house. Let's get back to the house in the basement where everyone is.

I stop looking at the back of the departing enemy and turn back to the way I came.

'Uss!'

Yes, sir.

In response to the two knights' responses, I run out.

Passing through the buzzing crowd, I run straight through the fire pillar that rises in the sky as a landmark - straight to the underground mall without turning aside.