312 303 The Cost of Dramatic Change (1/2)

It's hot, just plain hot.

I've been exchanging magic power with the mineral tree all my life, but never before has it been like this.

It's something different, that ”something” is making me feel like my whole body is burning.

And yet, all I can hear is an explosion of numbness in my body.

The pain is so torturous that you can't think about anything.

No, the pain diminishes your thoughts.

All I can do is writhe and writhe in pain.

All I can do is produce an inarticulate sound in my throat.

■■■■■! ■■■■■!

I can hear the sound.

But I don't recognize it.

This body is supposed to be made up of magic, yet there is not a painless part of it from the tips of its toes to the top of its head, as if it were being burned in the flesh.

And best of all .

''AGAHHHHHHH!

There's something wrong with my body.

No, there is something wrong when your whole body is in pain, but your barely perceptible senses still scream out that something is wrong.

In the midst of the hot, searing pain, there is the sensation that something is eating you.

Every cell is replaced by something, and something is preying on me, trying to create that replacement space.

I can't question what.

It's as if my body is forcibly remade, forced to enjoy the pain regardless of my intentions, and it's becoming unclear what I was doing.

Jiro-san!　Back!

In the midst of such pain, my vision and hearing were suddenly rebooted, as if the images were connected to each other.

As if to say that the temporary construction is over, information was suddenly supplied.

My ears picked up someone's voice, and my halting eyes caught a huge gong.

What's happening?　What comes?

Before such questions could pass my mind, my body was moving on its own.

■■■■■■■■■■■■!!!

A strange voice from the back of his throat.

Then the slumped body leaps up and waves its right hand with force.

There was no technique, no nothing, just violence.

The destructive power produced by such violence would normally be of little consequence.

If it was a dragon...then it should be no big deal.

A lie!

Again.

I picked up the sound again.

Someone mumbles something impossible and I recognize the sound as a mumbled word from my ear and without understanding its meaning, I take the action.

I hold my aching forehead with what I think is my left hand and my ”intact” arm, letting the noise in my vision, and I see the result of the blow.

There was a dragonbone with its jawbone shattered and its lower lip bone nearly detached.

What was that?

What happened?

The body is still hot. My body still hurts.

But the pain is slowly diminishing.

Instead, my heart is pounding in my ears.

thumping in your ears, your headache grows.

You want to silence your heart when it's too loud.

I'm tempted to do that, but it's more than that, I'm feeling lightheaded.

I feel light.

The headache continues, your body aches as hot as ever, your heart is noisy, your vision is unsteady, your ears can't pick up the sounds correctly, but you know instinctively that this is the time.

But instinctively, you know that you're feeling better than ever.

Kaja.

Someone will think you're crazy.

Jiro, Mr.?

I can hear the voice of ”who”.

But that's not the point.

Remnants of the memory that this place is dangerous right now are screaming at you to kill the enemy.

This voice is not the enemy.

Then where is the enemy?

Oh, okay.

”........., Katsura, we're leaving.

”Ms. Kakoi!　But!

”Forget it!　Now Jiro-san is crazy!

The bone that rises up, repairing its broken jaw, is the ”enemy”.

A small presence is leaving you, but you don't care, it seems rather convenient.

Why?

Well, good.

We gotta kill the enemy.

That's easy.

They're just a big bunch of bones.

It wobbles as it holds the object in its hand, not just with its right hand but with both hands.

Like a thumping heart, this one is as loud as a heart.

A red root is tangled in my right arm.

It's hot in there, but oh well.

Now there's something more important to beat.

”Kaja.

Why do I laugh every time I open my mouth?

Well, I'll feel better and this pain will be a little better.

”Oh.

I didn't know if I could speak with my burnt throat, but it came out naturally.

Step forward to the voice.

My legs move, though they hurt.

My arms move, even though they hurt.

My vision is ......... well, okay, although it's hazy at times and occasionally loses color.

My ears are a little deaf.

It's never good right now, and it's supposed to be bad, but I don't feel like I'm losing.

”I don't feel like losing.

I should have felt differently about the dragon in front of me a moment ago, but now I feel differently.

We need to find out.

Well, shall we go?

Doesn't fit well in the body?

No, no, this is .

”■■■■■■■■■■■！！！！

Can you afford the power?　Different body sensations?　You moved your body just like you usually do.

I was just going to run, but my opponent remained stationary and ended up at the base of one of my necks.

Well, it looks like I can cut ..........

You have to swing the weapon in your hand and cut off a thick head that is more than one meter long.

Oh, so cutting off the head isn't enough?

But when you see its neck just start to move independently, you realize that it's not enough to just cut it off.

Now you move your leg, hoping to move faster than before.

Your body creaks a little bit.

Then the spot where it creaked became hot and sore, and before you knew it, it wasn't anymore.

I was in front of the dragon's face when I cut it off.

I'm pretty sure it ran up my neck to feel it .........

But still, was the opponent so late?

Well, okay.

As long as the opponent is slow, no problem.

Now wave three times to cut the face with your right hand alone.

Once vertically, once to cut up to the right, and once to the left.

That's all it took for the face to fall apart.

.........

There is no emotion.

Just work, aching all over, and yet there's no sense of accomplishment.

I don't have the joy I used to feel.

So what do you do?

End.

Let's end it.