A room in the boys' dormitory. Nozomu, the owner of the room, was briskly getting ready for school.

Outside, the sun had not yet risen, and the city was enveloped in dim darkness.

He put on his school uniform and put his katana on his waist.

It was obviously too early to get ready, but Nozomu's movements didn't have the sluggishness characteristic of a sleepwalker. It seemed that he was not sleepwalking.

"Alright..."

After checking his appearance and showing his spirit, Nozomu left the dormitory with his bag containing his breakfast and study materials that he had prepared beforehand.

After leaving the boys' dormitory, he turned into a different street from the one he usually took to get to Solminati Academy.

He walked down a street he didn't normally take and headed towards a building. It was a place he had avoided for the past two years.

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

A while after Nozomu left the dormitory and when the morning sun began to illuminate the city, Lisa was about to leave the girls' dormitory to go to school with Camilla as usual.

"Lisa, are you okay?"

"Y-yes... I'm okay"

Camilla called out to Lisa, who was walking next to her. Lisa replied that she was fine, but her face didn't look like she was okay.

She must not have been able to sleep at all last night. She had dark circles under her eyes and her face was pale.

When Camilla took her back to her room, Lisa had a terrible headache.

She had a painful sound ringing in her head, like a pot being hammered in her ear.

Lisa's mind remembered the look on Nozomu's face when he grabbed her hand. The shock that rang through her head was relentless, hammering away at Lisa's spirit. She shrank back, groaning as Nozomu's words, "I didn't betray you," reverberated in her ears.

She desperately tried to drown out the image and voice of Nozomu in her head, but it didn't seem to go away.

As if calling for help, Lisa reached out into the depths of the darkness. It was as if she was a lost person seeking light.

However, what she saw was not Ken, who had supported her for two years, but Nozomu, who was still facing the Undead Dragon in the forest.

"Lisa, you're not okay by any means. Why don't you take a rest for today?

"I'm really fine. I just couldn't sleep. If I can't bear with it anymore, I'll take a rest ..."

Camilla distorted her face painfully as Lisa said she was fine and tried to head for the entrance of the dormitory.

With a pale face, Lisa tried to act like nothing's wrong, but she was clearly exhausted.

Seeing Lisa like this, Camilla felt an unpleasant sensation as if she were being scratched deep in her chest.

The events of last night came back to Camilla's mind.

(If you want to hate me, you can hate me as much as you want. I don't care how many horrible words you throw at me. But if I don't know about Lisa's condition now, I can't do anything about it!)

When he said that, Nozomu's eyes were the same as they were two years ago. No, he was much more mature than he had been two years ago, and his eyes shone with a powerful light.

Furthermore, the words that he told them after that. The story of the culprit that had driven Lisa and Nozomu to this point.

In the past, Camilla would have dismissed his story as ridiculous, but now she continued to feel uncomfortable, it was like a small bone stuck in her throat.

Nozomu's eyes and his story stirred Camilla's heart even more.

The fact that she had taken it for granted now seemed to be peeling off like an insignificant piece of cheap plating.

When Camilla turned her attention to Lisa, who was walking next to her, she saw her eyes widen in surprise.

"Lisa? What's wro-......eh!?"

Camilla tilted her head, wondering what was going on. As she followed Lisa's gaze, she saw the person who had created the ripples in the depth of her mind. It was Nozomu Bountis.

"Good morning, both of you."

Nozomu greeted them with one hand raised. He didn't seem to care about what had happened yesterday.

"Y-yeah. Good morning ..."

“........”

It was like being hit in the head with a hammer. Camilla was so shocked that she could only manage to reply with a greeting. Lisa couldn't even say a word back and was completely silent.

It was as if she had returned to two years ago. At the edge of Camilla's vision, she saw Lisa biting her lips tightly.

Her eyes, which were downcast, were shaking. Camilla didn't know the true meaning behind those eyes.

At that moment, a young man with blond hair whom they knew well walked up from behind Nozomu, who was standing in front of the dormitory gate.

"Lisa, Camilla. Good morning ... wha!?"

"Ken..."

Ken was about to greet Camilla, but his face distorted when he noticed Nozomu's presence. He lifted the corners of his eyes and slammed Nozomu with a killing gaze.

"Why are you here ..."

A low, heavy voice was directed at Nozomu.

However, Nozomu's expression did not change at all, even with Ken's hostility right on his face.

"It doesn't matter what route I take to school, doesn't it. There are some things that happen along the way."

There was no need for Nozomu to go through the girls' dormitory to get to the school from the boys' dormitory. It was obviously a detour, and it was obvious that he had come to see Lisa, but Nozomu said it in an aloof manner.

"Don't screw with me. You're not worthy of Lisa..."

"Maybe I don't deserve her, because it doesn't change the fact that I ran away and turned my back on her for two years. But what about you?"

"What...."

"It was about the promise I made to Lisa. At least that's what made Lisa look like this, right?"

The expression on Lisa's face was exactly the same as the one she had shown him yesterday in this place, a sickly expression.

He looked around and saw that the girls in the dormitory were looking at him to see what was going on. In the windows and doorways. They were staring at him from all over the street.

Lisa's face grew even paler as she received such unreserved gazes.

"Both of you, stop it. This is still early in the morning.

The atmosphere between Nozomu and Ken was at its worst. The atmosphere around them was filled with a dangerous atmosphere that could explode at any moment. Camilla, sensing that this was not a good situation, intervened to stop them.

Camilla interceded, and Nozomu immediately backed off. He made way for the girls and moved back to the end of the street.

"But ..."

"Come on, let's go."

Ken, who didn't seem to be convinced, tried to say something, but honestly, a loud quarrel in front of Lisa who was in such a state wouldn't be good.

Camilla interrupted Ken's dissatisfied words and began to walk away with Lisa.

"Fuh~... Lisa, are you okay?"

Ken glanced at Nozomu and stood next to Lisa. He was worried about Lisa, who was facing her head down and approached her with a gentle, concerned voice.

In an attempt to cheer her up, Ken tried to touch Lisa's hand. He did what he had been doing since she felt betrayed by Nozomu.

"~!!"

"Eh?"

However, the moment his hand almost touched her fingers, Lisa shrank away from Ken as if she was frightened.

Ken's face turned into an expression of disbelief.

"Ah~, I-I'm sorry."

"I-it's okay. Don't worry about it, I didn't mean to scare you. Let's go to the school now."

"Y-yeah ..."

Lisa hurriedly apologized to Ken. Ken waved his hand as if he didn't mind, but Camilla noticed that his voice sounded strange.

Camilla and the others continue to walk to the school. Nozomu was walking alongside them on the other side of the street. Camilla's eyes caught sight of Lisa, who glanced next to her.

It was as if she was worried about the distance between them, which had grown even further than yesterday.

“........”

Nozomu didn't say anything. He just walked straight ahead. There was no hesitation in his gait, reminiscent of a large tree with deep roots in the ground.

Camilla felt a strange sense of impatience welling up in her as she looked at Nozomu, who had changed. Nozomu had been looking down until recently, but he was different now.

The four of them continued walking towards the school while keeping the eyes of the students glued to them as they walked to school.

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

"What does that mean! That is!"

“........”

Naturally, the appearance of Nozomu and the others were visible to Shīna and the others who came out of the girls' dormitory to go to the school.

Shīna stared at Nozomu as he walked away, looking sideways at her best friend, who was confused and shaken about what was going on.

The scene that came to her mind was the one she had seen yesterday when she had connected the magic path with him.

She had seen the whole thing that had happened between Nozomu and Lisa last night.

From that moment on, she felt a squeezing pain and a strange lump in the inside of her chest. Her hands were clenched naturally.

Was it guilt for having connected the magic path in secret? Or was there some other reason?

"Fuu..."

Shīna let out a big breath and tried to change her mind.

She herself has no objection to supporting Nozomu as he tried to move forward. No, she would gladly lend her support. It would be the best way for her to repay him.

"Ehh? Nozomu-kun was with Irisdina-san yesterday?"

"Mimuru, let's go ..."

An unfamiliar feeling still lingered deep in Shīna's heart. However, as she was connected to Nozomu through contract magic, she could see his feelings clearly. The Tiamat nesting inside of him had tried to take over him.

Now, he was facing the wounds of the past, just as he had once done. And the dragon's impulses were also beginning to intensify.

So, now that Nozomu was running forward, Shīna vowed once again to watch over him from behind and support him.

"Well, I'll just keep this wildcat in check for now. As expected, she is too worked up..."

With a bitter smile on her face, Shīna grabbed Mimuru's hand and secured the wildcat girl in advance, who was likely to cause a commotion.

When Shīna saw Nozomu walking alongside the red-haired girl, she still felt a pain in her heart. However, a smile naturally appeared on Shīna's lips.

The elation she must have felt when she talked to him while being surrounded by the light of the moonlight bug at that time. Even now, she could remember it vividly.

"Eh? Shīna, why are you so nonchalant about it... Wait a minute! Why are you holding me down? Hmph-......!"

Ignoring Mimuru's words and sealing her mouth. Shīna stepped forward while dragging Mimuru with her. With his back reflected in her eyes.

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

At that time, four students were walking through the streets of Arcazam. They were a black-haired girl, a young child, a blonde-haired boy, and a girl with shoulder-length brown hair.

They were headed for the beautiful white main gate of the towering Solminati Academy.

The girl's black hair shone in the morning sunlight, and the young child smiled cheerfully.

The blonde-haired male student was asking the brown-haired girl something with a difficult expression on his face. She was answering the question slowly while smiling.

Irisdina, Somia, Tima, and Mars walked towards the school, attracting the attention of all the students around them.

In this season, the sunshine was gradually getting stronger, but it was still quite cool and comfortable in the early morning.

But the girl with black hair. Irisdina Francilt's expression was somehow unhappy.

While holding her hair back from being blown by the wind, she stared at the street in front of the main gate.

What was occupying her mind at the moment was the commotion that had occurred between Nozomu and Lisa last night.

Nozomu was troubled, suffering, and even attacked by the dragon inside of him, but he moved for the sake of that red-haired girl. The image of Nozomu had always stuck in her mind.

Tima called out to Somia, perhaps because she was worried about her best friend's condition.

"Hey, Somia-chan. What's wrong with Ai?"

"Umm, I don't know. Ane-sama has been like this since the morning"

Somia, Tima, and Mars were all nodding their heads, but Irisdina, the person in question, didn't seem to notice. It seemed that she was completely distracted by Nozomu.

Irisdina just muttered to herself, unaware of the three staring at her with suspicious faces.

"Could it be that he's still......? He still thinks of her as....... Otherwise, he wouldn't be there....... No, no, I can't be sure yet......"

Irisdina put her hand over her mouth and restlessly fixed her hair. At first glance, she may look like a maiden waiting for her beloved partner.

However, because she was muttering to herself in a voice loud enough to be heard by those around her, it seemed to Somia and the others as if she was talking to an invisible person.

"What's wrong? It's unusual for Ai to be this restless..."

"Yes, that's true. She had put jam on her bread the whole time she was eating breakfast, and when she left the mansion, she was wearing the wrong shoes on the left and right ..."

"That's quite serious ..."

She is quick and decisive in everything she does. She is smart, brilliant, and beautiful, but she rarely loses her dignified behavior in public like this.

Well, lately she has been showing various girlish gestures to a particular person.

"Sure, she's the reason Nozomu came to this school, but ......"

Somia's ears perked up when Irisdina blurted out Nozomu's name. The young girl was convinced that he was involved after all.

"As I thought, it seems that Nozomu-san is the one she's worried about..."

"But last time she gets rid of the stalemate between her and Nozomu-kun, and nothing bad has happened between them lately..."

However, as Tima said, the recent relationship between Nozomu and Irisdina was quite good. Irisdina also tried to party with him, and Nozomu's attitude when he agreed wasn't bad at all.

"Surely. If anything had happened, it would have been after school yesterday..."

Somia and the other put their hands on their chins and thought about it, but they didn't know what was going on, and they couldn't possibly know the cause.

The three of them turned their attention to Irisdina once again. Irisdina was still muttering and doing strange things, crossing her arms and letting her gaze drift in the air.

"B-but I shouldn't have lost yet... A-anyway, I'm sure Eldor and the others will be able to find a way to get rid of the rumors about him that have spread throughout the school..."

"For the time being, let's try to ask her. Ane-sama, are you okay?"

"Eh, S-Somia?? Is there something on your mind?"

Irisdina, who was lost in her own thoughts, came back to reality when Somia called out to her.

She was surprised to be called out suddenly, but her expression showed that she was not aware of what she looked like to the people around her.

Somia was at a loss for words because of the mismatch with her previous appearance.

"Well, it could be said that I'm curious about something...."

Somia can't really say it directly that she's worried about her sister's strange behavior and appearance. She looked at her sister while slurring her words somehow.

"Umm, Ane-sama. You look a bit unwell since this morning... -eh that is? Nozomu-san?"

Somia wanted to start talking about her sister's behavior this morning, just to check her out. However, Somia noticed the figure of her benefactor she knew so well behind her sister and ahead of her.

"Eh~....!?"

Irisdina turned around as if she had been hit with something. But the next moment, Irisdina's eyes widened at the sight that came into her eyes.

Tima, who was following her gaze to see what was going on, was also stunned when she saw what she saw.

They were looking at Nozomu, the man they had just been talking about.

But what astonished the girls was the sight of Lisa, Ken, and Camilla walking alongside him, albeit a few steps away from him.

"Umm ....... What does that mean?"

"I-I don't know..."

"It looks like something serious really happened ..."

Somia, Tima, and Mars were all surprised. Irisdina was frozen in place like a stone statue.

The students in the vicinity who were on their way to school also looked as if they couldn't believe what was happening in front of their eyes with their mouths hanging open.

At that time, Somia's eyes caught sight of someone she knew well among the students on their way to school.

"Ah, Mimuru-sa~n! Shīna-sa~n!"

"Oh, Somiacchi!"

Mimuru replied to Somia, who rushed to them, waving her hands and shouting loudly.

"Umm, do you know what does that about?"

"I don't get it either! But ... Ah, Irisdina-san. If you'd like, could you explain..."

When Mimuru caught sight of Irisdina behind Somia, she called out to Irisdina to get her to talk.

“........”

However, Irisdina's gaze was not on Mimuru but remained glued to Nozomu and the others walking ahead of her.

"Umm, Mimu-chin'd like to hear your explaination~"

Mimuru looked up at Irisdina with her hands crossed over her chest as if peeking in, and made a cute, flirtatious noise. She also flicked her tail in an attempt to attract Irisdina's attention.

However, as she thought, Irisdina's ears did not hear Mimuru's words at all.? A few seconds of silence. Mimuru awkwardly straightened her posture, surrounded by a blank atmosphere.

"Shi-Shīna~, please say something~"

Mimuru clung to Shīna as if she were a child.

Seemingly reacting to her voice, Shīna turned her eyes to Mimuru.

“........”

When Shīna finally turned her head, Mimuru tried to open her mouth to speak, but Shīna's gaze was immediately drawn to Irisdina, who was next to her.

Shīna then shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention to Nozomu again. Mimuru was being ignored by even her best friend. A strange, uncomfortable atmosphere filled the place.

"Umm ... what the hell is going on~?!"

Mimuru's cries echoed through the city lit by the morning sun.

In the end, Mimuru and the others were unable to get any information out of her, and they had to go to school in an agonizing mood.

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

Sure enough, the story about Nozomu and the others had become a rumor throughout the school by noon that day.

But since Nozomu's own reputation hadn't changed much in the other classes, so the content of the rumor was that Nozomu was approaching Lisa Hounds again.

Naturally, the stares directed at Nozomu became more severe than ever.

Some of the students even whispered in a voice that he could hear, and every time they did, a bulging vein appeared on the forehead of Nozomu's classmates, especially Mars and Jin.

Mars, in particular, was furious, and he would look at any student who spoke carelessly as if he were going to kill them.

However, Nozomu, the person at the center of the rumors, didn't seem to care at all and went about his daily life as usual. And it caused his classmates to tilt their heads.

It was the same for Mimuru and the others. Mimuru, in particular, had witnessed a ridiculous scene first thing in the morning but was completely unable to grasp the situation, and when she tried to storm the 10th classroom during the break, her best friend got in the way and she ran out of time.

Feo, who usually had a loose mouth, grinned and said, "Well, a lot of things happened," and refused to talk about it.

In fact, Feo was teasing Mimuru, who was frustrated because she couldn't grasp what was going on. But there was no way that she, who was naturally curious and couldn't sit still, could stand such a situation.

As a result, Mimuru jumped out of the window as soon as the morning classes were over, shaken off Shīna, and attacked Nozomu.

During the lunch break, Nozomu was captured under the pretense of having a meal as usual and was surrounded by all of his friends for questioning.

"So!? Nozomu-kun, what is the meaning of the rumors that are now spreading around the school!?"

Right now, Nozomu was sitting on a chair in the infirmary.

His friends around him had finished their lunch earlier, but Nozomu hadn't even been able to eat his lunch, and Mimuru was pressing him for an answer.

Behind Mimuru was Tom, who had no idea what had happened this morning.

Shīna was holding her head for some reason, but Mimuru's curiosity was out of control, and with her courage, she rushed towards Nozomu.

"And also, about this morning! What is going on? There was a shocking scene in full view in front of the girl's dorm!"

Around him, Nozomu could see not only his friends from Solminati but also Somia from Ecross was there. Apparently, they were able to have a meal together today.

"Well, there's a lot of things going on yesterday..."

Nozomu was scratching his head and slurring his words at Mimuru's question.

"Yesterday? Yesterday, you were teaming up with Irisdina on a request, right?? So why are you in such a mess now!"

"Mimuru, your voice is too loud ......."

Tom was trying to calm Mimuru down, but it was not having much of an effect.

"Hey, I was there too, you know?"

"Shut up, you whimsical fox! Your words are 90% couldn't be believed, so they are inappropriate to use as evidence!"

"Eh? Could it be that all this time I was seen as a very untrustworthy person?"

Feo, who had been removed from the party, raised a voice of protest, but he was cut off.

Well, it was Feo who made fun of Mimuru, so it is natural that he is not trusted.

Mimuru's eyes caught Iris Dina while leaving Feo with her shoulders dropped.

Feo, who had been left out, raised his voice in protest but was swiftly cut off. It was only natural that they didn't trust him since he was the one who made fun of Mimuru.

Mimuru's eyes caught Irisdina's as she left Feo, whose shoulders slumped, alone.

"Somehow, something's wrong with Irisdina-san..."

"I-Is that so?"

Irisdina, who was suddenly mentioned, made a choked sound. Mimuru's suspicious gaze pierced Irisdina.

"No, even if you told me nothing is going on..."

Mimuru's eyes shifted to Irisdina's hand. Even though everyone else had almost finished their meals, she still had a half-eaten sandwich in her hand.

"Shīna's mind isn't with us either..."

"Eh?"

Mimuru's eyes were turned to Shīna this time.

"I'm done eating, aren't I?"

Shīna held up the package that contained her lunch as if to remind Mimuru, but Mimuru's eyes still felt something was suspicious.

"Mouth...."

"E ... Ah~!?"

While staring at Shīna with half-closed eyes, Mimuru poked her in the mouth.

Shīna tilted her head, wondering what was going on. Mimuru put her hand on her cheek and saw red ketchup on it.

Mimuru had noticed that Shīna had been glancing at Nozomu during the meal.

As Mimuru watched Shīna hurriedly wipe the ketchup off her cheeks with a handkerchief, Somia asked her sister with a curious look.

"Ane-sama. It seems that everyone is curious about it, but did something happen yesterday?"

"U-umm ... That's right. How should I talk about it..."

Irisdina put her hand over her mouth and let her gaze drift as if she was lost in thoughts.

Her gaze, which had been wandering through the air, finally caught Nozomu's figure.

"....Let me see...."

Irisdina stared at him, and Nozomu scratched his head, wondering what to do. The next thing he knew, Shīna was also staring straight at him.

Their expression that seemed to appeal to him made Nozomu feel as if he were choking.

Mimuru, who had been watching, thought it would be quicker to ask Nozomu, so she rushed towards him again.

"Come on, Nozomu-kun, tell us!"

Mimuru's rough breathing blew in Nozomu's face.

He noticed that her hair was also standing and her tail was standing up straight. The way her hair was swaying even though there was no wind, it seemed that she was overexcited and it was leaking from her body.

A rude thought crossed Nozomu's mind that she might turn into a beast if left alone like this.

When Nozomu looked around at his friends, they all gave him a silent "I'm curious" expression.

"Well, alright. I don't really have any intention of hiding it anyway..."

It was true that various things had happened, but Nozomu himself had no intention of hiding it from his friends. He let out a deep breath and slowly recounted the events of yesterday to Mimuru and the others.

He told them that he had encountered Lisa and Ken after the request, that he had tried to talk to them, but they had rejected him and run away, that he had chased after Lisa together with Camilla, who had been left behind, and that when he had caught up with her, he had told her a little of the truth about what had happened two years ago.

However, when Mimuru heard the story, she folded her arms and tilted her head.

"Hmm~. But you told everything to Camilla, didn't you, Nozomu? Then, why didn't you also tell Lisa everything about it?

"I think so too. Hey, Nozomu, wouldn't it have been better if you'd at least told her everything like you did with us?"

Nozomu didn't tell Lisa that there was someone who had framed him and that it was Ken. This was something that stuck in the minds of Mars and Mimuru.

Mars and the others complained that he should have told Lisa everything right then and there.

"Well, it's not that I didn't think about it. In fact, when I went after Lisa yesterday, I was going to tell her everything."

Nozomu was scratching his head and remembering what happened yesterday.

It was true that he had confessed everything that had happened to Camilla when he was chasing after Lisa, who had run away.

"But I knew that I couldn't solve the problem by forcing myself on Lisa. I think our situation was different from Lisa's situation yesterday."

"What do you mean?"

Mars tilted his head. He was sure that Nozomu would tell Lisa everything how he really felt, just as they had been able to understand each other by hitting each other.

Nozomu looked at Mars, who was staring straight at him and slowly opened his mouth.

"Indeed, at that time I knew that I had to tell you guys everything about myself properly out of regret. I'm sure you feel the same way, right?"

"Yeah"

"That's why I think it can only happen if there is a will to understand each other."

Mars nodded in response to Nozomu's question.

The only reason why Nozomu and Mars were able to understand each other was because they both wanted to face each other again and took action. It was because of that desire that they were able to reveal their true feelings and understand each other.

"The current Lisa and the others are different. They won't look at me and listen. I found out yesterday that even if I tried to confront them, they would only run away."

The important thing is to have feelings for the other person, and to act based on the intention of wanting to understand each other.

But right now, Lisa has completely turned away from her desire to know the other person. This means that no matter how hard Nozomu tries to push, he will only make the other person shrink and become stubborn.

However, that's not all. The way Lisa was frightened yesterday. And then there was Tiamat, who suddenly put on an unprecedented level of pressure on Nozomu. Inside of Nozomu's mind, there was a fear that if he was not careful, it would be even worse.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take it one step at a time, little by little, and I'll let her get to know the current me. I'm going to clear up any misunderstandings little by little. Then maybe Lisa will start to listen to me little by little."

Therefore, Nozomu decided to get closer to Lisa little by little. The distance between them that had opened up over the past two years was quite far.

Just as Nozomu didn't know anything about Lisa's current situation, Lisa only understood the false Nozomu that Ken had shown her.

It was reasonable. The image of Nozomu in her mind had been completely painted out.

"So that's why you did what you did this morning.-->>

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