Blooming Daisy

Nayari clenched his teeth.

"You want to save your friends, right? Then use it, that forbidden magic of yours." He suddenly heard a voice in his ears.

The shadow from the depth of his mine spoke up again.

"You...!"

"Come on. What are you waiting for? Perhaps you afraid that you would also accidentally kill them like you once did with us?"

"Shut up! Get away from me!"

"Hehehe...I'll awaiting your answer..."

"ArghhhhhHHH!!!"

He suddenly grabbed his head and screamed.

Think!

Think!

He needed to find a way, a way to save them all.

"...Ah...I can use that!"

Something popped up in his mind.

He ran back toward the group of students, grabbing one of the swords lying on the ground.

"Hey! That's mine!" The student with the orange hair who was lying on the ground yelled.

"Sorry! I'll be borrowing it for a minute!"

Standing in front of the rampaging beast, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

One of the skills that his dad had once shown him when he was still around.

And its name was...

----

"Listen here, Nayari. On our journey today, I'll show you my secret skills that I've honed over the years."

"Really?! ...But why so suddenly, Father?"

The man who Nayari called father was leading them through the forest.

"... I have a bad feeling about the future that's awaiting me. If I ever disappear, remember what I showed you here and use it to protect yourself and the ones you love if you're ever in a pinch."

He put his hand onto the handle of his sword.

"Its name is..."

----

Nayari grabbed the sword tightly.

"<<Blooming Daisy -..."

Lilith and Maria had run out of their hiding spot due to the ruckus.

"Blooming..."

"...Daisy?"

The two girls who just arrived at the scene suddenly stopped upon hearing the name.

Noticing the blazing griffon, they didn't know what had happened but the view of Nayari standing in front of the beast scared them.

The griffon, who seemed to have noticed Nayari, was now charging straight at him.

It couldn't forgive the one that had cut off its wing, its eyes filled with rage when it saw him.

"Nayari! What are you doing?! Run away!"

Nayari continued to stand still, not caring for the approaching monster.

"NAYARI!!!" Lilith screamed.

The beast was getting closer by seconds and nothing could stop it.

Two meters...

One meter...

It felt like they would clash at any second now.

"...- Dynamic Slash>>!!!!" He opened eyes, a burst of aura escape from him as him and the sword suddenly shined brightly.

*Shiiiiiiiing*

He disappeared briefly, then appeared again at the other end of the griffon.

A drop of blood appeared at the tip of the sword.

Nothing changed for a few seconds.

The beast turned around, not understanding what happened before its entire body slowly slid off in half.

It let out a shriek, before collapsing onto the ground, no longer moving.

Nayari turned around to see the beast.

"...I'm glad...it worked..." was the last line he said before also collapsing due to fatigue, body strain from using the skill and mana deficiency.

The sword's blade had shattered into pieces.

The other students stood in awe, unknowing what'd just happened.

"Nayari!" Hildagea, Lilith and Maria quickly ran to Nayari's side.

Hildagea checked his pulse, before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god...He's just unconscious..."

The other girls also let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that.

"Hey! Are you guys ok?"

A voice was heard.

The three of them turned around to see a teacher.

"A teacher?! Appearing now?! Where've you guys been all this time?"

Lilith fussed up a rage upon seeing her.

"I'm sincerely sorry! We wanted to help you guys but the principle for whatever reason did not allow us to do so. And also Lilith, that isn't a proper way to talk to a teacher, you know?"

"Ah...I'm so sorry, I'm just so upset that..."

"Nevermind about that. It's entirely our fault this time. Luckily there was no casualty. Honestly, what was the principle thinking..."

The teacher said before walking off, trying to help the other injured students.

Lilith, who had met the principle once, realized something upon hearing the teacher's words.

The principle had already expected Lilith's arrival, even knowing her name, so could it be that she also knew that they would win?

That couldn't be it, right?

She pondered for a moment before returning back to her previous thoughts.

"But why...does Nayari know about Teacher's one of special skills?"

----

"...HAHAHAHAH!! I see that you've chosen another way then...Then again, your decision wouldn't change anything."

The voice inside Nayari's head spoke, now in the form of a dark silhouette that resembled him.

Nayari and the voice were currently facing each other in the corner of his mind.

"I know...One day, I'll have to face it again...But not now. I'm...not ready yet."

"Hoh...I'll await that day..."me"..."

"..."

The voice faded away. Nayari woke up.

"...How did a voice that had haunted me for years become something that mocks me?" was the first thing that was on his mind.

He looked around and noticed that he was now in the infirmary once more. His body felt really heavy, hid dead hurting like hell.

But a few seconds after he woke up, he was suddenly cornered by Lilith and Hilda. Maria was also in the room, standing by the door, her face filled with deep thoughts.

"Nayari, are you ok?!"

"Yari, are you alright?!"

He was then bombarded with questions.

"I'm fine. Are YOU guys ok? Did anyone of you get hurt? Do I need to do a check-up on-Argh!!"

Nayari tried to get up forcefully, only to meet with stinging pain.

"Don't force yourself like that! We're perfectly fine! You need to take care of yourself first before caring for others!" Hildagea spoke up.

"...If you said so. Then, I'm going to rest for a bit."

"Then, meet you back at our room soon. I have a thing I want to ask you about." Lilith promptly left.

"Um."

"Then...see you soon too." Hilda also made her goodbye, before leaving along with Lilith.

"See you soon...Hilda."

After the girls had left, the only one remained in the room were Maria and himself.

"Oh, yeah. About the duel...I guess I lost due to me passing out..." Nayari started speaking.

"Ah, no! I was the one who lost that duel! You managed to defeat that griffon and all!" Maria immediately refuted, becoming embarrassed for being granted winner for a battle that neither of them actually win.

"You win!"

"No, you!"

"You!"

"Nayari!"

"Maria!"

"!!!" Maria was taken aback a bit by him suddenly calling her name.

"?" Nayari didn't understand what happened.

"Hmm...How about this? We're both winners and losers in this duel, so let's call it a draw."

"O-Okay...And the deal we've agreed upon before battle, b-because you saved me from the fall, I'll make an exception and help you."

"Really? Then I'm grateful to you."

Maria didn't know what was happening to her.

She had sworn herself to only put her heart to Karmeson, but why was her heart wavering now?

This person in front of her, reminded her too much of him!!

"Hey! Are you alright?! You're looking pretty red there?!"

Nayari's words snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I-I'm fine! B-By the way, what was the thing you just did back then to the griffon?"

She shook her head furiously and changed the subject.

He had just managed to utilize <<Arts>>!!

<<Arts>> is a kind of skills that was special to a person, and can be created by making your very own special skill that you've perfected.

Once a skill of any kind had been perfected, an <<Arts>> is born.

It can be a sword skill, a spear skill, or even a magic skill that is different from the prescribed ones.

But in order to do that, one must hone their skills for years in order to pull off an <<Arts>>.

<<Arts>> can also be passed down from parents to children, but likewise, the children must also practice doing the move for a long time before it can be recognized as an <<Arts>>.

"Hmm? Oh...That. I didn't know how I managed to pull it off but...I learned it from my father. This was the first time I tried it though, and I'm glad it managed to work out.

First time?!

"What is he, a monster?!" Maria thought to herself.

But the other thing that caught her attention was...

"Your...father? What's his name?"

"...Hmm. Let me search my memories for a bit...His name was..."

----

At the same time, somewhere else.

"Why...did you do this? I...thought...we were comrades."

The person, who was lying on the ground, had their body covered in blood.

Near her were many more people, all of them were dead.

"Oh, but you weren't. You are all merely pawns in my grand scheme. Thanks to you guys, I've managed to remember who I was and my real duty. With this sword... my sword, this world will soon bear witness to the birth of a new god! And I shall be the one to observe it first! AHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

His laugh echoed throughout the cave.

The cave looked like it was previously occupied by a large feathered beast.

"Damn...you! I...will curse you...from the depths of hell...ZERO!!!"

"Quit your blabbering."

The man named Zero stabbed his sword down into her, killing her off.

"Now then, I wonder how much progress you've made...my dear son, Nayari?"