Despite the pain, despite the odds stacked against him, Nobu's spirit remains unbroken. He knows that he is fighting for something greater than himself, for a chance to prove his worth and silence the voices haunting his mind.
Shinso's voice echoes through the arena, his hand raised as if he is about to reveal a great secret. Nobu, still panting and wounded, looks up at his teacher with a mix of exhaustion and defiance in his eyes.
"Can I ask you something, Nobu?" Shinso requests, his tone laced with a hint of curiosity.
He remains silent, refusing to give Shinso the satisfaction of a response. However, Shinso doesn't seem to mind and continues his probing, his hand still held up in a questioning manner.
"Why are you so desperate, Nobu?" Shinso's voice is calm and measured, but there is a hint of curiosity in his tone. "What is driving you to become a sacred soldier? What is the reason behind all this pain and suffering you're willing to endure?"
"Despite being the only one standing beside your team, you do not possess the brightest of skills!" Shinso continues, his eyes narrowed with a hint of disdain. "It is a fact that you are awakened, yet you remain unaware of your elemental abilities! Not to mention, you lack any form of magical energy. In this fight, you have proven to be the most useless, be it in offense or defense!"
Implanting his greatsword firmly on the ground, Shinso places both of his hands on the pommel and speaks to the fainting boy, "You said you wanted to prove your faith in this world. But becoming a soldier isn't the only path available to you. You have countless other opportunities to make a difference - you could be a farmer, feeding the hungry; a teacher, spreading knowledge; or even a scout, bringing news to our kingdom from all over the world!"
"Why are you so eager to join the Night's Fury War and fight, when you're fully aware that you are currently incapable of contributing in any way?" he continues, his eyes fixed on the boy with a hint of concern.
Nobu remains silent after hearing those words, his breathing steady and his body ceasing its trembling from the pain and injuries inflicted during the fight. He lowers his head, his eyes transitioning from a vibrant purple to an unwelcome shade of darkness.
"I...I take it back," Nobu's voice trembles with heavy emotions as he speaks, "I won't strive to prove them wrong anymore. Because everything they said about me is true, isn't it?"
Upon hearing Nobu's words, Shinso and Kaeya appear visibly taken aback, their mouths slightly agape. Even the conscious newbies, such as Reina, are struck with shaken eyes at Nobu's statement.
"I am cursed," Nobu confesses, his face bearing a faint apologetic smile as his eyes remain consumed by pitch-black darkness. "I am an unwanted, nameless individual who has unknowingly slaughtered thousands of innocent people. That is my harsh reality."
With a firm grip on the Soul-Edge, Nobu lifts his body and struggles to maintain his balance as he continues speaking. "Becoming a sacred soldier won't change anything for me," he declares, his heart heavy with pain. He reaches for his chest, tightly gripping his clothes, as he adds, "I have nothing to protect. I have no parents, and I witnessed my friend's death right before my eyes. Everywhere I go, I only bring misery and destruction."
Nobu lifts his head and faces Kaeya and Shinso with a smile on his face, his eyes still closed. "But despite all that," he confesses, "I don't want others to feel the same pain and suffering that I'm feeling right now." He emphasizes the purity of his intentions as he continues, "I want to be the only one to be called cursed or a misfortune. I want to protect what's dear to others... That's the kind of person I aspire to be."
Leaning forward, Nobu opens his eyes, which now gleam with a desperate determination as the purple hue returns to them. "Since I have no goals of my own in this life," he declares, "I will protect the dreams and lives of others! That's why I want to become a sacred soldier... That's why I will become a sacred soldier!"
Suddenly, the eye on the Soul-Edge bursts open, revealing a demonic red iris as the veins on the sword come to life, pulsing with energy. Nobu's aura undergoes a drastic transformation, and his body is enveloped in a surge of power. However, he remains oblivious to the fact that the eye on his sword has opened. Shinso, on the other hand, is captivated by the sight of the eye and begins to sweat with excitement, unable to contain his interest.
"Kaeya, go check on the sphere!" Declares Shinso, taking up his greatsword and getting ready to face his student's last desperate attack, "I bet that it's reacting right now!"
With a nod of his head, Kaeya heads straight to Kamaitachi's sphere and leaves the battlefield.
His pupils dilated with adrenaline as he focuses on his goal. Despite the blood trickling down his forehead from a previous injury, he grits his teeth and charges toward Shinso, his muscles tense and ready to strike. Nobu squats faintly, then bursts explosively towards Shinso, ready to clash with him!
Shinso concentrates all of his magical energy and begins to conjure a powerful spell. He channels the energy he absorbed from the circle and adds even more, creating a massive surge of blue magic.
"Time Magic: Temporal Nexus!" he chants, his voice echoing throughout the battlefield. Suddenly, a sharp blue shard materializes in front of him, crackling with energy.
"Nobu, be careful!" Shinso warns. "If this spell touches you, you'll be trapped in a timeless space. In other words, you'll lose!"
"Show me what you've got, future hero!" Nobu's senses are heightened as the eye on his sword gleams even brighter, emanating an otherworldly power that Shinso has never witnessed before. The teacher conjures the shard, sending it hurtling toward Nobu with unmatched speed.
But Nobu is not intimidated. With a swift movement, he switches places with the bolt, evading it by mere inches. Shinso's eyes widen in surprise as Nobu suddenly dashes towards him, their eyes locked in a fierce gaze.
The cursed boy's movements are fluid and graceful as if he is dancing on air. His sword glows with an intense purple light, and a strange aura emanates from his body. Shinso can feel the raw power emanating from Nobu, and he can sense that this is no ordinary opponent.
Shinso's thoughts race as he continues to battle Nobu, their swords clashing with incredible force. "It must be because I canceled the Chrono suppression," he thinks to himself as he observes Nobu's increased speed and power. "No, that's not it. His speed became higher as well..."
The clash of their swords sends shockwaves reverberating throughout the arena. Despite Nobu's fierce determination, Shinso proves to be the stronger fighter and easily overpowers his opponent, causing Nobu to leap backward with a powerful jump.
"He... He didn't leap back because I overpowered him!" gasps Shinso as he analyzes what just happened, "It was his own way of getting away from harm..."
Reacting quickly, he unleashes a wave of future slices toward Nobu, but to his surprise, the cursed boy doesn't avoid any of them this time. Instead, Nobu snaps the whole barrage from his way with swift and precise swings from his Soul Edge. Shinso is taken aback by the sheer skill and agility of his student as Nobu switches above him, ready for his next move.
The clashing of their swords echoes through the training grounds as Nobu and Shinso face off once again. Despite his best efforts, Nobu finds himself overpowered once more. However, rather than giving in to defeat, he quickly adapts to the situation at hand.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Nobu throws his sword behind him and relies solely on his own physical strength to take down Shinso. His well-placed kick sends the teacher's sword to kiss the floor and causes the boy to rise higher into the air. Without missing a beat, Nobu follows up with a powerful heel kick to Shinso's face, channeling the full force of All For One.
The impact of the blow causes Shinso's head to turn sharply, leaving him momentarily dazed and staring off into blank space. As he regains his composure and turns to face Nobu once again, he is surprised to see the young hero raising his head to the sky, showing no signs of exhaustion despite the intense physical exertion he just went through.
Shinso's mind races with thoughts as he realizes that Nobu's control over his powers is even greater than he initially thought. "So... fast..." he thinks to himself, marveling at the sheer speed and precision of Nobu's movements. "And he didn't even lose any Chi after using All For One just now!" Shinso is left in awe, realizing he may have underestimated his student's potential.
The strange power emanating from the Soul-Edge begins to fade. The eye on the sword slowly closes, and the ominous weapon begins to shift into its second form, morphing into a bracer as the purple matter flows from the blade to Nobu's forearm.
Reina gasps in disbelief as he watches the incredible feat that Nobu has just accomplished. He can hardly believe what he is seeing and rubs his eyes in disbelief, trying to make sense of it all.
"No... way..." he mutters under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper. "Nobu... what the hell did you do?"
As Nobu struggles to stay conscious, his determination remains unwavering. With a look of fierce determination in his eyes, he looks up at Shinso and speaks with a voice barely above a whisper.
"See? I told you, didn't I?" he says, a note of triumph in his voice. "I will... Become a sacred soldier..."
But even as he speaks these words, Nobu's body gives out on him. He falls to the ground face-first, his consciousness slipping away from him.
"I wasn't expecting it at all," Shinso admits, his voice tinged with respect. "For someone to throw his sword as a distraction in the middle of a battle."
"Kids, you won the title! I officially welcome you to the Sacred Soldiers Corps!"
As the battle comes to an end by those words, and the conscious students gather around, they can't help but laugh in disbelief at what has just transpired. Thanks to their friend Nobu, they still have hope to reach their splendid dream.
As Reina rushes to Nobu's side, Shinso watches on in amazement. He can't help but marvel at the young students' determination and courage, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
"Your majesty, now I see why you told me to keep a good eye on those two," he murmurs to himself, a look of admiration on his face. "They are really interesting."
Meanwhile, Kaeya reaches the sphere, his heart pounding with anticipation. As he looks up, he sees the sphere floating mid-air, pulsing with demonic energy that fades little by little.
"It is true," Kaeya whispers, his voice barely audible as his hands start shaking. "Nobu... He's Kamaitachi's vessel!"
He watches as the sphere fades away completely, the last traces of demonic energy dissipating into the air. With a heavy heart, Kaeya makes his way back to Shinso to deliver the news. "Just as the Queen envisioned," He mutters, a look of awe on his face. "Kamaitachi's vessel is finally here! He didn't get reborn in the demon realm, the power chose Nobu as its master!"
The eight students gather in the infirmary room, their bodies still aching from the intense battle they had just endured. With the help of Yagami's healing powers, they can stand up straight and move around without too much difficulty. Although they had been up against two mighty soldiers, the bruises they had sustained were not too serious. It was clear that Kaeya and Shinso had managed to hold their powers against their opponents.
Nobu, however, was the most badly bruised of all. Without magical energy to protect his body from harm, he had taken quite a beating. As he sleeps in the infirmary room, his thoughts race with the usual nightmare of the people of Paradise blaming him for their deaths.
Fortunately, Nobu didn't remain unconscious for too long, only about an hour. As he slowly opens his eyes, he's greeted by a warm, beaming light enveloping his body, healing his injuries courtesy of Yagami's gentle magic.
"Why do I have this strange sense of déjà vu?" murmurs Nobu as he carefully sits up, causing Yagami to release a sigh of relief. "It's like I'm about to have a mutual relationship with this room," he jokes, attempting to lighten the mood.
Yagami continues to focus on healing Nobu, who slowly sits up and looks at his friend with a small smile. "You're awake!" says Yagami, beaming at him. "Congratulations on landing a hit on Master Shinso! I saw you fighting, you were truly awesome, Nobu!"
"You think so?" Nobu asks, his eyes turning a bright orange. "I didn't really know how I pulled it off, but... We won, that's all that we need to keep in mind for now."
"Yeah, we won!" confirms Yagami, his brown hair getting lightened by his magic as he smiles warmly. "And it's thanks to you. Try getting the credit for once, okay?"
Nobu giggles as he still feels some pain in his body from the previous fight, "I'll think about it," He says as he notices the absence of the rest, "How are the others? Are they all healed?"
Yagami responds with a reassuring smile as he nods, "Everyone is perfectly fine. Unlike you, they didn't get bruised that badly. They're currently with Master Kaeya and Shinso, waiting for the tournament bracket."
"I see," Nobu chimes in as he grabs a chocolate bar, "I wonder who I'll be facing first."
"So, tell me Nobu..." Yagami piques his friend's interest, "What was that technique that you used earlier? You were gleaming with energy the whole time, you know!"
"Huh? Energy? Technique?" Nobu seems completely unaware of the power he displayed when facing Shinso. "What are you talking about?"
"You mean to say you don't know the source of that power earlier?" Asks Yagami, clearly perplexed.
"I had a surge of power emanating from me earlier?" Asks an even more confused Nobu, facing his friend with a blank expression.
"N... Nevermind then," Says Yagami as he remembers what Nobu said before his final clash with Shinso, "You know, I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier. About how you're willing to risk your own life to protect others. It takes a lot of courage to do something like that."
Nobu's eyes revert to their usual dark blue as he responds, "It's not about courage. I wouldn't say I'm a brave person, to be honest. It's just that I have no purpose or direction in life. That's why I'm passionate about protecting the dreams of others."
"You're mistaken," Yagami interjects, his expression growing serious. "You keep downplaying your own greatness and claiming to be empty inside. But you're wrong, Nobu. You have the potential to be something incredible."
Yagami's words touch Nobu's heart and he can feel his eyes start to water as he takes in what his friend has said. "If you ask me, I feel truly blessed because I met you," Yagami says. "You truly exemplify friendship at its finest."
Nobu is taken aback by Yagami's words and asks, "What do you mean?"
"All this time, you've been standing up for all of us without even thinking about it," Yagami explains, recalling all the times Nobu had helped the group. "You saved Reina, stood against the monster that was hosting Katsu, helped us all pass the last exam, and you didn't hold a grudge against Sayuri, even though she's part of the Violra family. You have no idea how much that meant to her!"
"A friend is someone who'll lend you a hand when you can't stand on your own," Yagami continues, finishing healing Nobu as he sits in front of him. "And you've proved that to all of us. That's why I consider you a good friend."
Joy hosts Nobu's face as he beams with happiness. "Thank you, Yagami," he says, his smile warm and genuine. "You just made my day."
"Got any chocolate on you?" Asks Nobu as he finishes the chocolate bar in his hand.
Yagami responds by opening the fridge and says, "There is some chocolate in there, I guess."
Nobu grins and exclaims, "Hurray!" before heading to the fridge to grab some chocolate.
While those two are still in the infirmary, the other six fresh soldiers stand in a neat row in front of the board displaying the tournament bracket. Their faces are aglow with excitement as they scan the board, each identifying their opponent.
"Two weeks until the tournament, huh?" Magnus remarks, lifting his head slightly as he spots Satomi's name next to his.
"Plenty of time for us to train and relax," Satomi adds, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
"I'm up against Yagami," Reina chimes in, stepping back from the group. "And we're the first ones fighting too! This should be interesting."
"Katsu! Katsu! Katsu!" Sayuri hops in front of Katsu, pointing at the board and chanting his name, "You're fighting me! Look!"
"I see it, I see it," He replies, taken aback by Sayuri's boundless energy. "Let's do our best, okay?"
"Absolutely! We'll give it our all!" Sayuri exclaims, twirling around lightly.
Satomi turns her attention to Ash, who is struggling to read the names on the board. "And, the two with the most mysterious powers will be facing each other," she informs.
Ash's face lights up as he finally locates his name. "It's Nobu!" he exclaims, brimming with anticipation. "I get to fight Nobu! This is going to be amazing!"
"Satomi, I'm confused though!" Adds Ash as he turns to the girl, reminding the team of his slow IQ, "Who are the ones with the most mysterious powers?"