A bit late, but here's a new chappie~ Please enjoy~!
Chapter E8: In the Shadows
Solon asked me to find my own magic name.
The reason I lived. The reason for which I should live.
Only then can I comprehend the true face of the magic society I'm trying to be a part of.
My new world.
However, despite all that. My head was a land of contradictory conjunctions.
…I should ask my own heart:
For what reason does Elaine Le Fay exist?
I felt as if the answer had been hidden away from me behind an impenetrable wall that refused all attempts at introspection.
Maybe I could find something out if I recalled a fraction of my memories.
But I had no luck on that end, either.
Everything was so vague, ahh, so vague…
It felt as if the past me was buried under the cold earth with no means of escape.
My hands tore through the mud, incessantly sifting aside the detritus only to find more in its place.
Was there really something hidden beneath this mountain of dirt?
…My memories.
…My life.
Maybe the mound was empty. Maybe there really was nothing hidden beneath.
At least I wished for that not to be true.
For if there truly was nothing beneath all this mud, then it would mean I was never worth saving in the first place.
And that would render it impossible for me to ever look straight into his eyes again.
"So, um, can you tell me how I look from your perspective?" (Elaine)
"Your name is Elaine Le Fay. Your height, weight, and three sizes are all supposed to be a secret. You have silver hair which you wear in a ponytail, and your eyes are green in color. You're best at making Western food, but you can also hold your ground at Eastern cuisine; Sichuan though is not your forte." (Touma)
I answered.
"Okay, stop. I wasn't asking that. Don't you have anything to say about my, err, inner side?" (Elaine)
Hm. I looked at Elaine long and hard. For a second there I was worried she might misunderstand it for me leering at her.
Still, the only way to see this "inner side" of hers was through meticulous observation.
"H-Hey, you're making me feel weird." (Elaine)
As I expected…
However.
"It's very hard for a third party to see someone else's inner self. Not to mention that I don't understand people that well to begin with. I don't even understand who I am. So, I definitely am not a suitable person to ask for this." (Touma)
I let out a sigh and confessed the truth.
"True. But who could possibly know me better than you?" (Elaine)
Silence fell upon us.
I stood on my hands, or to be more precise— on a single finger. The posture itself wasn't too hard to achieve.
The hard part was visualizing magic in this posture.
This was one of the training methods Kanzaki suggested to me. The infamous Colombus' egg was the scientific equivalent of this exercise.
Espers cannot use magic, and as such the amount of mana even an average magician possesses far eclipses mine.
In a comparison between me and Kanzaki, if my mana count were to be considered a hundred, hers would be an absurd fifty thousand.
This difference is absolute. No matter what I did, that gap would never shrink.
Even if I spent a hundred lifetimes training, it would be a miracle if it ever reached five hundred.
Luckily, the Blade of Seven Deadly Sins— the Joyeuse, served to neutralize this handicap.
Still, raw magical energy didn't exactly translate into one's ability to do battle. And it wasn't like having huge reserves of it allowed one to spam lofty magic spells indefinitely, either.
Utilizing strong magic and having a huge pool of magical energy were two entirely different matters.
The Joyeuse catalyzed illusion magic. Capable of applying a tremendous amount of magical energy on its own, it only required minor contributions from its wielder's reserves.
…Yet even those "minor" contributions put considerable strain on my body.
As an esper, I was neither designed for nor used to this concept of "magic."
Giving birth to magical energy within my body was an entirely new experience for me, unlike Anna or Nika who seemed to be doing it since they took their first breaths.
But that was enough describing my petty struggles.
The point was: I still lacked strength in every way possible.
Neither my scientific abilities nor my magical prowess were at sufficient levels to successfully finish my crusade.
The last fight had proven that point to me.
Not to mention I had yet to discover my own "reason for living."
Without a purpose to base my life upon, they told me that it would be nigh-impossible to stand against the guardians of the third temple and beyond the way I was now.
Though, at the same time, they also told me that some "purposes" can only be found in the heat of battle.
So… I was now in the middle of training myself on matters I could do something about as a compromise.
Well, putting me aside, I highly doubted Elaine was the type to discover her magic name in battle. But without memories, we had nothing to go on with her.
Even her name and basic information of her background were shrouded in mystery.
I couldn't blame her for not knowing what to do.
But since it was this girl that pleaded me to look at her inner self, I decided to try my best to co-operate.
"…Is it okay if I take some time?" (Touma)
"Eh? Of course, it's alright. And you should not overthink it, either. Both my past and my magic name are probably of no significance, anyway." (Elaine)
"Elaine, stop belittling yourself. Your magic name should be of significant importance, to you at least." (Touma)
"…You think so?" (Elaine)
"Do you even need to ask? I, for one, believe you to be precious and irreplaceable." (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
"What's wrong?" (Touma)
"Hah… Haha… Hahaha. Okay, I got used to this already. I already know full well that reading too deep into your words only leads to suffering." (Elaine)
She, for some reason, proceeded to sulk.
As I was deep in thought pertaining to the inexplicable and abrupt change in her countenance, Kanzaki Kaori entered the gymnasium.
"Ahaha! Did I make you wait long?" (Kanzaki)
"Whoa, Kanzaki-san? You seem to be in high spirits today." (Elaine)
"Yep. With you guys liberating the second temple, one of the main causes for my persistent stomach cramps vanished into thin air. I finally feel alive again!" (Kanzaki)
That was indeed a valid reason to celebrate.
"You have a weak stomach?" (Elaine)
"What are you talking about? I might not look like it but I am the leader of Necessarius. A liter or two of concentrated sulfuric acid should hardly cause my stomach to rumble." (Kanzaki)
Is it just me, or was there something seriously wrong with that analogy?
"Either way, we are all at the brink of Apocalypse here, you know. But with the second temple back in our hands, things are looking somewhat brighter than yesterday." (Kanzaki)
"Well, that's good to hear." (Touma)
"And so, we expect good things from you." (Kanzaki)
"Better things than Seth?" (Touma)
"Most of us are still placing our bets on Seth if you insist on knowing the truth." (Kanzaki)
"Thank you for your frankness. At least I now know that I can trust you." (Touma)
"Though, to tell the truth, I feel a bit disheartened by the idea of using him for battle." (Kanzaki)
"Disheartened?" (Touma)
"He is oblivious to the world. Nothing matters to him apart from fulfilling his objectives. The thought that he represents the pinnacle of human perfection sometimes disturb me." (Kanzaki)
"…" (Touma)
I never thought Kanzaki harbored a thought like that.
"A man crafted not by God but by humanity itself. The obvious hubris aside, I wonder if he can even be called the same species as the rest of mankind." (Kanzaki)
"Mhm…" (Touma)
"Not to mention if madness claims him and he becomes a guardian… the only result will be complete destruction. I wonder if it is alright for a single individual to possess such levels of power." (Kanzaki)
"…" (Elaine)
Elaine regarded me with a worried look. Ahh, now that I thought about it, she knew the antipathy (or rather one-sided aversion) I felt towards the man.
But it was alright. Kanzaki's words did not affect me one bit.
I could not care less about Seth's destiny or fate, what he should or shouldn't do with his powers.
The only thing that mattered— was whether he would stand against me fulfilling my objectives.
Then that would a bit of a problem.
"Well, desperate times, desperate measures, right? Anyway, I personally am rooting for you guys. Especially you, Kamijou-san. For you, too, are a monster of human making." (Kanzaki)
"You know of my origins…?" (Touma)
"Yes. I did a little of my own investigation. Sorry, my job as the one responsible for all security here entails that much. Well, there is no sin in simply being born." (Kanzaki)
Hmm. Well, whatever.
"I'm not planning on telling your secret to anyone else, of course. You don't have to worry." (Kanzaki)
"I don't doubt you on that." (Touma)
"Good. Well… wanna spar?" (Kanzaki)
Kanzaki stretched her arms.
"Ahh, wait. Today I've promised Elaine to help her out on something." (Touma)
"Hyoeh?!" (Elaine)
"Hm. Is it more important than training?" (Kanzaki)
"I promised to help her find her identity." (Touma)
"Um, Kamijou-san? I'm quite certain I just told you that you shouldn't pay it too much mind." (Elaine)
"Identity, huh? That is indeed quite important. But will it take a lot of time? I plan to be here all evening, so…" (Kanzaki)
"It probably will." (Touma)
"Hm. I see. Well, I guess that's not such a bad course of action. Elaine Le Fay grasping her identity might prove more useful to you than simple training anyway." (Kanzaki)
"Thank you for understanding." (Touma)
"Don't worry about it… Don't worry about it." (Kanzaki)
Still, I could spot some disappointment coloring her features as she uttered those words. It seemed she was really looking forward to our bout.
"Just look at how upset Kanzaki-san looks… You should just forget lil' old me and—" (Elaine)
"I'm neither disappointed nor sulking! It's just that I haven't had a chance to exercise for a great while now." (Kanzaki)
And so she let out a small sigh to signal the end of her speech—
"Oh, so this is where everyone was hiding."
"Albert? Good afternoon!" (Elaine)
"…" (Touma)
I was suddenly struck by a vision of Albert Magnus dressed as a duck coming to a party with a bag full of onions, a pot, some mayonnaise and sauce, a couple of eggs, and a hearty chopping board.
"Huh? Kanzaki-chan, what's with the high spirits? Finally getting confessed to? I guess that's an impossibility to take place… huh. I mean like who would eve—" (Albert)
"Kuku~" (Kanzaki)
"—W-Wait… Your eyes are kind of scary?" (Albert)
"Kukuku~ Enough with the talking. Pick your weapon and let's kill… pass some time." (Kanzaki)
"Huh? I-I think I'm getting mixed messages here—" (Albert)
"Must be your imagination. Ha ha ha." (Kanzaki)
"We'll leave you in the care of each other, then." (Touma)
"Good luck, Albert." (Elaine)
"What's up with the pitying looks? Hey, wait a second here! I'm a pacifist, you know. A judge of International Court ring any bells? I'm the intellectual type." (Albert)
"Yeah, right. I've never seen any intellectual types as muscular as you. Anyway, pick your spear up! Ha haha, we're gonna de-stress ourselves today~" (Kanzaki)
"Goddamit, what a tiresome woman you are…! You might never find a man at this rate…!" (Albert)
*BOOM*
Elaine and I escaped to the corridor.
The library is our next destination.
"As you already know, magic is influenced heavily by perspective." (Touma)
Based on who and how the observer observed, the effects of magic can fluctuate.
"According to Anna, some of them chose Imitative Magic (Idol-theory) to base their spells, while others use some other magical systems like the Law of Contagion (Infection Magic)." (Touma)
"Oh. I see…" (Elaine)
"The world we occupy is indeed real. But reality is a matter of perspective. Just because something is unobservable doesn't mean it isn't there." (Touma)
"Is this related to the "phases" we discussed earlier?" (Elaine)
"Yes. Phases are layers of change applied upon reality. Normally, considering that these are simply filters applied atop a single canvas, it is impossible to detect or traverse between them." (Touma)
"Kind of how difficult it is to restore a painting after another one is drawn over it?" (Elaine)
"Not difficult. It's impossible to travel between phases, at least through normal means." (Touma)
"I see… But they do exist, right?" (Elaine)
"Yes. Phases exist, and we believe them to be in a state of superposition until someone "outside" decides to observe the catbox." (Touma)
I took a pause.
"But this doesn't mean that the individual phases are any less "real" to the denizens it contains. From an internal perspective, these phases are indistinguishable from reality." (Touma)
I could see the cogs in Elaine's head begin to spin.
"This is where the temples are considered a cheating device. They exist outside this so-called "catbox," yet they allow an observer to peek inside the superposition without influencing the end result." (Touma)
This is usually impossible to accomplish as the act in itself couldn't be considered "observation" at all.
There was no logical way to communicate or traverse to places that don't exist.
Yet the temples have come to shatter this impossibility.
"Not to mention there's an increasing suspicion about the existence of even more cosmologies, totally different multiverses that stem from different origin points and are drawn upon completely separate sheets of canvases than ours." (Touma)
"And all of these exist together?" (Elaine)
"They are non-existent from our perspective, but if they exist… they might do so mixed together in a soup of chaos where a phase would not be much distinguishable from an alien cosmology. The existence of temples makes us question everything we thought we knew about the cosmos." (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
"Back to the topic: I believe you to be a denizen of this world, or at least a phase that is very much similar to this one." (Touma)
"Um, I get the stuff about phases. Somewhat, I mean. But, what kind of places are these different cosmologies?" (Elaine)
"Not sure. As I said, it is unclear if they even exist. But if I warrant a guess: they should be places that are radically different from us. Exotic places. Imagine a world where humanity is a Type VI civilization, or one in which the four fundamental forces don't exist, or maybe one in which time doesn't flow, or another in which death takes place before birth." (Touma)
"Erm, so basically a sci-fi author's wet dream." (Elaine)
"Yes. Probably." (Touma)
I initially felt something odd about the comparison, but upon a much more deliberate thought, it felt remarkably suitable.
"…Kamijou-san, you hail from a different world, too, right? So, what kind of world do you come from?" (Elaine)
I considered my answer for a moment.
"I… well, I come from a pretty special world." (Touma)
"You don't want to tell me?" (Elaine)
"It isn't like that." (Touma)
I couldn't look her straight in the eye for some reason. A sense of awkwardness began to fill my chest.
"I see. S-Sorry about that. It's not good to pry into people's private lives, right?" (Elaine)
"It isn't like that." (Touma)
"…?" (Elaine)
Why was I so bothered by something so frivolous?
Just tell her. Tell her everything. It's not that hard.
Was there something negative about telling Elaine my past?
I doubt she'd tell anyone if I asked her not to, unless tortured, but that is another story entirely.
If there was but a single downside, it would be that this information might lead her to look at me with different eyes.
Lead her to feel repulsed by myself.
…Was it that that was bothering me?
"Uh, sorry I asked something weird, seriously. Can you forget it? Let's forget everything that transpired here just now, okay?" (Elaine)
"Yeah." (Touma)
Her words allowed me to take an easy breath.
She peeked at my face from below with a timid expression as if afraid I was angry.
"Um…" (Elaine)
"I'm not angry." (Touma)
"Eh?" (Elaine)
After a moment's deliberation, I rested my hand atop her head as if consoling a little child.
…I tried mimicking what she had done to me back on the bench, but I was not confident in carrying out the procedure effectively.
":3" (Elaine)
"Sorry for making you worry. Anyway, we should be on our way to the library." (Touma)
"…Yeah." (Elaine)
Elaine gave me a relieved nod, and we were on our way.
"Oh? It's you." (Female Librarian)
"The airhead is not in today." (Male Librarian)
"When the buffoon is not around, we feel like we have nothing to do." (Female Librarian)
"Maybe you should read some books." (Male Librarian)
"I always do that. But it is the lack of work that makes me feel so… queasy." (Female Librarian)
"Never thought I'd hear you say you miss people making a mess out of books." (Male Librarian)
"I hate random people making a mess out of it. Just that airhead. Guess I just have a soft spot for her." (Female Librarian)
"*Ahem* Where should we go to find information on St. Maurice's residents and archived phases?" (Touma)
"There's a registry database in area Zx63 and upwards." (Female Librarian)
As if on cue, the male librarian waved his index finger and a shining line appeared at our feet, stretching towards the depths of the library.
"Just follow this locator, and you'll be at your destination in no time." (Male Librarian)
"If you want to take a book out, please bring it here first." (Female Librarian)
"Thankies. W-Wait, why is this line thingy going up in the air there?" (Elaine)
"There's an anti-gravity magic spell buried underground. So… you can simply jump over that distance." (Male Librarian)
"But it is nearly 100 feet straight up!" (Elaine)
"Even a normal person should face no trouble jumping over 100 feet with the spell's assistance." (Female Librarian)
"…" (Elaine)
Seeing a restless Elaine, the female librarian sighed.
"Can you jump, Kamijou Touma?" (Female Librarian)
"Yes. Don't worry, I'll take care of her." (Touma)
With the use of flight, I wouldn't even need to jump.
As the female librarian nodded in approval, I grasped Elaine's hand and launched into the sky.
"Hya!" (Elaine)
"….?" (Touma)
"D-Don't mind me. I just got a little bit scared as I tried looking down." (Elaine)
"Oh, mhm. Maybe it would be better if you held onto my waist or something?" (Touma)
"Oh… um… I don't know… that's a bit too…" (Elaine)
Hmm…
"All right. Let's have you wear this leash, and a cord. If you attach it to your waist as a safety measure, with that you shouldn't fall to death, at least. Sorry, I think I have no idea what I'm talking about." (Touma)
"Kamijou-san… Erm, but I don't wanna become a human yoyo!"
Elaine looked at me with a ghastly smile, and so I "wisely" decided to shut my mouth up.
Now that I thought about it, I could give her a piggyback ride.
After some twists and turns, we finally arrived at our destination. I could hear Elaine gasp something along the lines of "Hoeeeh" behind my back.
"This thing looks like a building. Is this really a bookshelf?" (elaine)
"It's really just a bookshelf." (Touma)
Normally it wouldn't be possible to make a bookshelf this huge, the physics wouldn't allow it. The structural integrity of wood would exponentially deteriorate with size, making the bookshelf eventually collapse under its own weight.
This might be the true reason an anti-gravity spell is deployed underneath the library.
Well, now… where should we start…?
"I guess we have no choice but to look at these books one by one." (Touma)
"That approach will take us a hundred years…" (Elaine)
"Maybe they have a digital database that we could use." (Touma)
"We do."
"Hyauh?!" (Elaine)
A girl slithered out from an opening between two bookshelves.
Another librarian, huh. She looked like a chibi version of the female librarian downstairs. Apparently, this area was her native habitat.
"How rude! Don't go grouping me with some animal, all right?" (Chibi Librarian)
"W-Well, that aside, where can we find the digital records database…?" (Touma)
Deciding to ignore the mind-reading chibi librarian, I asked her a question.
"There's a terminal at the other end of that bookshelf." (Chibi Librarian)
"I have a question…" (Elaine)
"Yes?" (Chibi Librarian)
"Exactly how big is this bookshelf?" (Elaine)
"About 300 meters high and 500 meters long. Since each shelf contains six rows of books… most of the titles are hidden. Hence, we call it the "Hidden Library." (Chibi Librarian)
The chibi librarian explained with stars in her eyes.
But the hidden library, huh. I can see why they called it that.
With so many books hidden behind other books, no one can precisely navigate the hidden sections without accurate knowledge.
"Jesus Christ, that's big! How to heck did you arrange all of these?" (Elaine)
"Well, it's our only work after all. Although there are more book here than what we could handle, incidentally almost 70% of the articles are already perfectly organized." (Chibi Librarian)
"That's amazing." (Touma)
"Hahaha. Please praise me more." (Chibi Librarian)
"Those thick nerdy glasses give you a charming look, Ms. Librarian." (Elaine)
"There's something wrong with your compliment, Ms. Le Fay. Anyway, be on your way, I have some work to do." (Chibi Librarian)
The female librarian waved us away, oddly irked.
With Elaine on my back, I proceeded towards the said bookshelf edge.
"Whoa. It's like we're wandering through a never-ending ravine of books." (Elaine)
"Elaine. Can you remember any books you've read?" (Touma)
"Hmm? Harry Potter? A Song of Fire and Ice. Oh, if you're talking about Japanese LN titles… then No game No Life, Campione, and lotsa other ones." (Elaine)
"I see. Interesting. Just as I thought." (Touma)
"You can tell which world I hail from based on just what I've read?" (Elaine)
"Not exactly, but I can narrow the search down greatly. Fiction is mostly relative, you see. Based on the published book, we can reverse track them to the world it was published. But since the titles you mentioned are also published in this world, it serves mostly to reinforce my theory of you being a denizen of this world."
"So, the search should become easier?" (Elaine)
"Yes, theoretically, at least. Realistically, not so quite… We would still have an infinite number of phases to comb through. But I guess this "infinity" would logically be smaller than the other one." (Touma)
But it was still infinity… so I guess it is all a moot point.
"That so? …Oh, I see the terminal!" (Elaine)
We seemed to have reached one end of the towering bookshelf. Surrounded by eight bookshelves all extending in eight different directions (like a flower), the small data terminal, despite being inconspicuous, seemed oddly important.
It seemed to be an antique model.
"Well, then…" (Touma)
"This thing works?" (Elaine)
Good thing, I spotted the chibi librarian girl floating nearby.
"And I said I had some work to do… Good grief. At least, let's finish this quickly… Elaine Le Fay, give me your hand." (Chibi Librarian)
"Like this? …Ouch!" (Elaine)
The librarian girl used a pin to extract a drop of Elaine's blood and taking it on her nail, proceeded to drop it into the centrifuge looking thing on the side of the terminal.
"If there's a trace of magic in your blood, we can use it track it all the way to your phase." (Chibi Librarian)
"I highly doubt it will be there… Awww…" (Elaine)
Elaine began sucking her finger.
"Can I have a look?" (Touma)
"Yeah." (Elaine)
I took her wet finger in my hand, and Elaine suddenly jumped.
Already used to her sometimes inexplicable behavior, I choose not to mind that particular display, and choose to use the band-aid and antiseptic liquid I carried with me.
"Do you always carry medical supplies in your pocket?" (Chibi Librarian)
Rather than a pocket, it was in my pocket subspace. I merely got used to carrying them upon me all the time at Kanzaki's behest.
"Yes. I thought it might prove useful…" (Touma)
"Is that so? Oh, the results are up! No luck, huh." (Chibi Librarian)
The little librarian girl looked disappointed. The words "No records found" shone brightly on the terminal.
"It seems like the phase you hail from isn't cataloged yet. Hmm. Odd. Very odd." (Chibi Librarian)
"Odd? Why, odd?" (Elaine)
"We cannot keep a record of every single phase, for obvious reasons… but I thought we had updated records of phases from which some people here in St. Maurice originally hail from." (Chibi Librarian)
"Umm…" (Elaine)
"Anyway, give me some time. I'll properly investigate this." (Chibi Librarian)
She took the tubule containing Elaine's blood and jotting down a "Very suspicious: Requires urgent investigation" on its label and jumped down.
"…" (Touma)
"…" (Elaine)
After some time the librarian informed us that the terminal was working properly, and the chances of it malfunctioning was exceedingly low.
In other words, the issue of Elaine's original world remained unsolved.
To put it in simple words— we didn't learn a single thing.
*sigh* (Elaine)
"Um… Don't look so down." (Touma)
"Mhm. I'm not down. It's just that, you know, I feel like the ground's slowly slipping beneath my feet and…" (Elaine)
Elaine wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
"I don't know how to express this feeling, this rising sense of insecurity…" (Elaine)
"Is it something like feeling homesick but having no home to return to?" (Touma)
"Yes! That was spot on! How'd ya guess it so precisely?" (Elaine)
"That's because I'm the same." (Touma)
"Huh…?" (Elaine)
"I too don't have a place to return to. The place I hail from has already fallen apart— there's not even a scrap of it left anymore." (Touma)
"Fallen… apart…? H-Huh? What do you mean?" (Elaine)
"Well, to put it briefly: a lot of things happened, and that world fell apart. I'm the sole survivor from there— Anna and Nika saved me." (Touma)
"You fancy dying? Then die for me. Fight for me, and fall for me. Don't let your life go to waste. Let it serve me instead."
Those were the crux of Anna's words when she first met me.
Anna glanced at the people gathered in the Archbishop's chambers, and gave an exasperated sigh.
"What's with this gathering? You have something you don't want other factions to hear?" (Anna)
"Hm. Yup. Something like that." (Laura)
Laura Stuart said those words as she admired a large painting hanging from the wall. This action was something Anna considered weird, considering Laura was her own office.
"The barrier is erected, My Lady. No one can eavesdrop anything even if they wished to." (Paracelsus)
"Thanks, old man. I'm quite the chatterbox, I have to confess." (Albert)
"I highly doubt even you'll chatter much about this once you hear it." (Laura)
"Haah! Like we didn't have enough problems already!" (Anna)
"The science side is acting suspiciously. Academy City seems to be up to something." (Laura)
"Up to what?" (Anna)
"Don't tell me it is about how they achieved a Level 6 shift. That is already old news." (Albert)
"What the heck did you just say, idiot? And this fact doesn't concern you one bit?" (Anna)
"Why bother. It is just a Level 6 esper, y'know. Nothing biggie~ I already knew they had this thing in the works for months." (Albert)
"You're correct. A mere Level 6 esper is not much of a problem, the real issue is something else." (Laura)
"Mhm, really?!" (Anna)
Anna couldn't help but be skeptical considering how Laura and Albert both considered the issue of a Level 6 monster's existence as something absolutely trivial.
"Yes. This phase is being tampered. No… wait… that is not the correct expression. It has already been tampered. This tampering seems to be centered around Elaine Le Fay and Solon Ehrenstein." (Laura)
"Ho! So you noticed it as well…" (Albert)
"W-Wait, what? Phase-tempering? Solon and… Elaine? What'cha mean?" (Anna)
"You tell me, Anna. You are the one closest to them, no? Perhaps, you should enlighten us why they might be considered special by a third party?" (Laura)
"No idea. Elaine's case was just a whim, or maybe you can call them instinct, perhaps. But now that I think about it, I did find a thing or two odd about Solon Ehrenstein." (Anna)
"Hmm…" (Laura)
"I can't be sure… I don't have much evidence. Give me some time to investigate, and I'll check on Elaine, too." (Anna)
"In other words, you haven't bothered to investigate them till now…" (Paracelsus)
"Yeah. That's right. I don't have the slightest thing to share… And oh, by the way, please don't mind me listening to this conversation. It sounds oddly interesting." (Anna)
"The hell. Why am I even here then? If you guys don't want to share any facts, how am I supposed to ponder on stuff? If it is like this, I doubt I'd be of any help. I don't have the information to wager a guess." (Albert)
Albert gave a tired shrug.
"Then, maybe you two can help me with something. Albert, can you use your sources to check what Academy City is up to, and Anna, maybe you can investigate Elaine Le Fay and Solon Ehrenstein." (Laura)
"What a pain in the neck. Can't you have your gloomy geezer do the investigating?" (Anna)
"I have my own orders I must adhere to. Please rest assured I won't be spending my time idly by." (Paracelsus)
"Then, I, too, have a crusade to plan. I'm not exactly free here, you know." (Anna)
"Calm down, I understand it is unfair to ask this of you alone. We will investigate on our end as well. Fortunately, we still have some people capable of infiltrating Academy City." (Laura)
"Just don't heighten tensions any further, alright?" (Anna)
"It is the science side that is heightening tensions…" (Laura)
"…" (Albert)
The air in the room grew tense. At that moment the gazes of Anna collided with Laura's.
Anna glared at Laura while the latter only smiled mischievously.
"Ain't that great! We actually reached an agreement. So maybe we could all just go our merry little ways now. Today is my talent agency's V-tube launch, so I have to be there soon…" (Albert)
"I, too, have something else to do, so see you around, guys." (Anna)
"Something to do?" (Albert)
"Yes. I have to obliterate one certain arrogant blonde's ragtag 300-man-strong Spartan Army with my military force of over a million Persian soldiers." (Anna)
"Isn't that just a game? How lame!" (Albert)
"You don't get to say that, you brain-dead old fart! This ain't as lame as cashing in on the popularity of some virtual idol like you!" (Anna)
"What'cha you say, wench?! V-tubers are the future, idiot! Viva la 2D revolution!" (Albert)
"Are you two people mocking us?" (Paracelsus)
"It's alright, Paracelsus. But I would greatly appreciate it if you don't forget the duties assigned to you by lil' ol me!" (Laura)
"Yeah. Yeah. I'll see what I can do about your thing. See ya, peeps!" (Anna)
"What do you think?" (Albert)
"Man, I have seen a lot of these complex relationship dramas in soap operas! What a drag! I hope they all kick the bucket." (Anna)
"Ooooi~ are you even listening?!" (Albert)
"Yes, I am. And I have something to ask of you, too." (Anna)
"Hmm?" (Albert)
"I know you've been snooping around Laura for a while now. But could you investigate Paracelsus, too? He seems to be up to something really shady." (Anna)
"I thought we had enough growing tensions between science and magic sides. And now you want to rile up your own faction? Yare yare~" (Albert)
"Really, yare yare~ indeed. Let's talk while walking. Soundproofing's on me." (Anna)
"Roger." (Albert)
"That Ehrenstein bozo craved the future." (Anna)
"Future? (Albert)"
"Yes. Not dreams, not hopes, none of that common jazz. He only cared about the "future" itself." (Anna)
"…Future, huh." (Albert)
It's hopes and dreams that people usually crave from the future, not the concept itself.
Or rather, most people think "dreams" or "hopes" but write future in their stead.
What would you want to become in the future?
What would you want to have in the future?
Everyone craved for their future to be good for them.
And it was perfectly natural to do so, and could certainly stand as a person's magic name.
But the future as a concept spliced away from the past and the present. It had nothing to bestow by itself.
"Not to mention his own death was part of his magic name. Now what kind of being does that? Magic name in itself is a reason to exist, not perish." (Anna)
"You mean he was suicidal?" (Albert)
"Kind of like that, but not exactly. He didn't wish for his own death, he just realized and came to terms with the fact that the future would only present him with death." (Anna)
There people who dreamt about destroying the world.
That by itself wasn't an issue. Dreaming about something, destruction or not, was the right of any sapient being. It would only become a problem if the said person began trying to act upon his plans.
By the same logic, there surely were people who'd dream about their own destruction.
The two types might sound somewhat different superficially, but their core essences were the same.
Both of them craved their future to change.
Solon Ehrenstein was different from the two in that he didn't dream about the future, nor work towards a particular goal. He simply accepted his inevitable destruction.
Yet in the abyss, there existed numerous possibilities entangled with the future. In its countless layers, he surely could have found a sequence of events— a worldline, of sorts, that guaranteed his survival.
Nevertheless, not even accepting such a possibility, he accepted his own demise.
"What I'm curious about is who filled his head with those thoughts." (Anna)
"So you're saying that Solon Ehrenstein was not driven mad by the chorus?" (Albert)
"Yep. He wasn't. He was completely sane, or as far as anyone can be. He was an oddball for sure, but he wasn't deranged or disillusioned. Yet he was able to take ownership of a temple. I'm not sure a simple person can do that." (Anna)
"…Are you saying that he was assisted by an external force?" (Albert)
"Yep. Definitely. The question is: who? Mark my words, Albert, there is something big going on without our notice." (Anna)
"…Mhm. Makes sense. Anna, do you suspect anyone?" (Albert)
"I didn't till now. But from what we learned today, the science side might not be scot-free as we are being led to believe." (Anna)
"That can't be. While it is true that they now possess a Level 6 esper, yet science still hasn't grown to the extent of intruding upon reality on such a high level." (Albert)
"I disagree with that assessment. There is not a single record of Solon Ehrenstein's existence anywhere in this world, yet there was a spirit double in the Academy. Hiding things from the Oracle while using her powers is borderline impossible." (Anna)
"And you think today's "phase tampering" might also be involved?" (Albert)
"Albert, you should not forget that on the science side, there is that perso—" (Anna)
"…" (Albert)
"…" (Anna)
Suddenly the two were overcome by an odd sensation of absence. Like they just forgot something very very important.
Their conversation seemed to have touched upon something in their subconscious. It was a vague vestige, lingering after the obliteration of a certain name.
A name they swore they had absolutely no reason or intention to forget— the result of a phase-wide altercation that they would never have overlooked otherwise.
"So will you look into it?" (Anna)
"Leave it to me!" (Albert)
Albert gave his chest a hearty thud.
"Thanks. Then I shall concentrate on besting Nika once and for all…" (Anna)
"…" (Albert)
Albert reached out and wrapped his arms around Anna's neck. The two assumed the position of the so-called "sleeper hold."
"I hope this doesn't need saying, but do your thing too, a'ight?" (Albert)
"I… get it… I'll do… my best… so please… let go… I-I give up…" (Anna)
Anna tapped Albert's arm twice.
And thus… the top-secret discussion for today came to an end…
Author Notes and Guest Reviews:
Mr. X: Thanks for the review as always jaja.
Now to answer the questions asked this time round :3
1) Mhm. You think so? Well, Azura has always loved Seth (the original one)… it is just the new one that is giving her so many problems (especially since he looks, feels, and behaves completely different). I guess it is more of a case that she is "programmed" to be Seth's companion irrespective of whether actual love is involved, which you can say is a type of Kami-yan disease, but at the same time, I kinda feel it's not exactly the same. Either way, it is unlikely she will ever be a Kamijou harem member since she's already married and is in a millenia spanning relationship :)
2) I won't spoil you if you haven't figured it out jaja. (Though I feel like you might after you've read this chapter)
3) Haven't reached there yet lol. Haven't had time to read the novels lately. Got tangled up in writing and other irl stuff. I have completed Kamisato Rescue Arc sometime back, and I am heading into what I presume is the Aleister Crowley Arc (NT18). GT3 will take some time to reach jaja, it seems.
Once again thanks a lot for reading this work. I hope you liked it.
Moving on,
This chapter was basically setting the ground for future chapters. Some mystery building and stuff, nothing biggie~
Except now there is a Level 6 esper on the science side.
How it came to be? It is simply the butterfly effect of canon Touma not being there. The Tree Diagram was not destroyed, and the Level 6 Shift Project must have succeeded.
Anyway, there you have it… Hope it was a fun read.
See ya next time…
~VG outto~